A/N
Hello again! My most sincere apologies for the disappearance, time really flies now that I have started up full-time work once more… Regardless, I shall endeavor to maintain a schedule. Reviews shall be down below as per usual.
Now then without further ado, on with the chapter!
Line break
\\ Connection to pilot established \\
.
…
.
Warning: Pilot is not in possession of a Pilot's helmet - Visual feed cannot be established
.
Switching to external sensors. . . . .Success - Pilot Identified [ Location: Headmasters office ]
.
15 additional heat signatures detected. . . . .Threat level : 23%
.
Establishing audio feed. . . . . Success
\\ Longueville : After asking around town I was able to put together this sketch (...)
Audio indicates a paper is being unfurled - Dialogue indicates it is likely a sketch of a thief in question
\\ Pilot: Louise : That's Fouquette.
Confirmed Identity of the attacker encountered the day prior - New Profile ( Fouquette )
.
\\ INCOMING PRIORITY TRANSMISSION \\
.
. . . . . Pausing connection
.
Decrypting message . . . . _99%_
.
Complete
.
/ STATUS UPDATE ON FOB /
Current Facilities :
HQ Dugout [ ONLINE ]
Harvester beam [ STANDBY ]
- Requiring relocation current deposit has no more ore
-Ore Quantity [ NONE ]
-Ore Quality [ N/A ]
Refinery [ BUSY ]
-Current task : Refining raw ore
Specter Assembly Bay ( S.A.B ) [ STANDBY ]
-Last order received completed successfully
Titan maintenance bay [ OFFLINE - insufficient power ]
- recommend construction of a cold fusion reactor power facility
WARNING : FOB Fusion reactor has suffered damage and is currently operating at 45% efficiency recommend repairing or replacing the power grid.
Awaiting further orders
\\ END MESSAGE \\
.
Message received. . . Message deleted
.
Warning - Due to the activity of the thief Fouquette in the area there is a 86% possibility search parties will be deployed to track down the thief in question.
.
Recommended course of action : Conceal the FOB location by relocating all facilities underground.
.
Orders compiled beginning transmission. . . . .
.
\\ NEW MESSAGE \\
[ New Objectives ]
[ Objective 1 ]
Repair fusion reactor to re-establish power grid
[ Objective 2 ]
Concealment required - Recommend making use of excavated sub-terrain for construction of underground Bunker
[ Objective 3 ]
Construct a Commander's quarters and Barracks for human occupants
\\ END MESSAGE \\
Re-establishing connection to Pilot. . . . . Success
Establishing audio feed. . . . . . Success
\\ Osmond : Very well then! Miss Louise, Chevalier Tabitha, Miss Zerbst, will accompany Miss Longuvielle to the thief's last known location and secure the staff of destruction.
. . . . Possibility that this unit missed vital information while handling an external message 99.99%
.
…
.
Re-evaluating Priorities for future events…
.
NOTICE : Atmospheric systems now operational Pilot may now embark safely
.
Updating Objectives. . . .
As Louise exited the headmaster's office her head was abuzz. When she had been called to the headmaster's office she had been mildly surprised to see Tabitha present, but she concluded that she had likely witnessed the incident on her dragons back. However, what made no sense to her was how in the founder's name did Kiriche get into the meeting!? The only reason she had given was 'it looks like fun'. And she calls herself a noble, honestly. More importantly, she had to praise Miss Longueville on her resourcefulness in asking around the town. 'I suppose her position as the headmaster's secretary wasn't for nothing.' Louise mused.
The secretary had managed to gather enough information to not only create an accurate sketch of the thief but also pin down a location as well. One of the teachers, Colbert she recalled, had suggested they contact the crown to send in the royal guard. However, the headmaster had shut down that idea incredibly quickly. He came forwards with his own proposition, he stated that if they were to regain this academy's honor they would need to retrieve the staff themselves. He then asked for volunteers, but since none of the staff came forwards, Louise did.
When she did, so did Tabitha and Kirche, Tabitha apparently somehow earned the rank of chevalier which had been a shock. But what was an even bigger shock was that Kirche held the rank of nothing at all, and still got to tag along regardless. Louise ground her teeth, her familiar had at least managed to put up a fight, what did Kiriche expect to do. Seduce the enemy to death? The Germanian barbarian certainly tried to do so with every boy she came across.
Groaning Louise clutched her head, what an annoying chain of events.
'Pilot I need to request your presence as soon as possible. I am currently stationed in the academy's hangar.' FS's Voice rang through Louise's head. 'Hangar?' Louise repeated the unfamiliar term in her head. Shaking her head she brushed it off, she would take the opportunity to ask later, for now she would see what was so important that required her presence.
…
It was a short walk to get back to the large room reserved for the familiars, as usual FS was crouched in the corner. All the other familiars huddled on the opposite side, clearly too intimidated by his presence. Allowing herself a small smile at the sight, Louise made her way over to her familiar.
"Welcome back Pilot" FS greeted her.
Louise smiled, she had grown fond of those words, they were the first words FS had said to her. The same words that had proved she was not insane and that she was not a failure. Taking a deep breath Louise brought herself back to the present and faced her familiar.
"Thank you, for what purpose did you request my presence?" Louise asked. "We are going to need to make this quick if we aren't going to keep the others waiting." She added.
"My atmospheric systems have finally finished rebooting, it is now safe for you to embark. As our time is limited I recommend we do so immediately." FS said.
"Embark? FS, what do you mean 'embark'?" Louise asked, she figured he had listened in to their conversation in the headmaster's office again, so it would come as no surprise that FS would know of their journey. But it was the way he worded the sentence that confused Louise.
Instead of clarifying with words, Louise heard a hissing of air, before she witnessed FS's face split open. She was stunned by the sight, it appeared as though her familiar did have a mouth after all. But when she looked inside she didn't see teeth or a tongue like one would expect, instead, Louise saw a human-sided chair.
"So this is what you meant by embarking…" Louise said in awe.
FS carefully motioned with his hand for Louise to come closer. He considerately left his hand beneath the opening, offering it as a step to assist her. Louise slowly approached her familiar, unease building within her. Once she made it to his hand she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Steeling herself she stepped aboard his hand, making use of the chair's handles for support Louise pulled herself into the seat. 'Comfy' she thought to herself as she sat down.
Without warning FS suddenly rose to his full height, causing Louise to instinctively tense up as she was suddenly raised off the ground. She was surprised to feel herself firmly kept in place feeling very little of the inertia generated. Once FS reached his full height he sealed the cockpit and Louise was plunged into darkness. Some of the instruments around her glowed vaguely providing her with some comfort.
"Pilot, it appears I have made an error." FS suddenly spoke up, his voice came from above her, and it sounded quieter. She was grateful, in an enclosed space like this his normal volume may have deafened her.
"W-What kind of error?" Louise asked cautiously, was she in danger?
"While we do possess a neural link, the link we possess is unusual." FS stated, "It appears as though it is insufficient for you to take control of my chassis."
"Take control?" Louise asked, suddenly it clicked in her head, Pilot, she was meant to 'Pilot' FS. But, she couldn't see any controls… maybe she just instructed him what to do? Or was it like how an earth mage summoned a golem and mentally ordered them around perhaps?
"Affirmative, please hold while I establish a neural link." FS said.
Louise was about to ask when her vision was suddenly assaulted by a flurry of green lights. Recoiling slightly she found that no matter where she looked they would always be in her face. As they danced around her vision she felt a presence imposing on her mind, like a small probe pressing on her skull. She tried to push it away but she couldn't seem to do so, then it broke the surface and made its way into her head. She suddenly felt a cold sensation wash down her spine and quickly spread throughout her entire body. Then just as quickly as it came it all disappeared, but Louise felt… Different. It was difficult to put into words but something was amiss. She tried raising a hand to rub her temple but found that she couldn't. Alarmed she tried moving her other arm but found it just as unresponsive as the other. Panicking she tried to move any of her limbs at all but found nothing was working at all.
"Pilot please try to remain calm, the neural link is still being established. During that time neither of us will be able to move. The feeling will pass momentarily." FS calmly told her… wait calmly? His voice was still monotone but she could clearly understand his intention, almost… instinctively? Was this because of the neural link?
Louise had many questions swirling around in her head, but they all came to an abrupt stop when the cockpit's walls in front of her suddenly lit up and she could see outside the chassis walls. It took a moment for the picture to clear, but eventually, she stopped seeing double or triple.
"Visuals restored. Bringing motor controls online." FS stated. Louise's limbs still felt completely unresponsive but she could now sweep her vision around the room. It was weird, she felt as though she was looking around with her own head, but she was certain she had to be moving FS's eye around in order to shift her gaze around the room. It all felt so… natural. She knew without a doubt she had never experienced anything like this, yet to her, it was as though she had been born performing these actions.
"Our neural link allows us to share our experiences to a near-perfect degree. However, you may still find movement slightly disorienting due to the additional joint located in my chassis's legs." FS advised. "Motor controls online, pilot please try moving your arms."
Louise blinked, she concentrated trying to lift her arms from their resting place. It was odd, she felt as though her arms were hanging limply at her hips and not on her seat's armrests. She decided to check them by lifting them into view, however, she was in for a shock when she did not see her arms, but FS's had responded to her commands. Blinking she clenched and unclenched her fists experimentally. Feeling FS's metal hands curl and unfurl as she did so, it was so surreal, she knew these hands did not belong to her but she could still feel them, and control them like they were her own. Running one of FS's metallic hands along the surface of the other she could feel the temperature of the metal rubbing against itself. Spreading her metallic fingers Louise experimentally traced them up the metallic forearm, giggling lightly as she felt the tingling sensation run up her own arms.
Feeling bold Louise tried to step forwards, but the enormous difference in height and additional joint that FS mentioned caused her to lurch forwards. Not anticipating the speed Louise began to panic, flailing FS's arms about unable to regain her balance she began to fall forwards. Moments before impact her body, or rather FS's body suddenly reorientated itself and caught itself before it hit the ground. Louise blinked, it felt as though she was still in control, but she knew she could not have reacted in the same manner she just did.
"Remember pilot we are both in control when you embark, I can still provide assistance where necessary. As our neural link strengthens I will be capable of providing greater assistance." FS noted. "Pilot, in accordance with protocol 2 I calculate our best course of action would be to link up with our comrades in order to begin our search for the thief."
Louise perked up, she had entirely forgotten that she was meant to be meeting up with the other three to chase down Fouquette. She was late! She was currently keeping the others waiting while she tried to figure out how to 'pilot' her Familiar.
"FS! We need to hurry!" Louise exclaimed, pointing to the door, momentarily forgetting that she was in control of FS, not the other way around. An awkward silence followed as the enormous Titan stood motionless pointing at the open doorway. "Er… right." Louise blushed inside the Titan, glancing around she was relieved to see no one was present to witness the event. Retracting her finger Louise awkwardly began making her way to the exit.
"Do you think the zero lost her nerve?" Kirche asked her silent companion Tabitha. The two were seated in the back of a carriage that had been prepared to take them to the supposedly abandoned shack where their quarry was last sighted. The headmaster's secretary had graciously offered to take them there, after all, she had been the one to pin down the thief's location. But at the moment all but one of the volunteers had arrived, and they were currently stuck waiting on them to arrive.
Tabitha simply shook her head without even looking up from her book she responded. "Familiar." The monotone of her voice rivaling that of FS's.
"Ah, I suppose she would need her familiar to compensate," Kiriche said with a slight giggle, letting out a tired sigh she continued. "Although, it is a shame I must leave my dear flame behind. You two were so lucky to summon such strong familiars, ooh I'm so jealous!"
Tabitha as usual ignored her companion's antics, she spoke enough for the both of them. Although she did debate casting another silencing spell on her, she was having trouble reading the book she always kept with her.
She was interrupted however by the telltale stomps of Louise's familiar growing louder. It would appear as though their companion had finally arrived. Sparring a single glance a ghost of a frown appeared on her expressionless face. She could see Louise's familiar approach, but something was very off with it. Firstly Louise was nowhere to be found, although it is entirely possible that she was riding on her familiar's back out of sight. Secondly and most importantly was the manner in which the golem was walking. Whenever she had seen the Golem walk before it always moved in a very distinct and refined manner. Every motion was smooth, although Tabitha would not consider them to be graceful, more like… efficient. Now the Golem's eye was darting around cautiously watching where it placed its feet like it was terrified of stepping on something. Not to mention its manner of walking was stiffer, much more refined. It kept its back up straight and its arms at its side. Had Louise been teaching it to walk as a noble would?
"Oh, did the zero decide to send her Familiar in her place?" Kirche asked the Titan in a teasing tone.
"Shut up, Zerbst I'm still here." Louise's slightly distorted voice answered. Tabitha narrowed her eyes as she closed her book. Her voice was distorted in a similar manner to how her familiar's voice was. So that ruled out Louise riding on her familiar's back, then was she somehow inside of it?
"L-Louise?" Kirche asked stunned, was Louise speaking through her familiar now? "What happened to your familiar?"
"I am still present, I have simply transferred control to my pilot." FS's voice rang out, from the same place as Louise.
So it was likely that she was inside the familiar, and now somehow controlling it. That at least explained the abrupt change in a walking pattern. Next to her, she saw Kiriche clearly lost. Tabitha let out a sigh and decided to give her some help.
"Inside," Tabitha said.
Kiriche's eyes widened, although not in understanding. "You mean Louise's familiar ate her!?" Kirche exclaimed in shock. If there was ever a time for Tabitha to facepalm, this would be it. She also heard Louise sigh in exasperation, evidently, Tabitha's wording could have been chosen better.
"FS a little help please?" Louise asked her familiar. Tabitha shifted her gaze back to the golem, curious as to what she was asking of them. Not a moment later did FS's face let out a hiss of air before splitting open. Suddenly Tabitha felt as though Kriche's assumption of Louise being eaten was not entirely inaccurate anymore.
As the golem's face opened Tabitha was forced to lean to her side to see Louise inside the familiars… stomach? Face? It was difficult to tell. However once she saw inside the familiar one thing became very clear, the golem was built with the purpose of a human sitting inside. Tabitha could see no other reason for a human-sized chair to be held within the golem. She could also clearly see Louise inside completely unharmed.
"Wow, can I get a ride sometime?" Kirche was quick to recover from her surprise once she saw Louise unharmed.
"Negative, only my Pilot is capable of taking control of my chassis. Without a neural link, you will only be able to sit within the cockpit." FS supplied.
Tabitha watched Kiriche's features form into a disappointed pout. A sigh brought her attention to their carriage driver, "Well, if you children are done playing arguing over your toys I believe it would be best if we left now.. Miss Longuvielle said exasperated. Clearly, she had gotten impatient waiting for so long.
"Right, well, I will ride with FS if that's alright." Louise said from her seat within her Familiar.
"Very well then, we will have to hurry if we wish to make it back before nightfall." Miss Longuvielle said.
Tabitha merely nodded and opened her book, although she suspected she would have trouble concentrating on the words in front of her. Now that she had seen more of what Louise's mysterious familiar was capable of, she was left with more questions than answers.
The trip was mostly made in silence, at least for those in the carriage. While the others sat in silence, Louise and FS engaged in a private conversation within the cockpit.
"Pilot, I have important classified information I need to disclose with you. I wanted to inform you earlier however I was unable to locate a discreet location." FS said using only the cockpit's internal speakers. Louise could feel the pressure FS put behind his words through their link. "It is important this information is kept solely between you and me. I will leave the decision as to whether or not Miss Siesta is cleared to hear this as well."
Louise blinked, she understood the definition of classified, but was she really anyone to receive such permission? And why was her familiar only telling this to her? "FS what could be so important I'm not allowed to share it with anyone else?"
"Pilot, before I can share any information regarding the topic I need your vocal confirmation that you will not disclose this information to any unauthorized personnel. My protocols will not allow me otherwise." FS said.
"And you aren't going to tell me anything else until I give you my word?" Louise asked.
"Affirmative" FS confirmed.
Louise sighed, "Very well then, I will not share what you have to say with anyone un-authorized. You have my word as a Noble." Louise stated. She couldn't help but feel that by giving her word, she had just made a decision that would affect her for the rest of her life.
"Confirmed, thank you, Pilot. I am hereby transferring command of the Forward Operating Base to you, Pilot. In addition to this, you now hold the rank of Commander. Congratulations on your Field promotion Pilot." FS said to her, she could tell he felt… proud? Excited? Positive, he was feeling positive she supposed. Wait, what was that about a promotion?!
"Wait what!? But I'm not in any military! How would I receive such a high rank! And hold on! Forward operating base!? Where!? How!?" Louise yelled confused by the sudden turn of events.
"Pilot please allow me to explain, my protocols dictate that any Pilot or Militia personnel without the appropriate rank are not to be informed. As there are no other militia personnel by default the responsibility lies with me. As my Pilot, you are to be given the same clearance, as such to remain as my Pilot a promotion was in order." FS explained. "With your new rank, you now have clearance to be briefed on my purpose. My chassis is a prototype unit designed to be dropped behind enemy lines. My purpose is to rapidly construct a forward operating base that can engage in a battle of attrition with the enemy. However during my transit here the FOB unit was detached mid-transit. To my knowledge, it landed in a large dense forest approximately 300 km west of the Academy. Approximately 3 days 4 hours and 32 minutes ago, I was able to establish a remote connection to the MRVN units and began harvesting ore for construction. As of this time four facilities have completed construction, however, more can be constructed upon your orders."
Louise was lost, so very lost. FS had just explained the impossible, a forward operating base built in a matter of days? Sure, with a platoon of soldiers it was possible, but with two… Marvins? Unless these Marvins possessed some form of earth magic she found it unlikely. But then, FS mentioned there were four 'facilities'... what did that entail?
"FS, you aren't making any sense, I don't understand how any of that is possible…" Louise trailed off.
"Pilot, I believe that if I showed you visually it would be easier than explaining with words. It appears your vocabulary is not entirely up to date. Please relax while I take control of motor functions." FS said, Louise, frowned at the comment on her vocabulary. She was very well educated on proper vocabulary, it was FS that was using strange made-up words.
Suddenly she felt her senses shrink again, in the same manner when FS had first opened the cockpit. She suddenly felt her arms and legs regain feeling as well. It felt like she was pulling a large coat off of her entire body all at once. Then FS's door that showed her the outside world suddenly went black. After a few seconds, it turned back on but it did not show what was in front of her. The first thing Louise noticed is she appeared to be closer to the ground. Much too low for FS's point of view, but still too high for her regular point of view. Was she looking through somebody else's eyes now? She also appeared to be in a small clearing within a dense forest somewhere… wait she was in a forest! FS mentioned the FOB was located in one, could this be it then?
"Video feed established. Pilot, you are currently looking through the eyes of a MRVN unit located at the FOB. Please hold while I transfer your controls to the unit." Louise blinked, he could do that? "Affirmative, while embarked I can interpret your movements and relay them to the MRVN unit. However, due to the large amount of data required, your senses will be extremely limited. Connection established, Pilot please try moving around."
Louise complied, she started by trying to lift one of her arms, the unit did as she expected. However she was surprised to see what it's arm looked like, it seemed to be very skinny, and made entirely of metal. It was also painted a bright yellow colour. Curious Louise tried flexing her fingers, she succeeded but she noted it was very different than when she did it with FS's fingers. Back then she could feel the movements, with this unit she couldn't feel anything at all, not to mention it felt like she was trying to move underwater. The unit could not move nearly as fast as FS which made things a little difficult for her.
"Pilot due to the limited connection caused by the long-range I suggest you do not try moving around too much. Try to use this time to look around the FOB to better understand what I explained earlier." FS idly said to her.
Heeding his advice Louise stopped trying to move her arms about and simply focused on turning her head to look around. As she turned to her left she was met with a jaw-dropping sight, there was an enormous metal cylinder firing a laser into the ground. It seemed to be eating away at the dirt beneath it.
"Pilot, you are currently looking at the harvester beam. Its primary function is to excavate ore from the earth, so it can be processed into materials for building. However at this time, there is no more ore located beneath the harvester, it is currently excavating the earth for development." FS explained.
"Development of what?" Louise inquired.
"Due to the required secrecy of the FOB, I calculated it would be best to move the facilities underground to better conceal their presence." FS answered.
"Underground… but without an earth mage how are you going to keep the cave from collapsing?" Louise asked. Some earth mages were occasionally hired to reinforce mine shafts and caves, but it was extremely rare that a noble would agree to do such 'commoner work'. Usually, they would only do so for their own basements in their mansions.
"There are many methods for creating supports in a subterranean base. Rest assured, Pilot I calculate there will be no issues." FS assured Louise.
Louise wanted to protest more, but now that she had seen what her familiar had accomplished in such a short time made her think twice. Letting her gaze wander some more she saw an enormous building taller than FS that seemed to be swarmed by the yellow robots. 'Those must be the Marvin's then' Louise noted. She watched in awe as the yellow robots used some form of fire magic to cut apart the building piece by piece and carefully transport the materials into a large stockpile of similar-looking pieces.
"That was the Titan maintenance bay previously, however it finished construction before the order was given to move facilities underground. As such it must now be disassembled in order to transport it underground." FS explained noticing where Louise was looking.
"How… How long will it take to move everything underground?" Louise asked in awe, the building was enormous.
"If there are no interruptions I calculate the underground facilities will complete construction in two weeks time, however additional MRVN units will speed up the process. With your order Commander, additional units can be printed to finish construction sooner." FS explained.
"My order?" Louise asked.
"Affirmative, however, please be aware that our resources are limited until we can find another deposit of ore. Please be mindful of what units you wish to print at this time." FS warned.
"O-Okay, then." Louise didn't mind letting the Marvin's complete their work over the course of two weeks. Additionally, she wasn't even sure how much trouble she would be in Building a base on crown land. She didn't have any rights to the land FS was building on and she could get in a large amount of trouble if a noble owned the land and discovered what her familiar had done. Groaning she realized there was no way she could just ask her familiar to pack everything up and move it somewhere else. "FS, I'd like to print some more Marvin units."
"Understood, how many would you like to print? We currently have the resources to print 2,304 units, however, we can only house approximately 50 at this time. A MRVN storage bay is currently under construction but until it is completed I cannot recommend having more than 50 units active at this time. Additionally, MRVN units cannot provide combat support, I highly recommend we print additional specters for security purposes." FS explained.
"Very well then, how much faster will the process go if we print say… 20 units then?" Louise ignored the enormous number of units FS threw at her. She also made a mental note to ask about specters later. She was operating under the assumption that her familiar was a doll maker, a golem capable of creating additional golems to serve its master's will. She had read a story or two from the library, although most were clouded with suspicion. FS was likely the only confirmable case in history.
"With an additional 20 units construction will be completed in 23 hours time." FS explained.
"Then print 20 units and put them to work," Louise ordered.
"Orders received, the new units will complete construction in 2 hours." FS explained. "Pilot if we are done monitoring the FOB it would be best if we close this connection and allow the MRVN unit to assist in completing its task."
Louise nodded the MRVN's head and suddenly felt a tugging sensation as she relinquished control of the unit. Slowly she felt her senses return to her body only to gradually fade again as she returned her focus to controlling FS once more. FS began gradually putting Louise back into control of FS's body, taking care not to abruptly put her in control mid-step.
"FS" Louise asked. "Before you put me back in control… I want you to tell me about the militia. Who are they, what do they fight for, everything? I won't share the information unless absolutely necessary, you have my word." Truthfully Louise wished to know if the Militia would be a threat to the kingdom of Tristan.
If this so-called Militia had access to all this technology there was no way it originated from Halkeginia. Nothing that FS said or showed her made any sense to her, if Louise was going to manage the forward operating base she needed more information. Louise felt her connection to FS gradually recede once more as FS took control.
"Understood, where do you want me to start?" FS asked.
"From the beginning, and don't leave out any details," Louise said firmly.
"Affirmative"
Louise had been back and forth with FS for a few hours now, and she was beginning to get a headache. Had she not seen the FOB herself she would never have once believed a single word that FS told her. To think, FS had been summoned from a different world entirely, a world where the stars were not out of humanity's grasp. FS was even able to supply Louise with visuals of all the different planets humanity had colonized. But what had baffled Louise the most by far, was the lack of any form of magic whatsoever. All of these incredible machines and technologies and not even a single trace of magic.
Then there was the war between the IMC and the militia. If Louise was honest, she did not know which faction she sided with. By Halkeginia standards, if a noble owned a piece of land, it belonged to them and their family, only the crown had the power to revoke their land. The IMC apparently owned the planets on the frontier but had abandoned them for nearly a century. If the Royal family up and left Tristan for the same amount of time they would still be the royal family… right?
Louise sighed, if the throne was left empty for so long the kingdom would be thrown into chaos. By right, the crown should still follow its bloodline but if they were to abandon it, then would they have any right to demand it back? No… they wouldn't, the people would likely revolt and remove them from power by force. That must be what happened on the frontier then, the ones in power left, only to return years later demanding the people give up their land for free. It was after all their own fault they lost control of the planets.
Louise pressed a hand to her forehead trying to make sense of everything she had just been told. FS had dumped an enormous amount of information onto her shoulders and she was still trying her best to make sense of it all. She was very grateful that FS had opted to remain in control while they continued forwards. Louise was doubtful that she would be able to concentrate on walking straight otherwise.
"Pilot we are approaching our destination, I highly recommend you compose yourself in the event that we encounter the thief at our destination," FS informed Louise. "Additionally, you may need to disembark upon arrival to assist in retrieving the staff."
Louise sighed and nodded, she could sort through everything FS had told her later, for now, it would be best if she focused on the task in front of her. Shelving her questions for later Louise retrieved her wand and got ready to disembark from FS's chassis.
"This is the place," Miss Longuvielle spoke up from her place on the carriage. True to her word in front of them was an old abandoned shack. If their information was good then the staff would be located inside.
FS knelt down and opened his cockpit and allowed Louise to disembark as Tabitha and Kirche both dismounted from the Carriage. Louise felt quite refreshed as her ride with FS had been far more comfortable than any carriage she had ever ridden in. She felt a little bad for the other two girls who had ridden in the bumpy carriage. She knew firsthand how uncomfortable long rides could be. Louise waited a moment for the others to stretch and get ready before they approached the old house.
"Pilot I am not detecting any life signs in the near vicinity, however, the thief Foquette is known to command an earth golem. Because it is made purely of stone it will be difficult to detect. Please be cautious when approaching." FS warned.
Louise nodded, before turning to her two companions. Her gaze lingered on Kiriche for a moment, but she remained silent, now was not the time for rivalries. If they were going to get the staff they needed to be cautious. Foquette's golem had managed to go toe to toe with FS the last time they met. If it showed up again they would not stand any chance without FS's assistance.
Biting back her fear Louise steeled her mind and pressed forwards, leading the group closer to the small house. She could the dirt crunch underneath her feet, internally wincing at how dirty they would be when she returned. 'Pilot I advise you to maintain focus on your objective. Your uniform should be of no concern at this time.' FS chastised her. She felt her brow twitch, he could read her thoughts now as well? 'Negative, I cannot directly read your thoughts, Pilot. However the neural link has given me a map of your neural activity, it is a simple matter for me to make a calculated guess.'
Louise shook her head, fine then, it's not like she could do anything about it anyway. Gripping her wand Louise had reached the threshold of the doorway. FS had mentioned that there were no life signs in the House, but that would not include any golems the thief left behind. Gulping Louise peaked through the window but found nothing. "It's empty, no golems." Louise breathed a sigh of relief and let down her guard. If the thief was not here it would be best to grab the staff and leave before they return.
"Hmmm, well if that's the case I'll take a look around to see if there are any traces of the thief nearby." Miss Longuevielle offered. However, she left without bothering to wait for a reply.
FS narrowed his eye at her retreating frame but made no effort to stop her. Because of his Pilot's inexperience with the battlefield Protocol, 3 Dictated he keep a clear line of sight with her at all times.
Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha entered the small house and began their search for the staff. There was little of note in the cabin itself, just some dusty old furniture. The cabinets were all empty, and there was no trace of any food being left behind. Clearly, no one had lived here for a very long time. However in a nearby chest, Louise revealed a large purple crate, the box was very ornately designed and recently polished.
"Over here! I found it." Louise piped up. However, when she tried to pick up the box she nearly fell over from its weight. It wasn't so heavy she couldn't lift it but, it was an ordeal just to heave it into her arms.
"Hm? What's wrong? It can't be that heavy zero." Kirche said teasingly behind Louise. Louise glared at her.
"If you believe that to be the case then you are more than welcome to try and lift the staff yourself!" Louise huffed, handing the staff off to Kirche. The moment she let go, the weight of the case made the girl's eyes bulge as she struggled to recover from the weight.
"Ah… I see what you mean now."Kirche huffed out.
"Pilot, I am detecting motion approaching our current position. I am still not detecting any life signs, there is a very high likelihood that the thief has sent their Golem to attack us. I highly recommend we take immediate action." FS voice warned them aloud, although only Louise was able to pick up the concern behind his words. If the golem kept FS busy or took Louise hostage again the other two would be on their own.
Louise's breath hitched as she heard FS's warning, next to her she could hear Kiriche gasp as well. Not wasting a moment she made a break for the door, Tabitha running alongside her, and Kirche lagging behind thanks to the weight of the staff. Once they crossed the threshold of the doorway they were greeted by FS's massive frame gazing off into the distance. His body was clearly tense as he waited for his opponent to arrive.
"Pilot, I need you to open the crate in Miss Zerbst's arms. You will be able to make use of the weapon inside." FS spoke over his shoulder.
"Weapon?" Louise questioned.
"Contact in 5 seconds, Pilot there is no time to explain. Open the crate and do as I say." FS commanded. Louise jumped and compiled Turning to Kiriche she snatched the box from her arms and lay it on the floor. Behind her, she could now hear the stomps of the approaching danger. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead as she opened the crate in front of her. There was no complicated lock thankfully, just a thin thread of ribbon tying the purple case shut. Tugging on the ribbon it came undone without issue, pushing on the top of the case revealed its contents. Inside was the 'staff of destruction', a large cylinder with what appeared to be a grip for a human hand to hold it.
"Pilot, I will instru- contact!" FS was cut off as the Foquette's golem broke through the clearing. Although Louise noticed it had changed its appearance quite drastically. It appeared as though Foquette took some inspiration from FS's chassis and incorporated it into her Golem's design. It now had an additional joint in its legs to assist its movement. Its Torso had also been streamlined in place of its face; it had a much smoother egg-like shape to better deflect punches. Its arms had also been slimmed slightly, likely in order to improve how quickly they could strike. This fight was not going to be nearly as easy as the last one.
FS lowered his weight as he cautiously scanned his opponent. He had calculated numerous strategies based on his previous encounter, however, with the sudden change in design, he may need to scrap his previous plans of engagement. His scans indicate this opponent was still made of the same rock as before rendering his primary weapon useless once more. Additionally, the smoother torso may simply deflect most of his gunfire and MMTS. Engaging from range was not an option. However there was one advantage his Pilot has, in her arms is an Archer heavy rocket, an Anti-Titan weapon. If used properly it could cripple the Golem, she would just need the opportunity. However without any training or knowledge of the weapon he was going to need to instruct her himself.
'Pilot, in your arms is an Archer Heavy rocket, designated anti-Titan weapon. A well-placed shot will cripple our opponent, however, we will only have one shot. I will walk you through the steps to fire the weapon, however, it will be up to you to take the shot.' FS advised Louise through their neural Link.
His standoff with the Golem continued, FS's eye darted around his field of vision as he searched for the Golem's master. If he could neutralize them first the golem would disappear, unfortunately, it seems the thief is not taking the same risks as last time.
Seeing no other way forwards FS lowered his weight and broke into a sprint towards the other golem. Recognizing the attack the golem opened its arms and placed one foot further back, bracing itself for the charge. FS rapidly closed the distance, 40 meters, 30 meters, 20, 10, at 5 meters the Golem lurched forwards in an attempt to Grapple FS, however, FS had no intention of attacking head on this time, instead, FS Dashed to his left ducking under the golem's arms. Pivoting on his foot FS began copying a Pilot's execution and slammed his fists into where a human's kidneys would be located, following up with a swift kick to the Golems back. The kick not the golem off balance and forced it down on one knee. FS began punching the golem's unprotected back but was startled when the Golem caught his fist.
FS made a crucial mistake assuming the Golem had a 'front' and 'back' but being made entirely from stone the Golem's creator could easily reshape small aspects. Such as inverting the Golems arms to reach behind itself. FS tried to free his arm by striking the golem across where its face would be only for his other arm to be caught as well. With both, his arms pinned the golem began pushing FS back while rising to its feet.
With his arms pinned FS was running out of options. His ordnance may only deal with glancing blows if they aren't deflected. With his opponent made of rock without anything armor-piercing to damage its structural integrity, he would not be able to land a decisive blow. He will need his Pilot's assistance in order to finish this fight.
'Pilot both I and the enemy are currently in a deadlocked state.' FS informed Louise 'I can create an opening for you. When I do you must use the Archer to target the enemy's legs.'
'What! FS don't be stupid, if I miss the rocket will likely hit you instead! Besides! I still don't know how to use the staff!' Louise's frantic reply rang through FS systems.
'Take one knee and place the weapon over your shoulder. Make sure the trigger must be pulled towards you. Before you fire ensure there is no one directly behind you.' FS hurriedly replied. An alarm blared in his systems drawing his attention to his fists. The rock on the golem's hands was now acting like mud slowly beginning to encase FS's hands. If the rock reached FS's joints he would soon be unable to move. 'Pilot I am running out of time, you need to hurry.'
'R-Right!' Louise responded quickly.
Not wasting a second Louise dropped to one knee as she hefted the staff of destruction over her shoulder. A quick glance revealed the other two girls were off to her side, not behind her. Next to her Kirche and Tabitha gave her funny looks as she did. She didn't have time to explain, fearing the worst for FS she simply ignored them. As she shouldered the 'staff' a glass panel popped out in front of her eye, at the bottom was a set of characters that were foreign to her. Despite this she could clearly understand them reading: 'No target found'.
'Pilot, above the trigger guard, there is a switch, shift it up. This will disable the locking function enabling a laser targeting system. Simply keep the circle in your vision pointed at the enemy's legs. You must not lose sight until the rocket makes contact or the projectile will miss.' FS warned.
Fumbling with the odd design Louise eventually found what FS had mentioned. Upon flipping it the text disappeared, replaced by: 'Laser-targeting ready'. Focusing on the Golem's legs Louise took a deep breath, in… out… and pulled back slowly on the trigger.
The force was immense.
The sound of the staff could have been mistaken for a dragon roaring in her ears. The wind hot the staff produced felt like a flaming punch to her lungs. But Louise refused to lose sight of her target. She would not be useless, she would be the one to take down the golem even if it killed her. Next to her she heard Kiriche yelp in surprise but Lousie ignored her, she did not know if she could use the staff again without passing out. If she missed now, she would just be as useless as ever.
The sound of the staff caught the attention of the Golem currently deadlocked with FS. Yet it could do nothing to stop the speeding projectile as it rapidly closed the distance with its legs. Within seconds the rocket had streaked across the clearing and slammed into the golem's left thigh. The explosion was so powerful that it evaporated the left thigh as it carried through to its right thigh, mercilessly shredding it with the blast. The shockwave sent cracks through the golem's torso, creating weblike cracks crawling up its surface.
With its footing obliterated, FS seized the opportunity hefting the golem's torso over his head and slamming it onto its back. With the golem pinned FS let loose a barrage of rockets from his acolyte pods destroying what remained of the golem.
The students stared in awe at the display of destruction. A silence fell over the clearing as the party watched the ruble intently, waiting to see if the golem would reform from its destroyed remains. Much to their relief however the remains began to crumble into dust as the magic that held them together began to slowly dissipate.
The group of humans collectively released a sigh of relief as they did.
*thunk* As her adrenaline rush faded Louise suddenly was reminded of the weight of the staff on her shoulder. Unable to hold it any longer she let it roll off her shoulder as she collapsed face-first into the dirt.
"Well done Louise, you successfully dealt the fatal blow to the enemy." FS congratulated her prone from. The best Louise could manage in response was a weak thumbs up accompanied by a groan. Next to her, she could hear Kiriche chuckle at the sight. Normally she would have some insult of comeback prepared but she was simply too exhausted to come up with any at this time.
Before she could do anything else she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Sparring a glance she noticed Kiriche offering her a hand to stand up. Louise narrowed her eyes at her, unsure how to respond to the gesture, knowing her rival she expected some sort of trickery to follow. However, her exhaustion won over her pride and she gratefully accepted the help. Once she had gotten back to her feet she briefly dusted herself off, only to frown at the state of her uniform. She sighed, she'll have to have Siesta clean this one rather thoroughly. If that was even possible anymore…
"Oh good everyone is all alright." Miss Longueville's voice reached the party's ears. Turning their heads they noticed her calmly approaching them in a confident manner. Louise narrowed her eyes, where had she been this entire time? "I see you also managed to recover the staff of destruction. As the teacher in charge, I believe it would be best if I took responsibility for it from now on. Besides, it appears to be very heavy, and I'm certain you are all tired from all the action." She spoke in a very calm manner as she reached out a hand to take the launcher.
Louise was hesitant to hand over the weapon, her timing had been far too convenient. Not to mention she had somehow failed to inform them of the massive golem approaching them. And besides Louise and FS were the only ones who properly knew how the weapon functioned, if anyone should hold onto the staff it would be FS.
"Pilot, I believe the best course of action is to hand her the staff." FS said aloud.
Louise stared at FS, surely he had come to the same conclusion she had? She was about to open her mouth to protest but was cut off. 'If we give Miss Longueville the staff it is likely that she will attempt to threaten us with it. However, the weapon is currently unloaded and will take time to reload. This will grant an opportunity to record a confession from her warrant her arrest.' FS explained through their mental link. "Pilot you are currently barely capable of standing on your own. The additional weight may put you at risk of an injury. For this reason, it is best that you hand over the staff to your superior." FS said aloud to cover their mental conversation.
"Very well then…" Louise nodded weakly. Next to her Kiriche picked up the staff and handed it to Miss Longueville.
"Thank you." She said in a level tone. As soon as Kirche turned her back to help Louise Miss Longueville shouldered the launcher and aimed it at the gathered mages. "If you so much as twitch your precious pilot will die." She addressed FS menacingly.
Kirche spun around in shock, her eyes wide with surprise as she heard what the secretary said. Tabitha glared and lowered her stance, gripping her staff tightly. Louise just glared, while holding back a huff. She trusted FS, but she did not enjoy being threatened. She still did not know for certain whether or not the staff would fire.
"Miss Longueville… what are you doing?" Kirche asked, astonished.
"The staff of destruction… how fitting. After all, my Golem didn't even stand a chance. I can only imagine had you managed to hit its face it would have been completely obliterated." Miss Longueville drawled.
"'My Golem"... you don't mean!?" Kirche exclaimed.
"Indeed, I'm the thief Foquette you came here searching for. Honestly, did you really believe a secretary asking around town was enough to track down a thief that has been evading the authorities all this time? You must be more naive than I gave you credit for." Fouquette confirmed. "Still, getting my hands on this staff was not enough. After all, I had no idea how it functioned, I figured bringing someone from the academy would be wise. I was rather disappointed when none of the staff volunteered to tag along. Imagine my surprise when you figured out how to use it almost instantaneously. Almost as though you were familiar with it yourself." She paused. "It's a shame, I had planned to return to the academy with the story that you had all perished, leaving me to be the only survivor. Sadly even the improvements I made to my Golem were not enough to take on yours, little Louise."
Turning her gaze ever so slightly she made certain to keep the mages in view as she addressed FS. "If you want your precious master to live you will do exactly as I say. If you kill the other two students, I might just let your precious master live."
FS Looked at Fouquette then back to Louise. "Pilot, I believe we have enough evidence to perform an arrest, do you agree?" He asked casually.
"I agree," Louise said turning to face Fouquette "Miss Lo- or rather, Foquette of the crumbling dirt, if you drop the staff of destruction and come quietly I promise that FS will do you no harm."
Fouquette's face scrunched up in disgust. "Do you not realize the position you are in? You have seen first hand what this staff can do. I am offering you and your familiar a chance at mercy, do not test me." She practically yelled.
Louise sighed. "I suppose I should have expected such. FS!"
"Affirmative." FS began moving towards Fouquette.
"Tch." Fouquette sneered. She pulled back on the trigger and… nothing. "What!?" She exclaimed in shock.
*thwack* The sound of metal striking flesh rang out through the clearing as FS flicked a metallic finger at Fouquettes temple. Instantly rendering her unconscious.
"Is she…?" Kirche spoke up first.
"She is alive. I made certain to only use enough force to pacify her." FS stated.
The group of mages collective breathed a sigh of relief, they had all tensed at the loud noise. However, with their fears addressed they were finally given a moment to relax. Louise suddenly felt very light, before she knew it she had collapsed to her knees again, only barely managing to catch herself from face planting.
She was about to try to stand again when she suddenly felt something very cold and very solid close around her entire torso. Looking down she noticed FS's hand. A moment later she felt her entire body be lifted off the ground as if she were as light as a feather. Before she knew it she sealed within the safety of FS's cockpit.
"Pilot, I will deal with Foquette's transportation. I recommend you rest and recover your energy for the time being. I will notify you if anything comes up." FS said Louise didn't complain. Riding with FS was far more comfortable than any carriage in all of Tristan.
"Thanks… FS…" Louise said as she began to doze off. She had seen more than enough excitement for a day.
A/N
Phew! 21 pages and 9K words of pure story content! Now that is a chapter!
This one was most difficult to write as there was so much story to cover. I do apologize it took so long to write, regardless we will be back in two weeks' time, this time for certain.
Onto the reviews!
x-x-TheBurnedMan-x-x : Phew big review as usual! Let's see, yup definitely appreciate the Mr beast video, and as for when they are going to be popping over to the bunker… well let's just say soon. The story was moving a tad too slow so I'm going to be picking it up a bit as we go forwards now.
The AI's blunt honesty was just a must-have joke for me and I'm glad it got across. Now as for the ores, that is going to be something I also discuss at a later date. (Right now I'm also referencing overlord to get an Idea for fantasy metals. Can't make them waaay OP or it would just get boring.) Still, the lack of info on present metals definitely gives me some leeway considering some may have been developed differently by magic seeping into the lands.
Ah and Derflinger, no I have not forgotten about him, it's just at this time there is really no reason for them to get any weapon from Tristan. Eventually, someone's gonna realize they can't go strolling around with firearms all willy nilly. At this time the only humans with guns are the royal musketeers.
Magic from the cockpit is going to be its own arc so I can't really go into much detail there, apologies. However, I like the idea of a 'mage loadout' it certainly fits the Titanfall scheme.
Thanks for the review and until next time!
Tiamatio : Glad to see you are enjoying it! And Louise is totally getting yeeted at one point. Hang tight!
XxdarksearcherxX : Hee hee, I actually really found the idea of the others imagining FS eating Louise to be really funny. I definitely am not done with that joke just yet!
Hope to see you stick around for more, until next time!
Alright, that's all for this time, next week I'll be revisiting the guardian zero before we get another chapter. On-time next week!
Until next time!