Rendezvous with the Devil (Shadow)

[Nemesis]

Macross Galaxy
December 23rd
Waypoint C, en route to Ganymede
8:45 PM

The Galaxy drifted through space, a hulking behemoth with the sun glinting off its surface, escort vessels traveling at a distance about it. This evening, one of its lesser used sub-ports ground open on slightly rusted hinges, exposing an inner, slightly older hangar. The perfect kind of place for meeting with those of a certain... unsavory persuasion. Yet even so, the occasional squadron of YF-27s, like slender verdant arrows, cruised by, keeping an eye on the situation.

Within the dock, Rowena Koenig waited, flanked on either side by a pair of cyborg bodyguards. Normally she'd be a little uncomfortable in this situation, but compared to who she was about to face? The Galaxy's crew members, for all their eerie efficiency, were practically comrades in arms. She'd managed to prevail upon the Captain to pause their Fold movement for a short period to permit this... conference, as it were.

Now, she thought, to see if BAHRAM would make good on its word.

 

[ShadowVigilante1]

In the light of the great red spot, a shadow began to emerge. Now visible on sensors, nothing but an inconspicuous transport ship. As it emerged from the bright backdrop of stormy Jupiter, it seemed to be getting closer and closer to the Galaxy. The IFF identified it as civilian craft, and it seemed there were no weapons mounted to it either. If the craft were to be scanned, it would pick up nothing but big metal husks in need of reassembling. It looked like a disassembled fighter jet, somewhere between a Valkyrie and one of Cascadia’s experimental fighters. To the untrained eye, it would seem like a hunk of junk, but to Rowena? That would be a different story all together.

The ship soon pulled into the unused hangar and would be clamped into place as it docked, keeping the ship stable in the zero-g environment. A door on the side of the craft hissed as the airlock inside decompressed before slowly opening up. It was just big enough to offload some relatively small crates, but instead of crates two men in armored space suits stepped out of the craft.



They seemed to have rifles at the ready, but they weren’t trained on anyone in particular. They would float out to the sides of the door as a third rifleman came to greet the trio from the Galaxy.

”Rowena Koenig?” The BAHRAM rifleman quipped with the muffled speaker on his suit. “If you would follow us inside, ma’am. Too many eyes and ears out here, big guys wanna keep it quiet.” He would stow away his rifle for the moment. “Precautionary measures and all that kind of stuff, you understand.” His voice marked him as rather young, just how many of the new generation had BAHRAM managed to conscript to their cause?

 

[Nemesis]

"The one and only." Said Rowena in response to the young man, as he stepped out of the ship.

Her eyes flicked up and down behind her own helmet, assessing him from head to toe, as well as the nondescript nature of his appearance. Most of BAHRAM's machines, she understood, were automatons... Was this the state of their normal soldiers, then? She was half surprised they hadn't sent a remote controlled ship in the first place.

(Quiet, huh? Given we're about to undertake a major offensive against your ally, I'd imagine so.)

At his suggestion she follow, an eyebrow was raised minutely - but she floated forward, followed in short order by a pair of cyborg bodyguards. The interior of the junk-y looking vessel, she hoped, would not be as grimy as the outside, and she rubbed her fingers together as her hand came away from the hull coated with dirt.

"I appreciate your timeliness. It's good to see the "big guys" are respectful of our schedule."

 

[ShadowVigilante1]

The soldier that greeted Rowena moved back into airlock with the other two who were outside swiftly following them into the craft. The door behind them would close as the area pressurized itself, the feeling of artificial gravity came, its weight quickly pulling down on the 6 of them.

“Well, we would have been late if Kord here didn’t rush to grab his credits.” One of the riflemen who brought up the rear said to the one opposite him.

The other BAHRAM rifleman would knock his elbow into his colleague. “Oh come on, you expect me to go to one of these Spacy ships and not buy something exotic? Besides, it’ll help Stacy and her mom, they can sell it for more.”

“Still eyeing her up, huh? Well good luck with that, last I heard her mom joined some kinda program back home. Haven’t heard from her in almost a week now, she’s probably worried sick.” The rifleman would sigh. “Damn old creepy coot and his trials, thankfully I heard there’s less people joining those nowadays. I heard it’s mostly the old guard joining now, dad’s one of ‘em.”

“Shit, really? Guess I’ll take her to her favorite spot, probably have a picnic there. But your dad signed up for those things too, huh? Don’t blame him, seeing the Ghost Angel in action again I bet he stood up from the sheer nostalgia.” The two riflemen at the back would laugh from their conversation, the one in front however seemed to have a bit of a problem with it.

“Are you two done? We’re supposed to be escorting, remember? Even, I know when the hell to shut up around these kinds of folk. So shut your traps, man.” The other two would look at each other before standing at attention again, before both giving a sarcastic “sir, yes sir.” The look on the lead rifleman’s blank helmet was clear as day as he slumped slightly with a slight grunt, he would hold his helmet in slight disappointment as the door into the ship finally opened up. “Sorry about that ma’am, sometimes these two dunno when to shut up.” The lead BAHRAM rifleman would step forward, into the open cargo bay. There seemed to be a large tarp covering whatever the cargo was however, preventing Rowena from seeing whatever it was they were carrying on board.

“Says the man who was fantasizing about how our new friend here looked. She up to your tastes?” Clearly he was referring to Rowena, and it caused the lead rifleman to jolt in slight embarrassment as he approached a keypad with an intercom speaker on it leading to what seemed to be the cargo ship’s bridge. “W-Well… I uhh… s-she’s uhh… less stiff than I was imagining that’s for sure.” He was silently hoping she didn’t mind having a few admirers, or else he was probably getting a knife put to his throat in a moment.

 

[Nemesis]

Rowena listened to the candid back and forth of the soldiers, her gaze level, arms folded, fingers drumming on her forearm. She would have pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, but silently absorbed what she could. At the mention of her own... assets, for lack of better term, there was only the smallest of responses, as she gave a small, thin smile. And waited. Waited for the silence to descend upon them. Let the seconds tick by.

And then, when it would seem almost unbearable, she spoke:

"Are all soldiers of BAHRAM this unprofessional?"

At the mention of BAHRAM, the two cyborg solders at her sides exchanged silent glances. Rowena flicked up her sleeve, looking at a watch as she continued, tersely:

"In a short while, this vessel will be Folding directly to the front lines. If you would prefer not to have your return trip under fire, I suggest you focus on the task at hand... and remember who you represent."

 

[ShadowVigilante1]

“U-Uhh… n-no ma’am. J-Just us guys… professionalism’s more for the higher ups…” He would quickly enter a code into the keypad and allowed Rowena to enter the bridge as he stepped aside to let them in. “Uhhh… t-this way, please.” He sounded slightly defeated, but at the very least he was keeping things together. The riflemen from the rear stood guard at the door as it closed behind Rowena and the soldiers, the BAHRAM rifleman stepped not far behind them as they walked up a flight of stairs.

At the top, a bunch of younger and slightly older soldiers were at the helm of the bridge. But there seemed to be a table set up near the back of the bridge, and there sat a woman with short white hair. She wore a big smile on her face, it almost seemed like that was the only expression she ever wore from how bright her face was. She seemed to be humming something to herself, it sounded slow, almost like something you’d hear from a music box. She would turn to Rowena and stood up with glee before approaching Rowena with a swing in her step.

Spoiler: The First Cardinal

”Welcome welcome, you must be Ro! I’m Hapi with an I, but you can just call me Happy with a Y!” She would extend her hand out to Rowena, the energy beaming from her was quite plentiful to say the least. “Nice to meet you.”

 

[Nemesis]

"Ms. Koenig. Please."

Rowena gripped Hapi's hand, but for all the warmth and emotion it conveyed, she might as well have been palming one of the cyborgs instead. She blinked slowly, removing her helmet as custom dictated. Her bodyguards, however, remained fully suited and alert, observing the room in stalwart silence. After the buffoonish performance from the soldiers in the previous room, she'd been hoping for something a little more ordinary, but...

"Pardon me if I seem on edge, but we are pressed for time... Hapi."

She said the woman's name with no small amount of uncertainty, the perkiness sliding miserably off Ro's chilly exterior like a thrown custard pudding. Maybe it was something in the water with these people, she reasoned to herself, taking in the bridge, keeping an eye out for any unusual sights as she spoke.

"It was no small feat for me to convince the Galaxy to drop anchor for this rendezvous. I assume you brought the agreed upon materials?"

 

[ShadowVigilante1]

Happy would shake Rowena’s hand firmly, not minding the cold stiffness it had. She didn’t have a care in the world about that, some people were really like that. But the better part was making those kinds of people smile when they need it, and it was clear she had problems of her own according to her own words.

”Alright, alright. I’ll try calling you Ro Ro next time, for now Ms. Koenig, you can have a seat here.” She would gesture to one of the chairs before she herself sat down as well with a plop, sitting down almost like an inflatable man. It was clear nothing was going to keep her energy down at this rate.

”So, down to business. But I must first ask, that you turn off all devices as we prepare for take off on this little meeting of ours.“ She said while looking at the two guards of the Galaxy, it was clear they weren’t of the League but it would have been safer for them to keep their ears and eyes shut for the moment. “But yes, I did bring it. But we had to disassemble it for obvious reasons, it wouldn’t do to bring an active Orbital Frame here now would it? That and it makes it all the more easier for you to learn the ins and outs of what makes my little baby tick. Just be sure to take good care of her, ok?” She said as she clapped her hands as the soldier from earlier approached. “Rinza? The message.”

“Yes, of course.” Rinza said with a more calm voice once again. He would plug in a drive to the side of the table as a holographic man sitting in an office table projected itself above the table. He looked quite healthy, quite far from the picture of a weak old man nearing the end of his life. It was him, Hellas.

“I bid you a good day, Rowena. Unfortunately due to my condition and our plans, I am afraid I cannot meet you in person as much as I wish to. But I must defer to the judgement of Happy and deliver this recorded message instead.”

”Aww… thanks, dad.” Happy quipped as Hellas continued to speak, this time with a clearer voice than when he called last time.

“As you well know, BAHRAM did not start out this way as a terrorist group as the League likes to label us now. We began as a militia, the people you see now are the sons and daughters of that militia, instilled with the hope of leading a simple life. And if they could win back the paradise that was destroyed on Mars, all the better.“ Hellas would take a moment to pause, let things sink in for Rowena as he did last time. “Of course, there are always those who join us from the Colonies as well. That pilot of the large Orbital Frame in Clockflower for instance, he was a Coordinator. No home, no one to turn to. He came to BAHRAM in search of those.”

”You may ask yourself why I am telling you these things. But it is simple really, the reason for why we all fight. I would hear your answer before we come to anything further than borrowing Happy’s Neith.“ Hellas would then give a solemn smile. “I patiently await your answer.” The recording stopped there it seems.

”So, Rinza. What are you fighting for? Your family or a girl?” Seems like Happy, was keen on teasing a bit to lighten the mood, having heard the stuttering from the intercom it seemed.

And right back to a stuttering mess Rinza went. “W-Well I uhhh… well my family of course… and whoever I get to marry… want to open my own restaurant since I like cooking in my free time… Uhhh… yeah… that’s all.” Happy would giggle slightly at his response before turning to Rowena. “How about you, Ms, Koenig? What do you fight for?” She understands that this was quite blunt, but nothing got things done faster in conversations like this much like being blunt about one’s feelings.

 

[Nemesis]

"...Is this some kind of joke?"

Rowena had listened to Hellas' message, begrudgingly slipping into the seat... and slowly, bowed her head, staring on the floor. Her response had been almost a whisper, yet all in the room would have heard it for how cutting her tone was.

"Do you really want to know why I'm fighting?"

She gave a short noise, something between a sob and a laugh... raised her head... and began to speak. After all, what did she have to lose? How long had she kept it inside? How many years, keeping the secret, yet knowing it was what kept her in bondage to the League's whims?



"There was a man, once. A Raven by the name of Leos Klein. He was either a fool or a hero, depending who you ask. Maybe you've heard of him.

He said a lot of the same things you people do. That his fight was one for freedom. Equality. Dignity. That the people of Mars deserved better. In the name of these ideals, he scourged the surface of the red planet, plunging it into a bloody war... The Frighteners Crisis.

Hundreds of thousands died at the hands of his followers and their Disorder Unit automatons. He was only barely stopped by an unknown Raven on Deimos. Some even say that he was planning to drop Deimos itself on Mars, and that Klein was never a revolutionary, a visionary, a Ninebreaker - just a madman.

The Corporations dragged his name through the muck, using it to justify crackdowns and purges, until nobody was left to oppose them as they poisoned the surface of the planet, turning into a godless wasteland."

She blinked slowly, catching her breath. Reciting it all as if it were tattooed on the back of her eyelids. How could she not? It had followed her every single day of her life. Her knuckles were white on her lap with how tightly her hands were clasped, nails digging into her skin.

"That man's blood runs through my veins. And there is not a single day when I am not reminded of the damage his misguided insurrection caused to all of humanity. The target permanently painted on my back for the rest of my life.

I don't fight for your high-minded ideals. I'm fighting to survive. To get through the next day without a knife in my back. To keep my head above rising waters just a few seconds longer. That's it. That's my life."

Her shoulders shook with barely suppressed fury. Knowing that she was anything like the woman in front of her, with that stupid smirk plastered across her features, made her want to retch. Her voice was rising now, had been rising slowly, one murderous octave at a time. Even the Galaxy's automatons took an imperceptible step back, as if sensing the heat streaming off the woman as she stared daggers at Hapi.

"Ideals are just words. You know what matters - what's the only thing that matters? Power. Without that, you're nothing. If you believe otherwise... See where it gets you. Just watch. And then, when it's your turn to have your face, with that stupid smile, stomped into the fucking dirt? You'll realize what cold comfort they are, right before they SLIT YOUR THROAT!"

Rowena's words echoed around the room, terminating in a shout as she slammed her fists into the chair, with enough force to snap the armrests in two. Her whole body shook with anger and emotion as she realized she stood. Her vision swam, and she took a step backward - and then, breathing heavily, bolted through the door behind her. Whether it was shame, terror, or something else that propelled her, the Galaxy's guards took off in pursuit, barely giving a backwards glance at the doubtlessly surprised BAHRAM operatives.

 

[ShadowVigilante1]

The members of BAHRAM in the room were stunned to say the least. They practically ceased all operations as Rowena gave her rant before storming off. “Whoops… looks like I pushed the informalities a bit too far…” Happy said as she saw Rowena blasting off away to the bridge’s exit. “No shit, Sherlock. Now we’re never getting this job done.“ Rinza would sigh and shook his head, it seems he decided on something. “Alright, I’ll go talk with her. Hopefully she hasn’t left the ship entirely.”

Rinza would storm down the steps, hoping to catch Rowena before she needed up leading. “Ms. Koenig?” He shouted as he attempted to search for her.

 

[Nemesis]

As Rinza made his way out onto the deck, his progress would have been arrested by running face-first into what must have felt like an immovable wall.

The cyborg soldier looked down at him, impassively. It was impossible to read their expression from behind the opaque glass of their helmet, but there was the distinct sense there was a silent conversation going on, some orders being relayed and received. Behind him, many others of a similar make had filed into the hangar, bringing with them heavy lifting equipment.

He raised a pair of fingers to his ear, as if listening, before speaking. A monotone voice flecked with static that brooked little in the way of argument.

"Rowena Koenig is currently unavailable. Irregular brainwave activity detected. For her safety, and yours, we have placed her in quarantine pending a full medical review. Per the agenda of this meeting, we will handle the unloading of sensitive materials."

And, seemingly without waiting for any response, they began to file into the cargo bay, like hulking, gleaming insects. On the bridge, the green forms of several YF-27s were visible now as they landed near the entranceway, scanning back and forth - though it was impossible to tell if they were sentries sent for protection, or perhaps, to intimidate.

 

[ShadowVigilante1]

“Gah!” As Rinza ran into the cybernetic guard, he quickly adopted a defensive stance as he stood back. He watched behind him as the the cyborgs began to unload the Neith parts one by one. It was clear now that the jig was up, their window would be closing fast. “Well, guess protocols are protocols.” He said before standing down, waving a hand in front of the guard’s face out of curiosity for how he would react. Sure as hell acted like robots, sounded like them too. This ship was… off for sure, nothing in it felt natural in the slightest.

Happy would lean over the railing above the stairway and would shout down to the guard. “Just be careful with the core, that’s volatile.” Rinza would look up at his… commanding officer he supposed. “So what now? Meeting’s off, we’re waiting for the cargo to be offloaded, and we don’t even know why she’s…” Then he realized it, what’s been keeping her on edge.

”Target on her back, she’s running and she’s-” Happy would quickly be cut off by Rinza’s eureka moment. “She’s running out of options. They’re either sending her on a mission she can’t come back from or they’re gonna silence her… permanently.” Happy would nod in agreement. “Maybe… maybe not.“

”That depends on her own merits.” Happy thought out loud before concealing herself within her own thoughts again. ‘But perhaps we can give you a bit of what you want, that thing that gives you joy and euphoria.’

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Later…

Email Addressed to Rowena Koenig

Sender: Unknown
Sent from: Jovian Communication Satellite

Message:

Ms. Koenig,

I hope this message finds you well as you collect your thoughts. I heard you have expressed a great amount of grievance towards my choice of representatives and I apologize profusely for their lack of being tactful. But otherwise I have heard your answer as well. I will not deny it, we are teetering on the edge of repeating history as your ancestor once did. A bloody quest to reclaim what we lost, the good that would come from it would be insignificant to the damage done. Over the course of my life, I have attempted to steer away from that path. But IT wills this conflict. The fate of our group, perhaps even that of humanity is already out of my hands. Even as I type this, there is little I can do to halt their design, my design.

We know we are powerless, all we do simply buys more time for survival for us precious few. But what is life if not an uphill battle? Fate will always seek to deny us, deny us a place in this world, a place where we can thrive and live in peace. That has ever been the truth between the strong and the weak. So I would ask another question… why continue to live at all if you live only for the sake of living? What do you accomplish? What will you prove?

Below I have attached a file I believe will be of great interest to you. The truth upon which your bloodline was judged.

I will be in touch.

Sincerely,
A Friend from Far Away

File attached:

RAVEN Frightner Crisis: Deimos.mp3