Emrys checked her mask, while the need to conceal her identity was gone, it still acted as a housing for Vivien’s mind here on Thrasir. She gave it a light tug to make sure it had properly affixed to her head before climbing inside the cockpit of her Vajra. She leaned back in the seat, the ports along her spine opening and accepting the wires that connected her to her machine. Her body went limp as restraints cmped down. The ocurs of the Vajra flicked on and she took a step forward out of its dock.

  She connected to the squad channel with a thought. “Emrys reporting from Vajra 03, ready for deployment.”

  To her side the Vajra 02 stood waiting, its chest cavity open. Laine Jarnefeldt stood in her own pilot suit in front of it.

  Laine looked over at Emrys. “You’re really keeping the standard loadout?” she asked, her voice coming in twice; the one Emrys could hear over the comms channel and the other from her mouth via the external sensors.

  Emrys briefly raised the missile pods on her Vajra’s back, then lowered them. “I’m used to it, and it takes me a bit to feel anything new.”

  “Suit yourself,” said Laine, quickly striding to her machine and twirling around to flop into her seat. “I suppose I get it, but a new gun isn’t like what Ed’s done with his.” The cockpit closed and hissed as it sealed itself.

  Emrys turned her focus over to Ed’s Vajra 01, now resting on a set of Mobius Sci-Tech super heavy tank treads. He’d had the front bay modified to accept a point defense turret from storage, fnking it were a pair of smaller machine guns whose feed belts snaked inside a set of raised ammo boxes over the treads and the back end had the space to store yet another set of missiles. Compared to that, the rail rifle that Laine had swapped to and its accompanying eitr battery pack was nothing.

  “That mess is gonna need a whole transport to itself,” scoffed Rico as the Asura closed itself up.

  The Vajra 01 rolled forward. “It’s a good thing your machine doesn’t need one then, we’ve only got two of ‘em after all.”

  “Two transport chopper pilots,” added Chanel.

  “Emrys, Laine. Move your einherjar for pick up,” said Vivien.

  Laine gestured toward the opening hangar doors with ehr Vajra. “You’re up front, Emrys.”

  “Understood.” Emrys headed out of the hangar, but opened a channel directly to Vivien. “Hey, Vivien.”

  “What? Is there a problem, Emrys?”

  The Vajra 03 stood on the extension that protruded from the hangar, behind it Laine joined in her Vajra 02, rail rifle held in both hands. “We haven’t talked since the briefing.”

  “I was– I am busy, Emrys. The transport pilot needs help to properly perform his job,” replied Vivien.

  “Sorry! Just… I thought that we would…”

  “We’ll talk on the flight over. Just let me handle things right now,” said Vivien, cutting the link.

  Above, the transport helicopter lowered its hooks toward the einherjar below. With Vivien’s guidance only a single hook needed Laine to reach up and guide it to its anchor on the machine's torso. A moment ter the transport lifted the einherjar up, its bdes scything through the cold air.

  “Get Ed secured and then we're a go,” said Chanel.

  Rico waited for Ed to roll forward and into position for the remaining copter to pick up. The Vajra 01's thrusters kicked on to assist with lift before tapering off as the transport pilot became accustomed to the payload.

  “We're ready for deployment. I'll be keeping up with Rico and Ed while Vivien will handle combat support for Laine and Emrys once we split up.” Chanel paused for a moment as Rico took off, the transports following behind him. “We pull this off and we can finally get off this damn rock.”

  “Rico, remember to stay low. We're trying to avoid detection as long as possible,” added Vivien.

  “Got it. Ms Roth, you said we'd have shore leave after this? So where we headed?” Asked Rico.

  “Kovam, one of Necker's resort cities. Haven't been myself, but I've heard it's real nice,” said Chanel.

  “My uncle's got a job there at the main reactor. Says he can't stand the tourists,” added Ed.

  “Does yover count? My old team and I were there for a night between jobs.” Emrys stifled a ugh. “Sekhar got so drunk. Tried to be my wingman, too!”

  “I can't imagine that went well,” scoffed Rico.

  “Leave her alone, virgin,” said Laine.

  “Was just saying! I doubt she'd have handled it all that well.” Rico banked right, avoiding a rock formation. “We had someone like her back at the academy, and before she grew a pair she was kind of just nothing outside the combat sims.”

  Emrys looked down at the ndscape whipping by beneath her, illuminated by starlight. Before this she’d just been an average worker, barely an engineer. She did as she was told and had basic mechanical and electrical knowledge. There wasn’t much she had going on as Ben, no. Rico was right about that.

  “She’s here now, and plenty capable. You’ve all seen that,” said Vivien.

  “I wasn’t doubting her! She saved my ass st time.” Rico huffed, it clearly wasn’t easy for him to say it. “Thank you, for that.”

  Chanel began to speak, then stopped, presumably switching to a private channel with Rico.

  “Didn’t expect to hear that,” said Ed.

  “Yeah, kinda shocked,” added Laine.

  “It’s no problem, you’re my squadmates,” Emrys replied. “Vivien said I should make sure you stay alive.”

  “That’s a way to phrase it.” said Ed.

  “Well, I’m gd I’m paired with her,” said Laine.

  The conversation died down, the squad settling in for the next hour or so of travel. The spaceport wasn’t particurly far, but it was by design out of sight of the resort. They’d already passed the ridge nearest it and were flying over a frozen ke. Their destination was just visible on the horizon, the unch catapult peeking over it.

  Emrys connected privately to Vivien. “Um, you said we’d talk? And we’re getting closer… So, can we please?”

  “Fine. Yes, we can talk.” Vivien’s tone was curt.

  Emrys winced. “Are you mad at me? What did I do?”

  Vivien sighed. “You told them who you are.”

  “I wasn’t supposed to do that? I didn’t say any of the stuff about the Shahrat or what happened in the prison or anything! They don’t know about us like that.”

  “That isn’t–” Vivien cut herself off with a sigh. “Emrys.”

  “Yes?”

  “Just, give me a minute.” Vivien switched back to the main channel. “We’re coming up on their effective range. Split up and get ready for combat.”

  “You heard the dy. Rico, Ed, we’re on the western fnk,” Chanel commanded. “You three, good luck.” Then she and the other two disconnected from the channel.

  “Once the bird drops us, I’m going to line up a shot. See if we can get this shit over with before it starts,” said Laine.

  “I’ll do what I can to give you that window.” Vivien fed the two of them live data of the combat zone in the corner over their vision. “Not a lot of movement so far.”

  ‘We’ll know more soon. I’ve taken the liberty of syncing your sensor suites,” added Vivien as their HUDs updated. “Okay Emrys, we’re crystal. Go on, talk..”

  “Yeah, okay, you’re mad… What did I do wrong? I thought I was meant to get along with them. And, you know, Rico was in a bad way, I was able to help them…”

  Vivien sighed. “They were just there to keep you engaged when I was busy. You didn’t need to give away that much of yourself to your coworkers.”

  “But, he… It reminded me of before. I had to do something, because I actually got it. You know, it wasn’t good before everything happened, but there was a kind of comfort to it.”

  “Oh, what, am I not comforting?”

  “No! No, that isn’t what I meant!”

  “Then what did you mean?”

  “Well you were gone! I had to make an executive decision. Which you told me to do! I, I just–”

  “Yeah, I was talking with Chanel, getting it so I could openly speak with you. Sorry if I was too a little to busy to tell you not to compromise yourself for some nobodies.”

  “Look, I’m gd I don’t have to hide you from them, of course! I don’t like hiding..”

  “Emrys.”

  “Ye–”

  “These people do not matter. Their missions do not matter. You’re not hiding anything from them, you are hiding among them. You are the only thing that actually matters here.”

  Motes of light began to appear in the air near the transport.

  “Viv…”

  The cannon on the horizon gleamed in the darkness of predawn, clearly nearing the end of its charging cycle.

  “You realize I’ve been doing all this for you, right?”

  “Viv, please!”

  “These people don’t deserve to know you anything like I do!”

  “Viv, the cannon!”

  The transport detached the cables and swooped up. Laine and Emrys’ Vajra fired their thrusters, splitting from where they'd been dropped. Above them the cannon fired. A beam of eitr struck the transport on its underbelly, leaving a glowing wound across its length.

  “Yeah, I am working on it, Emrys!”

  Rico stared at the flickering remnant of the eitr cannon shot. “Fuck, did they get hit?”

  “There’s interference, but their IFF signals are still broadcasting,” said Chanel.

  “Releasing my tethers, Garuda 2 get out of range!” shouted Ed, plummeting toward the surface of Thrasir.

  Laine slowed her descent, raising her rifle. “Charge ready, just getting the angle.”

  Her vision diffused, head aching as she saw the target through as many viewpoints as Vivien could feed her. Calcutions running to account for the Vajra’s descent, for the wind, for any potential defect in the sabot. Laine briefly saw a hand lift the barrel of her rifle as her sight focused down range. And then, she fired.

  A thin line of psma fshed into existence and the cannon, already charging for another shot, fred like a newborn star. The sonic boom from the shot washed over Ed as he hit the ground, treads tearing up the frozen ground. Ed’s missile racks popped open as the Asura surged forward.

  “Their defenses are activating. You know what to do.”

  Across the field another beam of pure energy tore through the ice field, the cannon still very much operational. Missiles rose from concealed silos, flying up as they acquired their targets. The Asura wended through them using its superior propulsion and the point defense turret on the front of Ed's Vajra snapped from warhead to warhead, shooting them from the sky.

  “Squad straight ahead Rico, behind the warehouse,” said Chanel.

  The Asura deployed its eitr bde. “We need to make this quick.”

  Rico descended upon the Mobius squad like a falling star. Bullets whizzed past or deflected off the Asura’s angled armor as one tried to boost back and over a warehouse. Rico bsted it down into the building with his shotgun then used the machine's torso to unch himself back into the air, thrusters melting its front armor pte.

  “That's one, need to reposition!” shouted Rico.

  Ed's missile pods jettisoned their caps then unched their payloads as he rolled over a ftbed truck. “Wait for the salvo to nd before you re-engage.”

  “Yeah, I got it.” Rico turned, watching Ed's barrage crest and rain down.

  The spent racks fell on either side of Ed and the next set locked into position. “You're clear, next ones won't be near you.”

  Without replying Rico dove again, chasing the one hit hardest by the missile barrage. Its thrusters were too damaged to make much distance before the Asura was upon it, eitr bde cleaving its torso down the center. The report of another rail shot rang out, but not from Laine's position. Rico's attention snapped back to Ed, his einherjar's right arm had been blown off.

  “Ed!”

  “It’s just the arm, target's down range. Go get'em.”

  As Rico flew off toward the sniper Ed rolled back towards cover, left arm weapon raised. Across the battlefield Emrys was halfway to the cannon. Laine took another shot only for it to fsh against the kinetic barrier that protected the cannon. The weapon returned fire and force her to push her thrusters past safe output. The rush of coont unable to keep up, leaving the nozzles glowing.

  “Em, this you be a great time for you to get to the damn cannon. I've only got a couple more shots before this barrel's sg,” said Laine.

  “I'm trying,” replied Emrys, popping off a couple rounds at a defense turret before zipping past it.

  Ahead of her were a trio of Mobius einherjar, the foremost leaning forward, a heavy gatling on its back spitting a stream of rounds at Emrys. She raised her paired missile pods and fired as she rose into the air, angling her shield to deflect the oncoming bullets. Another Mobius machine fired its own missiles as Emrys’ connected with the first. She cut her thrusters and fell down behind a stack of shipping containers as the cannon fired another searing beam of eitr overhead.

  “Viv, can't you stop that thing?”

  “No, it's not connected to any open networks.”

  Emrys forced her Vajra to stand, the impact from its defensive nding having strained the knee joints. One of the remaining Mobius forces rounded the corner and she threw her shield, edge first at it. The shield connected staggering the einherjar long enough for her to close distance and pump a pair of rifle rounds into its cockpit.

  “Anything in their systems? Maybe the unch catapults could draw power from it?”

  “Whole thing is hardwired, it's the only reason I haven't solved this for you.”

  “I’m not going to be able to get to it fast enough, especially with this dey.”

  Emrys grabbed the dead pilot’s solid bde with her left hand and using the information Vivien fed her systems boosted up and over the shipping containers and fell upon the remaining foe. She let go of her rifle and grabbed her opponent’s barrel, wrenching it out of the way as she drove the solid bde through the pilot’s body.

  The cannon fired once more, tearing through the ridge that Laine hid behind. “Fuck! I'm fine, just fuck.”

  Emrys grabbed her most recent victim’s solid bde and rifle heading toward the spaceport once more. “Viv, can you bring the Myrddin here? I'm not going to be able to make it there in time like this.”

  “And risk our position even more?”

  Another pair of enemies appeared on her HUD. “Please,” her Vajra’s remaining missiles locked onto one of the two new targets, “Laine won’t be able to keep dodging at this rate.”

  “Fine.” Vivien left her.

  Emrys’ missiles found their targets, but they only peeled away armor ptes. “Laine, just focus on taking cover.”

  “Yeah, I know,” said Laine, trying to ignore the warnings in her vision.

  Emrys fired a few shots into one of the new target’s exposed joints making its gun arm go sck, but the other surged forward. The Mobius einherjar raised its shield and aimed its shotgun. The rifle she’d picked up clicked; empty. A moment ter the shotgun bst threw her back. She saw the weapon cycle another shell and then its center blew out. Laine had spent one of her remaining shots on saving her.

  _______

  Vivien didn't have time to spare. It was only a matter of time until Laine was no longer able to evade the eitr cannon. None of the Vajra nor even the Asura would be able to close the distance in time. Her Emrys was in danger and she was going to have to be the one to act.

  Her mind pinged off of Sindur and down to Veles. It was unlikely that her project would survive active combat, but there was no point to it if Emrys was killed. The Myrddin accepted her essence and stood, tearing a reality hole before it had even finished getting up.

  ______

  Ed rolled back, thrusters aiding in the movement as he riddled a Mobius einherjar with bullets. Its warped armor fell from its frame, but it kept coming. A round tore through his Vajra's cranial unit as Ed's shots finally hit something vital and the einherjar fell onto the front of Ed’s machine, inert.

  On the far ridge Rico drove his eitr bde through the snipers cockpit. He let the bde dissipate and turned toward the cannon atop the spaceport. A hole appeared above it and a dark form descended from it, a beam of crimson projected from its outstretched palm.

  Vivien pressed the bde of eitr through the barrel of the cannon. It’s kinetic shielding couldn’t do anything about the searing energy as she tore down its length and jumped away from it as the energy it had been building spilled out into a cloud of burning rainbow. She hadn’t been fast enough and the blowback washed over the Myrddin. It nded on the side of the mountain, the snow sizzling against its body. The Myrddin lurched forward, its cockpit opening to the cold air, bck metal petals covered in the telltale rainbow of eitr burns. A cloud of steam flowed out of the machine's open midsection.

  “Emrys, it's done.”

  Dark_Sun_Morrigan