"It looks like a what".
"A bigfoot".
"What the hell is a bigfoot?"
"I don't know, it was a story Scribe Patrick told us. According to him, there was a giant brown furry thing that stood like a human back in the Pacific Northwest. People would claim they saw it and that it had big feet".
"That's stupid, besides this thing has horns".
Paladin Hardin looked up from checking on Paladin Walsh to see what his battle brothers were discussing. The two were guarding the few prisoners they had taken, the few that were conscious were well restrained and had mixed looks from angry to resignation.
He found his gaze on who they had been told was the captain and concluded that yes it did look a little like a bigfoot, whatever that was.
A groan of pain brought his attention back down to his wounded squad member. "How's that Stimpack working for you Walsh".
"Can barely feel a thing, sir". Walsh stretched his neck to look down at his leg. "An' I can't decide whether that's a good thing or no'".
"Medical team is on route Walsh you just hold in there". Hardin said as he rose to his feet.
"Uhhh, Sentinel Lyons… ma'am we need a little help back here, we got that door open and it's uh something you need to see".
Paladin Kodiack's voice came through the squad channel, his voice filled with unease.
"Glade and I are still clearing this vessel. Hardin, head up to the second floor and see what you can do, I'll make my way as soon as I can".
"Yes, ma'am". Hardin said into the channel expecting no reply.
He looked to the other two squad members in the cargo hold. "Berger, Lukas keep an eye on Walsh and these prisoners, don't let your guard down".
As he made to leave he received a "Yes sir"from both soldiers. The ship was easy enough to navigate only having to sidestep a few of the corpses of the previous owners.
He soon found himself meeting up with Paladin Kodiack who was leaning against the wall next to an open door while nursing his helmeted head with his off-hand.
"Where's Knight Colvin". The only reply Hardin got was Kodaick gesturing into the room.
Entering the room Hardin was quick to stop in his tracks, wall to wall there were cages stacked in twos. It was what was in them that made Hardin pause.
People; some human, some not, some that might be an alien or just an extremely starved and beaten human. They were mostly women and children all locked into changes that they were forced to sit in.
"Paladin".
Hardin had been on raider hunting missions, he had seen slavery before and was lucky enough to set people free.
"Paladin".
But this, this wasn't a hastily thrown together cage; this room seemed purposely maintained to keep people.
"Hardin". A hand on his shoulder made him flinch until he recognized the armour of Knight Captain Colvin. "It's never an easy sight lad, all we can do now is do right by these people, they've suffered enough".
"Right". One long deep breath later Hardin had grounded himself. He opened the squad radio. "Jules, I need you to get here ASAP, Grab as many medical supplies as you can. Berger, Lukas give her as much as you can spare".
"On my way sir".
"Let's get these cages open, children first". Colvin nodded and they got to work.
Paladin Kodiak reentered and began to help as well, and soon Knight Jules arrived and after her own moment of shock she began to use her medical knowledge to help the most severely injured.
Those they freed were either too weak or injured to stand and the few that were conscious cried as the cage doors were opened by the metal knights who had all shed their helmets.
Captives that were stable were laid out in the hall, and the sight that greeted Sentinel Lyons as she rounded the corridor was a mass of pale and malnourished bodies.
Both Sarah and Glade paused in their tracks as they saw the captives. Carefully the sentinel walked past them until she came up to the unhelmeted form of Knight Colvin, who she could hear muttering the lord's prayer under his breath.
"Report". were her only words.
"Thirty or so captives ma'am, mostly women and children". Colvin's head lowered for a moment as he tried to hide a grimace. "Sorry we didn't radio this in ma'am, it's just with everything being so new and different in the past two days, it's a bit of a shock seeing something so familiar".
Sarah looked around her. "It is Colvin, it is".
A silence settled as they watched from the doorway, Paladin Jules treating an adolescent human female.
"Knight Dusk reported that she could see the 3rd squad approaching. Kodiack turn this place like an FOB and set up a perimeter. Colvin, you and Dusk are on overwatch. Hardin, I want your squad to hand over the prisoners to 3rd squad and start moving these people down to the cargo area, get them some food and water and have some of the scribes give them another once over"
A series of 'yes ma'am's were repeated back to her and she watched them get to work. As she moved back down to the cargo room she couldn't help but think to herself.
'People are people everywhere it seems, for better and for worse'
—
Aurek was grateful.
This was the first time in weeks he had been.
The young falleen had not too long ago turned 16, receiving a handmade hair tie from the human that had taken him in, and who he considered his father.
He was dead now.
Pirates had killed him when they came to raid their village. Alone that would have devastated the young man but no, the raider revealed their true faces as slaver's when they had taken both him and others from the village.
At first, he had raged, he fought, bit or scratched anyone who came close to him, which had earned him the end of a stun baton.
Then he hoped, he spun a tale about how the planetary militia would be coming to get them and punish those who had taken him, which earned him their laughter.
Day after day, sitting in his little prison he watched as the cages beside him filled up, only being fed the bare minimum as they sought to weaken them. The voices of defiance from those among the cages withered as the hours grew longer.
Until soon Aurek was left alone in his resistance and his mind gave way to depression, which earned him nothing.
He had heard the pirates whisper as they came and went from their prison, they would be leaving soon, one more raid and then his fate would close around him.
Aurek slept, choosing to sleep through the departure from this planet. Only he was awoken not soon after. Dull thumps emanate through the walls, then came shouts, then screams and the sound of blaster fire mixed with something else.
And then… nothing.
Heavy footsteps resounded outside their prison, the other prisoners whimpered, but Aurek perhaps foolishly, let himself hope.
With a whir, the door opened and two stood, both big and casting a shadow from the hallway lights.
One hesitated but the other stepped forth. His movements were careful and slow, his head on a swivel looking at all the room's occupants. He took a knee just before Aurek's cell, the boy could now see the metal helmet, and then off it came and he was greeted by a blonde-haired human staring gently at him.
The rest was a blur, he remembered more metal men arriving and soon his door was open and he was looked over by one of them. He was laid on the corridor floor too weak to move but thankful for being free.
They moved him and the others again, this time to the cargo hold, and in came more humans, some in giant metal armour and others in robes.
He watched the robed men tend to the more sick former captives. Strange was that they all seemed to stare at him, not just him but the other non-humans of the group, even when they were doing something else they would spare glances at them.
Soon one of the robed men came over to Aurek, he sat him up, checked him over and soon he found himself with a bottle of water and a bowl of soup.
Aurek didn't know who these people were, he didn't know entirely what to make of them. He didn't know what he was going to do or where he was going to go. Aurek only knew two things.
Aurek was free.
And Aurek was grateful.
—
It was a testament to the well-oiled machine that the soldiers of the brotherhood were as they swiftly set up the FOB. The prisoners were moved to one of the crew quarters on the ship and the cargo area quickly became an impromptu triage centre.
The knights that came along with the 3rd squad were quickly given orders and a perimeter was established, the blaster emplacements were replaced with Gatling lasers and all of this was done under the watch of two of the Brotherhood's best snipers.
Sarah Lyons would be proud of her brothers and sister if she didn't have more pressing matters at hand.
The small medical room onboard the pirate vessel was filled with silence only broken by a methodical beeping. Sarah saw and approached the two scribes locked in intense conversation, only to pause as they shifted slightly and she could see the laid down figure of her father Elder Lyons.
The two noticing her approach stood back and gave orders to the other scribes in the room before approaching her.
Snapping herself alert, Sarah centred herself. "Head scribe Rothchild, Scribe Vallincourt, do you have anything to report on the condition of elder Lyons".
"Elder Lyon's condition is stable". Rothschild's eyebrows furrowed for a moment before the tension left his body. "Unfortunately that means his health is neither improving nor worsening, the internal damage and cauterisation that weapon dealt was severe".
"However things needn't be so grim". Vallincourt cut in. "Having access to these facilities is a step in the right direction and the ability to monitor his vitals is of great help".
Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she spoke about the spaceship's technology. "Although this world's language barrier presents an issue, it is nothing my team of scribes are incapable of dealing with and once broken should allow us access to not only these medical facilities but to the rest of the ship also. Speaking of, I would love to see the-".
"What my fellow scribe means to say". Rothschild cut in, sending a small glare at the scribe. "Is that stable means good, it means time. Time we can use figuring out the systems on this ship, Time that we will spend every second towards the healing of our elder".
"Yes sir". Scribe Vallincourt muttered before scurrying off back to her team.
The head scribe let out a long sigh. "My apologies sentinel, Vallincourt has always been of a technical mind and being surrounded by such new technology, she seems to forget herself". He couched into his hand. "Although I too must admit to a certain childlike glee at such things, it reminds me of my junior scribe days''.
Sarah's smirk and roll of her eyes showed that he had cheered the young girl up even if for only a moment.
Her smirk faded as her eyes landed on her father again. "Rothschild, tell me, my father…". She trailed off.
Another long sigh. "I have known your father for a great many years, young lady and in all that time he has always lived up to his name's sake. He possesses a lion's heart much like you do."
The head scribe's eyes seemed to stare at nothing. "But as for now, only time will tell". His gaze fixed back onto Sarah. "But I shall do my best, I promise you that, Sarah".
"Thank you, Rothschild".
"Thank me when you've gotten a full night's sleep, I've been around long enough to know that your family's response to a crisis is to drive yourselves into the ground with work and coffee". Smile on his face he shooed the sentinel out. "Go, go and rest, and trust us scribes to watch over your father."
Nodding her head Sarah gave one last glance to her father before exiting the room.
—
He remembered this place. This place was the reason he and his brothers and sisters had been sent here. It was also the place where he laid the foundation of his chapter.
When they had first discovered this place, this was the room he had made his way to, he had ordered his men to begin clearing the building and it was here Owyn Lyons paused and looked out through one of the collapsed walls to the rest of the capital wasteland.
The room was dusty, the wooden walls were rotting and the only two things that had weathered the apocalypse so far were the desk and the fading American flag hanging on the wall.
"You hold fond memories of this place". Lyons spun around to search as a disembodied female voice resounded. "Why?"
A sense of tranquillity overcame the Elder, somehow he just knew he was in no danger.
"This is the place I think it all began". the answer fell from his lips.
"Where what began?".
"My new mission". He slowly approached the opening in the wall, it was getting dark out but he could make out fires burning in the city. "I was already disillusioned with the brotherhood's ways, we spent so much time hoarding, studying, sifting through the rubble of the old world. It didn't seem that big of an ask to spend a little time helping people"
A gentle golden light shone beside him and he turned to see a strange being. She was tall, taller than he would be in power armour, she wore a long black robe that ended with alien feet that hovered above the ground.
He might have panicked had he not looked at her face plate, expressionless in design. Seeing it he felt a wave of calm flow over him. "Who are you?".
"I am serenity". Was all she said as she turned her attention to the world outside.
Lyons paused for a moment. "Why am I here".
"You are dreaming, your body in the waking world is soon to pass away". Another pause. "As for why you are here specifically, I wished to meet the leader of the people brought to this galaxy".
"You brought us to this place?".
"No, I am a servant of the existence that did".
Again silence fell between the two and despite Lyons' inner turmoil, he found himself calm in her presence.
"So what happens now?".
Serenity turned to face the elder "Soon you will pass into the force and your people will begin to affect the galaxy".
"Will they be okay… will my daughter be okay?".
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Truthfully I have no idea, there are so very many possibilities, you must simply have faith".
She gestured into the room and the door opened to reveal a golden light.
Owyn Lyons both knew and didn't know what awaited him past its threshold. "Wait my daughter, my little Sarah may I speak with her".
Serenity simply nodded.
—
Heavy footsteps rang out as Sarah ran closely followed by a panting scribe. Her father had awoken but the tone the scribe had used when she was told left little to the imagination.
Had the door to the medical room not slid open automatically it would have been broken down by the desperate sentinel. Those in the room looked grim and the beeping of the heart monitor was much faster than when she had heard it last.
She approached slowly, two scribes were administering something to her father. Rothschild came up to her side. "The heart palpitations started a few minutes ago and he's been falling in and out of lucidity… I'm truly sorry child these may be his last moments".
She was silent as she approached the bed, with gentle care and love she took her father's hand. "Dad?".
Like flicking a switch life came back into his muddled eyes and Owyn beheld the sight of his daughter. "Sarah".
With just a mention of her name, tears began to roll down her face as two days of stress and worry came out. She made no sound and simply let her tears free, with his other hand his father reached out and cupped her cheek.
"I-I-I'm s-sorry, I couldn't get to y-you f-faster". Sarah managed to say with a hic.
"Oh my child". He pulled her forward into an embrace which she simply accepted and began to cry into the shoulder of her father.
The scribes surrounding them had their heads bowed and the old friends of the elder shed tears.
"My child you are strong". She looked up with red eyes. "Stronger than I was at your age, you have a heart filled with good and the conviction to carry it through"
"What do we do father?". she asked, head bowed.
"This is a strange place, so green and full of life". He turned his gaze upward staging into space. "The brotherhood was formed out of necessity, perhaps in this place, there is no need for us as we are".
Sarah's eyes opened wide. "but-". She stopped as he took her hand.
"The brotherhood of steel may bend and change but it shall not break this I know. You now venture into a place unknown like we did as we travelled east, and as such you shall adapt". He placed something into her hand and closed it. "But I cannot join you, my daughter".
The Elder took a long deep breath. "I name Sarah Lyons, my daughter as my successor". He said as loudly as he could manage.
"I, Head scribe Reginald Rothschild, hear and accept your decree Elder Lyons"
"I, senior Scribe Abigail Vallincourt, hear and accept your decree Elder Lyons"
Around the room came more responses from the scribes present, while Sarah stood still, eyes as wide as plates. "I-I'm not-".
"Sarah my child" a new wave of tears rolled down her face. "You are brave and strong, and I am so proud of you".
"I know you will lead us well". His eyes grew cloudy. "Never forget your strength nor doubt the power that we share with our brothers and sisters".
"And remember always to be kind".
With a singular breath the elder's body went still and his mind silent. Elder Lyons of the Brotherhood of Steel had passed away.
—
A scribe knelt next to a receiver and carefully fiddled with the various dials and buttons on its side.
"This *KKSSSSHH* tinel Sa*KKSSSSHH* othe*KKSSSSHH* sonnel ab*KKSSSSSSSSSHH* acon coupled *KKSSSSHH* my aut*KKSSSSHH* point.".
Beside him knelt a man in power armour listening intently to the garbled mess of a transmission.
"*KKSSSSHH* alien *KKSSSSHH* iliar with, use *KKSSSSHH* and carr*KKSSSSHH* ment you fi*KKSSSSSSSSSSHH* we are bro*KKSSSSHH* steel, show kin*KKSSSSHH* Ad Vict*KKSSSSHH*".
He remained for a moment before standing. "Let me know if there is any signal improvement".
"Yes sir".
The power-armoured man moved to the door and as he strode out he was beholden to a sprawling cityscape in the distance.
"Paladin Vargas, have they managed to pick anything up in that transmission?". Vargas turned to the female Star Paladin approaching him.
"No ma'am, but we have been able to confirm it is a brotherhood broadcast". Seeing her scepticism he continued. "We were able to confirm the use of 'ad victoriam' as well as the name Lyons".
She sighed and looked out to the city. "I just hope we can get in contact before anything bad happens".
"Me too, ma'am, me too".
AN: thank you for your comments so far, this is my first piece of public writing and it's nice to know it's complete dog water.
The scene with the force priestess is the exception not the rule in this fic, there's not going to be much jedi space magic in the fic just yet. So don't worry this was a one time thing just so you can get a bit more Owyn Lyons time.