Lena spoke as though in a trance, laying out the facts as she knew them.
She spoke of how former citizens of the Republic had been cast aside and stripped of rights, and how they had been made to fight on the behalf of the Alba while they hid behind the Gran Mule. She told them of the systematic discrimination against the Colorata, and of the torture and killings that occurred in the internment camps. She spoke of how the Alba were complicit in the deaths of millions of Eighty-Six. She spoke of how their rights would only be restored if they completed serving five years out in the Eighty-Sixth sector.
She explained how the Republic prevented any attempt at rebellion, through the mine-field stretching outward from the wall, along with the interception cannons that were never used against the Legion, solely as a silent threat that they had the power to annihilate the Eighty-Six at any time.
She spoke of how she had been blinded by her own desire to live up to the standards set by the Processor who had rescued her. She told them of how despite believing herself to be better than the rest of her people, she had never even known the names of those in her Squadron until a week ago.
She spoke of her own remorse, and how little it meant. She spoke of her failures, and how it had nearly cost Spearhead Squadron one of their own. She spoke of her anger, of how frustrated she was that she could do nothing to change the way things were.
But most of all – she spoke the truth. Whatever the pair decided to do, it would be up to them.
If they chose to dissolve their alliance – and perhaps, to instigate a rebellion against the Republic - then so be it. It would be just what they all deserved, for ten long years of oppression of those who had been their fellow citizens.
When all was done, and she had told them both of everything she knew, it felt strangely liberating. It was a weight off her chest.
"That agrees with BT's assessment," Pilot Jack Cooper said, his tone giving no indication as to what his thoughts were. "Spearhead Squadron, is there anything that was missing?"
"...no, I believe that Major Milizé said all that was needed to be said," Shin spoke, after a brief pause.
She could only imagine what it was like on the other end of the Para-RAID now. Were they all still in the hangar? What did they all think about Cooper and BT?
They were formidable allies, to be sure - without them, today's mission could never have been completed without casualties on their side. For all her promises of making sure that none of them would die meaningless deaths, she was still utterly powerless to prevent that.
"Mmhmm. Could have sprinkled in a few more 'white pigs' and 'subhuman Eighty-Six 'in there, but she got the gist of it."
Theo was still joking at a time like this. Lena allowed herself a faint smile.
"Cooper - Major Milizé is a good person," Kaie defended, even though Lena had already failed her once. "She's not like most other Alba. And it's not just her - there are other good ones out there."
She trembled involuntarily at that. She had heard from Theo of his former Squadron leader. To be compared to people like that - who were able to demonstrate through concrete actions that they fought for and alongside the Processors out on the battlefield was touching, and more than a little humbling. As things stood... she felt like she did not deserve for Kaie to defend her in that way.
"Mmm." Raiden grunted. "She's naïve and idealistic, and not at all suited for the shit we go through - but I'll admit that she's got a good brain for tactics, and that she tries damned hard for our sakes."
"Yeah," Rekka agreed. "The Major can be a real pain in the ass - but she's on our side."
Not all came to her defense, of course. But for even a single one to speak up, after everything that the Alba had done to them=
It was humbling. And silently, she swore that she would not let that trust be misplaced.
"She's our Handler," Shin said simply – but in those words, there was plenty of meaning. Coming from Undertaker, who had broken every Handler before him, that was as good as the highest praise.
"... I figured as much," Cooper said, his tone switching entirely. "I just had to check to make sure BT and I didn't make a mistake."
"You mean-"
"Even with a Titan, we wouldn't survive continuous fire from the interception cannons and an endless mine-field. Back in the Frontier, a squadron of gunships might have done the trick, but we don't have access to any of that here. Attacking the Republic head on was never an option. Besides, there are going to still be good people in there, and they'd be caught up in the cross-fire." Cooper sighed. "It was down to either staying here and doing what we could, or heading out back through the Empire, and seeing if we could find anyone else to throw our lot with."
Anyone else?
"But no one knows whether anyone else survived the Legion's attack," she said slowly. "With the Eintagsfliege, long range communications have been entirely cut off."
"It's probably likely that there are at least a few groups of survivors out there. Think about it," he insisted. "The Militia - we had our roots as multiple ragtag groups that specialized in guerrilla warfare, eventually banding together into the command structure we have today. Assaults on divided fronts were our specialty. Considering the rate of Processor attrition over the last years of the Legion's assault, if the Legion were to crush all resistance outside the Republic - and thereby redirect its forces toward this battlefront - it would have been likely that your Republic would be destroyed by now, or at the very least for more ground to be lost."
That...
How had she not considered that before?
"I do have other reasons for thinking that there might still be other survivors," Cooper said. "But Major Milizé – for now, could you temporarily withdraw from the Para-RAID link?"
"Huh?"
"There's something I need to ask the members of Spearhead Squadron in private. You can relax – it's more a matter of curiosity between fellow grunts on the front-line. I'm fully convinced that you are dedicated to seeing your Squadron through to the end of their service."
Ah... right. She was curious as to what he wanted to ask, but it was not her place to pry.
"Very well." She straightened in her seat. "Please re-establish the link once you are done."
"We'll do that."
With that final confirmation from Shin, she nodded to herself, and disconnected from the Para-RAID.
And finally, she had some room to think.
The tale they spoke of seemed so unbelievable. Outsiders who travelled from elsewhere in the galaxy - possibly across dimensions, even - and who fought a war spanning across the stars? A weapon that could fracture entire planets?
It was just...unbelievable.
But then again, they had done many things thought to be impossible. BT-7274 had managed to intercept the Para-RAID network, using it without a Para-RAID device attached to him or to Cooper. They had been able to communicate on the network, and yet did not hear the voice of the Black Sheep during the battle.
She shivered, remembering just how horrific it had been. Those anguished screams that echoed the last thoughts of the dead – and there were so many of them –
...how could Shin simply bear it for all these years? How could he remain sane, when he heard them even in his sleep?!
It was chilling. The Processors went through hell each day they continued fighting.
Silently, she swore that she would do everything she could to make sure they survived to the end of their five years, and returned to the Republic with all rights restored.
Someday, they would all see those fireworks together.
-X-X-X-
"What did you want to ask us?" Snow Witch - a blue haired girl, whose actual name he still didn't know – asked.
"Right," Jack said, addressing the Processors. "So... that was a lie. I just needed an excuse to get her off the line."
"Huh?"
"Call it a hunch, but something just didn't add up. I figured that she might have been trying to pretend that she didn't know, but the longer she spoke, it started to seem less like she's avoiding the topic, and more like she's genuinely doesn't know about this bit of information. Once you started dogpiling in on defending there, that made me a bit more confident in my suspicions." He turned, looking over toward BT. "You see it too, right buddy?"
"Affirmative."
"What are you two talking about?" Black Dog asked, confused.
Right. First things first, he really needed to get that little annoyance out of the way.
"Before that, could you please give us your real names?" Jack had his helmet back on during the time that Major Milizé began her account of the Republic's atrocities, comparing her version of events to BT's notes. "It's starting to bug me that all your tags on my HUD are whatever BT labeled your callsigns - uhh, Personal Names - as."
One by one, they made their introductions, and he could finally sit easy as the internal workings of his helmet corrected their tags. Just looking at the word Kirschblüte was making him think of Richter - with his thick Germanic accent and all – and he sorely wanted to forget that member of the Apex Predators who had been a right pain to fight.
"Okay. So, this is just a hunch, but please correct me if I'm wrong," he repeated, then appraised them carefully. "Why aren't you telling the Handler that the Republic has no plans of restoring your rights?"
"You - you knew?"
Well. That was easy. Kirschblüte – Kaie, rather — spilled the beans quickly, though he had been fairly certain of his suspicions.
"The IMC was pretty similar. After they discovered the Frontier, and sent settlers there under the IMC Serviceman's Readjustment Act, they retreated back to other territories after their initial interest faded. To their surprise, however, the settlements of the Frontier didn't just merely survive, but thrived. Before the dawn of the Titan Wars, the Frontier - my home - was a place of wonder and beauty."
He had been but a child, back then. Still, he remembered the lush worlds, filled with natural resources, where any and all were welcome.
"That didn't last long. The IMC returned, rescinded on their former support, and claimed that their initial investment was enough to warrant all Frontier territory as their own eminent domain. They invaded our worlds - took our lands, forced out those who had been living there for generations, and brought down martial law on any who tried to resist."
Broken worlds. Scorched lands. Completely barren planets unable to support life, not an ounce of unpolluted water fit for consumption. The IMC had set up installation after installation, pushed through planet after planet, leaving them nothing more than desolate husks of their former glory.
"I'll admit, you've got it a hell of a lot tougher – but that's why I suspected that the Republic would never hold up their end of the bargain." He scrutinized them carefully. "What exactly happens once you do, hypothetically, reach the end of your service?"
They exchanged looks with each other. Some were uncertain, some were resigned, some were indifferent, others were surprised that he had figured it out at all.
Finally, they turned toward their leader, and Shinei Nouzen spoke on their behalf. "We're sent on a special recon operation with a zero percent rate of success or survival. No Processor has ever come back from that. You're completely right, Cooper – the Eighty-Sixth sector is the disposal site for all Processors."
He'd expected as much. But that only raised another question.
"Why do you all fight, knowing that?" he asked, more out of admiration than confusion. For all their skills on the battlefield, for all that they were veterans - these were people thrust into combat, without a feasible goal they could work toward like himself and the Militia.
This time, there was no hesitation.
Shin gave a faint smile. "Same reason as you, probably."
"We never fought because someone forced us." Kurena's reply was immediate and sullen, as though the very notion irritated her. "We fight for ourselves. At the end of the day, even if we have to count the days until our execution comes, we'd rather fight, face down death in the eye, and keep struggling until that day comes."
"It sucks that we'd be protecting the white pigs in the process - but in the end, at least we can get to say that we fought as hard as we could." Raiden offered his own input. "No matter what, we won't lose our way. And, well- there are still some Alba who don't deserve to die for no reason."
Raiden glanced at Theo and Shin as he said that. Theo gave a sigh of annoyance, but gave a confirmatory nod.
Well, then. It wasn't often that Jack could be schooled by a bunch of teenagers - but here they had done just that. Then again, they were veterans.
He was wrong. They did have their own reasons to fight for.
Pride. A select few worth protecting. Their own existence.
It was the most powerful motivation of all. Independent of anyone or anything else, they would continue to fight solely for themselves, and for what they believed in.
Even he, for all his years of fighting on the battlefield, always had something to drive him onward. A mission. The untouched Frontier planets. The forty million lives at stake on the planet Harmony.
Their passion and determination, well – he could stand to learn a thing or two from them.
"But what if you could escape the Republic? Venture out and search for other survivors?"
"No one knows if they even exist," Mikuri said doubtfully. "And even if what you said makes sense... you'd need to go outside of the contested zones, into the heart of the Giadian Empire – and then search for where other survivors might be."
He didn't answer her directly. "BT," he said, turning to his Titan. "Could you pull the data log from my helmet? Combine it with your own, if you can, and-"
"Cooper, that was the first thing I did after re-establishing the neural link."
Before he even finished his sentence, BT already had his palm stretched out, displaying a projection of a combined map, rendered perfectly to scale, showing the limits of where they had explored. Troop movements were displayed alongside the time that they had been spotted by either pair.
"The density of Legion units is surprisingly thin in territories firmly under their control," Jack explained, as the Processors leaned in, studying the projection with wonder, amazement, and careful scrutiny. "Granted, for a mass exodus of all the Eighty-Six, travelling undetected would be impossible, and they would be able to converge in from all sides. But for a small band of less than twenty Juggernauts..."
He didn't need to finish that statement. As veterans of the battlefield, they were familiar with working their strategies around Legion movements. They could connect the dots, and see that there might just be some semblance of hope in what he was proposing.
"There's a problem, though." Shin was studying the map carefully. In some ways, that calculative look was a familiar sight to Jack, after having witnessed Lastimosa when he concentrated fully on planning and executing particularly tricky strategies, whether as a pilot or a commander. "I haven't told either of you this yet - but there are Shepherds at the border of the Republic's territory."
Somehow, Jack doubted he was referring to the shepherds of the mundane variety he was used to in the Frontier.
"Processor Nouzen – are these related to the Black Sheep you mentioned?"
"Yeah," he answered BT. He bore a clipped edge to his voice, but that fury wasn't quite directed at them. "Should we first bring Major Milizé back onto the Para-RAID, though?"
Jack nodded. "I assume you don't intend for her to know about her Republic's duplicity?"
Theo snorted. "Her? She'd probably wail on for a good ten minutes about how 'waaah, it's all so unfair!'. I think we've had enough of that for one day."
A few of them chuckled at his mimicry of her voice. The dynamics of their command structure was bizarre, but somehow, it worked.
"Major Milizé," Shin said, just barely moments later. "We've concluded our private discussion."
"Was it fruitful?"
She sounded curious, not at all suspecting that they had discussed more than Jack had let on. "Oh, definitely," Haruto said, grinning, sending a conspiratorial wink at all those present in the hangar. "Turns out that grunts on the battlefield do share plenty of similar experiences, even if they're from whole worlds apart."
"I'm glad to hear that!"
Hooo, boy. Jack did not want to be on the call when the time finally came that Spearhead Squadron told her the truth. That innocence would crush her.
"I was just going to inform Cooper and BT about my abilities, and about the Black Sheep and Shepherds," Shin updated the major, before returning to address them both. "You heard from Major Milizé how the Legion is believed to end in two years. To circumvent their natural expiry date programmed into them, they scour the deceased for intact brains, and adopt their neural structures into their own programming. Black Sheep are those who endlessly replay their final thoughts, and Shepherds are more intelligent than even that – they are the Legion's field commanders."
That cleared up many inconsistencies that Jack hadn't even realized had been there. It explained why Legion behavior between different groups he encountered had been different, and why certain individual units had more erratic movements, just as how Auto-Titans and piloted Titans displayed vastly different behavior. The difference wasn't quite as dramatic - but it was in the same vein.
"And your abilities let you locate them?"
"Yeah." He inhaled, steeling himself. "I can hear the voices of the Legion."
"Uh... what?"
"Most of them make incomprehensible noises," Shin explained further. "But the Black Sheep – I hear their last thoughts, endlessly replaying after the Legion assimilates their brains. The Shepherds are louder, and crueler yet.
"I'm surprised you couldn't hear them at all, earlier," Shin continued. "There were many Black Sheep during the battle."
Jack glanced at BT. This was more his territory.
"Conjecture - I am not utilizing the Para-RAID in the same way the Republic does, merely modifying and pulling select data streams using the pilot's neural link as a framework."
"That might explain why neither of us are able to hear the Legion's voice from your end," Jack agreed. "Although... that bit about hearing voices - it's a bit of a stretch, but doesn't that sound a bit like what was said to happen after the failed experiments with Phase Shifting, BT?"
"Phase Shifting?"
"It's just a rumor, mind," Jack stressed. "Only the IMC scientists would know anything about it. But, well... supposedly, when Phase Shifting – a temporary transition to a separate dimension - was first developed, any non-shielded form of biological life would be twisted if exposed too long to the Void. As the rumors go, the IMC's test subjects began to hear voices no one could, warning them of threats to their life. They were said to be driven to insanity by the distant voices whispering for days on end."
It had been a point Lastimosa had stressed early on. Prolonged exposure to Phase Shifting was only meant for pilots who had taken on mechanical bodies, or when already embarked inside the Ronin Titan, or dropship containing the technology. Brief transitions were permissible, but still dangerous - the voices that some claimed to arise from the unknown that was the Void was not meant to be comprehended by human minds. The rumours had evolved, the more fanatical among them even going so far as to claim that Phase Shifting relied on stepping into the domain of Death itself.
"An uncertain conjecture. At present, I do not have enough evidence to draw a firm conclusion."
Well - if even BT didn't know, then dwelling any further on that would be a lost cause.
"That aside..." He frowned. "You don't hear anything from BT, do you?"
Shin shook his head. "No. It's how I know that he isn't Legion... and why I think you two can be trusted."
"So it's not just hearing artificial intelligence, per se." Even though it was painfully obvious that BT was, at his core, an AI, that notion still caused several Processors to share uneasy looks. "But the way that the Legion assimilates brains - BT, doesn't that sound similar to a simulacrum?"
"A simulacrum?" Major Milizé questioned.
"I don't know the full details myself of how they're made, but a simulacrum is a digital backup of an individual's memories, knowledge, skills, and personality. They're exceedingly rare; often only preserved for high-valued Pilots - whether they want to or not. They have fully mechanical bodies, but retain human intelligence. They're some of the most fearsome pilots you can come across on the battlefield."
"Hey Shin..." Anju spoke slowly. "Isn't that almost exactly like –"
"Yeah." His eyes were cold, and more-so than before, he was completely focused. The topic of Shepherds clearly struck a nerve with him. "The Legion takes away part of their humanity, though. All that they're left with is the confusion at being thrust into the Legion's drones... and the rage and blind fury that it spirals into."
Jack nodded. "That was supposed to happen with imperfect simulacra as well... or if whoever created one desired to purposely remove part of their personality. There was an urban legend going around for the past two hundred or so years, and although no one knows the real truth, it's said that one of them a legendary hitman called Revenant - had his consciousness uploaded into a robotic body time and time again, forgetting his memories and even the fact that he was no longer alive each time."
There was a cold anger in Shin's eyes – and in there, he knew that this was personal.
He had seen them in his own reflection, after his mentor had been killed by the Apex Predators, and entrusted the future of his mission to Jack.
But that was a topic for another time. For now, he needed to inform them of something that fundamentally changed the nature of their war - and offer what apology he could for his part in it.
After that explanation that Shin had given of his abilities... it had made clear everything he had seen the Legion perform in the IMS Malta's crash site. Back then, he had thought then simply to be poking around at the remains of the IMC grunts and Spectres, but now it was painfully clear that the truth was far more sobering.
"There's one more matter we need to discuss." He sighed, took off his helmet, and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "For what it's worth... I'm sorry the mess we're putting you all through."
"What do you mean?" Daiya asked, confused. "We're on the same team now, aren't we?"
"Yeah, but..." He searched for the right words, then gave up. "Let's just say the IMC might still remain a major pain in the ass, even if they aren't physically present."
There was a pause.
"Ah," BT acknowledged. "I have reviewed your helmet footage of the time we were separated. I agree with your evaluation, Pilot - raising Legion threat assessment level."
"... you're raising the Legion's threat level?" Theo twitched. "It can get even higher?"
"BT, could you —"
"Already done. Major Milizé – I will provide verbal commentary of the holographic footage, since you are unable to witness it for yourself without risking severe sensory damage to your sight."
No one besides BT said a word as a three-dimensional reconstruction was made of the crash site - and the Legion units picking apart everything that might even remotely be of interest. They saw how Jack had observed from afar, before venturing closer, making his decision to destroy what remained of the Tone chassis to prevent any further study and potential replication of the unit.
"I found a similar smaller cache earlier today, that looked to be part of a greater storage separated by the Fold Weapon's detonation - and that was why the Legion were fortified in the city we were in, because they were searching for me, trying to flush me out. While the Fold Weapon's effects are likely concentrated near the site of the firing facility, parts from further afield may also have been scattered across space-time. And since we have no means of scouring every inch of Legion-controlled territory..."
"... they'll be able to study your technology," Shin finished.
Jack nodded. "I know an apology doesn't mean much - but we never intended for this to happen when we disabled the Fold Weapon. All we were thinking of were the millions of lives on Harmony that was about to be wiped out – and of completing the mission."
"...damn," Raiden swore, still staring at the projection. "The Legion will be able to make Titans?"
"At present, that remains unlikely," BT said. "Titan technology is exceedingly difficult to replicate - it was only late into the Frontier War that the Militia was first able to produce our own line of Vanguard-class Titans. Without the neural link, and a pilot exercising manual control, a Titan's effectiveness is also diminished.
"But it is likely that more of Typhon will soon arrive on this planet – I have compared our data logs, and Pilot Cooper appeared on your planet a full two weeks after my arrival. The IMS Malta – and by extension, the unknown members of the Six-Four still within it – arrived at least two days before Jack, even though they were further away from the Fold Weapon."
"So the Legion will soon have more of these destroyed Titans to study," Rekka concluded. "Damn! Why can't things ever go smoothly for a change?"
"That's not the worst of it." Jack's lips were twisted into a thin line, grim. "There were simulacra on Typhon. Most of them would be heavily damaged – but given enough of them, the Legion might just figure something out."
Ash, one of the mercenaries of the Apex Predators, had been the most obvious one, but there were still others among the IMC pilots deployed on Typhon.
The implications of that were obvious. Shepherds – already formidable field commanders in their own right – would become even bigger threats, especially if they discovered how each variable affected what each simulacrum remembered of their past life.
"And if they combine the two, and search the brains of deceased pilots for remnants of the neural link... in time, they would be able to create an army of Auto-Titans with the capabilities of those controlled by human pilots. It'll take years, but with the Legion being the way they are... they can afford to wait that long."
He hadn't thought that his actions would have caused any of this. All he had considered was the future of the Frontier. And now, on this planet, whose population easily exceeded that of Harmony alone – he might just be indirectly responsible for the deaths of countless innocents.
If he'd just been faster on the Draconis, if he had retrieved the Ark and escaped before it had crashed, all of it could have been avoided.
But the worst part of it was this – if things played out the way they did once more, and he and BT found themselves in front of the Ark injector, he would still make the same choices he had. If it meant saving the future of the Frontier, he would still do exactly as he had done.
"Then... what do we do?" Major Milizé asked.
"There might be others from Typhon that also made it here - we at least know that some of the Six-Four were still onboard the Malta. They won't die that easily, and they sure as hell won't let the Legion take our Titans." Jack looked at BT for confirmation. "This... was our doing. We'll take responsibility for it. We'll destroy what came with us from Typhon, and at least slow down their replication of our technology."
"You're going back out there? Alone?" Kaie spoke, aghast. "That's... that's suicide!"
"It's only fair that we resolve what we started. And besides, we aren't alone - we're Pilot and Titan."
There was a moment of silence, but then –
"Wow. You're just as much an idiot as our Handler, aren't you?"
He looked at Theo, caught off guard.
"This isn't your responsibility," he said. "And besides, aside from this 'IMS Malta', you don't even know where other chunks of your planet are — or if they've even arrived yet. You've got better odds doing this with a team."
"We can't drag you all into this – you all already have your own battles to fight -"
"Didn't you hear a word that Kurena said in our 'private discussion"?" Shin spoke, emphasizing the words. "No one's forcing us to fight, Cooper. We choose to fight. If we've got years before they start rolling out Titans or replicating your technology, we still have some time."
"Besides, you two saved our lives out there. We need to return the favor as well. 'Take responsibility', as you say." Kujo gave a victorious smirk, returning his own words against him.
Damn. They did have some good points. He turned toward BT. "What do you think, buddy?"
"Control over Protocol Two is solely under your jurisdiction, pilot."
"I want your opinion, BT. We both know you're the better half of our duo."
BT hesitated, ready to reject that sentiment – but then offered input. "At present, weapon systems are functioning at diminished efficiency. Minor hull damage has been sustained over past skirmishes. Combat effectiveness will be raised if allowed to repurpose existing munitions, and if proper maintenance is conducted before re-entering the battlefield."
"… in other words, you think we should stay."
"Yes. I have done the math."
Well, that as good as sealed the deal. BT was never wrong.
Except when he had tried hurling Jack away from the Fold Weapon. That had been very, very wrong.
"Alright. We'll stay, until the end of your service." He exchanged a look with them one that they all understood, but left Major Milizé entirely unaware. "After that... we'll set out, and see if there are any other surviving countries out there. Maybe rendezvous with the Six-Four if we can. Does that sound like a plan, Major Milizé?"
From the little nods they gave, it looked like they agreed with the plan, and that they intended to join him in that search, if – when - they survived to see that day arrive.
"Yes! We'll be counting on your assistance, both of you!"
"We'll see to it that you know about what technology we possess, and what the Legion might be able to replicate. That way, at least you won't be blindsided by them, and you'll be able to adjust your tactics when the time comes." Jack made a silent query at BT, and received a thumbs up in response. That never got old. "And for the rest of you – pilot movement is completely different from the way you command your Juggernauts, but I think there's some room for exchanging ideas. We might be able to exploit that mobility of yours even further, and I could use some tips and tricks myself. With some practice, BT and I will be able to provide cover for some of the weaknesses of your crafts out in the field as well."
"Flying around like you do? Sign me riiiight up!" Haruto grinned. "Hey, Shin! Looks like you found your match for someone as crazy as you!"
Right. He had seen a few glimpses of how Shin fought, back when he provided cover for Jack's advance. His primary staple appeared to be weaving between ranks of Legions, confusing them and breaking apart their formations, and attacking with both the cannons and the attached high-frequency blades of his Juggernaut.
In some ways, it was like a Ronin Titan.
"This... might be a moot question," Daiya asked, looking uncertainly between Jack and Shin. "But now that Haruto's mentioned it... you don't go all zippy and jumpy around Titans like Shin does with the Legion back where you come from, do you?"
"Oh yeah, we rodeo Titans all the time," Jack confirmed. It was a thrilling experience, one heightened by the fact that even a stray hit from the Titan would flatten the offending pilot to paste. "Captain Lastimosa had me work on that for months in the sim-pod, and back on Typhon, well – that investment paid dividends in itself. You get the hang of it, after a while."
"Oh no..." Daiya groaned. "Now there're two of them."
Anju smiled sweetly at him. "You'll volunteer to join them, won't you, Daiya?"
Oddly enough, Daiya's face paled, and Jack decided it wasn't worth reading into whatever that meant. For all that they were veterans, they were still teenagers.
"BT can also help out with the tactical side of things. Our goal will be to seeing all of you to the end of your service." And the recon mission that no one returns from. "Is that agreeable?"
"Sounds like a plan."
It was hard to gauge what the Processors felt about all this. Though they had been resigned to the knowledge that they would eventually die in the upcoming future, the arrival of Jack and Cooper – and the knowledge they carried from the time spent wandering the lands outside their patrol missions — changed things. It was a risky venture - but Jack did believe that it would be possible for them to make it out of the Republic's grasp, to whatever other powers still remained on this planet.
If they couldn't even do that, then humanity was as good as lost. If ever the Legion claimed the knowledge that the IMC had, augmenting their own programming and drone designs, they would become a truly unstoppable force.
"I will draw up some new battle plans that factor in for your presence as well. BT, Pilot Cooper - I look forward to working with you."
"Likewise."
"Spearhead Squadron, I will contact you again later in the evening."
With that, she terminated the Resonance. Seeing as there was no further reason to stay on the Para-RAID, BT disconnected both of them from their network.
"We're going to get dinner prepared. You two should come and join us!" Then, Daiya paused, looking at BT. "... you might have to stay outside, though."
A series of beeps came from what he'd been told was a Scavenger-type drone that had grown attached to the squadron, and since been given the name of 'Fido'. It made its way up toward BT, looking at him curiously, like a puppy inspecting a guest to their home.
Kaie laughed. "Looks like Fido made a friend."
"It appears so. Friendship rating for entity designated 'Fido' is calculated to be eight-five percent."
"How's Fido a better friend than we are, BT?!"
"We are both machines. Ergo, we possess greater similarities. As you are both of Spearhead Squadron, that puts him at a higher friendship rating." He paused, and though BT didn't exactly have a 'face' in the conventional sense, Jack got the distinct impression of a mischievous grin. "I have done the math."
"Hey!" Kaie protested, offended, but then paused. "Wait... was that a joke, BT?"
"I have been advised by my pilot that explaining the joke kills its inherent humour."
"I knew it! You do like us!"
Then Haruto snickered. "Hey, Shin! You know how Aldrecht always chews you out for damaging your rig with your crazy stunts?" He gestured at them both, eyes dancing with mirth. "How do you think he'll react to this?"
There was a pause, as the notion registered. Then, a predatory grin grew on Kujo's face.
"Ohh, I'm so going to be there to watch him freak out." He turned toward Shin. "Hey, Shin! Let him find BT on his own before you spill the beans, alright?"
Shin shrugged. "Sure." Already near the door to the hangar, he turned, tilting his head. "Aren't you guys coming?"
"Maaan, does nothing get to you at all, Shin?!" Kujo complained, folding his arms behind his head, falling in step behind his leader. "Alright! Mikuri, it's our dinner duty today, and we're making a special treat for our guests!"
"Dibs on the bread!"
"No fair! I wanted to do the bread!"
Trailing behind the group of processors, Jack stepped up to his Titan, giving him a firm pat on his arm – just about as high as he could reach, considering how BT towered over him. He wouldn't have thought a mere few days as Titan and Pilot would have allowed such a deep connection to be formed between them, but their time on Typhon had done just that.
After weeks spent separately wandering in the thick of enemy territory, they were once more a team.
"it's good to have you back, buddy."
"Likewise, Jack." Their steps falling in tandem, they made their way out of the hangar – and the promise of food that awaited them. "Likewise."
-X-X-X-
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE GREAT LEADER SADDAM HUSSEIN:
Phewww finally finished. man that took way longer than I initially thought.
And so that marks the end of the Restoration Project, AWACS Freeshipping told me that the story was kind of left out after 6 chapters, whether the original author had planned more Chapters or not, Only god knows, so yeah, I guess I might as well mark the story as a whole as finished. I mean it kind of ended in a good note as well, an alliance between BT + Jack and the Spearhead Squadron, although some things are left in an ambiguous note, such as the fate of the 6-4, but eh, Just use your Imaginations.
And like I said back in chapter 1. If you're the original author of this fic and wants it to be deleted feel free to hit me on the PM's and I'll gladly do so.
So anyways, thank you for reading the Restoration Project of the fic, that's all I have really, as for me, well I guess re-uploading someone's entire fic would be my first mark on this website, (not complaining or anything, this is pretty much my choice lol), So I Might as well upload a bunch of other Junks I have written in the past few years later on, and left some of my mark in this site before it finally bites the dust...
Now if you excuse me, I'm going back to play some NFS.
Cya.
-Saddam