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**Implosion** · (This post was last modified: 07-12-2022, 06:59 PM by Implosion.)

Chapter 1: The Outlaw/Prologue
815 A.S.

-Jack! Jack! Please help me out man, don’t let me die out here! - Cried out Harvey - Please dog, tractor the damned pod in! I didn’t meant anything by it man...I….I… they paid me two millions for your head Jack!Plea….
Daniels didn’t even blink when he released the Nuclear mine from his Raven’s Talon. The device gently zig-zagged its way towards the crippled sabre and went off with a blinding flash. Blood crystals and debris from the suit and body of Harvey bombarded the ship’s canopy. But Daniels knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet. Once a mercenary working for the good guys, he had made the mistake to take a contract from a Rogue, going by the stage name “The Gangster”. The job was simple and it paid well. Jack had to escort traders and take very specific routes. Of course, they led straight to an ambush. The Rogues would board the freighters, assault the crew and plunder everything in sight. Daniels would get his half a million and merrily sail away. Considering he didn’t had to fire a single shot, the job was good at the time. It paid the bills. He still had to return more than thirty millions to the guy on Rochester. That’s excluding interest.
-You had to go and cross me, Harv… my one and only friend and you had to bloody sell my ass for two lousy millions. You frakkin’ moron…

“Your brought this on yourself, if only you listened to Katherine and ran like the coward you are. Or maybe she was right? Maybe deep down you’re truly the monster you always suspected? You’re going to die an ugly death, Danny boy. She’ll remain a Holden and she’ll never have your name, nor your children!”

He quickly dismissed that dark voice in his head. He had the bad habit of overthinking even the smallest of things. Good or bad. This was no different than any of the other messes he had gotten himself into.But Jack had a plan. A list of problems to deal with. A contigency... what if the rogue had sent people for his head as well? What if the girl he rescued and eventually fell in love with, Katherine Holden, would sell him out? What if the LPI caught wind of their scheme and decided to dispatch the SWAT teams? He could easily take out a LPI eagle or guardian, he had done so in the past. Other mercenaries were a problem, but Jack had not seen anyone capable of bringing him to justice in Liberty, not yet anyways. The big boys were up in the Omicrons and Sigmas, gunning for the NovaPG, 101st, the Brotherhood and even the Harvesters, those demonic A.I.s. Corporate escorts were also a joke, they couldn’t even protect their own lives. No way any of the big three would send them for him. Jack realized he hadn’t paid his last instalment to Big Jimmy. That meant one more blighter wanted him dead. The odds were rapidly stacking against the merc and that meant only one thing. Sooner or later, the Bounty Hunters would get involved. Most of them were living legends. They would appear out of nowhere and quickly fuck up their target. No mercy, no pity, no warning. Daniels knew what he had to do. His enemies had to do die, one by one. The sooner they kicked the bucket, the better.

-It’s time- said the man while opening a comm channel - Gangster, you asshole, I’m coming for your head. You and your boys done ef'd up now. You sold me out, you piece of shit. You double-crossing bastard. I swear on my life, I will k….

He couldn’t finish his sentence. A paralyzer missile overloaded his shields and a razor cut through his hull. The blast ripped off his broadside engine and the Talon was left limping. Moments after, a heavily armed Manta roared a few inches from his cockpit, turned sharply and unleashed another devastating mass of overheated death. It all went dark, Daniels could only hear the ring in his ears as he blacked out.

-Wake up sunshine, you’ve overslept! - Said the white shadow above his head -There’s someone who needs to talk to your sorry ass!
Jack was staring at her, but to no avail, he could only see oily shadows and blurred lights. His hearing was not impaired, however, which gave him at least a drop of hope. He could hear the ventilation cycling air and nothing else. They were on a space station, most likely Sugarland. An LPI prison in the Texas system, primarily filled with Rogues, Xenos and Junkers who happened to get caught in the act.

“You’ve done goofed now, Danny boy. A place filled with the people you hunt. Pardon, used to hunt, before you bent the knee and started working for them. You put some of them in here. The others would be as bad, if not worse. You’re screwed Danny boy, I hope you brought vaseline!”

That damned voice in his head was getting more annoying with every passing second, but sadly, it was right. Sugarland would mean Jack has entered a new, painful epoch of his life.

-Jack? - His theories were shattered when the second voice spoke. - Jack, are you okay? - It was Katherine. Somehow, Katherine was there? But why? Could she really
have betrayed him?

“She sold you out, Danny boy. Your beloved Kat snitched you to the cops! You complete loser! You were always a sucker for a nice ass!”

He tried to speak, but nothing came out, his body was still in shock. Lights began to blur even more and he passed out.
Hours later or maybe even days, Jack woke up and had no idea for how long he was out. He found himself in a functional room, if nothing else. The interior was poorly decorated with a few trinkets and a large bench with various tools scattered on it. Parts of different guns were also carelessly left around the place.
-Kat? KAT!?! - He screamed, but no one was there.
-Damn it, what have I gotten myself into?- He got up and tried to leave the room, but the door was locked. He sat on the bed and looked around for anything of use. An old pistol, mostly intact, was on the bench. He quickly put it together and tucked it in his belt. Or he would have if he was wearing any pants. He looked down and was surprised to see a pair of brand new underpants. The lack of any holes indicated they did not belong to him.

“Cheers, princess, somebody has bought you as their wife! Ha! Moron!

-ARGH! Would you shut the hell up?!
-But I haven’t said a thing yet, cowboy. -In his blind rage, he had failed to see the woman who walked into the room and was now leaning against the wall, smirking at him.
-Hey, sorry I... Wait, I’m not sorry, who the hell are you?! - He aimed his new gun at her and flicked the safety off. -Speak or you’ll have a few extra breathing holes, lady!
-Listen up, cowboy. Better put that thing down before you hurt yourself. Do you even know how to use it? This ain't no pleasuring stick, mate. I’d hate to tell Kat you shot yourself in the balls. - She grinned at him and continued. -I’m Jessica, Jessica Scarlet. A friend of Kats. She hired me to make sure you were dead. Or well, at least on paper. You’re lucky Mr. Price is a professional and his aim is much better than your life choices. I mean, did you really thought it’s good idea to work for pirates?! PIRATES? Man, you’re almost as dumb as you look.
-I want to talk to her.- Said the man, still keeping Scarlet in his sights. - Please.
-Go ahead, cowboy, pull the trigger. Come on, you take me out, there’s no one left to smuggle you out of Rochester. That’s right, the moment that loan shark sees your sorry ass, you’re done for.
-I’ll take my damned chances!- He pulled the trigger and naturally, the gun went up in smoke. It had done way more damage to his hand than anything else. But that was not the end of it. He felt a sharp pain in his chin. Scarlet had landed a very precise uppercut and he struggled to keep upright.
-Now then, after we had our fun, let me tell you how things will go. - She leaned against the wall again and continued her speech as if nothing had happened. - After you pulled Kat out of the fire, a wise decision if I may say so myself, she had to falsify her reports. She told her superiors that in fact, it was her who took out the pirates and saved that freighter. In turn, that landed her a promotion and she’s now Detective Katherine Holden, proud badge wearing crime fighter! Glorious, no? Thing is, if you’re linked to her in any way, the lies come to light. She gets arrested and you get arrested and I get arrested. We all become a happy jailbird family. -She paused for a moment to make sure Daniels was still listening. - And we certainly don’t want that to happen, don’t we? Now, personally, I wouldn’t help you, but Kat asked nicely. She also helped lift my ban from leaving New York. I’m heading for the Omegas tomorrow, to explore old alien stuff and find expensive trinkets. That’s all the hype as of late. Anyways, I digress. I’m going to drop you off on Sheffield Station in Bretonia. You’re not wanted there. You will sign up as a Bounty Hunter and you will find a way to murder both that illustrious “Gangster” fella and the Big Jimmy. That’s right, Jimmy’s in on it too and I happen to owe him a lot of cash too. But don’t be worried, they’re both very bad people. Gangsta you know, but Jimmy’s been moving a lot of cardamine around. He has a whole smuggling ring and the price his head will fetch would be enough for you to disappear.
Do we understand each other, Jack?

She didn’t wait for an answer, she just tossed a bag in his feet and left the room. As Jack was pulling the spacesuit out of it he knew he had no choice. If he stayed, his enemies would most likely destroy him. They would hurt Kat too. At the very least, they would expose her lies and ruin her career or maybe even abduct and torture her in order to catch him. But now, everyone thought he was dead. There was still a chance for Daniels to redeem himself.

“Come on you moron, put the space suit on already. We need to sort this mess before it’s too late.”

For the first time in many years, he agreed with the darkest part of his mind. He had to set things right. He quickly slipped into the flightsuit and really appreciated the hoodie that Jessica had brought him. That would hide his face. Elsewhere, people would become suspicious of him, but on Rochester, the last thing you wanted to do is to stare at somebody. People have been shot for less in this backwater dump. Hours later they were already zeroing in on Sheffield station and Jack had one last thing to do before starting his new life.

-Hey, I’m sorry I shot at you. -He mumbled. - For whatever it’s worth, thank you for doing this for me. Maybe we’ll meet again in the future and I’ll make sure to return the favor.
-Don’t sweat it, cowboy, I’m not doing this for you. -She smiled and continued- But it would be good to be owed a favor. Ah, there it is.
The CSV touched down in the docking bay and Daniels felt that old feeling in his gut. The feeling of uncertainty mixed with a pinch of fear. When the stepped off the ramp he heard Scarlet yelling at him:
-Hey cowboy, don’t get killed, okay? You’re the last person whose funeral I’d want to attend. - She winked at him and shut the sealed the cargo bay.

A new part of his life had began and he had no idea where that would take him. One thing was for sure. Jim and the Gangster had to die.

“That’s a frakking lame name for a pirate. The Gangster. Why not Mr. Gangsta or Gangster Man. Loosers. Absolutely morons. Let’s get to work, Danny boy, a whole lot of people to disintegrate and never enough time.

-You’re goddamn’ right.

| [Youtube Channel] | [Daniels] [X] [X] | [Jessica Scarlet] |

**Implosion** · (This post was last modified: 11-24-2017, 10:01 PM by Implosion.)

Chapter 2: Orange Dream
816 A.S.

The alarms on his bomber were going off like it was Christmas, but Jack ignored all of them. The ship was missing a fin, but like a true predator, it kept on going. Daniels knew this was his one and only chance to take out Big Jimmy. The same loaner that also ran a cardamine smuggling ring and dealt with slaves on the side, just to spice things up. He could’ve tipped the police about it, but they were most likely on Jimbo’s payroll. That’s why he opted for a different approach, with a few bribes, the loan shark found himself cornered just between Planet Curacao and California Jumpgate. His Liner didn’t exactly put him in a good place, but Jack had to admit, that thing was tough. Being a decommissioned prison liner, it’s main purpose was to make it through attacks like this one. After he had taken the eagles that were escorting him, Jack focused on Jimmy’s flying resort. The Junker was smart, he had ran off to the asteroid field and attempted to use it for cover. His strategy nearly worked when Daniels’ ship collided with one of the bigger rocks, but the ex-merc was here to kill. The Moray had a very special set of guns, precisely for this situation. Five advanced debilitators, a disruptor and a supernova antimatter cannon. EMP mines were also loaded and ready to go, but he wouldn’t waste them on a moving target just yet.
The pulse guns slowly, but surely, depleted the shields and then the SNAC came into play. The weapon ripped massive holes in the ship’s hull. People, cargo and furniture got sucked into space through them. In a way, the Liner was bleeding. Jack nearly wiped himself out after a huge round table with a stripper pole sticking from it’s center flew got in his way. He had to turn sharply and dodge asteroids as a result. For a moment he lost visual of his prey. Scanners were absolutely useless in this field. He turned them off and looked around the asteroids.

-Come out, you bastard, show yourself. I’m here to repay my debts! WITH THE INTEREST! - The hunter yelled, just as a salvo of overheated projectiles depleted the rear shields. - HA! You could never pick the right fight, Jimmy!

The Moray’s thrusters screamed in pain while the ship dodged the next deadly pair of gunfire. Daniels released a pair of EMP mines to make short work of the pursuing vessel’ shields. The Liner was now behind him and another pair of electromagnetic pulse mines easily found their target and slammed directly into the bridge. They did their intended job, but also temporarily disabled the liner’s control systems. Daniels could see the terror on his victim’s face when he turned around, reduced the distance and fired a supernova into the luxurious bridge from almost point blank range. The violent explosion tossed the Moray out of it’s course and into an asteroid, obliterating it’s entire broadside and cracking the cockpit window. When Jack finally came back to his senses, he saw Jimmy’s ship being torn apart by a series of explosions until nothing but debris, cases of booze and bodies were left floating around. The hunter ran a full range scan to make sure there were no survivors and limped back to Curacao. His ship was in no condition to land on the planet. Curacao's atmosphere would tear the bomber apart. The frame and the windows simply would not hold. Luckily, Cortez was a frequent stop for Luxury Liners and all he had to do was wait and hope Jimmy’s people wouldn’t arrive first.

“Hey Danny boy, check your scanners, we’ve three sabres incoming from California.”

-Odd...how did I saw...or… - He simply couldn’t understand how the dark voice in his head knew that, but it was right. Scanner was showing three boogies, approaching fast. Most likely a lucky guess, Jack knew pirates usually roll three ships at a time. Either way, he had to act, he was still near the planet and the only choice was to use it for cover. He entered high orbit and began moving clockwise around it. -Ah crap.

Someone else had the same idea, a banged up transport vessel, unlike anything Daniels had seen before got in his way. As he narrowly avoided head on collision, he could see the ship’s name painted sloppily on side:

“Pathfinder”

-Oi! Que pasa hombre! Careful out here! - Yelled the captain on the retrofitted slave liner.
-Que pasa amigo! How would you like to earn a few credits! - Jack knew that ship had plenty of space in his cargo hold. He also knew no pirate would look for a hunter on board one of these. They would just assume he made planetfall and that’s that. -Open your docking bays and I promise you a million… plus what’s left of my ship and everything on it!
-Deal cabron! Come on right in! -The docking port opened midway through the sentence and the Moray was out of sight shortly after.

Daniels found himself in a dark docking bay with light shining through the walls. The only thing between him and the vacuum outside were the shield generators. No welcoming party was in sight, so he just started walking towards the bridge.

“Oh my, Danny boy, you’ve really outdid yourself this time! I thought you took a big risk when you went to Alaska to shoot order terrorists back in the day. I thought that would be the end of you. It looks like that was just the beginning. Let’see where your next miserable life choice would take us?”

Daniels remembered the time when he found a pair of order fighters trying to sneak through the badlands. He gave pursuit and ended up flying through Zone-21 and into Alaska. Things got real serious when he extracted the data from the Nephtys’ on-board computers. Targeting solutions for organic ships. Aliens were real and the order weren’t who people said they were. He couldn’t really remember how long he stayed in Alaska. His ship was torn apart when he collided with the second fighter, killing it’s pilot. That’s when he met Jimmy. Smugglers were bold and used whatever backwater routes they could find to move product around. His pod was tractored by one such vessel and he found himself on Rochester, without a ship and out of job. He had to take a loan, so he can buy his Raven Talon and get back to space. The mysterious alien race almost haunted him, but he needed a whole lot of cash if he was going to explore the omicrons.

-Funny, that’s when I first started hearing that dark voice... man, this job has driven me insane, loan sharks, pirates, smugglers, aliens, terrorist… - And then he saw the sabre trio flying by the ship. If nothing else, the holes in the hull made fod good windows. He instinctively hid behind the corner, so the pilots couldn’t see him. They most likely weren’t even looking at the ship, be Jack took cover just in case.

-Amigo! Watchu hidin’ from? - The ship’s captain was standing on the other end of the small hallway. - Horale....a bounty hunter!

-Hey, hey, relax man. I don’t care what you do or where you come from. I just need a ride to Curacao, okay? - Jack knew this could end badly and his hand found it’s way to the plasma revolver on his belt.

-Cabron, do you know how much I would get for a live hunter? - The man tried to keep a straight face but laughed. - Ah, relax horale, it’s cool! I’m Fernando Halsey and this is my ship. You’ll be safe and you’ll get your passage! I'm a man of my word and we made a deal, so feel yourself at home! My rust bucket is your rust bucket. Just don't touch anything,
si?
-Huh, gracias amigo… - Daniels was sure the man was from Malta. The inhaler gave away his heritage, but he couldn’t care less at this point.
-Listen, compadre, I can’t get you down to Curacao, though. It’s either Rochester or a Freeport.
-Get me to Tau-29 and there’s a few more millions for you. - A bold request, but maybe it could work.
-Cabron, that’s the other way around. We’re going to finish this run first. A whole lot of weapons on this ship need to get to their destination. After all, I’ve my reputation on the line! - He laughed again and headed back to the bridge. Looks like he was really a man of his word. That puzzled Jack. He always thought Outcasts were nothing more than two-bit pushers and slavers. Daniels figured it's a bad idea to look a gift horse in the mouth and looked around the battered insides of the so called "Slave Liner"
This was when he realized, the hold was full with crates of military grade weapons. Assault rifles, shotguns, launchers, grenades, mechs, exo suits and a variety of explosives used for demolition. There were even a pair of hover buggies with gatling lasers on them.

“Daaaaaaamn Danny boy, this guy’s the real deal. One proper shot and this nightmare ends. Kill the captain, sell the guns and retire on Baden Baden. Come on D…”

-Shut up. - Said Daniels and found a cozy spot on one of the crates. - I need a nap.

When Daniels woke up, the ship was already mooring with the Freeport. He felt different. Calmer, stronger, more focused. Most likely the leftover adrenaline from the fight. He headed to the bridge and found Captain Halsey sitting in a oversized seat, most likely taken from some luxury freighter.
-Compadre, where do you want the cash? - Asked Daniels, preparing to wire the money from this PDA.
-Cabron, you insult me! I don’t want cash, neither do I need whatever’s left of your ship. You think I don’t know who you are? Mr. Jack Daniels, the runaway bride! You had a date with death and you stood her up! HA! Horale, I wasn’t in Cortez by accident. Every scumbag in Liberty and Bretonia is gunning for you. The bounty boards are insane. Luckily, I’ve had beef with both Jimmy and that other guy that put a price on your face. Sir Gangster as you know him, or Hackett, Michael Hackett, son of an admiral and wanted criminal in three houses. His father disowned him years ago and tried to murder him more than once, but your ex-partner in crime is smart. Unfortunately for him, he messed with the wrong person. Me. That cabron nearly shot down El Pathfinder! Those holes you see, his doing. It’s in my interest to make sure you survive and continue your hunt. My boys patched up your ship. The engines were simple enough, but that frame was a bit...well...let’s just say we had to reinforce with whatever we had.That Moray is now rocking materials from the Falcatas back on Malta. Fortunately for you, we've plenty of spare parts up in here. Oh and uh, there’s another small problem, you see, the astero...

“Look at him, Danny boy. Do you notice anything different? His inhaler, Danny boy. He’s either a fraud or he doesn’t need it. You know what this means, Danny boy? Cardamine’s in the air.”

...and that led to a ship wide blackout. The tanks were ruptured and...yeah. We’ve stashed a few doses of cardamine in your ship. Don’t worry, the addiction should be minor and you wouldn’t need much. Just don’t increase the dosage, okay? Okay, compadre! Rapido, back to the hunt! - Halsey put up an awkward smile, hoping the hunter won’t snap and kill him.

Daniels didn’t really notice when they got to the ship or when Fernando shoved him in his seat. He had become addicted to cardamine. Cardamine of all things. He knew it’s an one way trip. There was no cure, no substitutes, no way out. The docking bay opened and he launched his ship, rotated 180 degrees and clicked the safeties off. But bombing a transport next to a Freeport wasn’t a very good idea at the time. He pulled a furious u-turn again and the Moray hit the tradelanes towards Tau-31
Still struggling to understand what happened, Jack felt a sudden unusual crave. Every muscle in his body was set ablaze as the first stages of abstinence hit him like a train. He remembered what the outcast told him about the stash and frantically looked around the cockpit. To his surprise, he found a small flask next to his climate control panel. It had these ampules filled with some sort of orange dust. As he cracked one open and sniffed the substance, the pain was gone and bliss had taken it’s place.

“Daaaaaaaanny….wake up Danny boy….OI CABRON!”

Jack managed to open his eyes and adjust the course mere moments before running into a Liberty Dreadnought. He rubbed his eyes and realized he had reached Liberty. The fact Battleship Missouri was in front of him was solid proof for that.
-Cabron...do you read? Daniels! - Halsey’s voice was coming loud and clear out of his helmet’s built in headphones.
-Yeah, yeah I hear you, asshole? What’s up?
-Listen up, cazador, you might want to head directly for the badlands. Enter from the destroyed research station. I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for. Oh and uh, mind the siege cruisers. Someone up top launched a sting op on certain gangsters we know. Both LPI and the Liberty Navy are on spot. Rapido, cabron! - The Headphones crackled and the connection was cut.
-Bah, go to hell, sniffer. - Mumbled Daniels and leaned back in his seat.
Eventually, after another dose and another blackout, he set course towards the Badlands. The place was a mess, a pair of siege cruisers were desperately fighting off Barghests while a Rogue Gunship was picking off the Guardians. Missiles flew out of the top mounted launchers and each time, they found their targets. It was a matter of time before they would deplete the Liberty Navy Guardians’ shields and decimate their hulls. Daniels felt confident in his newly acquired inhuman boost and broke another capsule. This time bliss was replaced by pure focus. Things began moving slower than usual, colors became more vivid and saturated and sounds were now much, much louder. Every click on his console felt like a nuclear explosion. He was sure his ear drums were bleeding.

“No sound in space, Danny boy”

The guardians were regrouping as the Moray flew between them and an oversized asteroid. They couldn’t believe their eyes… a bounty hunter bomber without a canopy. But Jack didn’t mind that. There was no sound, not anymore. He zeroed in on the gunship and dropped a mine. But no mine came out of his ship. Instead, a flash of orange light followed by an supercharged pulse projectile grabbed his attention. An Inferno. The outcasts had mounted an Inferno on his ship. One of their best kept secrets, the Inferno was a devastating pulse weapon, designed to overload shields in seconds. Jack changed his strategy, he faced the gunboat head on, slightly strafing from side to side. He knew where the shield generator was and he was going to get a clean shot at them. The pirate was smart, but he was also arrogant and greedy. No serious armor would be present on that gunboat and a single well placed shot would smite it. A pair of missiles missed Daniels’ head by a few meters and he killed the engines, allowing the ship to glide past the gunship. And then he saw it, the shield emitter. He pushed the trigger and the orange ball overloaded the energy field. Not a second later, the supernova violently punched through the gunship’s engine and found it’s designated target deep within the ship. The hunter had learned from his previous mistake and had left enough distance between his ship and the fiery mess that was once a gunship. In the distance, he could see Guardians putting pressure on the Liberty Rogue bombers. He swiftly closed in and fired his supernova again. For a weapon designed to destroy capital ship armor, the antimatter cannons were often used for defense against freighters, bombers and even fighters. It was absolutely devastating when it hit. Almost nothing was left from the Barghest and that gave Jack the chance to bolt. The tradelanes towards Westpoint Academy weren’t too far…

-This is Silver-2, I don’t know who you are, but we thank you for the aid! If you ever find yourself on Fort Bush, have a drink on me, tell the bartender to put it on Detective Holden’s account. - Said the pilot of the second guardian.

Suddenly, Jack snapped out of his narcotic trance. That was Katherine, his Katherine! She had gotten herself into a joint op with the Navy! She most likely did it to save Jack from his past. To erase everyone that wanted him dead. He wanted to turn the ship around and go to her, but then he heard that dark, cheeky voice in his head.

“No! She can’t see you like that. You’ve became an addict, a wreck. You should end this right now, Danny boy, pull your gun and blow your god damned brains out!”

Instead, he just increased the throttle and disappeared into the cloud. The voice was right and Katherine deserved better. For all she knew, Jack Daniels was officially dead. He plotted a course for Baltimore and had his canopy replaced there. He had no future in Liberty or any other house, for that matter. He had heard the Core was hiring, so he grabbed all he had, which was reduced to his flask and the clothes he was wearing, hopped into his ship and set off towards Omicron Delta, or the heart of all evil, if the stolen Order maps could be trusted. The Core would most likely have someway to cure his addiction, after all, they were one of most technically advanced groups in the edges of Sirius. And if all else failed, maybe he could find out more about the elusive aliens.

| [Youtube Channel] | [Daniels] [X] [X] | [Jessica Scarlet] |

**Implosion** · (This post was last modified: 11-24-2017, 10:00 PM by Implosion.)

Chapter 3: Scars
818 A.S.

-Daniels! Daniels get the hell over here, man! We’re in deep! - The screams of Guildkeeper Damoclass in his ears woke him up. He sure felt like hammered crap, but his survival instincts kicked in. The buzz from the cardamine was gone but he felt another dose being released into his system. The new subdermal implant really helped with hiding Jack’s addiction. However, no amount of cardamine could help numb all the pain. The ship had taken a serious hit, but apart from a few non-critical systems, it was holding.
-Frak, yeah...I’m ready, Damian! Where do you want me? - Jack had became fanatically loyal to the Core over the last couple years. He would nuke an entire planet if they told him to. And that’s exactly why they were in Omicron Minor. The siege was going strong and the Core had nearly wiped out all Order defenders. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but the end was near. Daniels could feel it.
-Proceed as planned, I’ll be on the Ehrgeiz to act as distraction while you approach, lead the secondary strike team towards Toledo. There is an Osiris in your way, OCV-Matareya. Hit it swift and hit it hard. And Jack, try not to hit us this time, okay? - Damoclass’ voice was calm, despite the fact his Thresher, the Ehrgeiz, was under heavy fire.

-Roger that, Damoclass, we can see the Battleship. All hands, battlestations! Lock on and fire all antimatter torpedos!

As the words came out of his mouth, the interior lighting on the Battleshark went from warm simulated daylight to dark blue combat lighting. Multiple torpedos violently left their tubes and headed for their target. The Matareya was prepared, however, gatling fire combined with flak turrets exploded the warheads before they could reach the destination.

-Core vessel, cease fire! I repeat, CEASE FIRE! This is Commander Jessica Scarlet of the order defense fleets! We’re en route to intercept a nomad fleet, a threat to us both! If you have any dignity left, turn your ship around and join us! They are the enemy!

“Would you look at that, Danny boy, your old saviour has given you a choice! Return the favor or destroy her. What would you do, el cazador?”

-Scarlet, it’s been a while. But I see you have chosen your side and I have chosen mine. Turn your ship around and get out of our way. This is an order. - He wasn’t sure if she would recognize his voice, but he didn’t care. He had a mission and he was going to see it through. - I highly suggest you comply.

-Damn you, Daniels! I should’ve killed you when I had the chance, you backsta…. - Suddenly the channels were filled with white noise.

-Price! Report! - He asked his XO for an update, but he already knew what happened.
A massive alien ship, like nothing they’ve seen before simply ran the Osiris over. Without a firing a single shot it had decimated the warship.
-Price, search and rescue! I want every single one of those order agents captured!DOUBLE TIME! PERRY! Fire the remaining warheads at Toledo, we came here for a rea…

He couldn’t yell out the rest of his orders. The nomads were here for the same reasons, apparently. A massive orbital bombardment unleashed shockwaves throughout the system. Toledo’s surface was reduced to ashes in just a few minutes. When the S&R ships returned to the Battleshark, Daniels was already at the helm. The Core was pulling out of Minor, but their way was blocked by a portion of the nomad armada. The Core flagship, Athena, was spearheading the extraction with dreadful brutality. It cut through the enemies like a supernova cannon cuts through steel. A hundred meters behind it, another legendary Mako, The Sargasso, was dishing out long range mortar fire at the pursuing capital ships. The two battleships were being escorted by a fleet of Threshers and Bullheads. Damian Damoclass on the Ehrgeiz was leading the pack. Battlecruiser “Victoria”, a “missile boat” of sorts, was relentlessly launching hundreds of different guided projectiles in all directions. The 22nd was there in force as well, their Light Fighters buzzed around like mosquitoes, slowly draining the life out of their targets, while the Morays and the Mantas made quick work of gunships and hostile fighters. But everybody knew it was going to be tight. Every second could be their last. Luckily, the Nomads were still busy eradicating the rest of the Order. The Core fleet jumped to Delta and to nobody’s surprise, a welcoming party was already there. But that wasn’t going to be a problem for them. The backup fleet was on it’s way. The Diaboli, The Moorwen and the Comnenos launched all their support craft and unleashed hell on everything that wasn’t part of the Core. Three Makos, freshly loaded with supplies and crews that weren’t half asleep by now, really made a difference. The Battlegroup moved back to Dabadoru and awaited the Nomad armada. But it never came. Their purpose was to destroy Toledo and they had used the Core as a mere distraction. Either way, the mission was a success. Surely, the Order couldn’t possibly survive devastation of this magnitude. Daniels saw the lava blasting from the planet’s core. The Nomads had the technology to somehow trigger such a cataclysmic event. Their knowledge was Jack’s next goal. Another dose of cardamine was released into his system by the implant. That made him lean back in his seat, whiskey in his hand and a barely noticeable smile on his face.

-Price. Go and check on the survivors from that Osiris. Look for the captain, Jessica Scarlet and if she’s alive, bring her to me. I believe I’ve an offer she simply cannot refuse. After all, the faith of humanity as we know it is riding on her answer.

“Danny boy, you’re in over your head. There’s nothing you can do, the Nomads are beyond your comprehension, you dumb shmuck. With or without her, you will eventually bow down to your new maste...”

And yet again, the voice was interrupted. The culprit was standing on the far side of the room and it was actually a she.
Jessica Scarlet had somehow overpowered the guards and made her way to the bridge. Before Daniels could draw his weapon, she closed in and landed an uppercut so strong, it severely reduced the number of teeth in Jack's mouth.

-You sick son of a gun, you selfish piece of crap! - Each insult was backed by a inhumanly strong punch in the gut -Do you really thought you can contain me?! ME?! Have you no idea what I've become? I've more nanotech in my bloodstreams than you have in your entire pathetic Battleship!

-Listen to me Jessica! I'm on your side! I'm on humanity's side! - Another punch found his way to the general area where his cardamine dispensing implant was placed. Luckily, it didn't have enough to overdose the man, but it sure felt like a lot. - STOP HITTING ME!
The "exchange" went on for a while and hit after hit, Daniels' major organs began to shut down.
-Jessica...please, listen to me...we need to work togethe...UMPGH...please...that's the only way we can...OW...the only way we can stop them! -

"There's a stun gun under the seat, Danny boy! In case of mutiny on the bridge, you idiot! USE IT!"

-Took your sweet time, didn't ye?! - He yelled, while gathering his last strength to kick the woman back, grab the stunner and discharge the battery into her. To his surprise, the electric shock managed to not only temporarily stun the woman, but also disable most of her augments. She barely got back to her feet.
-Look, I don't enjoy doing what I do, but it's the end result that really matters!- -He took a deep breath and threw a datapad in her feet -Have a look at the intel we've gathered. There's info about the order and it's black ops. The way they silenced politicians that are bad for business. They way they sold alien technology to the highest bidder.ALIEN JESSICA! The order is turning into a pseudo empire and humanity means nothing for them! All they care about is power and credits!

Jessica had no choice but to read the documents, seeing how Jack had now armed himself with an additional battery and a plasma shotgun. The data was surprisingly detailed. She could recognize ops that she took part in, only this time, the stuff they didn't told her was written here. All the doubts she ever had about questionable orders were answered with just a few rows and some video footage. Earlier, she was ordered to torch a civilian shuttle with two dozen researches on board. She was told they were infected, but in reality, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The shuttle's computers recorded an exchange between the Order and a group of extremists, so they had to be silenced. With everybody that saw it. The shock from this sudden revelation didn't slow her recovery down, on the contrary, she was back to full power and she was contemplating her next move. Working with Daniels was the only reasonable choice now. She wanted revenge and she wanted justice. Trusting him was not an option, but she could still use him as means to an end. Scarlet just nodded at the man and ripped the patches from her uniform. She was an order Captain no more. As they hit the floor, the bridge's doors opened and seven marines walked in with their guns drawn. Before Daniels could order them to stand down, all hell had broken loose.

"Bloody hell, Danny boy!"

They were gunning for Scarlet, as she was public enemy number one on this ship. Heavy assault rifle fire was directed towards Jessica, but not before she had hid behind a console. When she attempted to switch positions and retaliate, one of the marines fired a supercharged antimatter projectile at Scarlet, but she swiftly dashed to the side. With nothing in it's way, the hot mass of evisceration shattered one of the massive illuminators to a million pieces, completely exposing them to the vacuum of space. Unlike the marines and Jessica, Daniels had no mag boots. With nothing to hold him in place, he was sucked out of the bridge and into the abyss.
Moments later, when he looked back, he saw her. Scarlet pushed herself from the exterior armor plates of the Battleshark and straights towards Daniels. As she grabbed his hand, the man stared into Jessica's eyes and saw the vivid light blue glow in them. They were synthetic, but unlike anything he has seen before. They were not natural, yet they had more life in them. Much more than the real thing. He felt shivers, most likely from the lack of any heat or oxygen around him, or maybe the reason was Scarlet. He couldn't know for sure and he couldn't care less either. He was just wanted to die now. As they floated away from the ship, everything went dark and he completely lost consciousness. Not even that cheeky voice in his head had something to say about it.

| [Youtube Channel] | [Daniels] [X] [X] | [Jessica Scarlet] |

**Implosion** · (This post was last modified: 11-24-2017, 10:01 PM by Implosion.)

Chapter 4: Hard Reset
823 A.S.

"Danny booooy...wake up...we've got a job to do!"

~Wha...what...- He wasn't able to feel most of his body, he couldn't see either, but he knew someone was next to him.

-I said, wake the hell up, Daniels, we've got a job to do! - Scarlet was almost whispering the words, though it felt like her voice was amplified a thousand times. Each sound guaranteed a devastating jolt of pain. - Come on, activate his implants! We can't risk to wait any longer, do it!

Suddenly, he felt alive. He could feel every muscle in his body, every molecule. But there was more. He knew the Core had some good augmentations, but this was beyond anything they had done to a human before. His hearing, his sight and the fact he easily tore the restraints and tossed the doctor five meters away. It all indicated about something much more advanced. He could hear the beating hearts of those around him, he could see space radiation...either he was on a batch of very hard drugs or...drugs...Cardamine. The crave wasn't gone, although he was out of god knows how long, they most likely kept his addiction in check. Scarlet has moved to the far side of the room, carefully working a console. She didn't seem worried, so Jack approached her and reached out his hand, in an attempt to put it on her shoulder. He never got to do it. A few loud bangs and his right shoulder had much more holes than it should. Scarlet didn't show any emotion, she just turned back to the console as the man collapsed to his knees, expecting a surge of pain. But no pain came. Neither did blood. Instead, an inhuman blue liquid poured out and a few seconds later, the flesh regenerated around the metal exoskeleton. Daniels stood up and smirked.

-Yea-hah-hah. Neat trick, Jess. Now if you don't want to undergo the same set of tests, tell me, what have you done to me? -He leaned towards a medical cabinet, completely oblivious of the fact he had no clothes on.

-Now, first of all, Jack-o, put some clothes on, okay? Only then I'll give you the long story. - She patiently waited as the man wrapped a bloody towel around his waist and continued -Right, after your...space walk, we first changed the lungs and the heart, fully cybernetic. Unfortunately, due to the extreme shock and cold, your whole body was...more or less gone. But, we've managed to preserve some of the original parts. Your brain, kidneys, liver, your...reproductive organs, they're okay. We've kept what matters, or well, what we could salvage. Since you managed to slam into an asteroid and break most of your bones, we had to change those as well, healing them was deemed... ineffective. We replaced them with lightweight alloys instead, very strong stuff, I assure you. And only recently, we outfitted you with new eyes and a few more components vital for your senses. We've managed to...integrate a few dampeners in your nervous system as well, so it won't go insane. As a side effect, you can switch pain on and off, but only for shorts periods. Too much without pain and when it's back on, your brain goes into shock and you die. What's more...ah, yes. I've also... "infected" your blood with my very own nanites, although they seem to perform much better when there's cardamine in circulation. You damned junkie. You should be able to outperform me within three years. Well...that covers most of it. The rest it too complicated for you to understand and most likely, to comprehend. Any questions?

The man narrowed his eyes and stared right into hers.

-I've got three questions for you Scarlet. Where, when and who. - He smirked once more and elaborated-Where are we, when are we and who the hell is leading the Core with us two gone.

-The Battleshark, Omicron Tau way past the minefield, 823 A.S, Erik Nodtviet.

-Who's that guy, even? Where's Damoclas, where's DeVirgo? Where are the old boys?And five years? Damn...also, why the hell are we here, Scarlet?- Daniels was getting worried at this point. -Why were they so far out? Why not stay in Delta? Where's the Core?

-They're all gone, dead or worse. Don't you remember? Guildmaster Stoat and the others? Don't you remember leading the Core? - Scarlet was genuinely amused now.

Jessica, what are you on about? I flew off the bridge when the marines shot the windows instead of you. I've been out ever since. You said it yourself, get your crap together, don't mess with me.

-Oh, oh you thought that was what I meant by spacewalk?HA! When the marines shot up the bridge, I pulled you in before thirty seconds had passed, you were fine. But there was another particularly hazardous event after that. Don't you remember the "Deadly" going down? Jack, the Destroyer was shot to pieces and you spent more than ten minutes in space with an ruptured suit. It was an inside job, someone from within took you out. Or at least, they were convinced they did. I've taken measures to make sure of that. Plus,we needed a steady supply of cardamine, so... this was the best spot.

Whoa, Danny boy. You're in deep again. And again, a woman saves your sorry ass. It seems like you have acquired yet another bad habit, my man.

Shut up! - He yelled but then realized Jessica was looking at him, partly weirded out, partly surprised. - No, not you, god damn it. Okaaay... you mentioned it was an inside job, who did it? Are they dead yet, they better be dead, Scarlet!`

All in due time, Jack. Now, we must get our asses back to Delta and see what's what. I suspect infectees tried to off you. Your stance towards the nomads and their pets has been rather...drastic, even for someone in the Core. I wouldn't be surprised if they are behind it and I'd love to teach them some manners. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves, we must return the Battlesha...oh crap...

The alarm has gone off and the lighting on the ship switched to the dark blue combat preset. Moments later, the Battleshark was rocked by a pair of violent blasts and the lights went off. The only things visible in the room were two pairs of glowing cybernetic blue eyes.

"Hey Scar, it's show time! Time to kick some ass, yeah?!"

You're goddamn right it is!
You're goddamn right it is!

Scarlet and the voice in Daniel's head somehow synced up and the man charged out of the laboratory, still in his bloodied towel. He was hellbent on exacting his revenge, but right now, survival was a priority.

**Implosion** · (This post was last modified: 12-21-2017, 10:11 PM by Implosion.)

Chapter 5: Implosion
823 A.S.

The Battleshark and the Outcast Dreadnought were going toe to toe, but the oversized Ranseur was dishing out double the pain. Daniels and Scarlet were at the bridge, coordinating the offense. Jessica was in charge of targeting, while Jack had to maneuver the agile battleship through the rocks. The Battleshark, being simple in design, was specifically adapted for a crew four times smaller than what was standard on a ship of her size. Daniels was never big on putting lives on the line, so he re-designed the vessel with that in mind. In turn, much less space was "wasted" for life support, bunks and storage. Extra fuel and ammo were used to fill the void.

"Duck."

-Braaaaaaaace! - Scarlet's voice echoed off the naked metal walls as a Razor cut through the bridge. - Decompression!

Within seconds, the entirety of the oxygen was vented out in space. As the crew gasped for air, Daniels engaged the manual overrides and the large blast shields sealed the breach. As breathable air was slowing making it's way back to the bridge, the man, still in his towel, was barking orders left and right.

-Price! Reroute all power to stern shield! Go to emergency power supply! Scarlet! Give me max yield firing solutions! I want the core flushed when I say the word! Everybody hold on!

With the Ransuer in pursuit, things were staring to look grim, Daniels steered the Battleshark around a large asteroid in an attempt to hide it.

"Oldest trick in the book, Danny? Do you really think they're going to fall for it?"

However, Jack had something different in mind. He violently engaged all retro-thrusters and turned the ship 180 degrees.

~Scarlet! Ready up! Danger close combat! Price! Full power to forward and starboard shields! Buckle up!

Fernando Halsey, commanding officer of the Ranseur, had given the order to intercept the Mako on the far side of the asteroid, assuming it was flanking them. Halsey had no idea that the bounty hunter he once rescued was in fact his target. The Maltese Dreadnought was dispatched when a distress signal was caught from an unknown vessel. Fernando was standing tall next to the massive illuminators, hands crossed behind his back. His uniform was looking as neat as if it was brand new. He was overseeing the monstrous vessel as it was slowly making it's way through the field while point-defense turrets were clearing any small rocks, leaving a cloud of dust and particles in it's wake. When they finally reached the destination, a torrent of explosions erupted from the rear of the ship.

The Core Mako had double-backed and unleashed it's full destructive potential upon the Outcasts, but that was just the beginning of their assault. The ‘shark was quickly catching up and when it finally did, two consecutive Mortar discharges found their way straight to the port side of the vessel. A large gaping hole was now directly underneath where the Ranseur's name was painted in dark orange: "Implosión II"

Halsey knew exactly how much the ship could take, so a full retreat order was issued. With whatever turrets they had left, the outcasts kept trying to contain the Battleshark. But Daniels was relentless and with Scarlet pulling the trigger, every shot was true. A few minutes later, both ships exited the jumphole and found themselves in Omicron Alpha. Planet Malta was just in sight. For a brief moment, Daniels found himself paralyzed. Maybe it was the cardamine in his system, maybe he hadn't fully recovered yet, whatever the issue was, another dose of the drug was promptly released in his system and he snapped back to reality.

-Daniels! Hey Scarlet! Do we have any missiles on this thing?! I want all available explosives to land in that hole we opened earlier! We might've crippled it's offensive capabilities, but with them in range, we'll never get away! We need to end it!

Jessica didn't even deem it necessary to answer him. She just launched every single missile with a capable warhead at the outcasts. The ordinance slowly but surely found it's way. One superbright explosion later and the Ranseur lost all power. The ship went into an uncontrolled re-entry inMalta's atmosphere and it disappeared. That was Daniels' chance to make a getaway.

-Price, on my mark, shut down every single system on this ship, including life support. Scarlet! Deploy all countermeasures and vent all excess heat when I tell you to! - As the crew was getting ready, Daniels accelerated the Battleshark. His plan was to drift it out of harm’s way, while leaving a massive heat signature as a decoy. -On three! One..two...three! Mark!

Surprisingly, the plan had worked. Either that, or someone or something wanted them to slip out. Daniels had ordered the nearest crew member to bring him a suit and a bottle of whiskey. Thirty minutes had passed and the man was now comfortably sitting in his chair, examining the damage reports. The Battleshark was holding, but just barely.
The frame was cracked in several different locations, the bridge was partially decimated and life support was at 24%. He knew this was most likely it's last combat mission and his beloved Mako would have to be turned into a immobile defense station somewhere in the deep Omicrons.

-Hey cowboy, check this out! - Scarlet smiled and threw a data tab at Jack. She had intercepted a news feed from Malta, retranslated by the nearby Freeport.

Quote:

Breaking news! Outcast warship makes planetfall! Hundreds killed in crash! Accident or act of war?

Good day, ladies and gentlemen of the Borderworlds! I'm Tita Garcia, live from a crash site. It's unknown what brought the vessel down and naval command claims it's an "unforeseen malfunction in propulsion technology". Whatever the case maybe, the images we're about to display show traces of space warfare.

We've tried contacting Captain Fernando Halsey, who was in charge of the "Implosiòn II" but to no avail. The ship was headed towards a large residential area, but last moment adjustments in it's course saved hundreds of lives. We'd like to remind you that this is Halsey's second wrecked warship. The first one under his command, a Sarrisa class battleship, exploded. Again, upon re-entry. The ship was heavily damaged by Crayter forces and danger-close usage of warheads.

More info on that here.

We'll keep you posted as the situation progresses.
I have been Tita Garcia, live from Malta for Borderworlds Today. Stay safe, ladies and gentlemen.

Daniels didn't smile, he didn't laugh. He realized that he had just shot down an old friend and that left a rather bitter taste in his mouth. He threw the pad away and set course for Omicron Delta. Apparently, the Core was fresh out of a Guildmaster and Daniels had survived his own assassination. The fact someone wanted to stop him from claiming the spot motivated the man even more.

"One bad choice after another. Good work, Danny boy, you complete idiot."

| [Youtube Channel] | [Daniels] [X] [X] | [Jessica Scarlet] |

**Implosion** · 01-22-2018, 08:25 PM,

Chapter 6: Rated "R" for Rabid
824 A.S.

-You're about to get violated, Danny boy. You sure you can take on the empress herself and win? She ain't gonna just talk with you, you know...she's out for blood. Your blood. What a bad way to go, getting gutted by...

-Align the ship, Scarlet. I wan't the absolute minimum distance between the two bridges. I want your boarding team on standby, just in case things go south. Correction, when they go south.
-Aye aye, hoss. Lethal force?
-Authorized.

Scarlet nodded and the Perditrix went nose first towards the other Mako. The Terminus Est, sporting three very distinctive blood red stripes, which followed the contour of the bridge trench.

-My oh my, the man of the hour... -Jess' voice cracked from the comm unit and Daniels could see a figure on the bridge leaning forward, but the lights almost blinded him.-Don't look at me like that, Danny. You might give me the wrong idea.

-We have unfinished business, me and you.

-Oh, come on. You're not still asshurt about the 'failure' comment, are you?

-It's not the comment that bothers me, it's the intent behind it. If you would be so kind as to come aboard, we can settle this

-Me, aboard that vile stack of garbage? Not even if you bent over for me, sweetheart. Now, if that daughter of yours bent over, that'd be a different story.

The comment about his deceased daughter didn't seem to move Daniels, instead, he just smiled and continued.

-Oh, poor, sweet Gab. What a tragic loss indeed. The Zoners will pay dearly for that, I assu-..

-Yeah, whatever. Tragic. Didn't you grow her in a tube? Can you make me another one? I want to turn her insides into outsides.

Daniels didn't expect an interruption, so he decided to play a game of his own and try to enrage the giantess.

-It sounds as if you're just afraid of me.

-I'm afraid of getting my boots dirty in that pile of trash, yeah. They're not cheap.

-Well, I'm not afraid of your little boat. Get your nose ready, because it's about to get the same treatment as Freeport 11.

Jack cut the comm link and adjusted his blazer before heading to the docking bay to board a shuttle. The Perditrix and the Terminus Est were essentially the same on the outside, however that's where similarities ended. When he entered the ship, his senses were overwhelmed by the smell of cheap perfume and sweat. The layout was radically changed. Every other deck was gone, making way for huge corridors. The crew looked tiny, but that wasn't the only problem. The clothes they wore weren't up to any standard of the Core. Jack was convinced a homeless person on Leeds would probably dress better and also smell better than these people. Finally, after a rather disgusting stroll down the halls, he reached the bridge. Surprisingly, the Core log was present. Large and golden. The massive doors it was etched on slid open, revealing the bridge. And Jess.

-Took you long enough, Danny.

-What are you doing here, farming elephants? Why is everything so huge? Compensating for something?

-Compensating for the fact that everyone else is built like a midget compared to me

-We finally meet in person. I have to say, you're... Bigger than I imagined.

-Feeling a little squeamish?

-I have no insecurities about my size.

-You should. Oh, undress for me, Danny. Here, I'll even make it fair.

The "woman" then undid the velcro straps on her flak vest. She let it fall to the ground and grinned. She was ready to bounce.

-We can end this before it starts, Jess. Admit I'm no failure, and you won't have to pick your teeth up off the floor.

-I'm afraid not. We're long past that. I'll be generous, though.

She turned her cheek towards Daniels and slapped herself a few times.

-You can take the first swing. Go on.

-Sorry, I don't hit women... First.

-I don't count.

Daniels frowned and immediately launched himself, knee first. Jess countered by slightly crouching and taking a hit to the chest.

-Try not to be so rowdy. It'll hurt less.

-Impressive. I knew you had potential, woman. Your talent to cause mayhem and destruction of incomprehensible proport-..

-Oh, stop it. We're here to fight, so get to fighting. Come on, swing like you mean it

-Ah-ah-ah. You get to fight, I get to talk.

-Last mistake you'll ever make.

She then rushed forward and wrap her monstrous hands around the back of Jack's head, then pulled down towards her advancing knee. The Guildmaster was thrown towards the nearby bulkhead. As he rose, blood dripped from his brow.

-Guh...What are you made of? Iridium and steroids, I assume.

-Eh, might be. So what?

-Just idle talk. You are right about one thing, though...I was a failure. I nearly ended the Core's existence years ago. Why I was called back is beyond me. I was, and still am, the least logical choice.

-"Maybe you should've. If you had, you wouldn't be getting your ass handed to you on a silver platter now!

-What you don't know, Jess, is that I never make the same mistake twice.

Daniels' cybernetics activated on his command, launching him straight towards the giantess. The monstrous impact carried them both in the air before landing onto the nearby table made of massive wood and steel. The table splintered to a millions bits and the woman struggled a bit before getting up. Jack retreated a few meters back and adjusted his now torn blazer. He was genuinely surprised about the composition of the table.

-Who the hell uses wood furnishings on a warship?

-People with... Nngh... Class.

-Class... Right...Pop quiz, Jessebelle: how have I failed you?

-You didn't kill me with your first swing.

-What purpose would that serve? Why would I kill one of my best operatives?

-Because she undermines your authority. She doesn't respect you.

-It's a free sector.

Daniels knew she would attack in the next few seconds, but he wasn't ready for what was coming. She spun on her left leg with inhuman speeds and kicked the man with her high heels. The stilettos cut clean through bone and cybernetics. Blood and lubricant came pouring out of the wound. But she wasn't done. Jessebelle used her size to force the man to the ground and pin him there.

-Mmm. I knew these would come in handy someday.

-Nngh... What do you want, Fillian?

-Oh, nothing much. Just stop getting in my way, that's all. Say... Aren't cyborgs supposed to be superior to us 'regular' humans?

She lifted her foot and released them man. Before setting it down, Jess tried to kick away most of the blood. The cigarette was still burning in her mouth and she was still flicking her ash in the Guildmaster's face.

-Not all of us, apparently. What do you really want, Jess?

-I already told you. Stay out of my way.

-So long as your path doesn't conflict with the interests of the Core, you won't have any issues at all. But, I am your guildmaster, and if we want to win, we need to work together, like it or not.

-Win? It looks like I'm already winning. The war, this fight, this argument...

As he was getting back to his feet, Daniels saw his reflection in the windows. His shoulder was torn, but most of the cybernetics looked somewhat intact. Or at the very least, functional. He went on the offense again and landed a flying kick in the giantess' face. It almost seemed like she took in on purpose, instead of dodging. And he was correct. Not a second later, her massive hands grabbed him by the legs and his face had a very close, and painful, encounter with the debris from the table. He tried to free himself, but the pain was too great. Wood and metal tore his face. WIth one last desperate push, he broke away from the meat grinder. He sat against the wall and began picking shrapnel from his mug.

-Nngh... I think I need a new spleen...

Jessebelle was towering above him. Her jaw was in a seemingly painful position and blood was pouring out of her mouth.

-Hyou... Bihch..

-EAT HER ALIVE, JACKO!

The following scene sent cold chills down the man's spine. Fillian pushed her jaw upwards and the sound it made as it went back into it's socket was repulsing.

-I have an offer for you, Jess. Task force... Ehrgeiz, or whatever is left of it. In exchange you work with me for the common goals of the Core. Not for me... But with me.

-How do I... Nngh...Not just going to stab me in the back? Why shouldn't I just end you right now?

-Erik trusted you for some reason, and he had an eye for talent. -He paused while the woman cracked her neck in both directions. Another pain wave was inbound. -He wasn't always right, but you're still here. That's a start.

As the Guildmaster was trying to put some distance between them by crawling backwards, his hand felt the flak vest.

-THROW THE VEST!

He did just that and hurled it towards the woman, followed by an attempt to sweep her legs. The distraction worked and she hit the floor. By pure instinct, Daniels planted his knee in her stomach, leaving her breathless.

-Good boy, Danny!

-Herschel, the Eagles, the Valkyries, Laptev and Hydra... Come on, Jess. I need an answer before you bleed to death.

-I can't trust you.

-Give me the benefit of the doubt.

-Why should I?

-Because all I do, I do for the Core.

-And all I do, I do for myself. It's a dog-eat-dog world, Guildmaster.

-Fair enough, but the world didn't give you a warship. The Core did, and the world isn't supplying you with provisions for that ship, either.

Fillian brutally slammed the man against the wall and used her mass to try and choke the man. Her fingers wrapped around his comically smaller neck.

-And it sure as hell isn't going to take it away.

Daniels decided to repeat the distraction. He tapped her on side and her reflexes turned her head. When she focused back on the man, he met her with a grin.

-Tooth... Ahhhnd... Nail.

Another well placed knee, this time straight to the crotch. The pain was overwhelming and her grip got looser while her face went pale.With less pressure on his neck, he could chain a whole sentence.

-No one is taking anything away from you, get that through your thick skull. I want you to understand I'm trying to help you!"

-I don't...Want your help. - Replied the butcher in pain.

-But I want yours.

-Lots of... Hhhn... People want lots of things from mheee... They get them when I give them..

-I can't win this war with you as a rogue variable, Jess. You're the Nightmare of Delta, mothers scare their children and husbands with you. I want you fully on board with the cause! - Adrenaline kicked in and so did the cybernetics. Daniels landed a punch in the face of his opponent.

-Nngh! You misunderstand me, Danny! I'm onboard with your 'cause,' so long as the cause of the Core aligns with my own!

He wasn't in the clear yet. Fillian's hand raking down his already torn face confirmed that fact.

-What are your goals, Jess? Tell me.

-A world where those with ambition reign.

A punch of her own slams Jack in the nose.

-Not just ambition, but a god-given right! Look at me, standing toe-to-toe with the best human science has to offer!

Daniels returns the favor with an uppercut to her liver's general area.

-Nobody is going to give you a thing unless you work for it!

-Why shouldn't I lead? Why shouldn't I rule?

She follows the example and returns an uppercut to his chin. Blood and teeth fly in the air.

-All I see bows before me! ME!

-You think I wanted this? Years of getting shot and clobbered and beaten by all sorts of power hungry mongrels? Getting turned into this robotic abomina-..

He was interrupted by the sound of his nose breaking in the giantess' forehead.

-No, shut up! SHUT UP! I'm the EMPRESS! Your problems aren't mine, I don't want to hear about them!

-And I'm the goddamn Guildmaster of the Core! Your problems are MY problems!

Jess overpowers the man and grounds him again. Punch after punch hitting the bull's eye. His skin peels off and in return, the metal underneath eradicates the skin on Fillian's fists.

-I don't need your help! You need me! You need ME!

Daniels punted her with the broken leg of a nearby desk.

-We... Need... Eachother! I can't put an end to the Zoners without you, and you can't do it without me!]

-You're not proving anything to me, Jack, except that you're still... A failure-

Despite all the abuse, she continued to choke the Guildmaster.
Scarlet was closely observing from across the bridge. She had had enough and it was time to act. The woman turned around and signal the strike team. In that moment, a blinding flash of bright blue light erupted from the Terminus Est's bridge. The prototype "Perdition" implant had flared up. As power surged through the man, he easily pushed Fillian on to her back. With his eyes ever so blue, Jack rose to his feet, seemingly free from any pain or fear.

-Yeah, you done messed up now, you filthy omicronian piece of space trash!.

-You don't seem to understand me, Jess. I want you to keep doing what you're doing, and double... No, triple your efforts. You will be rewarded.

-I don't want a reward! I don't want your help, I don't want to share in your problems!

-The Freeport, or whatever's left of it, will be yours, to do with as you please.

-I don't want your sympathy, I don't want your compassion! I don't want your goddamn Freeport! I swore no oath to you, I hold no loyalty to you! I pledged my allegiance to Erik, not some pitiful excuse for a diplomat!

-Moment of truth, Jess. Tell me what you want. What will make you obey my authority?

Daniels peeled the skin from his fingers, revealing a fully artificial hand. The sharp metal was ready to deal some serious damage to Fillian's internals.

-I'll tell you what I want, Daniels. It's simple. I want your GODDAMN HEAD, YOU SHIT! DIE!

She drew her blade and began swinging like mad, obliterating everything in her wake. The wickedly serrated machete needed one proper hit to cut the man in half.

-There is no 'us!' There is no 'we!

-Answer the question! Or that'll be the last question you ever leave without an answer!

Jack ripped an exposed pipe from the wall, hoping it would be enough to defend from the raging maniac. The HUD implanted in his retinas was showing rapidly dropping power levels in the "Perdition" implant. As if the woman knew, she let out a beastly roar and charged him. Most of the swings were deflected. But not all.

-Swallow your ego, Jess! Accept the offer, you don't have much longer!

Eventually, the Guildmaster found himself pinned against the wall. Everything went from blood red to hot white and back to blood red. The blade sliced through him and the metal padding behind like it was nothing. With the last remaining power, he angled the pipe for a lethal penetration and hoped it would be enough to stall the woman long enough. Surprisingly, it went straight through her lung and out of her shoulder.

-I won't be your subordinate. I'll die first...But I will stand as your equal.

-Way to get beaten by a girl, macho ma...

-You know the rules, Jessebelle. There is only one Guildmaster. I can give you the task force, the Freeport, but I will take us both to hell before I give up my throne to you.

-Then we... Should get to walking. It's a long way to meet Morta.

-KILL HEEEEEER...

Out of spite or maybe rage, Jessebelle bit down on Jack's neck. He tried to scream, but only blood came out. Out of desperation, he twisted the pipe and Jess eventually fell backwards with a major part of his neck still in her mouth. The voice in his head went quiet, unusually so. Perhaps he was truly about to die? After all this time, did this mean he's free? Was that all it took? A psychotic steroid junkie and a large pocket knife?
Daniels' lifeless body slid to the ground, just as Scarlet's team entered the bridge. He saw her blue eyes hovering over him and he felt pure bliss. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, perhaps he was finally at peace. Or perhaps the inhuman dose of painkillers she had just given him were kicking in. Either way, the blue eyed angelic figure was a sight to behold.
The strike team ensured the Guildmaster's wrecked body, or what remained from it, was transported safely back to Durban. Scarlet was yelling something at the doctors while Price was curiously inspected Jack's wounds. He was genuinely passionate about such things. A few minutes later, a fully kitted surgeon followed by a couple of cybernetic specialists entered the room. Jack lost conscience just after he saw the excessive amount of augmented and prosthetic limbs they hauled in. The idea of loosing whatever "original" parts he had just a few hours earlier was too much for him to bare.

Credit to the original post and logs to Jayce. Sources used

| [Youtube Channel] | [Daniels] [X] [X] | [Jessica Scarlet] |

**Implosion** · 02-05-2018, 09:15 PM,

Chapter 7: Contingency
824 A.S.

-All data is secured, Mr. Daniels. We've got the schematics for both the Perditrix and the Ehrgeiz copied to an external device. - The videofeed flickered for a second as the man was debriefing -...ppy to say that the mission was a success and I'm positive no one caught wind of it.

-Good Job, Mr. Williams. The "Deadly" is tucked in a debris field. I'll send you the coordinates. Make sure to follow them precisely. The destroyer is absolutely powered down and virtually impossible to detect. Radiation, as it would seem, makes for a good invisibility cloak. - Jack coughed and continued - After you're done, we'll discuss your release, but not sooner.

Daniels didn't wait for an answer, he just cut the feed, or rather, he switched to another channel.

-Scarlet, how's it going?

-Peachy, boss - Her tone indicated a not so peachy situation - Minimal resistance.

-Very good, proceed as per the mission's parameters- He swiftly waved his hand and a few projects came up on his holo display. - I want a copy of all data for Project "Haven" and Project "Sharken" copied to an external device and then deleted. Furthermore, copy all data for projects "Archangel", "Anassi","Liberty Lost", "Herschel","Bulldog", and "Ehrgeiz". And please, break some things in my office. Make it look like an outside job.

-I don't get it boss, why am I breaking into your office to steal data from yo...

The feed was again cut, this time for good. Daniels was hoarding information. Anything that had something to do with alien technology and how to adapt it to Sirian tech. He also seemed very interested about making Core tech work with generic civilian and borderworld spares.

-Daaaaaanny boy...are you afraid? Are you scared your Core is going to run out of juice again? Hmmm? Perhaps not enough bolts for your Makos? Is that it...ooooh....

A barely audible hiss brought silence. Another warm dose of cardamine, introduced by a subdermal implant. And then a slight chuckled followed, marking the start of a long monologue.

-You think I'm afraid about the well being of the Core? Noooo. For a voice that lives in my head, you should know better. I fear my role is becoming increasingly obsolete. People like me, we're old news. Sirius is filled with newbie hotshots without baggage. People without agendas or causes. People who are ready to pull the trigger without considering the consequences. Me...I've got a cause.A cause that gets people killed. Cause that is slowly, but surely, starting to contradict the goals of the Core. -Daniels reached for his glass and took a sip from the amber liquid which resided in it. -That's why I must be ready. Whatever happens, I need to be able to keep the Perditrix operational. It's all in there, minimal crew, expanded life support capacity, hyperspace tech, cloaking tech, upgraded docking bays, a full blown AI...it's one of the most advanced ships in the Omicrons. Only the IRG have tech that can rival my creation. Yet, they're not putting them to good use, if on...

Suddenly, the lighting changed from warm yellow to dark blue. Combat mode was on.

-And so it begins...Price! Prep for hyperspace, targets are fifteen clicks out, actively firing towards the Freeport and Carthage. -Daniels was determined to remove as many hostiles as possible from the theater and an "abduction maneuver" was the perfect play. The energy usage of the cloak generators combined with the power draw of a hyperspace module managed to put a massive strain on the ship's drivecore. Thankfully, the Perditrix had prototype power delivery systems, inspired and made possible by the newly discovered Azurite gas. They handled the energy from the core without problems. -Price, I want emergency jump systems online as soon as we exit hyperspace. If I'm correct, we'll have a few seconds to make our exit.

The man only nodded and made a few corrections in the trajectory.

-Prepare for hyperspace in three...two...one...mark!

Being in hyperspace is something that can't be easily explained. It's like having every single one of your molecules re-arranged. It's a moment of bliss. A moment that was roughly interrupted by the heavy gunfire coming from four sides.

-Sir, we got four battleships plus a snub firing at us! Emergency hyperspace is no go! We'll need three more minutes at the least! Orders, sir?

-We don't have three minutes! Plan B! Proceed with Phase Two! Eject all excess nuclear warheads. We have to fool them the ship is exploding!

-Decoy is in space, sir!

-On my mark, I want you to detonate a third of the warheads and activate Perdi's cloaking field. Aaand Mark!- The ship was shook and some of the lights on the bridge flickered -Phase three! Full burn, engage cloak! Detonate all remaining warheads! Let's hope this thing fools them!

This time, the shock was much more violent. The lights didn't just flicker, they blew out. But the Perditrix was safely out of the fray. Either by dumb luck or for some other reason, the plan had worked.

-Right-o, ladies and gentlemen! Buckle up. Next stop, the Omega-41 system, we've some classified stuff to pickup. Stuff that could get us all horribly killed!

Daniels grinned and the Mako disappeared in hyperspace again, leaving a whole lot of radiation in it's wake.

| [Youtube Channel] | [Daniels] [X] [X] | [Jessica Scarlet] |

**Implosion** · 02-06-2018, 07:06 PM,

Chapter 8: Break of Dawn
825 A.S.

-Don't trust her, Danny boy. She's a lie. An overly glorified dictator from Malta. You should've pulled the trigger when you first met her, you fool. Instead, you fly out here looking for her. You complete imbecile. How stup...

-Enough! - Yelled Daniels.
-B...but sir, I'm just getting started...- Scarlet was perplexed. -I...
-Sorry, sorry...I was thinking about something else...what do you have so far?
-Well, nothing much sir. I'm probing all communication buoys and data hubs in Coronado. Not a word about Loyola.
-I figured as much. That Crayter also had no reason to lie to me. I'm certain he genuinely didn't knew anything about Loyola and her abductors. How's the blacker part of our black ops going? Did you transfer the data to Marquez and the 13th?
-Yes sir, I did. All schematics, including those of Dagger's and it's security protocols, Perditrix, Battleshark, Athena, Anseris Mons, Tigris, Deadly and Anassi have been relayed. -Scarlet was unsure why she was ordered to hand over such information to the people that nearly killed them a few years ago. -Sir, with all due respect, are you sure these are the right folks to trust? I mean...
-They're the only people we can trust at this point. -He leaned on the consoles and gazed towards the fragments of what once was an alien jump gate. He kept at it for a good hour before his datapad lit up with a high priority alert. Daniels reviewed it carefully and then abruptly pushed himself from the illuminator. After carefully adjusting his blazer, he issued a ship wide alert.

Ladies and gentlemen, brace for hyperspace. Destination - the Omega-55 system!

The ship's drive core roared under the strain, but there was plenty of power to spare. Everything blurred as the vessel jumped halfway through Sirius.

-Jump successful, hoss, orders?-Jessica anxiously awaiting Daniels' command. There was fire in his eyes, a fire that she hand't seen in a long while.
-First, speak to Rayne, our contact in the APM. Tell her to prep enough supplies for a small battlegroup, enough to last a month. Have them stashed at the usual spot in Omega-55.
J-What Battlegroup, Jack? The majority of Ehrgeiz is back to Delta. We don't nee...
Open a channel to Dagger. - He calmly interrupted her. This wasn't the time for stupid questions

Scarlet nodded and patched the Guildkeeper through.

Dagger Command, this is Guildkeeper Daniels. I want Vagabonds and Morays, 1 through 4, to be fully stocked and transferred to the Perditrix within the hour. I want Gunship Tigris and Battlecruiser Anseris Mons from Battlegroup Ehrgeiz to be permanently tasked with protecting and supporting the Perditrix. Add log entry. Creation of Battlegroup Perdition: Flagship WV-Perditrix. Battlegroup Commander: Guildkeeper Jack Daniels.SIC: Paladin Jessica Scarlet, flag as highly classified black ops taskforce and do not send updates to Rho about it.
Ye...-The man was, however, interrupted as well.
Good. - Daniels cut the comm channel and handed his holopad to Scarlet.

The woman took it with a bit of hesitation, but after a minute she looked back at him, rather surprised. What she just had read, truly came out of nowhere.

-Sir, is this legit?
-As legit as it can be.
-So she ain't dead?
-No, she's not...not yet anyways. Open a direct channel to her.

Scarlet nodded again and opened another high priority channel. The following conversation was somewhat shocking, yet nothing too different from the usual way people in Core HC communicated. As the verbal skirmish ended and the comm was cut, Daniels let out a very loud and raw symphony of swearing, cursing and insults. He then calmed down, took a deep breath and leaned on the consoles again.

-Scarlet, hyperspace as soon as we RV with our escorts. Anassi on ten o'clock, Deadly on six and Anseris Mons at two. Oh and uh, transfer some of Anseris' nuclear warheads to us. We might have atom's support for this one.
-Deadly, sir? What's that?

Daniels looked at Jessica, but this time, there was a wide smile on his face, almost smug.

-Tell me, Scarlet, did you really think I'd let my own daughter steal a Mako, crash it in a Freeport and die? Come on... She was with the 13th all this time. Why do you think we made a stop in Tau-37 before going to Coronado? Why do you think I let their flagship roam around Delta? We covered it up, of course, as much as we could. I had them contact Loyola and pretend they came to offer their support for her. Their loyalty. Good joke. In reality, they came so I can ship her out in secret. The Deadly, Scarlet, is Gabby's ship. I had to make sure she's well protected and nimble enough to avoid trouble. The very definition of a Thresher. Now then, any questions? Good. Let's go.

He then returned to his seat, which was also incidentally , located at the highest place of the bridge. He looked towards Dagger through the illuminator, just as a Thresher uncloaked and entered formation. Gabrielle's voice was heard over the comms, which made the Guildkeeper's smile even wider.

-You done fracked up now, Jackie. Last time you went against a girl, she nearly tore you apart. This time, you're going to get eaten alive by a maltese vixen, you moron. What are you going to do? Rebel? Defect? Oppose? Resist? You can't do jack squat, boy.

-Watch me.

| [Youtube Channel] | [Daniels] [X] [X] | [Jessica Scarlet] |

**Implosion** · 04-03-2018, 07:49 PM,

Chapter 9: Same crap, different day
825 A.S.

-Jack, it's been almost a month now, there's no sign of her. Maybe we should end this and focus on more important things? - Scarlet said. -I don't think it's healty for you to be focusing so badly on your old boss. She'll most likely OD sometime soon anyways, don't worry man.

-Yeah, good point. We still need to prepare for the coming days, though. My days in the Core are limited if I keep my current course of action. What's the status on the Anath?
-Fully functional, sir. I've already forwarded the full technical report to your inbox. -Scarlet smiled- And hey, thanks for not nuking her, it means a lot to me.
-Yeah yeah, no sweat. I've helped another order defector. That's what, three now? If I keep this up I mi...what the hell?! Is that...where are we?
-What do you mean where are we, we're in 55, hoss.
-Yeah? Since when are there Ish'tars roaming around here, Scarlet?! Action stations! Full power to the front shields, overcharge the drive! Comms! Call for backup! And Scarlet, spool up those PDCs! The small frakkers will be on us within the minu...

Daniels was interrupted by a deafening explosion that shook the ship and knocked him out. After what felt for a brief moment, he began to come back to his senses. Albeit blurred, he could see the Ish'tar through the illuminator. The monstrous biological machine was relentlessly unleashing it's payload. Daniels realized the Perditrix was no longer the target. He painfully leaned against the nearest console and extracted a piece of metal that had found it's way to his shoulder.

-Mothe...AAAAW. SCARLET! What the hell is going on?!
-Battlegroup Ehrgeiz, sir! They rushed to our aid! The Nomad tore through our shields and hull like they were nothing! We need to retreat!

-No! Turn this bloody ship around at the blue frakker and hit it with every single gun we have. I'm not loosing another bloody battlegroup! I've got a little something for them! Open a comm to Gabby on the Ehrgeiz!
-Done, we're transmitting.
-Gabbs, it's pops. I want you to turn one eighty degrees and draw that mean mother into the asteroids.

You got it! PRICE! Turn this boat around! Head for the rocks over there, Simm... - As Gabrielle was barking orders, Jack closed the channel.
-Scarlet! What's the status on the Warpig and Volition wings?
-Combat ready, sir!
-Good, I want you on Warpig one and and I'll hop into Volition one. Get Ehrgeiz's Punisher squadron to launch and keep the fast movers away from our asses. -

Daniels didn't even wait for an answer before he rushed out of the bridge. He took the nearest lift and headed for the launch tubes. HIs newest investment, namely two pairs of superheavy bombers were waiting two decks below. Two minutes later, he was already strapped in tight in the Waran. Gabrielle had done exactly as she was told and the massive alien warship was slowly falling behind the much nimbler Mako.

-It's show time, you big bastard. All units, release the payload. Target the closest thing to an engine you can see. FIRE!

The four bombers launched two torpedoes each, followed by a flurry of dumbfire rockets.

-Do not let up, let's make another run!

As they circled around one of the bigger asteroids and commenced their second bombing run. Another devastating salvo was unleashed and a few seconds later the immediate area was flooded with blinding white light. When things became clear again, the Ish'tar was gone. No sign of it and no debris either.

-Scarlet?! Did we get it? Did we implode the bastard?
-I...I think we didn't. It went into hyperspace, sorry hoss.
-Ah, figures. Patch me up to the rest of the fleet.- He took a deep breath and addressed his people over the comms -Good. But not good enough.This was a wake up call. We need to get our asses out of here and back to the front lines in Delta. Prep for hyperspace in five.

-Hmm, about time, Danny boy. I knew you would eventually run back home with your tail between your legs.

-I ain't running no more.

| [Youtube Channel] | [Daniels] [X] [X] | [Jessica Scarlet] |

**Implosion** · 07-11-2022, 10:08 PM,

Chapter 10: Cease and desist
826 A.S.

-All units, combat stations! - Jack yelled.
-Si...sir...there's too many of them - Scarlet replied
-Did I ask you to count ,Scarlet? DID I? FIRE. THE. BLOODY. WEAPONS.
-Bu... - Scarlet was interupted mid sentence by a massive explosion followed by a ship wide blackout.
-Boss, hull breach on levels three through nine, Volition wing is down, the Warpigs are dust....Destroyer Deadly has retreated with critical damage...
-Roger that Price, contact Gabrille, tell her it's time for plan X. - Daniels said and took off his watch, carefully set it to 12:00 and then slid it back on his left wrist. - Open a ship wide comm.
-Gotcha, the floor is yours boss.
-Ladies and gentlemen of the Core Flagship Athena. It appears our enemies have us surrounded and outnumbered. But we are not outgunned. We will not give them this victory. Remain at your posts and we will prevail. Daniels, Out! - The Guildmaster gestured price to cut the comm and lit a cigarette. - I'm sorry Athena, my one true love, but we must now part ways. You have served me well.

The situation was dire for the Athena and it's crew. They were caught in the middle of a massive skirmish, both nomads and the order were zeroing in on them. Both parties seemed to ignore in eachother in their attempts to annihilate the Core's flagship. Athena's fighter escorts were shot down and it's fleet was decimated in mere minutes. Battlecruiser Anassi, Battleships Moorwen, Decimari, Ordine and Diaboli as well as Destroyers Deadly and Laptev had all suffered serious damage in their efforts to protect the flagship. In their counter attack, the enemy numbers were severely reduced, but still more than a match for the single remaining Mako, be it the second most advanced ship in the Core's impressive fleet.

Less than three minutes later, the Athena suddenly went dark. The ship was brutally split in half by a devastating salvo originating from an alien ship.

-PRICE! It's time to call it, do we have the payload ready? - Daniels asked, while calmly putting on his blazer.

-Sir yes sir, enough bang to wipe everything in sight. Luckily, we had the stuff on this half of the ship. Positioning is off the board, we have no engines left. Literally.

-Good, I want you and everyone else on this ship to go ahead and evacuate. I'm certain we don't have much people left anyways, so the freighters down in the starboard bays will be enough. I've made sure to get them retrofited with cloak tech, so you'll be fine...don't make that face at me Price, I want you to go, NOW!

-Sir...I'm not lea.... - Price was interupted by a sudden and unexpected gaze of glowing light blue eyes from Daniels. - Sir, yes sir.

-The ultimate sacrifice? Really, Danny boy? You had to orchestrate this whole ordeal to fake your death? Touch....

More cardamine was introduce in Daniels' bloodstream. He quickly headed down for the port side, while dodging explosions and debris. His trusty Moray was waiting there, barely scratched by the destruction around it. The ship cloaked and left the bay of the disintegrating Core Flagship.

-Good riddance. -Daniels thought. Now then...

The bomber silently left the battlefield and when it reached safe distance, the space behind it flared up. The Athena had the last laugh. The payload it was carrying evaporated everything in its immediate area.
Daniels grinned and checked the personel status trackers. Price and Williams, along with what was left of the crew were alive. Scarlet's quantum entagled tracker was offline, thus she was presumed dead, same as Jack's unit. The time had come for them to disappear for a while.

-This is dumb, Danny boy, even for you...you've outdid yourself this time...the whole fleet..gone, poof...dust You absolutely freaking imbecile.

-Not the whole fleet. - Daniels grinned, as his Moray gently glided past Battleship Ehrgeiz and it's entire battlegroup and into the Perditrix' docking bay.

| [Youtube Channel] | [Daniels] [X] [X] | [Jessica Scarlet] |

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