Somewhere on Io, The Silent Bastion
After Insurrection Era 0025
Sixth Day of the First Calendar Month
The Silent Guardian came in for a landing deep in the cavern where laid the base of Caladrius and the Silent Guardian. The blue thrust of the machine settled down lower and lower, the machine gracefully descending into its designated hangar location, wind blowing out from underneath the massive machine. The machine hovered gently in place while the securing arms moved into position before clamping the unit in place. Once secured, the thrusters were killed and the light from its eye-slit faded.
It’s over… It’s over, but it's over. He saw me...
Two people came rushing out from a nearby doorway, stopping in front of the tall mobile suit, one looking with concern, the other whistling and wiping her brow.
“The cockpit…!”
The first woman said, eyes wide and hand covering mouth.
“That’s a lotta’ damage…”
Said the second. Though she said, the only two major points were the torso and the missing left weapon. The two took the lift up to the cockpit’s level and got a closer look at the damage. Despite being damaged, the hatch opened just fine, revealing the lone child within. She was frozen in place, hands still firmly clenching the controls of the Silent Guardian. Her breathing was rough and sweat covered her body,
“H-Hey, Lucia, are you alright?”
The first woman stepped inside the cockpit placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder. There was no response.
“Oi, Lucia. Are you going to get up? I’m not sure how you’ll feel if you’re connected while I repair this thing.”
The second woman replied. Still no response.
“Lucia.”
From outside came a third voice, deeper and masculine. Entering the hangar was a man in a wheelchair, his right hand using the controls for the wheelchair’s movement. His left arm and both of his legs remained limp and unmoving. An eyepatch was adorned over his left eye, but his right eye held a dominant aura, the eye of a man who had seen all of the world and more. Who had seen the good, the bad, the horrific, the romantic.
His skin was dark and worn, with visible wrinkles around his eyes and forehead. His snow-white hair and beard was aged and disheveled, but it nonetheless gave him a great sense of maturity. His expression was stern and unwavering, a cold and rigid exterior that was all summarized into this legend of a man. Yes, the Ace of Aces, the one who saved Io from the day of Raining Hellfire, Caladrius himself.
Even though he looked like but a mere husk of his former glory, there was no doubting that this man was an Ace Pilot.
“Lucia.”
On his second call, the young girl blinked once, then twice, as she was snapped out of her trance and finally let loose on the controls. She slouched back into her chair and took a deep breath as all kinds of emotions began to bubble up inside her.
Shera, the mechanic, helped her lean forward and disconnect her from the Alaya-Vijnana system, the several cables disconnecting from her spine, revealing the three protrusions that extended from her spinal cord.
Leona helped her out of the cockpit, carrying her over her shoulder, and exiting the cockpit.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
Leona looked to Shera.
“Right-o! I’ll get ‘er fixed up in a jiffy!”
Shera gave a wide grin and a thumbs up before getting to work.
Leona and Lucia hopped on the lift and descended back down to the ground, where Caladrius was waiting for them.
“Lass, how are you?”
The man asked her.
“I’m… fine… I think.”
“You think?”
“He saw…”
She clenched her left arm with her right.
“Hmm?”
“He damaged the cockpit hatch and saw into the machine. He saw me.”
Caladrius paused and looked intently.
“He did?!”
Leona spoke, shocked by Lucia’s words.
“I see…”
Were the only words that came out of Caladrius’ mouth. He seemed to be thinking hard, with his brows furrowed and eyes narrowed.
“Leona, get Lucia washed and rested up. We’ll discuss this later.”
He turned to Leona and spoke firmly.
“R-Right… Come on Lucia.”
She helped Lucia walk out of the hangar and into the facility.
Caladrius turned and looked to the Silent Guardian, taking several moments to simply look at the machine.
“Will the secret finally be revealed? It’s still too early to know. We can plan in the meantime. Wars are fought with information too.”
He clenched his right fist and looked down to the left side of his body.
“I will do whatever it takes. Io shall not fall. Not today, not ever.”
After Insurrection Era 0025
Sixth Day of the First Calendar Month
The Silent Guardian came in for a landing deep in the cavern where laid the base of Caladrius and the Silent Guardian. The blue thrust of the machine settled down lower and lower, the machine gracefully descending into its designated hangar location, wind blowing out from underneath the massive machine. The machine hovered gently in place while the securing arms moved into position before clamping the unit in place. Once secured, the thrusters were killed and the light from its eye-slit faded.
It’s over… It’s over, but it's over. He saw me...
Two people came rushing out from a nearby doorway, stopping in front of the tall mobile suit, one looking with concern, the other whistling and wiping her brow.
“The cockpit…!”
The first woman said, eyes wide and hand covering mouth.
“That’s a lotta’ damage…”
Said the second. Though she said, the only two major points were the torso and the missing left weapon. The two took the lift up to the cockpit’s level and got a closer look at the damage. Despite being damaged, the hatch opened just fine, revealing the lone child within. She was frozen in place, hands still firmly clenching the controls of the Silent Guardian. Her breathing was rough and sweat covered her body,
“H-Hey, Lucia, are you alright?”
The first woman stepped inside the cockpit placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder. There was no response.
“Oi, Lucia. Are you going to get up? I’m not sure how you’ll feel if you’re connected while I repair this thing.”
The second woman replied. Still no response.
“Lucia.”
From outside came a third voice, deeper and masculine. Entering the hangar was a man in a wheelchair, his right hand using the controls for the wheelchair’s movement. His left arm and both of his legs remained limp and unmoving. An eyepatch was adorned over his left eye, but his right eye held a dominant aura, the eye of a man who had seen all of the world and more. Who had seen the good, the bad, the horrific, the romantic.
His skin was dark and worn, with visible wrinkles around his eyes and forehead. His snow-white hair and beard was aged and disheveled, but it nonetheless gave him a great sense of maturity. His expression was stern and unwavering, a cold and rigid exterior that was all summarized into this legend of a man. Yes, the Ace of Aces, the one who saved Io from the day of Raining Hellfire, Caladrius himself.
Even though he looked like but a mere husk of his former glory, there was no doubting that this man was an Ace Pilot.
“Lucia.”
On his second call, the young girl blinked once, then twice, as she was snapped out of her trance and finally let loose on the controls. She slouched back into her chair and took a deep breath as all kinds of emotions began to bubble up inside her.
Shera, the mechanic, helped her lean forward and disconnect her from the Alaya-Vijnana system, the several cables disconnecting from her spine, revealing the three protrusions that extended from her spinal cord.
Leona helped her out of the cockpit, carrying her over her shoulder, and exiting the cockpit.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
Leona looked to Shera.
“Right-o! I’ll get ‘er fixed up in a jiffy!”
Shera gave a wide grin and a thumbs up before getting to work.
Leona and Lucia hopped on the lift and descended back down to the ground, where Caladrius was waiting for them.
“Lass, how are you?”
The man asked her.
“I’m… fine… I think.”
“You think?”
“He saw…”
She clenched her left arm with her right.
“Hmm?”
“He damaged the cockpit hatch and saw into the machine. He saw me.”
Caladrius paused and looked intently.
“He did?!”
Leona spoke, shocked by Lucia’s words.
“I see…”
Were the only words that came out of Caladrius’ mouth. He seemed to be thinking hard, with his brows furrowed and eyes narrowed.
“Leona, get Lucia washed and rested up. We’ll discuss this later.”
He turned to Leona and spoke firmly.
“R-Right… Come on Lucia.”
She helped Lucia walk out of the hangar and into the facility.
Caladrius turned and looked to the Silent Guardian, taking several moments to simply look at the machine.
“Will the secret finally be revealed? It’s still too early to know. We can plan in the meantime. Wars are fought with information too.”
He clenched his right fist and looked down to the left side of his body.
“I will do whatever it takes. Io shall not fall. Not today, not ever.”