Operation: Red Guard(IC, Open, Sci-Fi)

[Tomia]

Anora
"You must be very brave to act so instinctually when others are in danger." Anora replied when Ajax described his experiences. Her tone throughout was soft and deliberate. When he mentioned the attack on the academy she turned her head slightly for a moment as her eyes darted nervously towards the floor. "Yes it was... a terrifying day but, thankfully no one was hurt. Well thanks to your people I should say. Who knows what would have happened without the one you call Monica." She trailed off as the conversation turned to Ajax's profession. "It is an honorable life, among my people healers are treated with great respect, but as you say fortunately they are not needed often. There is... much more violence here though." She then quickly added. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so..." She paused as if trying to think of the right word, "grim. I am nervous is all."

Soon enough they made their way to a small barracks building that just off of the main building complex. It was a large but plain building on the outside, it could have easily been a garage on the inside based on its appearance. This was where the children were relocated after the attack, and there were two guards stationed at the door. They noticed Ajax, saluted and then stepped aside, allowing Ajax and his guest inside. Once inside it was clear the building was essentially an apartment of sorts. While the walls were thing there were a number of furnished rooms with their own doors. The hallway in front of them lead into a sparse living room like area, there was a little girl with long brunette hair and amber skin sitting on the wooden floor, drawing in what seemed like a coloring book.

Katie looked up and when she saw Ajax had a wide smile on her face. "Ajax!" She called out, running to hug him around the waist. She was around eight or nine in age though it was hard to tell exactly just by looking at her. She then turned and saw Anora,

"Hey, she's new! Who is she?" She asked in a childish tone.

Kira
"Just here to chat." Kira replied casually. The two of them hadn't been avoiding each other presa, but neither had they had anything like their night at the bar since the attack on the school. Kira wrote that off to the two of them being busy. "Figured I would check in, see how you were doing and if you needed anything or had any concerns. Your great sacrifice is noted by the way." She added with a smirk. "Just talked to Max, starting to make progress on figuring out where exactly it was these kids escape from. Hopefully that will get us closer to figuring out who is hunting them, and why."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Ajax Wallace

The medic felt heat rushing to his cheeks as Anora continued to compliment him for his actions during the attack. It was nice to have his deeds recognized, and the attention was far from unwelcome, but it still made him feel somewhat embarrassed. Nonetheless, this feeling was replaced by surprise as he heard the Neirel woman's response to his comment about the incident at Tharsis Academy. He hadn't known, and it begged the question of why Commander Mathers had invited over a woman she had likely only just met, but that was something to ask her about later. Anora's words about Monica also took him by surprise - from what he knew of her, he wouldn't have expected her to be the one to credit for getting the hostages to safety, though he supposed it made more sense if he framed it in terms of her killing anything that happened to be threatening them.

As the conversation turned back to his profession, he nodded at the Neirel's words. "It's quite alright. If you were at the academy I can imagine you must still be somewhat shaken. But you don't have to worry about anything while here." He said, attempting to offer her a reassuring smile. It was a tad more difficult than it would have been otherwise, what with the place having been broken into just two weeks ago, but there was no reason not to try.

Eventually they arrived at the place where the children had been moved to, and he was surprised that the first thing to happen was Katie hugging him excitedly. Smiling softly, he placed a hand on her back to return the gesture. "Oh, this is Anora. She's a friend of the commander and she wanted to come here to meet you all. Anora, this ball of sunshine here is Katie." He said with a chuckle. "So hey, why don't you go call the others here? And maybe while you do that I can try to convince one of the two gentlemen outside to get us some snacks from the cafeteria. What do you think?"

---

Monica Lantrix

"Just checking in huh?" Monica repeated while looking at Kira with a raised eyebrow. "Alright then." She added before reaching under the training bench and grabbing a metal bottle to take a swig from it. "That's nice of you I guess, but I'm good, don't think there's anything I need." She replied afterwards, before a mischievous smile appeared on her face as she leaned a little closer, her voice growing quieter. "Well I mean, a part of me really wants to push you up against a wall and go to town right now but I don't think that's what you were looking to hear." She teased, chuckling as she leaned back.

"But anyway, did you really come find me just to chit-chat? Not that I mind, I just figured you'd have something in particular you wanted to tell me. Commander of the Red Guard doesn't sound like a position that gives you a lot of time for gossiping." The hybrid commented, before thinking on that for a moment. "...Although the Red Guard is kind of a mess so perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised if I'm wrong about that."

[Tomia]

Anora
"Okay!" the young girl called out excitedly as she ran back deeper into the building. Anora couldn't help but smile. "Well she is a cute one isn't she?" She said to Ajax as they waited for the rest of the group to assemble. A few moments later the two watched as a group of children came walking back towards them. Katie and Jeremy were in front being led by the slightly older blonde girl Amanda. Behind them stood the brunette Caitlyn, looking friendly but a bit nervous about who this might be. Behind all of them of course was the ever vigilante Cole.

There was a bit of awkward silence until Caitlyn spoke up. "Hi, I'm Caitlyn. This is Jeremy and Amanda" She said gesturing to the two children in front of her. "You've already met Katie, and this... Cole will you at least say hi." She chided him before turning back and trying to smile politely.

"Hi", the young man reluctantly added.

"It's nice to meet all of you." Anora said sincerely. "My name is... Anora" She said deciding to skip her full name. "I am teacher at the Academy within town, and your commander wanted me to meet all of you. How have you enjoyed your time here?"

"It's been really cool! Jeremy said excitedly. "We get to be army men and have adventures!" Anora couldn't help but smile at that as Caitlyn gave a more contemplative answer. "It's been alright. We were all in a terrible place before this so we're very grateful for where we are. But it certainly doesn't feel like home."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I've certainly heard what you've been through and it sounds terribly trying."

"So, why are you here?" Cole asked her suddenly. Caitlyn looked mortified. "Cole! I'm really sorry about that miss."

Anora raised her hand understandingly. "It's okay, that's a very fair question. Cole right? It's nice to meet you. I'm here because I wanted to meet you. The commander of this base has offered me the opportunity to be your teacher, and I didn't want to consider such an offer before I met you." That seemed to relax the older boy a bit.

"Alright, well, thanks." Cole replied a bit awkwardly.

"You're welcome. It's important we be honest with each other if I am to come work here. I'm still considering it. Frankly, I'm not too comfortable with the military but I very much believe every deserves an opportunity to learn." After a brief pause she spoke again.

"Now, perhaps I could see a demonstration of your powers?"

Kira
The commander blushed a bit at Monica's very forward comment. "Some other time, I'm counting on it." She replied with a wink before grinning sheepishly at Monica's jab at the Red Guard's expense. "We've had a bit of a rough start, but hey we saved the school, so it hasn't been all bad. Besides, I'm hoping now we can really start making a difference. Hopefully we can start with these kids we're looking after. Speaking of that, I have someone here that might end up joining us to look after them. You know them actually, Anora from the academy? She is here right now and we're going to have lunch in a bit. I was hoping you'd join us. Seems like you really made a good impression on her back at the academy. I'm hoping that will help convince her to take the job." Kira told her fellow soldier. She then got a message on her phone.

"Well I have to go, see you at lunch at 1 though?" She asked hopefully as she headed out of the room.

Lunch, Fort Rawlings
An hour later Kira was sitting in the cafeteria with Anora who after speaking to the children was given a tour of what would hopefully be her new home. Kira had invited Ajax, Monica, Max, and Sal to the lunch hoping they could help convince Anora to join them. It was a bit awkward for Kira to sit alone with Anora as the two didn't seem to have all that much in common.

"So, how did you like the kids?" Kira asked as they sat down with their food after an uncomfortable silence on line.

"They were very nice. Not too trusting but that is understandable. That Cole seems like he has been through a lot."

"Ya, our first meeting with them was bit hairy. They put up a fight before they would come with us."

"You mean you fought them?" Anora asked in concern.

"Oh no not really..." Kira started in a panic before she was saved by a voice behind her.

"Hey boss, trying small talk again?" Max asked as she and Sal sat down at the table. "Thought we decided that was cruel and unusual punishment?"

Kira rolled her eyes, "Anora, this is Max and Sal, they're part of our team here."

"Hiya" Max replied casually and Sal gave a wave of his own and a "nice to meet you."

"Hello, I am Anorarae ta’Osiri da’Malla but you may call me Anora." She replied politely as Kira was thankful for the change in conversation.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Ajax Wallace

Just a minute or two after lunch had started, Ajax practically ran into the cafeteria at Fort Rawlings before slowing down to a halt, composing himself and then heading towards the food, filling his tray with a steak, rice and steamed vegetables. Then, he made his way to the table where Commander Mathers was engaged in conversation with Anora, the two soon joined by the Elnoi siblings Sal and Max. Grabbing a seat at the table as inconspicuously as possible, he glanced over at Kira with an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry I'm late. Private Carson had a minor emergency."

By comparison, Monica was far less sheepish about the whole affair, arriving at the table shortly after Ajax with another fish-based dish on her plate to pick away at while the others discussed whatever it is they needed to discuss. She sat down and looked around, noticing that everyone else was present already.

"So you met the kids, eh? Rowdy bunch they are. It seems like carrot juice here's the only one who can get through to them." She commented to Anora, jabbing a thumb in Ajax's direction which caused the redhead to scowl at her. "Hope they weren't too bad."

"I don't think they were." The medic chimed in, having been present at the meeting as well. "Cole was a little aloof but that's not a surprise considering everything that's happened." He stated, before looking towards their Neirel guest. "Have you reached a decision, by the way, Miss Anora?"

[Tomia]

Lunch, Fort Rawlings
"The children are quite nice, what they've experienced could easily harden the soul or make them hateful and violent, but I don't get that sense from them. I cannot even imagine what they must have been through, it saddens me to know such cruelty exists." Anora said in response to Monica, before she heard Ajax's question, a bit of an unsure look on her face.

"Well, I do like the children, and I believe I could help them. But..."

"Not the military type?" Sal interjected, assuming that was the concern.

"Well yes, I suppose. This isn't the kind of environment I'm usually comfortable in."

Max snorted at that, "You're in good company then sister. Before I had some... interactions with the crew here the only time I'd be caught on a military is in handcuffs, and frankly even then I wouldn't be there long. Our resident swordswoman here isn't exactly regular army either." She said gesturing towards Monica. "Hell, with the exception of the captain, none of us are really the military types."

"Well, that is comforting I suppose. You are certainly an interesting collection of people. Could I ask to know a bit about you all perhaps?"

"That's reasonable, we'd be working pretty close together after all." Kira replied, silently volunteering to go first. "I was born here on Mars but... recruited at a young age to the Earth military so I spent a good bit of my life there, as part of the Titans. They're a special military group, Monica is one as well. Not much else to say really, I'm a dog person, I prefer rock music to country, and my favorite food is steak." She said with a bit of a playful smile at the end. It wasn't true that there wasn't anything else to say, but certainly nothing she was going to share at lunch when they didn't know each other well.

"I have met these dog creatures. They are nice, most I have met have kind hearts. I see why humans like them as companions. However cats don't seem to like me much, or anyone for that matter."

"Heh, that's where you get it from eh Swords?" Max said to Monica, and Anora's eyes went to the soldier's ears and she blushed slightly at the realization. "Sorry, I meant no offense."

"Alright Max, I'm probably going to regret this but your turn." Kira said, changing the subject as to not make things awkward for either Anora or Monica.

"Aw such little faith boss. Anyway, I'm Max obviously. I work with computers, machines, anything that can be build I'm game for it. Born on Xenro, which is a really boring place by the way. I like to consider myself an adventurer of sort. Doing jobs to pay the bills, you know like an upstanding citizen."

"We're criminals, for the most part." Sal translated bluntly.

"I prefer outlaw, it has a better ring to it. Besides, not like we kill people or anything." Max interjected. "Anyway Sal and I have been traveling the galaxy together for years, until we... well encountered the Red Guard here. The boss here then convinced us to stick around."

"Well that sounds interesting," Anora replied. "I'm not much for crime, but traveling the galaxy sounds so exciting. Other than my home world Mars is the only the planet I have ever been to."

As they spoke to each other to each Kira glanced over at Monica and Ajax expectantly for one of them to go next.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Monica Lantrix

Noticing that Kira was subtly prompting her to go next, the Red Guard's resident assassin spent a few moments chewing on a piece of fish fillet before speaking. "Well, there's not much to know about me really. I've been, ah..." She trailed off for a moment, glancing towards Kira and remembering what she said about making a good impression. "...Roughing up people, let's say, since I was six years old. The military found me when I was sixteen and decided they could use me, so I've been roughing people up at their behest ever since." She explained with a shrug. "Got assigned here a couple weeks ago. I'm pretty sure it was meant as a punishment for not following orders, but this gig ain't too bad. My previous boss was an asshole, so this is an improvement." She stated, a bit of a smirk on her face as she glanced in Kira's direction for just a moment before looking back to Anora.

"That's about it. See? Like I said, not much to know about me. I'm your girl if you want a drinking partner, though." She joked.

Ajax found himself staring at Monica for a few moments, surprised to hear that she had been involved in combat from such a young age. As someone born into a military family he hadn't been unfamiliar with violence as a child, but he still couldn't imagine what that would have been like.

Still, there were other things to think about right now. It was his turn to talk about himself, and so the young man cleared his throat before speaking.

"Um, well, I come from an old military family with a lot of history here on Mars, but unlike my siblings I didn't want to become a soldier or officer, so I decided to become a doctor instead. Since I have a Tharasite that's good for support and a degree in medicine, when the Red Guard formed, the commander here asked me to join, and well, my family was very supportive of the idea, so here I am. I haven't done a very good job at staying away from combat you could argue, but I'd like to think I'm at least helping make a bit of a difference here." He stated, leaning back a little on his seat.

"Oh, and I think cats are just big softies deep inside and they don't want anyone to find out."

[Tomia]

Lunch, Fort Rawlings
Anora looked a little confused at first at Monica's story. While her abilities allowed her a fluent understanding of English, sometimes the uses of words escaped her. But her eyes widen suddenly when the meaning was caught. She didn't know the details, but the prospect of violence at such a young age both frightened and saddened her. Still, she continued to listened, and was pleased to see that the soldier seemed to have positive things to say about her commander.

"Well I am glad to hear you have enjoyed your time here. Commander Kira certainly has been welcoming." She then heard Monica's offer about a "drinking partner", "Do humans hydrate in pairs often?" She asked, prompting a snort from Max who nearly chocked on her water.

"Ya, Monica here is well known for being very well hydrated." She joked, clearly amused at the misunderstanding.

Anora still did not fully understand but the conversation had turned to Ajax who shared his story. She was aware that humans had this fascination with militaries and tracing their lineage in them but didn't fully understand it. It seemed Ajax was similarly wary of it. She then smiled at his comment about cats,

"Well, perhaps you are right. There is a human saying for this yes? 'Looks can be deceiving"?

More talking over lunch followed until the meal was coming to an end and soldiers all around them seemed to be going off to return to their duties. As they did so, Max's watch began to flash as she looked down at the screen to see the source of the alert. As others were looking at her for an explanation she simply said, "got to go" and walked away without further explanation. Kira raised an eyebrow at Sal who merely shrugged.

"She does that sometimes, if anything is at risk of exploding she'll tell you... probably."

Kira rubbed her forehead a bit for a moment before turning towards Anora.

"Anyway, I should back to work soon. I'll give you some time to think about our offer, but we would definitely appreciate an answer soon, for the kids sake and and all." The school teacher nodded, "I will certainly think about it, thank you for your hospitality, it has been quite welcoming."

"You're welcome, if you go to the gate one of my soldiers will escort you back to the academy." With that Kira stood up from the table and walked towards her office.

---

The day went on as a normal day would, the only thing some might notice is that the commander hadn't seemed to come out of her office since lunch had concluded, skipping dinner as it passed by. This was somewhat unusual for her as she often liked to check on guard patrols and get reports from those that were patrolling the city. On this night however those conversations were absent and it wasn't until around 9 PM at night that Monica and Ajax received messages on their phones.

Max and Sal's Quarters, 10 minutes.

When they arrived they would see Kira standing in front of Max's many monitors. The tech genius was mindlessly twirling in her chair, while Sal was nearby tinkering on a mech as a means to keep his hands busy. Kira was staring at the screens, looking stressed over something. The screens themselves were flashing images of what looked like some kind of laboratory. There were padded rooms with two way mirrors, rooms filled with computers and others that looked like operating rooms. However, these rooms were unfortunately not empty. They were often filled with people, patients or prisoners it wasn't clear but other pictures showed gory depictions of what was going on in this inconspicuous looking laboratory.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Ajax Wallace

When he received the message, the young medic had been doing his rounds at Fort Rawlings' med bay. Thankfully there were no grave incidents, as per usual, which meant that his services were hardly warranted, but even then there were other reasons to keep a presence there. He was somewhat of an outsider amidst the military folk stationed at Fort Rawlings, so keeping up with the staff gossip was a big help in establishing some familiarity. In this instance however, it led to finding out that Commander Mathers had been absent for most of the day, and so, he was more than curious about the message.

It was no surprise, then, that he was quick to make his way to Max and Sal's quarters - finding the right door required some asking around, as he was still not quite used to the layout of the base and the Elnoi siblings were a relatively new addition to it, but eventually he arrived, finding that the door opened on its own as he approached. Surprised, he walked in to see Max and Sal simply lounging around, while Kira, in contrast, appeared to be very on edge as she stared into an array of monitors which displayed a variety of scenes, some of them more gruesome than others.

"What... what's going on here?" He asked, starting to feel off-put by the scenes in front of him.

"That's what I want to know too. I was in the middle of sword practice you know." Monica asked as she walked into the room behind him.

[Tomia]

Kira Mathers
Kira was still staring intently at the monitors when Ajax and Monica entered. Even though she had been in the room far longer she was still struggling to process the information. Fortunately, Max decided to speak up. "Got a transmission a few hours ago, 'member when I left the table?. Encrypted of course but that wasn't much of a problem for me. These lovely images you're looking at? Well that's what was sent to us." At this point Kira ripped her eyes away from the screen and looked towards the newcomers, Ajax in particular.

"They're from the research facility we've been hunting for, supposedly at least. The message we got claimed they had the location of this base and much more that would be of interest to us. But..."

"Always a but" Sal grumbled, Kira ignored him and continued.

"But... They have demands. They want to meet the kids, Cole in particular. And frankly it gets worse. They claimed to represent Libra Mars."

"Ya about that part chief, you haven't really explained to us why that's a big deal. Immigrants over here remember?"

"They're an underground group. Enemies of the government, and the military that serves it."

"Meaning us." Sal chipped in.

"Yes, meaning us." Kira said grimly. The weight the coming decision was pressing on her was clear with each word. She turned back toward the monitor, a hand running through her hair that was currently in a ponytail. "If we even take this meeting, its treason. I can't imagine command would approve ahead of time if we asked either. Plus, I'm not in the business of dealing with terrorists, or letting the kids be a bargaining chip but.... These videos. I can't just turn away."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Monica Lantrix

The white-haired woman crossed her arms, a slight scowl on her face as she listened to Max and Kira explain the situation and where they were standing currently. Truth be told, this was one of the many parts of this job that she didn't like. Despite her many complaints about her authoritarian superior officers and whatnot, she much preferred being pointed to something and let loose to do her job. She didn't particularly enjoy situations like this, where the leadership was at a loss and she was - or so she felt - expected to give input on the situation. She'd never been one for doing the thinking after all.

Still, better to speak her mind than let things stagnate further. The less she had to deal with this, the better.

"Treason doesn't sound too bad. We just don't let the big shots know and there's no problem." She shrugged. "We got any other leads to follow?"

Ajax looked at her with concern. "You're not seriously considering-" He began, only to be quickly interrupted.

"What I'm considering is that if these guys are trying to set us up we can just cut through them, but if they're for real and we don't have any other leads, then it doesn't seem like we've got much of a choice." She stated, glaring at Ajax for a moment, though her gaze softened after a moment. "I don't like putting pressure on those kids, obviously, but we're not gonna let anyone lay a hand on them one way or another."

The redhead sighed. She had a point and the sooner they started figuring out this whole situation, the sooner those kids might be able to walk outside without a giant target on their backs. Nodding, he turned to look at Kira. "Commander? What's your call?" He asked softly.

[Tomia]

Kira Mathers
Kira stood silently for a few moments as everyone waited to hear her decision. When she finally spoke her tone was serious and decisive. "Max, open a secure line of communication with them. They are to arrive here at 1 in the morning through the side entrance near mess hall. They're to bring three people at most, unarmed, and they'll only speak to Cole after we have discussed what information they have to offer. We will also be there the whole time they speak to him. These are my terms, they'll follow them or be met with deadly force."

"Damn, you can be a badass when you want to eh chief? Transmitting message now." Max replied as she hammered away at her keyboard. With her orders being followed Kira turned to the rest of her crew. "I can't risk letting any of the others at the base know this is happening. Which means its up to us five to protect Cole if this is a trap. Get some coffee or down some energy drinks, it's going to be a long night."

The next four hours went by unnervingly slowly. After they had the somewhat uncomfortable talk with Cole, which resulted in him reluctantly agreeing to the meeting, they had some time to kill. First some time was killed by Max introducing them to a Elnoi card game that Kira didn't fully understand, and then when she had enough of that the commander went to her office for a bit, doing busy work to try to ignore her nerves. Kira's career has had its share of marks but, never before had she ever even considered something that could be construed as treasonous. And yet...

If they really know what's goin on here, I owe it to these kids. I can't fail them. I can't... Images of her past, her comrades covered in blood, pleading with her to save them, and then to avenge them. Her commander, killing himself so she could live. The memories sent a wave of anxiety crashing through her mind, and the urge for a drink, or something stronger, became unbearable. She pushed herself up from the chair of her desk and headed towards the bathroom, deciding a shower was needed to clear her mind. Eventually time had past and it was time for their fateful meeting.

---

Kira arrived outside the side entrance, which was a gate structure much like the front gate but it was a foot gate as opposed to being for a vehicle. It was lit by spot lights but still quite dark given the time. The commander was armed in her full titan suit, she appeared unarmed but with the energy weapons she could summon and her lightening she was far from unarmed. Sal stood nearby, his deep blue armor and his the alien color of his skin made him somewhat hard to see in the dark but the mechanical trooper standing next to him was easy to spot. Max decided she would be more useful commanding her bots than physically being there. Kira kept a very clear watch on the time, if they were even a minute late she would call the entire thing off. Sure enough, when 1:00 AM arrived, the mechanically gate opened, a soft creaking of the hinges announcing the moment. Three figures stepped into the spot light, each [url=dressed]https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/016/537/632/large/stephanie-gitlin-reaper-lightingpose.jpg?1552521327[/url]in dark cloaks and armor, with masks concealing their faces. One of them stepped forward while the other two flanked in a tight formation. They appeared to be unarmed, but Kira highly doubted that was the case. If she were in their shoes she certainly wouldn't have been.

"So, you represent Libra Mars? You sent us that message?"

"I am but one voice, in a crowd of people demanding freedom." the middle figure replied, the voice distorted in a way that made it hard to identify. "Where is Cole?"

"Not yet, first you give us the information."

"Are you sure you are ready to know? You will not like what we show you."

"Enough cryptic dodginess. We had a deal, either fulfill it or get out." Kira's hostility was pretty blunt at this point.

The central figure's hand went to their side and Sal reacted immediately and aimed his rifle. "Another move and I drop you!"

"It's not a weapon, it's the information you seek." The distorted voice said calmly as they dropped a small spherical object onto to the ground.

Upon hitting the ground the object lights up and between the two group comes to sit a map of Olympia and its nearby territories.

Across the map, particularly in the deserts around the city, there are a number of red dots.

"What are the markings?" Kira asked, behind her helmet her eyebrows were scrunched as she wondered what they were getting at.

"the lab you seek, that the children escaped from? This map shows you the locations of others just like it."

"What?!" There were at least a dozen dots on this map if not more. "You expect me to believe there are a dozen of these hell holes and we weren't aware?"

One of the figures in the back scoffed. "You Earthers are so naïve. You think your military doesn't know?"

Kira considered saying something rude but the one in front spoke before she could. "Enough, we are not here for grievances. We show you this Commander Mathers precisely because your government will not. We offer you a choice, investigate these leads, or ignore them as your superiors have chosen to do." They paused for a moment. "Now, we have upheld our part, we expect you to do the same."

Kira paused for a moment, still reeling at the implication of what the map was showing. But she had to verify if this information was legitimate or not. She was here to keep the peace on Mars, and she couldn't do that while allowing an untold number of people to suffer.

"Ajax, could you bring out Cole?"

They waited a few tense moments as Cole was retrieved from the otherwise empty mess hall, but soon the young man came into view under the glow of the spotlights. Cole looked pretty uncomfortable, and gave the three masked individuals a cautious look.

"Well, what do you want?"

The second he came into view the three strange visitors fell to one knee, their heads bowed deeply. The leader took of their mask, speaking for the first time in a feminine voice.

"Cole Hunt, it has taken us years to find you. But now that you are here, we are at your command. We are sworn to your victory, as our ancestors were sworn to Raymond's so many years ago."

"What?" Cole said, looking at the woman in front of him like she was crazy. "What are you talking about? I don't command anyone, and I don't have any family."

"Your mother's name was Mary no? You lived with her for only a few years until there was an accident. Since then you've been on the streets, bouncing from foster home to foster home. We have been searching for you Cole, and I'm sorry it took us this long to find you."

Cole's eyes went wide when they seemed to know so much about him. He looked around at Kira, Ajax, desperate for any of this to make sense.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Ajax Wallace

The Red Guard's resident medic couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding as he stood in waiting, watching as the clandestine meeting between his faction and the representatives of Libra Mars took place. While the three mysterious envoys did not seem to be armed or overtly hostile, he was still very much worried about something going wrong and ruining the meeting. Briefly glancing to the side, he saw Monica in her Titan armor - with her helmet off, he could see the nonchalant, almost bored expression on her face. Sometimes he envied her ability to keep her cool in situations like these, though he also had to wonder if it was really that and not just... indifference. He did notice, however, that a hand was resting firmly on top of one of her blades.

The redhead's attention snapped back to his commanding officer and the three members of Libra Mars as the tension seemed to rise, Sal pointing his rifle at one of the envoys. Fortunately, things deescalated after a moment, and the person in front of the group revealed at last the information they were here to barter with. In response, Kira asked him to go fetch Cole, and Ajax nodded, turning around and heading back inside Fort Rawlings.

It wasn't long until he returned with Cole in tow. The young man was understandably nervous about the whole affair, something Ajax could sympathize with, but he was willing to comply nonetheless. What neither of them were expecting, clearly, was the sudden change in demeanor from the people of Libra Mars. Where they had been dismissive and even confrontational towards Kira, they now bowed in front of Cole, speaking of a long search in terms more spiritual than militaristic, and recounting events of the young man's past unknown even to him and the rest of the Red Guard.

Noticing Cole's desperate stare, Ajax swallowed and turned to the woman in front of them. "You... you said Cole Hunt, right? As in Raymond Hunt, leader of the Free People of Mars? Is that why you have been looking for him?" He asked, a part of him still incredulous, though it was quickly becoming apparent that this was the truth. Was Cole truly Raymond's descendant? And why did these people treat him like a prince? Could a revolution have an heir?

[Tomia]

The Meeting
The leader of the three rebels stood up and looked towards Ajax upon his question. The lower half of her face remained covered but her face seemed roughly human. However her eye sockets were sharp and narrow like a bird, and her blue eyes were wide and heavily dilated. "Raymond was far more than just a leader, he was the revolution's heart, its symbol, its future. Without him, his subordinates fell to infighting and greed. And the organizations that followed were simply bandits and mercenaries pretending to be revolutionaries. Earth thinks that when they killed Raymond, they crushed our spirits." She then turns her gaze to Cole.

"But they are wrong. You are a symbol that the Earthers cannot simply wipe away our history, our spirit. It is why you must come with us Cole, so that you may one day lead us as he did."

"I..." Cole didn't seem to know how to respond, but fortunately for him Kira stepped in. "Cole isn't going anywhere. He is under the custody of the Sol Confederation Military." She said firmly, moving slightly as to block the path to Cole. The figure to the right who had jarred with Kira before stepped forward. They were large with broad shoulders. His hand going to a handle on his back. He pulled his own mask off and threw it to the ground revealing an even less human looking face. The man's skin was gray and his nose was pointed like a rhino.

"You think we're gonna let some boot licker keep him?" He asked. Kira's eyes flicked towards him and flared with rage. Her fists clenched, clearly no longer tolerating the insults.

"Listen, tough guy. I don't know who you are, but you know even less about me. So shut your mouth and walk away."

"Oh I know who you are. We all do. Kira Mathers. Martian alley rat turned earther lap dog, sent to keep her own people firmly under the boot of the government."

Kira's right fist clenched, and her mind was narrowing with rage. So far she had been doing her best to be civil but she was now losing control.

"Zek!" The woman in front shouted now, suddenly she began speaking in a guttural language that neither Kira nor her translator recognized. It certainly wasn't an Earth language and it was no Martian dialect she knew of.

The man very reluctantly stepped back, muttering something as he did so. She then turned back towards Kira. "Clearly there is a lack of trust. I have a suggestion to fix that. Cole shall remain on the base, as long as one of ours does as well." Kira immediately turned skeptically to "Zek" but the leader turned to her left and continued.

"Vaughn, you will stay." The still masked man behind her took a step forward, "Leader, are you sure?"

"Yes, if the commander here is agreeable."

Kira thought for a moment. She had a feeling they would not be leaving her peacefully if she refused, and that would put Cole in danger. However to accept this individual onto the base would be tantamount to treason.

"One of you can stay here, under guard for a few days while we verify the information you gave us. Lieutenant Lantrix, take this "Vaughn" here to the visitor's barracks. I want a rotation of guards on him at all times. Sal, go with her."

Sal nodded and looked towards Monica before approaching the masked figure named Vaughn. He was a large man though smaller than his horned counterpart.

"Come on, let's make this easy." Sal said, holding his weapon as he gestured for him to move forward.

"As you say" a deep but soft voice replied as the man named Vaughn followed Sal towards the building towards the other side of the fort meant to hold visitors. Fortunately it was empty at the moment so containing him would be simple.

She then turned to the remaining Libra Mars members. "Now leave, right now." She said firmly with a glare. The leader nodded her head and let out another set of guttural sounds as the two of them retreated into the dark the way they had come.

"Come on Cole, let's get you back." She said as she started leading him towards his quarters, gesturing for Ajax and Max to follow.

"What.. was all that?" He said, clearly still stunned. "I don't understand any of this."

"We'll figure it out kid, for now you need to get back to sleep."

"As if I can sleep after that."

"We'll talk in the morning, now go sleep, that's an order."

Cole frowned but walked inside the housing units the children were staying in. With him gone she let out a deep sigh. "Fuck" she said under her breath.

"That just about sums it up chief." Max replied, her tone less laid back then usual.

"You two should get some sleep too. You're dismissed for the night."

Max nodded and started heading back towards her room. On her way tapping Ajax on the shoulder. "Hey, I know I called your history and stuff boring the last time it came up but, seems like its becoming pretty relevant to this job here. Think at some point you could fill me in? I'll limit my self to two to three jokes I promise."

With that Kira headed to her own quarters, exhausted but not at all ready to sleep. She took off her armor, sitting at her desk in a tank top and the tights she wears under her armor. Her head was swirling with anger, confusion, and fear. She finally grabbed her phone and fired off a quick message to Monica.

My room when you're free?