"How much longer are we going to have to deal with these scum? You know the very sight of them makes my skin crawl."
"There presence here is necessary." The Talon explained calmly, as they turned and headed back towards the compound, her hawkish gaze ensuring that none of the LTIP fighters had loitered within earshot. "While our strength dwarfs their's, fighting them here would draw the attention of larger forces to our movements. They may even see fit to leak intelligence to our shared enemies if we offend them too grievously. So, we will accommodate them... for now."
Halting their progress, The Talon turned so that she and Nahla were facing each-other, a ring of steel surrounding them, and placed her still-flesh hand reassuringly on the other woman's shoulder, smiling.
"Don't worry, Huresh is all bluster. You saw how easily I shouted him down back there, and you of all people should know that I was barely even trying. He will start by testing where our boundaries lie, but he won't ever dare cross them. Besides, greed motivated him to come here more than indignation. He's hoping that we'll see fit to share our more lucrative connections with him, bolstering LTIP's profile alongside ours. Between you and me..." The Talon's grin was that of a mischievous child, divulging to a friend upon who's seat she had planted a pin. "once our business here is concluded, what they will have been made privy to is a loose end I'd rather not leave hanging."
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"Have any place in mind?"
"I though I'd leave that to you." Chen replied "Find us a good place to hide that won't get us cornered. Felix and I will crank up the heat then come join you. You two..." Chen gestured to Luka and Fiona "Do a sweep for anyone loitering around the area and clear as many of them out as you can. Don't tell them what's happening, just say or do whatever it takes to get them out. We're not here to blow up innocent bystanders. Oh, and everyone!" he tapped his wrist for emphasis. "The clock's ticking. Don't forget."
Nine and a half minutes later...
'Where the fuck's Iron Squad?!'
Chen and Felix had made the rendezvous with Neil in good time, after having done their best to turn the heat in the Industrial Complex back up to peak production levels, and sticking it there. It wouldn't take long before the occupiers noted the anomaly and investigated. However, unless they could complete said investigation in the next few seconds, they'd have a hell of a lot more to think about. As the seconds ticked down, however, Luka and Fiona were nowhere to be seen. If he and the rest were going to have to go and wade back into the thick of it to find them, Chen was not going to be happy.
In almost perfect synchronisation with the countdown Chen had been running in his head, the explosives detonated, shearing through the safety valves meant to direct heat and harmful gases away from the mid-levels when the refineries were producing at maximum. The consequences were almost instantaneous. The whole Mid-Levels seemed to rumble, as explosions chained through several of the production levels, and others were flooded with hot steam and other fumes. Hunched against the wall, Chen steepled his hands under his chin, as alarms began blaring all throughout RACDI-Alpha. Now there really was no going back.
'Make it count Yu.'
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The explosions even made the Lower Levels tremble, and those waiting indie the foxhole were showered with dust and pebbled from the ceiling. There was a second's pause, as Yu said a silent goodbye to his brother, and to the hell hole that he'd nonetheless called home for over a year, before getting to his feet and picking up his rifle.
"We all know the objective." He said simply "Let's not waste any time."
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In the Gates of Pandemonium, Selena and Abi felt the rumble beneath their feet. A second later, the tense atmosphere was shattered by the blaring of alarms, and the occupying troops were piling out of the door, to find out what was happening and to receive their orders.
Selena met Abi's eyes, and the message was clear.
'Time to go.'
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There were many curses, but few complete sentences, in the aftermath of the shot. With a mean smile, Nikolai slowly began advancing towards the group, stepping over the still whimpering form of their leader as he did so.
"H-Hey! Stay the f-fuck back man!" One of the others spoke up, his own hands trembling around the shotgun he cradled at his hip.
"You really going to die, for whatever you think they're hiding in there?" Nikolai asked, not slowing his stride.
"Fuck!" The other man swore "Just what the hell are you doing defending them anyway?!"
"Just because a Dog can pick up a stick, it doesn't make him a man." Nikolai explained, motioning to the shotgun that was now quickly wilting at the other's side. He was towering over the other man now.
"Piece of shit!" the other continued, in one last, vain attempt to save face. "Easy for you to act tough, with snipers watching your a-"
"Bark, bark, little Dog..." Nikolai said, almost lazily, as he sank his hand into the other man's mouth, breaking half of his teeth and taking a firm grip of his tongue. The man's tirade was replaced with muffled screams and distressed gurgles, as he was forced to swallow his own blood. From here, in would be the easiest thing for Nikolai to rip his tongue out, crush his lower jaw, or simply snap his neck. He though about doing all those things, and a few short months ago, he would has done so without hesitation. However, after a few more seconds, Nikolai released the pirate without further harm, who promptly sank to his knees in defeat, sobbing and clutching the lower half of his face.
"Pick up what's left of your friends, leave, and don't come back." Nikolai told the others. An order that was promptly obeyed.
"Thank you." Christa piped up behind him "We normally do some light trade with the larger groups down in the port, to ensure our place here is preserved peacefully. However, you can never quite account for what ideas some men will get into their heads after a bottle of rum."
Nikolai gave a non-committal grunt of reply. There was something about Christa that... bothered him. She almost certainly would have died, had she refused to defend herself and had Nikolai and the others not arrived on the scene, and yet she appeared completely unfazed. It was something more than that though. These people claimed to be non-violent, and Christa had demonstrated such even after a hand had been raised to her first. However, growing up in The Pit, Nikolai had developed an affinity for people who could radiate danger without seeming to do anything. This was a woman who was more than comfortable around violence. In fact, she flourished in it.
"I am Christa." she continued, seemingly requiring no more input from him. "I am a citizen of this Sanctuary; and you, I take it, are Nikolai."
Nikolai tensed, his blood running cold. A more extreme reaction than he might otherwise have had, but this woman was making the hairs stand up on the back of his neck; and he still couldn't quite look her in the eye, for some reason.
"How do you know my name?" he asked, warily.
"Subira, Manyara, and Judah all spoke of you upon their return yesterday." Christa replied with a smile. "It would seem the debts we owe you are already piling up. Also, as I understand it, you are looking for somewhere to stay? Well, if you could bring yourself to leave all of those weapons behind, we should have room for all of you. Life may be simple here, but it is also more comfortable than I expect you're used to. Rest assured, staying here places no obligation on you unless you wish it to. We are the ones in your debt, and to me, that makes you honoured guests for some time yet."
Nikolai really wasn't sure about this. Even if he didn't have a bad feeling about Christa, they had no idea what was behind those timber gates, and Nikolai had never in his life gone into new territory unarmed! On the other hand... they'd come such a long way, and left so much behind, in hope of finally finding somewhere where they might all lay their heads in peace. Even as their leader, did Nikolai have any right to deny this chance to those that had followed him here? It wasn't as if he had anything concrete to persuade them not to. Besides, Judah lived here, maybe it wasn't all bad?
And so, it was Nikolai who, cautiously, looked around at the others, in search of some direction from them.
