No Rest for the Wicked

The room started spinning for a few seconds and Leopold had to close his eyes briefly to counter it. The silver vial on the table in front of him was now empty, its contents spread out on a piece of cloth that was covering his arm.

O true apothecary... Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I...

There was some murmur in the council room, coming from the crowd of robed people around him. All of them wore golden masks covering their face, ambassadors of Leopold's vassal holders on Akilan planets. He had never even set foot on one of them, coordinating his demesne from the planet's orbit. The shadow of the Typhoon in Akilan skies was a constant reminder to their people of their unseen master.

The murmuring continued as Leopold raised his arm. Behind him, Khata'ra, the chief of his wolfspider guard came out of the shadows by the round stained glass window. Murmuring suddenly stopped as the vherokior woman eyed the council members gathered. Leopold chuckled lightly. Sometimes these amarrian animals need to be reminded of their place... how ironic that it is by a presence of a matari woman. He got up from his chair and cleared his throat, looking over his shoulder through the window. The Typhoon class battleship was slowly but steadily sailing towards a sansha battletower seen through the window. Its intricate design seemed to constantly draw Khata'ra's attention as she kept peeking through the window every now and then. Leopold smiled and focused his view back towards the middle of the room.

Fellow holders and their representatives upon the unsteady plains and skies of Akila... thank you for coming to our midst in such a large number.. I am deeply honoured by your presence. As you may have...

Leopold paused his speech, removing the piece of cloth from his arm and pulling the robe sleeve back down.

Oh, no. You wouldn't know anything about it. At least those of you who shouldn't know it. I assume that, being shackled to your muddy domains, you haven't noticed the recent skirmishes we had with the forces of the Nation in this region... In the light of these events, we shall proceed with the campaign of keeping the people of Akila safe from the Sansha menace.. and as such, we shall be raising the tax from 10 percent to 15 percent, in order to fund the war efforts against the Nation.

The murmur in the room rose again, with a few council members standing up in their seats and openly proclaiming unsatisfaction with this new decree. Leopold smiled and lowered his head, speaking into the small audio receiver attached to his robe.

I think this would be a proper time for our demonstration, milady.

Khata'ra took a few steps forward, but it didn't help the unrest. She didn't seem too woried though. A few of the masked council members were wolfspider kameiras as well, and in any attempt on Leopold's life, they would react swiftly and mercilessly. She looked at Leopold and he just smiled, not leaving her with a thought on what should they do.

Suddenly, an explosion could be heard from outside, a fizzling of electromagnetic discharge as the sansha battletower was hit by a volley of torpedoes on a side. The Typhoon class battleship shook as its own launchers fired their volleys, following a straight line towards the sansha construct. Another volley quickly came flying towards the station from a now visible Purifier class Stealth bomber a few kilometers off the Typhoon's starboard. The battletower started shaking upon the impact of the second salvo and started bending in the middle part of its consctruction. With a screech, the tower broke down in two and started collapsing, each of the two parts sprouting jets of plasma and fire until they were completely engulfed in it.

The council room stood in silence, looking through the window at the tower's demise. Leopold turned around and walked closer towards the stained glass window.

Anyone disrespectful of this new edict shall be marked as a collaborator of the Nation and shall be dealt with as one. This meeting is over. I bid you a safe trip to your planetside homes, ambassadors.

The room started emptying until it was only Leopold and Khata'ra, standing silent by the window. The Purifier bomber out in space they were both looking at had aligned for warp and cloaked, disappearing from the debris filled sky. Khata'ra shruged, dropping her gaze.

You keep more and more secrets about our operations from me, sire. She... she scares me.

Leopold smiled, raising his gloved hand against the vherokior's cheek.

Don't worry about it. For now, we have to concentrate on finishing the first part of our plan... and then... the City.

Cleansing of an Eye

Take a seat, mr. Caine. Please.

The voice of the old man was silent. He was kneeling down at a standard khanid tea table in the middle of the room. Shoji sliding walls had been opened, casting a view at the golden hangar of the amarrian station they were in. Tiny frigate-sized vessels were dashing across the opening, transporting passengers from the saturated air of the metallic hangar to the frenzy of humanity regained for a few days... or a few hours. She followed inside behind Leopold and slided the door shut.

With dread attending when that fatal wound.
Shall be inflicted by the Seed of Eve.

His eyes lingered on the ephemeral remnant lights the unceasing ballet was engraving behind, drawing uncanny arabesques the fool only would gape at with naive wonder.

Where are you?

Leopold walked over towards the table, bowed lightly and knelt down. There was a plethora of ceramic pots on the table, simple shapes of black against the red tablecloth. He felt the smell of incense in his nostrils as he came closer. Incense and something... else. She knelt down as well, lightly leaning forward in her seat, as if stretching.

The old man cackled as Leopold sat down. It was a light and a benevolent laughter, yet there was still a veil of dread in it. The man's presence was captivating, yet his face hidden by a hood. His robe bore the patterns of amarrian design, with a few Jin-mei finishing touches. Or at least, what Leopold thought to be Jin-mei touches. During his stay, Leopold thought that there weren't many amarrians in Curse. Now he realized they're maybe just hiding their colours too well.

So, you are the white dove I've been hearing about... mr. Caine. Welcome to Curse, if I may say. Make yourself comfortable in the pools of blissful radiance here.. you'll find many wicked opportunities and covered eyes... speaking of which, do you know why you are here?

Leopold lightly nodded, looking at the man's hands. He had reached for his sleeves, pulling them back and exposing a wet cloth over one of them. With a steady motion, the old man removed the rag and dipped it into the black ceramic bowl in front of him.

From what she told me...

Leopold paused for a second, looking to his left at her. She smiled and nodded, and Leopold wondered if the man actually knew her name. She never told him. She was just 'a friend', 'a keeper', and he refrained from asking her for a name to call her by.

...we are here to talk about Akila.

The old man pulled the rag from the bowl, some of the thick liquid dripping down from it, and placed it back on his hand.

Yes, we are. The presence of the Augmented Ones is interesting there... you see, you are in the spotlight for a number of reasons... it is rare to find a High One with political threads and needles in... locations with pleasant conditions, such as Akila.. and you have the... I can see that in you. I am a Seer myself... but, back to the business at hand... you shall be given a package of holy merit. We need you to get it to Akila, and keep it safe there... mount a campaign against installations of the Augmented Ones in there... make them mount their steeds and fight back. Make a stamp of your presence there. Then... come back, and I'll tell you what shall we do next... any... questions?

Leopold frowned a bit, but shook his head. He understood there's something behind this plan. Just destroying the Nation's forces in the area was a setup for something. Something the man hadn't told him. Yet.
The hands of the old man moved again, reaching for the ceramic bowl and pushing it in Leopold's direction.

Don't worry, Mr. Caine. In time, you'll see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Black Pilgrimage

They walked down a catwalk, towards an opening in the distance. The architecture of the station seemed Caldari, but there was an ill mist around it, almost as if one was looking through a grain filter on one of those ancient holoreels. The large docking bay they were in seemed familiar to Leopold, but he didn't bother looking around. It was the same Caldari station, like thousands of others, just with the addition of that ill mist. It was where he would end up sooner or later, where she would bring him eventually. He wasn't in Caldari space.
He was in Curse.

The frail looking Achuran woman next to his side smiled as the echo of her footsteps against the metal catwalk dropped to a halt.

Why are you so anxious, Leopold?

Her eyes pierced inside the back of his skull, he could feel it. He must not show a sign of weakness... not now, not here.

I am alright... it's just the atmosphere of the station. Not used to it after being in the pod that long.

She raised an eyebrow, so slightly that it was barely noticeable and continued walking, the light chime of her boots ringing in the air.

I have talked with the Dominations about your performance so far. It hasn't been perfect, but you have proven yourself in defense of our assets. They liked that... however, you might be heading home sooner than you had anticipated.

What do you mean?

I mean that you will have to take a certain shipment from us, and bing it back to Akila. It will have to be in the cargobay, so clone jumping out won't be possible. This isn't a usual smuggling operation, so take care. Garett will fill you in on the details when we reach his office. So start writing a letter back to Kirsa that you'll be home soon.

Leopold stopped walking, letting her gain a few steps. She turned around and giggled.

Yes, we know.

Stairway to Heaven

Narrow signal broadcast, secure Tiphareth Wolfspider channel 34_3XA.
Origin_ Akila, Domain.

The gates have opened... we are away. The Family have left the Hunting Grounds, and they have taken me with them... I have... Khata'ra, while you'll be hearing this, I'll already be away. Her and me, we have left for the time being... To meet those that have sent her after me. She is... no, don't think that. She has been helpful to us all along this time. Don't think I don't appreciate things you have done for me... you have been a second in command I could have only wished for. I shall leave the command of the Gist Oluya to you... Take good care of the skies over Akila... I will... call you, when I get to the other side. Don't worry. This is not a goodbye. I hope.

Eymadalad - Aftermath

The Tizcan Inquisition - The aftermath:

On campaign day 23 Lucius Vindictus surrendered to Math´Ra Hiede of the Ordo Magna in front of the cathedral in Ancreon city. Math’Ra Hiede and his command squad of Purgator Kameira’s finally captured Lucius during the afternoon. Lucius waited unarmed and without guards. To prevent further needless deaths all remaining House Vindictus troopers disbanded and disarmed at his command. The only conditions of surrender were that Lucius would get the chance to defend himself in front of an Ordo Magna internal tribunal, and that his wife Deliath would be released; however the Ordo does not have her in their custody, meaning that she must have either died or gone missing during the final stage of the war. Math’Ra accepted these terms and proceeded to transport Lucius off-world as his prisoner. Lucius seems angry and frustrated and still convinced that he is in the right. His defeat has not taken away his defiance, but his political and military power in the world are totally broken and he is at the mercy of the Geburah.

House Vindictus:
Though blameless of wrongdoing themselves, when faced with the threat of having House Vindictus disgraced for Lucius’s actions, the family distanced themselves from Lucius and removed him from his position as House Master. The Lucius household that includes his wife and unborn child are disinherited and banished from Tizca; preventing them from ever holding a governing position on behalf of the House again. His brother Decimus Vindictus now holds the position of Master of the House and promises to restore peace and order in Tizca. Ariana Caine has been put forward as the new and permanent regent of Eymadald; her official inauguration will be next month.

House Caine:
Lord Leopold Caine has lost all his lands on Amarr VIII; but managed to obtain a declaration signed by Lucius in the presence of a representative of the Ministry of Internal order that states that he is freed from his bonds of vassalage to House Vindictus yet may keep his noble title and standing; and carry it over to a new domain should he manage to obtain one. This prevented him from having to swear fealty to new House Master as his Liege Lord at the last moment. His ex-wolfspiders have become hardened veterans; though they lost several dozens of their number during the war. They have left the planet to rejoin him; taking their experiences with them. Aditionally, Leopold has gained an enormous hoard of works of art, jewelry, and other valuables that were hurriedly shipped off-world during the fighting. after having utilised their time to their masters benefit while smuggling a large treasury from safehouses all across Eymadald.

The Ordo Magna:
Several hundreds of troopers joined the honoured dead during the course of the campaign. The siege of Ancreon was the site where most of these were martyred. It was the first major ground offensive the Ordo took part in. The overall command was in the hands of the Geburah, closely supported by Commander Macar Shadara of the Ordo’s groundforces. The commander has requested the addition of more war machines and vehicles to the Ordo Magna arsenal. A trade agreement and a lasting friendship was made with House Hegemur on Amarr VIII who will produce much of the Ordo´s equipment and commodities that require planetside facilities to grow or make in the future. The Ordo Magna has been cleansed. But at what cost? And how will this influence the future?

The Sephirots:
Math’Ra Hiede led the inquitition with great Zeal. In the first days he attacked the only publically known assets of House Caine and drove the Wolfspiders into the swamps. In the meantime he gathered evidence and witness statements to provide foundation for his inquisition. He aided the Somarkia and Kengzih regions in their rebellion against House Vindictus; training their forces and generally making life hell for the House Vindictus invaders. A humiliating defeat shook the general faith in Lucius’s military abilities when a whole battalion was ambushed and massacred. In the meantime Sardoniac forcussed his effort on the former House Immoth territories where he managed to get a valuable confession of a high ranking Theology Council agent, and discovered the true reason behind Lady Immoth’s disappearance. Sepherim used his contacts and influence where he could in both high and low places; despite his poor health. When Lucius was driven into the swamps of Eymadald the Geburah and Chockmah forces coordinated their attacks together until the Vindictus-Caine exiles made an exodus for Dam-Caïn. Before they could reach that metropolis however they were cut off and forced to make a last stand in the city of Ancreon. There after a short but brutal siege of three days Lucius finally surrendered when all means of escape were destroyed and he realised all was lost and he wasn’t going to reach the safety of his capsule. Math’Ra had a close encounter with death on the last day of the battle when commander Kath’Ra of the wolfspiders singled his command squad out and attempted to assassinate him. He only narrowly averted death, but was wounded when his armoured suit was his by the blast of a plasma charge designed to kill him. Kath’Ra managed to escape in the confusion and remains high on the Ordo’s wanted list. Despite being wounded the Geburah insisted on being personally present at the surrender of Lucius Vindictus.

A New God

Sire Gavak? We are picking up a... transmission from the orbit.

The comms operator looked over towards his liege. Lord Gavak raised an eyebrow as he slowly turned in his place. His regal robe wore the signs of House Gavak, one he wore proudly now in his elderly age. During his life, he fought with local sansha supporters and other nobles as well, but managed to grasp control over most of Akila VI, either through military conquest or diplomatic liasions.He just happened to be in the war room, finishing discussion with one of his vassals who was amassing his troops. Potential rebellion.. shouldn't be tolerated of course. Gavak looked up onto the video screen, looking at it for a few seconds.

Who's hailing us?

N...no idea, sire.

The videoscreen jumped to life, showing a young khanid man in a black uniform. The man smiled at Gavak and bowed politely.

Greetings, sire Gavak, lord of Akila VI... I am Leopold Caine of the Oris Caines.

Gavak twitched a bit. He didn't like something about this man, but he didn't know what exactly. He bowed in return.

Greetings, lord Caine... well met and welcome... how may I help you?

The dark khanid man chuckled a bit, lightly shaking his head.

Oh, how may you indeed... you see sire Gavak... I am a Holder... and I am also an Angel. I come here seeking asylum, a sort of a temporary home... thus, all I'm asking from you is to accept vassalage under my rule.

Gavak blinked, and then started laughing. What the hell did that man just say? This is probably some joke. His laughing suddenly stopped when another image appeared on the video screen. One of a Typhoon class battleship in low flight over Dam-Gavak, capital of Akila VI. The voice of the khanid man continued.

Or we can do it the hard way... with me torpedoing your poor estates back into the stone age. I am aware that your current military force can't match a single capsuleer-flown battleship. And don't try to do something silly like... trying to contact the Imperial Navy. As I said, like a capsuleer, I can pretty much drive this ship into the heart of your domain along with it's nuclear payload, and simply wake up in a clone bay. So please... let's keep things civil. I shall keep in contact via this video feed, and send some of my agents to.. deal with things. Also, sire Gavak...

The man leaned over closer towards the camera drone, now exposing a lack of a left eye.

...Don't fuck with me.

The camera closed, cutting of the video link as static ensued in the audio channel. The videosceen was now showing the Typhoon class gaining altitude and moving up towards the orbit. Gavak was just standing there, blinking and not knowing what to say.

Sire? What... what do we do now?

The elder Holder sighed, looking over towards the battleship disappearing on the screen.

Now, we follow.

Rain of fire.

I am barred from home.
The rain of fire we have spat on the heretics a few days ago has been seen as an act of vigilantism... act of rebellion against all the Empire thinks it is.
I have set Ariana in control of Eymadalad, but I don't know how long it will take for her to break. Ariana is capable, but the nobles of Tizca are as well... I've spoken with Lucius last night, via a holocomm. I've seen something in his eyes that I haven't seen before... some part of... worry. For now, I shall try to find a remote home here and... come back as fast as I can.

Leopold turned away from the recording unit, his voice shouting out a few orders in a thick sebiestor accent before the feed cuts off.

***

Death of Khavagda.

Amarr Certified News report:
In a large explosion 2AU from Mekhios Prime, today at 1020 local time, a derelict Naglfar wreck's warp core fizzled, detonating the vessel and it's citadel launcher payload. No one was harmed in the explosion, and the authorities are currently investigating it. The ship in question was RNS Khavagda, a ship presumably MIA in the battle of Mekhios. It is a question, how many of these horrid wrecks haunt our space, waiting to randomy detonate their nuclear payload on unsuspecting passerbys?
Thank you, Kiara. Now, the prices of wheat aboard Mimen 4 have been going down for the last 3 days due to...

Leopold shrugged, closing the video feed and leaning back in his chair with a tired sigh.
The House of Whispers was no more. The derelict Naglfar class dreadnought that housed the Tiphareths during his guidance as a Sephirot. Symbolic almost.

He got up from his seat, walking over towards his bathroom and stepping in.
He didn't have an alternative.

Not blowing the Khavagda up would mean letting Hitome take it over, under Math'ra's jurisdiction. No.
That place held too many memories. He wouldn't just give it over and let it be corrupt, or brought into a mockery. He couldn't risk it.

He rested with his palms against the wall, looking at the mirror, his black eye orb reflecting his face back in the mirror, into an endless series of reflections. Each choice we make ties itself to the greater plan, and brings change to the world around us.

Now it was time to see if the Tiphareth will survive without him, or rot away.

Harvest, epilogue

On other news, after a large celebration last week for House Dakani of Oris, here comes a gruesome misfortune. The DNA analysis has confirmed that the two bodies in the yacht crashed this morning are those of Carthat Dakani and his fiancee Inara Khavarr. The exact reasons of the crashing are still unknown, but the Ministry of Internal Order has disregarded a chance of a terrorist attack on the surface of Athra itself, and has filed this as an accident. Preliminary analyses predict that it was caused by a faulty antigravitation module. It also seems that late Inara Khavarr was in her mid terms of pregnancy, yet we are still awaiting confirmation. Back to you, Namiriel.

Leopold pressed the button on the remote control, switching the holowall off and stepping over towards his terrace. The deal was done. He had already contacted Lucius, and all was arranged. He will swear vassalage to the House Vindictus and take over the position of the governer of Emyadalad region as a Holder. A sizeable payment check, but one well deserved, he thought.

Click.

Leopold narrowed his eye and quickly turned. There was someone on the terrace, a silhouette of female constitution, holding a butane lighter in her hand and flicking it open and closed. He shrugged, leaving his wine glass on the terrace table.

Click.

The woman closed the lighter, tucking it in the pocket of her flightjacket. An intricate design, one Leopold saw before... somewhere, but he couldn't seem to remember where. She took a slow step forward and pulled her hands together.

Clap.

The woman came closer, and now he could see she was Achuran. With every step her hands clapped, into a freaky applause.

Well done, Caine-haan. Well done.

Leopold twitched a bit. There was something about her making him uneasy.

Who are you?

She laughed, outstretching a hand towards him.

Someone sent by someone who can make good use of your abilities. Come with me...


I'll explain along the way.

Harvest, part 5

You wanted to see me, mr. Caine?

Carthat was standing on the open roof terrace of one of the long abondoned warehouses in Dam Torsad's Trade District. The Golend City underneath and above him was covered in different shades of red as the sun was setting and reflecting from nearby buildings and orbital vechiles passing slowly overhead. In his hand, he was holding a delivery. One that came in via interbus express this morning. A small wooden box, with a note attached on the outside. Note on the meeting place. The contents of the box however, included a female finger cut at it's base, adorned with a silver ring with the words 'Te amo' subtly engraved on it's lower side. Carthat closed his eyes. Te amo.




For me?

Inara looked down at the small wooden box Carthat passed to her. The summer day was young, but the sun was already high, piercing through a few holes in the vines covering the small shaded pavillon in Inara's family's gardens on Mikeb. There were crickets everywhere, chirping from the pinewood branches of the nearby forests, covering everything with their noise. Inara opened the box, looking at it's contents. She gently slided her hand inside, pulling out a silver ring with something engraved on it. She raised it and slowly read the inscription.

Te... amo...

I love you, Inara.




Carthat opened his eyes, with a single tear running down his cheek. he looked down again at the box and the finger in it and the silver ring reflecting some of the red tinted light of Dam Torsad. There were footsteps behind him. Faint ones, but still hearable A cyberknight of Carthat's experience could've heard someone approach without much an effort. He turned around, noticing a dark robed silhouette standing by the edge of the roof terrace.

Where is she?

The silhouette didn't respond, just standing silently. Carthat's hands were shaking as he grabbed his blade and pulled it out of it's sheathe. He took a step forward, keeping a battle guard.

WHERE IS SHE?

Carthat took another step forward, then quickly stopped. he quickly turned around, cutting his blade through the air and almost catching another robed silhouette behind him. The person behind him doged in the last second, yet lost balance and fell down on the ground before him. Carthat smiled, stepping over it and raising his blade.

Letting your henchmen taking care of the dirty work, Caine?

Not really.

The man lying on the ground in front of him spoke out, pulling his hood back. It was him. Carthat saw the picture. An associate of that Vindictus dog, Lucius.

... I am an honest trader, mr. Dakani.

Carthat leaned over the snake, growling through his teeth.

Where. Is. She?!

The man laughed, lightly shaking his head.

You abide by our agreement? You shall make sure she is alright, we shall ship her to a safe location, and then you agree to a duel between the two of us?

Carthat grabbed the man's robes at his neck, pulling him up and looking in his right eye, left one being just an empty black orb, with a reflection of Carthat's angry face in it. He growled agan for a second, and then let go of the frail man. Caine didn't seem like a hard duelist. This would be an easy one, Carthat thought. Vinductus has sent his henchmen after him before, he dispatched them all.

Fine.

Caine pulled himself up on his hands, slowly standing up as he dusted his robes. Carthat was still standing firm, blade in his right hand. Caine pulled his own blade from behind his back, balancing it in his hand lightly and returning it to the sheathe.

Very good, mr. Dakani. You shall find your mistress over there...

Caine raised his hand at the edge of the roof terrace, pointing at the immobile robed silhouette standing there, the one Carthat saw first.

... do make sure everything is allright before we proceed. I give you my word that it is only her finger I needed as a proof.

Carthat shrugged, looking towards the silhouette.

Oh, you think it's some kind of a trap? Very well... let me show you.

Caine walked over towards the silhouette, pulling it's cowl back and revealing the woman's head. She had a piece of ducttape sticked over her mouth, and a few bruises on her face, but it was Inara. Carthat took a step forward, with a mixed emotion of anger and relief.

I shall let you two exchange a talk before we start the duel, mr. Dakani. Take your time, but remember. Silence is golden.

Caine smiled and drew his blade again, nonchalantly stepping over to the center of the terrace, as Carthat ran over to Inara. She was obviously tied down, shaking around as if trying to break free. Tears were running down her cheeks and muffled yelling could be heard from her ducttaped mouth. He smiled softly, running his open palm down her cheek to caress her.

Don't worry, darling... everything will be ok. I'll be with you soon.

Carthat lowered his hand, grabbing the edge of the ducttape and gently pulling it open.

Click.

He narrowed his eyes, noticing a thin electronical switch glued to the side of the duct tape, now in an open position.

Click.

Suddenly his eyes went wide, as he turned around to look at the man at the center of the terrace, spotting a grin even from this distance.

Click.

A series of smaller explosions were heard as Inara's chest exploded, launching a million of little shrapnels into Carthat's face and chest, launching him on the ground in a blast of pain. One of them punctured his eye and he could feel a large open wound on his neck. He tilted his head up, noticing what remained of Inara with his undamaged eye. Just a half of a torso, with an open rift where her head and chest used to be. He cried, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, warm blood dripping from his wounds.

As I said, mr. Dakani...

He heard footsteps approaching, hitting louder than ever against the roof of the warehouse.

Click.

Carthat opened his eye, looking up at Caine holding a cocked pistol with a silencer pressed against Carthat's forehead.

...Silence is golden.





Click.

Harvest, part 4

Leo, Leo! Look which one I have found!

The sun was already high on the sky as the Harvest went on. Leopold was walking up a small rocky hill, with vineyard terraces, holding the basket full of golden grapes over his back. His sister, although a year older than him, walked behind him, picking up a few grapes here and there, plucking a few for herself and passing the rest into the basket with a soft giggle. She had a basket of her own, yet a smaller one.

Leopold turned around, looking at a sizeable grape she was holding in her hands and smiled. He liked the Harvest. It meant that all the cousins and relatives are coming over for the estate for the whole month. Uncle Aron will probably bring his guitar again and tell both funny and scary stories by the fire as them children will sit around, frying marshmallows in sticks. He could already feel the smell of fried corn on the grill, like his mother uses to make when the evening falls down and you can hear the crickets playing in the high grass.

Leo?

He turned around, looking at her again. She stopped walking, and a worried expression covered her face. There was something in the distance, over the horizon, like a cloud approaching.

Yes, Mariya?

She started shaking, slowly blinking and dropped the grape basket she was holding in her hands. The golden grapes rolled down the path, spraying over it like a waterfall. A buzzing sound could be heard, one growing to an uneasy crescendo. He looked up from the ground back in her eyes, noticing a thin trail of blood dripping down from her hair, down her cheek. Her eyes were shaking, full with tears.

Wh...why did you let me die?


Leopold woke up, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. The room was dark, only the red digits on the chronometer visible sharply in it, the rest being faint dark silhouettes. He took a deep sigh, getting out of the bed and heading to the kitchen.

He turned the light on and went for the sink to take a glass of water. He was back in his apartment in Dam Torsad, having come here yesterday from Oris. Letting his head rest against the cold wall, he took a sip of his water, remembering his dream.

That was the day his father died.

Suddenly, the comms unit rang. Leopold looked over to the chronometer again, as it was showing 0420 local time. He grumbled lightly, but it made him feel good in a way, made him stop thinking of his dream.

The channel opened on the small video screen. There was no video feed, and on the other hand, Leopold din't expect any. The voice on the other side was muffled, as if coming through an encryptor, which made it sound androgynous, but Leopold still recognized it, even through the distortion.

Good morning, Leo.

Good morning... any particular reason for you calling me this early.

Quite, Sephirot... I thought you wanted to talk, and time is precious, right? Besides, I'm on the other side of the planet, and my time is precious as well.

Leopold sighed, sipping on his water again as the voice continued.

I've heard of what happened to Lebora, by the way..

Lebora?

The voice chuckled, or at least he thought it was a chuckle.

Don't play games with me. I know how you work, Leo. Ushra'khan? Seriously. I'm reading you like an open book. You are predictable. Do you know what was the last assault Ushra'khan had on high security empire space?

The one on the Basilica.

Yes. Another 'attack' staged by you. Your little political games will be the doom of you one day. One day people will stop believing Ushra'khan and the rest of the minnies are responsible for your shenanigans. You are a thorn in the Empire's side, yet you think yourself a saint... I almost forgot why I left the Tiphareth.

Leopold stayed still, lowering the glass on the desk.

And I almost forgot why we let you go.

Let's just get to it, shall we? What do you need?

Rather who, actually...

Whatever.

Khavarr. Inara Khavarr. Rings a bell?/i]

There was a short pause on the other side. Not having a video link now made Leopold a bit uneasy, but he waited.

I could dig something out, yes. Need just general info or are you hunting her?

[i]I wouldn't call it a hunt, but I don't think general info would suffice...

Very well, I'll see what I can find out and contact you later... Sephirot.

Archon, actually.

What?

I'm an Archon now.

Does it really matter?

The channel just closed, it's screen folding down to the body of the unit with a silent hiss. Leopold walked back to the kitchen, taking a deep breath as clecnched on the glass.

He silently groaned as the glass broke under the pressure, the jagged glass tearing in his hand with a crack. He lowered it down to the sink and walked towards the bedroom again, hitting the light off as he left.

Harvest, part 3

Where is he?

Another loud strike could be heard, the sound of the metal cap of Khata'ra's boot against bone, followed by a muffled sound of jaw breaking.

Leopold was standing over at the window, looking at the white curtains that surrounded it. The curtains were an illusion of sorts, as the only thing beyond the window was a ventilation shaft, but they still played in the wind like regular ones. Leopold shrugged and looked over his shoulder, at the body of Gaun Ycarr, the Ghoul, lying in a small pool of blood in front of him.

He turned around on his heel, making his way closer to the Ghoul and kneeling next to him with a light grin. His eye went over the man's face, scanning it quickly. The expression on it was still, but he could see a little hint of fear, like a small gust of wind that is about to knock a stone tower down.

I won't tell you, you Vindictus dog!

The man on the ground grabbed some effort and spat in Leopold's face, which was followed by another quick kick from Khata'ra's boot, this time in his stomach. He growled in pain and lowered his head. Leopold just shrugged and grabbed a piece of cloth from one of his pockets, turning around and nodding to the two kameiras standing at the entrance.

The assault on Lebora went precisely as planned. With detailed geodetical maps of the city, a squad of Hound class stealthbomber with Ushra'khan ID numbers was called down, decloaked and launched a few bane torpedoes on the city's defensive posts, efficiently routing the local militia. With the ECM comms jammer Lebora had in place, they would have to disable it first to call for help, which would take about a half an hour. More than enough time for the wolfspiders to infiltrate the Lebora fortress, take down the city's elite Eagle Guard and move down to it's heart itself. The office of the Ghoul.

We shall see about that, mr. Ycarr.

Leopold got up, wiping the spit from his face with that piece of cloth before folding it back in his pocket. He remembered reports Khata'ra forwarded to him from the Vinductus operation she was assigned to. This man was no saint, having gotten his nickname for a habit to mutilate Vindictus scouts and leave their bodies out to dry on Lebora's walls. The Ghoul. A skilled tactician, and one of Carthat's main operatives. A right hand mand if you'd believe the wolfspider reports. If someone knew where Carthat was, it would be him.

Then again, Leopold couldn't care less if he was a saint, actually.

You see mr. Ycarr, you are a strong man. You have seen the Dakani - Vinductus war and actively participated in it. I respect that. Most of the time I spend in combat is over a ship's interface, without any real feeling of the battlefield... it is... it makes you different. A bit cold in the end.

Leopold looked to Khata'ra, noticing an underlying smile on her face. She must've been content to have finally found the man she was hunting for a year, now lying bleeding and humiliated in front of her. Leopold nodded at her and she kicked the Ghoul again, leaving bloodied and muddy footprints over his officer's robe.

The man looked up, twitching in pain and looking up at Leopold with his healthy eye, the other one covered in blood pouring from his broken eye arch.

Wha.. what's your point, you bastard?

Leopold chuckled, lightly shaking his head.

There is no point, mr. Ycarr. I am just chatting... killing time till...

Leopold looked over to the small metal casket the kameiras have brought in after they stormed the Ghoul's office. Flashbang on the door, quickshots at the guards, a rifle butt to the incapacitation target's stomach. Standard procedure.

...you see, I was hoping you'd match your reputation. You are a fierce supporter of the House Dakani, mr. Ycarr, and as I said, I respect that. However, sometimes in life, we have to make.... choices.

Leopold turned around as the door opens just in time. Through it walked two kameiras, pushing a woman, a teenage girl and a small boy in front of them. They seemed scared, shocked, unkempt, as if someone just pulled them from their beds with flashlights pointed to their faces. Leopold noticed a bruise on the woman's eye and smiled, walking over towards her.

I for one, really treasure family, mr. Ycarr. Do you know what time it is this month? Time of the Harvest... I am an agrarian myself. My whole family gathers on our estate to pick the grapes and make spiced wine...

He stopped behind the shaking woman as she twitched with a silent moan, and then looked at the Ghoul lying on the ground, noticing his face expression has changed a bit. It was more a mixture of anger and fear now. True, unsurpressed fear. Leopold smiled, caressing the woman's hair and looking up in her face.

Don't you think so, mrs. Ycarr?

The Ghoul's hands started shaking violently, and he tried getting up, pulling himself closer towards Leopold. Khata'ra's boot was once again quick to stop that, as she suggestively pressed it against his windpipe.

You see, mr. Ycarr... it's quite easy. Either you start talking on Carthat's location, or...

Leopold pulled out a 12mm sidearm, cocked it and pulled it inside the woman's mouth, still caressing her hair and looking at the Ghoul with a grin.

... or your wife here will have a minor... ballistic accident, so to say.

YOU ANIMAL! LET HER GO OR I'LL...

All noise in the room suddenly stopped, after a muffled gunshot filled the small room. Mrs. Ycarr's brains were splattered all over the wall behind her and Leopold, some of the blood on his robe as well. He gently let go of her body, letting it fall to the floor, breaking the silence in the room. Khata'ra looked up at Leopold with a slight hint of fear herself. She didn't expect he'd actually do that. The Ghoul was just watching in awe, his eyes now filling with tears.

You....no...NO!

Leopold smiled and slowly walked over to the girl. She twitched in fear and hugged her plush furrier a bit tighter, as the kameira behind her held her arm firmly so she couldn't escape. Leopold stood beside her, pat her head and pointed a gun against her temple.

Ok, I'll give you some more time with your daughter, mr. Ycarr... Here's my proposition. You tell me where Carthat is, and your daughter and son will live. I'll make sure myself that they are taken in in the best Sisters orphanage I can find. However, if we come over some... communication problems during our discussion, the only thing that will be taking care of them is the sanitation service. Now. Where. Is.

Leopold cocked the gun, pushing it a bit harsher against the girl's temple.

Carthat.

The Ghoul broke, having started to cry and howl, hitting his head against the floor. It must've been what happens when something you have been trained for most of your life, not telling the information to the enemy, comes in conflict with something you have in yourself naturaly, which is the wellfare of your offspring.

Ok... ok... just don't kill them! He's... Carthat's not here... He's on Athra, on Dam Torsad...He has friends here, and... I don't know who... I just know who he...

Leopold sighed, lowering the gun down. The Ghoul looked up at him with a sort of a thankful and tranquil smile, which twitched into a painful grimace as Leopold put a slug through his daughter's knee.

Names, mr. Ycarr... names. I can't work with geographical locations itself. And yes, I know where Dam Torsad on Athra is, thank you very much.

Inara.. Inara Khavarr... She's... she's Carthat's mistress in Dam Torsad... she... that's all I know... If anyone knows where she is exactly, it's her... That's all I know... please... don't..

Leopold let go of the girl, lowering down, then nodded to the kameira behind him. The wolfspider took her and the boy and pushed them towards one of the corners of the room, making them sit down in it

I'm glad to see we were able to work this out in the end, mr. Ycarr... it was a pleasure doing business with you.

He passed his gun to Khata'ra, and she quickly aimed, shooting one slug into each of Ghoul's knees. Leopold chuckled, walking over towards the small metal container the kameiras have brought in when they stormed the room. He opened it, revealing a warhead of a caldari navy widowmaker missile, fitted with what seemed to be a timer next to it. Leopold outstretched his eyelids with his fingers and pulled himself closer to the retinal scanner. There was a faint beep as the timer started ticking, each second marked with the same silent beep, yet in one's mind, they were building up as a crescendo.

10:00

09:59

09:58

However, I have some business to take care of on Athra... enjoy your day, mr. Ycarr.

09:47

Leopold turned around and walked towards the exit, followed by the wolfpsiders. Khata'ra took one last second to look at the wounded man on the floor, and his children in the corner, then followed, closing the heavy door behind her. Time to get out of here before the Imperial Navy appears.

09:22

Ycarr passed out. His eyes tried to discern the numbers the timer was showing, but the wounds and the blood loss were too much for him. He cast a glance at his children in the corner and smiled, before hitting the floor with his head.

09:03

The small boy hugged the girl tight, looking over to the weird mechanical looking beeping thing on the desk.

Mirna? Are we going to become angels?

08:52

She pat his head and closed her eyes. Tears were going down her cheeks and her voice was broken as she spoke.

Yes, Caran. We are.

Leopold was sitting on the hill outside of town at the Lebora fortress. Two Imperial Navy Omen class cruisers have lowered themselves from the orbit, hovering over the city with their big tracking lights. The rest of the wolfspiders were around, packing things up for a Prorator skyhook evacuation of the squad, one that would pull them back in the orbit and away from the swamps of Emyadalad.
Leopold looked down on the clock on his datapad and shrugged.

00:02

There was a large bang as the Lebora fortress exploded, the thermal wave spreading through the ventilation systems and setting everything inside on fire. One of the Navy Slicers that joined the Omens in the approach was almost caught in the blast, but managed to evade it with minor armour damage. The heatwave of the missile would be enough to melt all evidence inside the fortress. Leopold turned around and grinned at Khata'ra.

Time to go home.

Harvest, part 2

The landing was light as it could have been. The IR beacon the wolfspiders have set up didn't falter, and a few minutes after the launch, Leopold was already on the surface, crawling over to the pod's hatch and trying to open it.

Crappy Carthum Conglomerate equipment...

The pod valve managed to turn in the end and open with a silent hiss, as he could see the light of the stars outside. No clouds... that wasn't the most favourable condition for sneaking around the swamps, but one he had to work with for now.

He started taking out cargo containers from the pod and handing it to the kameiras. The wolfspiders were a special branch of kameiras trained into more stealthier aspects of combat. Stealth, quick repositioning, hunting, long range weaponry... There were no records of them in the official Ordo Magna logs, and they weren't trained by the Legio Auxilia. All of them of vherokior ancestry.

After passing the last cargo container from outside the pod, he squeezed himself through the small hatch, feeling a bit uneasy as he stepped out on solid ground. As solid as it may have been, his boots sank a few centimeters into the mud of the swamp. This was the first time he was in this region, and getting accustomed will probably take a few hours. The trees around were high but barren, with little or no leaves on their branches. At the ground, patches of mangrove, dirty swamp water and some muddy soil exchanged in the texture of the ground. The moons were shining bright enough to provide no need for auxiliary lighting, and Leopold wouldn't use any anyway. And, what made him feel uneasy the most...

It was silent.

So silent, with just a few birds howling in the distance. He tried to remember if Oris has any frog species at all, but shrugged. He knelt down, opening his briefcase and fetching a long blade and 12mm pulse rifle from it. He quickly tucked them both behind his back and waved to the kameiras to come closer and kneel as well.

Ok, ladies and gentlemen...I got your report about the current situation here. Since we had comms silence from you, I suppose there is an ECM scrambler somewhere close?

Most of the kameiras knelt down and nodded in silence, with one of them speaking up. It was Khata'ra, a young red headed vherokior in charge of the squad. She seemed pretty young for a kameira of her status, and Leopold remembered her as a prodigal student from the tiphareth's training gymnasium. She pushed herself a bit closer, taking a stick and drawing a map in the muddy ground with it as she explained.

Yes Sephirot, presumably at Lebora. We've been there for 2 days, gathering information. It seems that the House Dakani still has a firm grip, or if you'd prefer, influence on the city. Militia presence there is sizeable, and the population and the governor are supportive of the previous regime. There is also a squad of Carthat Dakani's elite guard, the Eagle Watch. We haven't seen much of them, but they seem to be hiding in the Lebora fortress. The name of their leader is Gaun Ycarr, callsign The Ghoul. He is a fierce veteran from the Vindictus-Dakani war. Under orders of Sephirot Fortuna Argos we faced him before when aiding Sephirot Lucius last year. So far, we have set up geodetic drones on the outskirts of the city and we have a full tactical map. The militia is to sizeable for us to engage, so we'll have to avoid th...

Leopold looked up at the same time Khata'ra stopped talking, hearing that sound again. He looked over in her right eye, left one being covered with a cybernetic implant, and nodded, waving an order to the rest of the kameiras to spread out and take cover. Someone was coming. He rolled over and hid behind a tree himself, looking at the clearing, now with just the abandoned pod in it.

The guest soon came. He recognized the symbol on the man's uniform. Leborese militia. Seems they somehow managed to notice the pod and were out to investigate. They obviously had patrols out in the swamp on a daily basis, Leopold thought, as the pod landed a few minutes ago and Lebora was at least 15km away.

The man had noticed the pod and walked over to it, inspecting it for a few seconds. He then let go of the rifle he was carrying and grabbed a comms datapad from his belt.

HQ, do you copy, this is private Yeerukam, over.

Some static could be heard from the device as audio feed came through.

Roger private Yeerukam, we copy, anything to report?

A swipe of something through the air could be heard, as Yeerukam felt something cold pressed again his neck, then a light stingy feel to it, followed by something warm. He opened his eyes wide as he saw a long blade being pulled slowly at the side of his neck, with almost no pressure against it, and he swallowed hard. He could hear breathing, and realized someone's behind him. Someone with a blade pressed against his neck.

Err... no, HQ... not...nothing here, just.. testing... having some radio problems, that's all...

Roger, private Yeerukam, your comms are good. HQ out.

Another swipe could be heard, this time followed by a sound of metal hitting something soft, slicing through it. After that, silence followed, interrupted only by a muffled thump of Yeerukam's half decapitated body against the muddy swamp floor.

Leopold sighed and put his blade back behind his back. The kameiras exited their hiding spots, all holding their rifles in hands. Khata'ra ran over closer, standing behind Leopold and looking at the corpse in front of him.

He turned around and looked at her with a light smile on his lips.

We better get going

Memories of the Harvest, August 111, part 1

I present unto you, Lucius and Deliath Vindictus!

The fireworks roared in the distance as houses Lucius and Deliath Vindictus were now joined in holy matrimony, almost overshadowed by the roar of the supporting crowd of the masses on the square in front of the Cathedral.

Almost completely joined, Leopold though as he closed the heavy wooden door of an old catacombs exit behind himself. Just a few more details...

Leopold walked away, deeper into the streets of Tizca. Leaving the party unnoticed wasn't much of a feat at least. With everyone being focused on the couple, sneaking away from a wedding party is as easy as stealing a full set of cymbals from a music shop owned by deaf people. Leopold chuckled lightly at the analogy, continuing to walk towards the star port.

Half an hour later, he was already on the command deck of his ship, going through the comms and analyzing the maps of the area. Eymadald region on planet Oris didn't look friendly at all. Swamps on every step, packs of wild slaverhounds, Dakani supporters.



Nope... Leopold thought to himself, lightly shaking his head. This won't be a cakewalk one bit.

The maps were also showing Lebora, the largest settlement in the Eymadalad region, and also the most likely location of his target... the only surviving heir of the Dakani family. As expected, he had been abcent from the wedding today. His family had claimed he was too ill. This was of course a lie, and Lucius had proposed that he was sulking in his hiding place in Lebora. With an alibi, and the target claiming to be sick at home, noone will suspect anything...

Ordo Nigrorum Susurri Pilgrim class Hunter's Kiss, 082-346-AYD, you are clear for departure, Emperor's Family station out

After a short shuttleflight Leopold had arrived in the vast spacestation run by the Emperor Family. The sturdy ship left the docking bay, orbiting the planet until it flew geosynchronal over the Eymadald region. The cover up part wasn't as comlicated, but effective.

Align Athra, activate cloaking device.

Of course, the ship itself wouldn't be warping to Athra... and there was already a separate Pilgrim with an almost identical ID waiting cloaked around Athra, ready to dock on one of the Dam Torsad Starport. Considering travel logs, Leopold was clean. His record was showing that he left the wedding party a bit earlier, which he could always blame on mild food poisoning, and also showing that he docked on Athra a few hours later, off to join his family at his estate.

Sire Caine, we are in orbit over Eymadald. We have located the IR signal beacon the Tiphareth Wolfspiders have set up in the swamps. A somewhat Large Ni-Kunni man at the helm continued, Your pod has been prepared for launch

Leopold nodded, walking outside the command post and over to his quarters to grab the last pieces of equipment before he was about to leave. Another simple part of the plan. His Tiphareth Wolfspider kameiras were already down in the swamps, and managed to find a good landing spot for an orbital deployment pod. Leopold just had to pick up all the equipment and meet with them down on the surface.

Hastily entering his quarters, he shook the robe off himself and threw it over a chair. His light combat armor underneath it was now visible. Leopold loathed the idea to be moving in battle gear around the wedding's participants, but the damn thing took too much time to put on, so he had to do it before coming to the ceremony. He walked over to the two briefcases placed on his desk, opening each to make a last minute check if everything is ok.

Night vision scope, thermal scope, silencer, bipod... check.

Leopold was walking down the halls to the pod launch room, holding the two briefcases in his hands and another bag with other resources over his shoulder.
It will going to be a hunt actually. he thought, walking inside the pod launch room. It will take me some time before I track and locate the target.

Once inside the pod, Leopold took a big breath, grabbing his datapad to make a quick call before the launch. The line rang for a few seconds, and then was answered from the other side. There was no video, and the audio link was interrupted every now and then with high pitches of static.
Hello?

Hello, mr. Vindictus... how's your bride feeling? Are you enjoying the afterparty celebrations?

Ah, Caine, Caine... don't worry about that... It is all going well here. We'll have to celebrate together another time soon.

Leopold had no video coverage, but he could swear Lucius was grinning on the other side of the comm.
Good... did anyone notice me leave or ask anything about it?

I don't think so... Sepherim certainly did, at least I think..

Very well, keep him occupied. As long as it's not one of the Dakani's, all is well. I'm just in position over the Eymadalad swamps... everything is in place and I'm about to launch myself down.

Godspeed, Tiphareth.

As a response, Leopold's datapad just shut off, as he flicked it close in his palm and tucked it back in one of the pockets on his armour.

Here goes.