Chapter Four: Blackguard Rising, pt. 2

Overwatch District, Earth

The Bastards Lounge

Of the many public houses and taverns inside the Wall, none were as infamous as The Bastards Lounge. The Vanguard had a standing order that forbade the Security Forces from even being anywhere within 1,000 meters of the place. It was run by a pair of notorious guardians who still earned a meager stipend from the FOTC as they were still listed on the rolls as being assigned to the Individual Reserve Force. The Lounge soon became the home for a number of guardians who were stripped of their active-duty status. Many of them were former members of the FOTC's now defunct Disruptive Operations Brigade aka 'The Bastards Brigade'. Ordinary citizens and especially uniformed constables gave the Lounge and its patrons a wide berth. The Security Forces and the Consensus had spent a fortune replacing destroyed security bots. They even spent more in the hospitalization of seriously injured constables. The High Constable was very grateful to the Vanguard for that edict; more than half of his uniformed constables had spent time in the rejuvenation tanks or in a chrysalis machine. The Bastards Lounge was declared off-limits to anyone not connected to the Bastards Brigade.

The exterior of the Lounge was made of plassteel and permacrete which resembled a 20th century blockhouse in the Second World War. There were several T-walls and Jersey Barriers that stood at 4m in height strategically placed on the main street. Outside the front entrance, two cyber-linked sentry turrets swept the area for any threats. The turrets' armament included 14mm gatling guns, 40mm grenade launchers, Duster anti-aerospace missiles, and the Cast Lead area-denial weapons system eagerly sought out targets using a multi-sensor/optics suite. Only those who had served in The Bastards Brigade were implanted with an encrypted RFID chip that enabled its owner to enter/exit the Lounge without being shredded at the front door. It also kept unwanted vendors from pestering the customers inside the tavern.

Inside was dimly lit by LED floods in the ceiling. The hardwood floor had a covering of sawdust that made it easier for the barkeeps to keep the place clean. In the middle of the room was the main bar where the owner of The Bastards Lounge, Praetorian, held court. A former Captain-General of the FOTC's Protective Forces and the infamous commander of The Bastards Brigade who enjoyed serving practical advice with the liquor he sold. He also did profitable black-market arms sales when it suited his fancy.

Around the main bar were a number of circular tables where a fireteam of three could kick their heels up. Padded seats ensured their comfort whenever a guardian chose to sit down. In the back were the private booths that could be reserved for clandestine meetings with faction patrons or dangerous liaisons with a variety of the City's many accomplished courtesans. The booths were outfitted with the latest in counter-surveillance gear and the best in privacy screens. It was everything one needed to keep a conspiracy quiet from the Consensus, the Speaker, or the Vanguard. Praetorian charged a premium in glimmer for their use. It was first come, first serve with the glimmer paid up front. And yes, in this current age, business was booming. Within the Wall, Intrigue was king.

"Hey Praetorian! Another round of Red Lightning for me 'n the boys!"

The Exo hunter-turned-bartender reached behind the counter and took out a bottle of the most popular brand here in the lounge. Red Lightning was 110% guaranteed to knock you on your ass and you'd take that ass-whupping like a champ. Blended from several different liquors, it was the drink of choice for the Bastards. Praetorian waved over one of his premier servers, Khalessi Marie, to take the drinks over to the waiting customers. If the Exo veteran could smile then he'd have a feral grin on his face. This was going to be really entertaining.

Fuzzy Buzz-Kill polished off the last of his Red Lightning and gazed longingly at the approaching barmaid. It was an in-house joke among the Bastards that all of them were smitten with the female titan. There even was a betting pool on who'd be the first to score a date with her. Khaleesi Marie was statuesque; a true Amazon who stood at 2.75 m tall. Shoulder-length blonde hair framed a heart shaped face that graced many a customer with a kilowatt smile. Her ice-grey eyes spoke volumes of both triumph and tragedy on her adventures beyond the Wall. Today she was dressed in an older style FOTC skin-suit in bright neon-green with black stripes running down her thighs and calves. Her feet were sporting onyx-black mil-spec melee shoes, easy on the soles when working the floor but ready to kick ass at a moment's notice. She rolled her eyes as Fuzzy waved her over to his table.

The warlock known as Fuzzy Buzz-Kill was well known for his hatred of servitors and shanks. He'd usually go out of his way to annihilate the machines if they were within striking distance. He earned his spurs in the Coven by killing Sepkis Prime during the Devil's Lair strike years ago. FOTC veterans still talk of how the warlock killed the High Servitor with a well-timed Nova Bomb to crush the Fallen House of Devils. He drank mostly for free here in the Bastards Lounge since someone else was usually picking up his tab.

Recently the warlock was placed on 'administrative leave' while the Security Forces were conducting an investigation of his involvement in the 'willful corruption of young fems' specifically the daughters of two prominent Consensus members. One of which was the Lord Provost's own which caused a scandal when the news broke over Guardian Satellite Radio and the City News Service. So much protest was voiced in the Hall of Assembly that the Supreme Ikora Rey was forced to remove Fuzzy from the active-duty roster. Months later, no forward progress in said investigation and the warlock chose to keep company with his fellow Bastards drinking away his troubles. Praetorian made a small fortune on just Fuzzy's bar tab alone.

"Hey beautiful," said Fuzzy, "when is your shift over? Care to grab some tea? The coffeehouse on Carletto Way just got in a new shipment of Earl Grey."

Khalessi Marie turned her ice-grey eyes towards the warlock. None of her usual warmth emanated from those eyes. The look they had could freeze hell a million times over. Of course, Fuzzy Buzz-Kill was oblivious to the danger he was now in. Too many glasses of Red Lightning could fell a wooly Mammoth if any were still alive in the 28th Century. The Bastards who knew Khalessi Marie all cleared the immediate area. Even on R&R, guardians could still find plenty of trouble within the City's limits. Praetorian was already making an order for new furniture on his datapad. He knew the lounge needed an upgrade.

"Listen Fuzzy, it's been a long day and I'm kinda tired. I'm not in a joking mood and no, I'm not interested in grabbing some tea with you. So, here are your drinks Mr. Buzz-Kill. Have fun!" The titan turned away only to feel her wrist grabbed. Fuzzy had a pleading look in his blood-shot eyes. Grudgingly, she turned back and glared at the warlock.

In a whisper, Fuzzy said: "C'mon Marie! Cut me a break girl! The pool is up to 10k in glimmer. I'll even cut you in for ten percent, eh?" The female titan was very aware of her fellow Bastards' betting pool. She didn't need the glimmer and surely didn't need the aggravation. She shrugged off the warlock's grip with ease.

"Sorry Fuzzy," she said with a smirk "but I've got better things to do. 'Bye!"

Flabbergasted, the determined warlock made another attempt to stop her from leaving. When Fuzzy reached out to grab her again, the titan's energized fist struck the warlock in a looping right hook that burnt his cheek and sent him flying across the lounge. Fuzzy crashed onto a table which broke underneath him and spewed a cloud of sawdust.

He tried sitting up but vertigo took over, his eyes rolled up, and he crashed back onto the floor. The sound of roaring laughter filled the lounge as the various Bastards raised their glasses in honor of Khalessi Marie. Praetorian also had a great laugh and enjoyed times like this as these moments were few and far between. He knew the Bastards were all craving to return to the frontier and rejoin The War Against The Darkness. If the Consensus would get their collective heads out of their asses and place the Bastards back on the FOTC's active-duty roster then all would be right in his world. At least Fireteam Obsidian was finally allowed to come back home. Praetorian couldn't wait to see those Bastards again. Obsidian's overdue bar tab from three centuries ago had accrued a ton of interest. And Praetorian was eager to collect on that debt. The hunter continued to polish glasses as other Bastards picked up Fuzzy and exited the lounge to bring the unconscious warlock home.

Traveler's Walk, Earth

Embassy of the Reef

"Lord Feystorm, the Queen's Emissary will see you now."

Mal'xian Chak-Tii il-Alitys Feystorm stood up and adjusted his armor. He had altered the appearance of his armor to that worn by the Queen's Guard. The warlock dampened the arcane signatures of both the Elder Sign and the Royal Robes of Hastur lest the Queen's Witches gain insight to his sources of power. Even though he still held title as a Champion of the Reef, there were many in the Starlight Court who would love to place his head on a pike. He turned in his hand-cannons and K'am-ock staff to the guards outside the anteroom who secured the weapons in an ornate lockbox. The warlock received the key from the guards as he was ushered into the Emissary's anteroom.

As the warlock settled into a comfortable armchair, a hidden door opened and Petra Venj, the Queen's Emissary, stepped through with another pair of guards. While her escorts were armed and armored, Venj wore a low-cut jumpsuit with a fur-lined cloak. The Sigil of the Sovereign adorned her cloak. Her boots clacked on the marble floor as she approached Chak-Tii. The Queen's Emissary stood close to 2m tall and her curves were in all the right places. She had used her feminine charm and assets to climb into the highest ranks of the Starlight Court. As the Queen's chief advisor and prime minister, Petra Venj was just as formidable an enemy as either the Queen or her brother, The Master of Crows. Mal'xian Chak-Tii knew that he had to be wary at all times with any Reefborn Awoken. He gave a slight bow; enough to acknowledge the other's position but without a hint of subservience.

"So Lord Feystorm, you have returned to the land of the living. I always knew the news of your demise was wishful thinking on the part of your enemies. In the name of the Queen, I welcome you home Champion." Petra bowed low at the hip for a few seconds then straightened up. She gestured to the conference table and both sat in comfortable armchairs. An Awoken servant brought a decanter of wine and a couple of glasses. Once the servant left the anteroom, Chak-Tii poured them both a glass of Venusian Red and handed the other to Venj. They toasted the Queen and finished their drinks in silence. Chak-Tii took a broken shard from a hidden pocket of his sleeve and pushed it across the table to Venj. The Queen's Emissary had a puzzled look on her face.

Chak-Tii pointed towards the shard. "That is a piece of The Argonne Treasure. On it are the schematics for constructing corvettes and frigates from the keel up. Newer, faster ships to replace the rebuilt hulls that currently make up the Queen's Fleet. All Golden Age-era tech from the Newtype Luminal Slipstream drives to better armor and armaments for said ships. It's a gift for the Reef."

"For this you will receive the gratitude of Her Majesty. But I sense you want something in return for this gift Lord Feystorm. Name the price, warlock, but be warned that any negotiation with you needs the Queen's approval." Petra Venj refilled her glass then slowly sipped the Venusian Red. She was intrigued as to why the warlock was bestowing such a valuable resource to the Reef. He'd been away so long in The Last City she feared that he no longer held allegiance to the Reef. His eyes told her nothing of his intentions. It was like staring into one of the massive stone idols on Easter Island.

The warlock smiled at Petra Venj. "I know Her Majesty will formalize an alliance with The Last City. How will the Speaker and the Consensus react if they learned that the Prison of Elders held one of the City's greatest heroes, hmmm…"

Petra Venj choked on her drink. No! ,she thought to herself. How did Lord Feystorm know this state secret? If he decided to sabotage the negotiations with the Last City, the Reef would be bereft of rare earth elements and other resources desperately needed for its security. The Queen's Emissary stared at the warlock with shock.

"I have need of that prisoner. I want the release of Jizzahk Komorebi. The First Guardian."

TO BE CONTINUED…