[Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 07/26/2021)

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dragoongfa
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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 08/13/2018)

Post by dragoongfa »

Next part is up.

The story really took roots in my head as I was toying with the idea of what a Loroi criminal underworld would really look like. The inter-connectivity of human criminal gangs is well known and documented, with large gangs having 'departments' for all their needs.

A Loroi criminal underground however would be far more insular due to the nature of telepathy. Small and highly specialized gangs that put a lot of effort in staying hidden and not making waves. Naturally they would need to cooperate with each other for things and services that they couldn't legally purchase but that introduces a whole can of worms in terms of trust, both to upheld the deals and to ensure that any leaks are plugged as quickly as possible.

This is where the 'Pact' and the 'Enforcers' come in. Unspoken of rules that cover the basic conduct of all gangs and what they are to do if the authorities capture them (usually suicide and destruction of evidence) with the 'Enforcers' being the ones who make sure that the Pact is upheld no matter the cost (while also being assassins for hire when things are quiet).

Krulle
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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 08/13/2018)

Post by Krulle »

I like it.
You really made me curious to see where this goes.

Thank You!
Vote for Outsider on TWC: Image
charred steppes, borders of territories: page 59,
jump-map of local stars: page 121, larger map in Loroi: page 118,
System view Leido Crossroads: page 123, after the battle page 195

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 08/13/2018)

Post by Rogue1115 »

Hey dragoongfa, just wanted to say that you have an awesome story here. Really don’t know how to say this without sounding like a whiny commentor, but I was wondering if this story has been shelved to pursue other projects or is it just on a temporary hiatus? Not trying to complain, just curious.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 08/13/2018)

Post by dragoongfa »

Temporary hiatus, have been awfully busy in RL (work and personal) lately. Should be able to have the next part out 'soon enough' provided I don't sleep like a rock through most of the weekend again.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 10/14/2018)

Post by dragoongfa »

Chapter 4, part 3

The three Enforcers were hard to ‘cold read’, they seemed perfectly calm and collected but the minor signs of them being agitated and shaken were still there; especially when they were alone. Their bodies were tenser, their breathing somewhat faster and shallower, they even had trouble sleeping if she was to judge by the video feeds. All of that clear signs that the full spectrum suppressors had gotten them riled up.

She would have liked to have a series of one to one sessions with all of them but she knew that would take too much time and she wasn’t certain that any one of them would have opened up anyway. A different approach was required to get something out of them, in a perfect universe she would make them believe that they still had a shot at their target; their stony facades would waver just a bit if that was the case but she wasn’t going to allow the ganger anywhere near them before they had been thoroughly and completely broken.

“Can they even be broken?”
Astarte asked as the two of them stared down at the three shackled and suppressed Enforcers.

“Everyone breaks, we just have to find the right breaking point.”


“They are Enforcers.”
Astarte pointed out. “I had thought that they were over exaggerations of ganger backstabbing, not an actual type of gang.”

“Among the things I don’t want to remember are a couple of run ins I had with Enforcers. The first time was when a client gang complained that we had tampered with the goods in transit. It was… disconcerting.”
Alexandra replied and mentally shuddered at that.

“So how are you going to do this? Telepathy is out of the question, even if they didn’t have the suppressors on.”
Astarte asked, her question helping push the discomfort from her mind away.

“The only way for them to break and then turn into something useful is to Reforge them.”
Alexandra replied and got ready to cut off Astarte’s inevitable tirade.

“What? They haven’t even properly met a human yet!”


“It’s either that or we grant them the death they now seek.”
Alexandra replied dryly. “They want nothing more than to kill their target and die. That’s how loyal and disconnected they are, in order for them to break they need to have something important in their lives. I will see into providing just that as they are Reforged.”

“You will need someone extraordinary to play the part.”
Astarte pointed out.

“We are already at the middle of a black op and the higher ups will want what these three can give if they become cooperative.”


“The brass may just elect to discard everything and bury the whole thing.”
Astarte replied.

“That’s up to them to decide.”
Alexandra agreed. “Until then I will see into providing all possible avenues for them to choose from.”

“I don’t like this but I can’t argue against that. Just be careful, these are hardened killers, not browbeaten civilians in need of some backbone.”


“You have no idea…”
Alexandra replied as she signaled for Astarte to leave. It was the first time they had brought them in the same room but the three enforcers just stared down at the floor with expressionless faces as she left, just like they always did as individuals when someone else was in the same room. Alexandra had hoped that she would illicit a reaction out of them if the first thing they got from her was seeing their comrades for a the first time since their capture but they still seemed cold and aloof.

“I have to admit that I didn’t even suspect any of the three of you.” Alexandra begun as she stared at the bowed head of the same Loroi she had processed right before the ganger. “I had tagged your target the moment I first sensed her and the two Mizol were found out the moment they were processed but you three? You were quite an unexpected surprise. Especially you!” Alexandra said as she tapped the top of the head of the enforcer whose sight triggered the dormant suggestion in her mind. “I still can’t remember you properly but I know that we have met once before, probably right before the coup against Greywind when my gang was smuggling weapons and explosives on Deinar. I almost froze and panicked at your sight, the suggestion was deep and thorough but I am not the same I was back then and you are now shackled and suppressed in front of me. A captured enforcer, practically unheard of to capture one, how much three of you at the same time. You would all be a guaranteed promotion for any Mizol who would bring you forth to her superiors but I am not a Mizol so you can rest easy in that regard.” She paused for a moment to observe them, hoping to see a reaction from anyone of them but all three of them were unmoving, bowed and silent. “I have to commend you for your discipline, able to betray nothing in either mind or body. Not many are able to do that but you enforcers are a different kind of breed. How many of you are there on Deinar? A few hundred? A thousand at the most? So few and yet able to keep all the other gangs in line and safe; enforcing the contracts whenever someone breaks faith, always making sure that the pact is upheld and let’s not forget the assassination jobs you pick up on the side if the money is right.” She paused again for effect at that.

“My guess is that this mess was due to a call for a cleanup after a gang was captured; evidence needed to disappear and witnesses needed to be silenced, the pact demands all that but I am certain that several gangs and even guilds paid good money to ensure all loose ends were severed, especially if the gang in question specialized in what I think it did. All in all I wager that the combined total of the bounty would be enough to buy a couple of starships but the problem was that one of the targets not only packed up and left but that she also picked up some unwanted Mizol attention, or to be more precise the Mizol somehow learned of the Enforcer hit against her; their interest drawn not to a lone ganger on the run but on those who would come after her. I can only imagine how rare it is for them to learn of an impending hit, how much the possibility of reaping the rewards of successfully capturing one of you; I can actually picture the line of Mizol interrogators that would pay any favors for getting a chance to gleam anything from your minds. It’s no wonder that they kept your target under watch all the way to the Confederation, not to protect her but as bait so they could catch you in the act. They probably even gave you plenty of obvious opportunities for the kill but you obviously weren’t foolish enough to get caught by such a simple trap.” All three of them remained reactionless and emotionless, staring down blankly at her feet, she elected to continue despite the lack of even a hint of getting through to them, for a moment she even thought that they didn’t even speak Trade. They certainly hadn’t betrayed the ability like the two Mizol did during the various lessons but she still remembered the standoff at the cargo bay and how all three reacted when she challenged them, not just the one who spoke to her. “Yet you were foolishly caught… Was your foolishness caused because we are civilians playing warrior games? Did three Enforcers actually grow complacent?” They didn’t react at all, they just stared at her feet, expressionless and unmoving; without letting out any sound whatsoever.

She couldn’t do anything but stare at them in silence for over a minute, waiting to see any kind of hint until she noticed something peculiar with their breathing. It took some moments but she realized that all three of them were breathing in unison at the exact same rhythm. She clicked her tongue in agitation without even realizing it and immediately tried to cover the ‘tell’ of her realization.

“This is useless, give me something, anything so I may not have to give you to the warriors!” She pleaded while making sure her feet’s movements betrayed agitation. “Fools!” With that she put out a show of storming out of the interrogation room in agitation.

“Astarte, I want you to gather three DNA sample without them realizing it and then have them compared!” She ordered the moment the door close behind.

“Compared? You think they are related?”
Astarte asked.

“I am certain of that, they have gone through the exact kind of mental training, they even perfectly matched each other’s breathing while they were at the same room. All gangs teach their initiates their hard learned techniques but Enforcers are far more tight knit and unbelievably loyal to each other; I had once worked with a thieves’ gang which exhibited such unified discipline, focus and loyalty; they did that by keeping things within the family, each gang member closely related with all others, their lineage going as far back as Deinar’s classical era.” Alexandra explained and she could sense the dawn of understanding in Astarte’s mind.

“And you still think that they can be broken? Even Reforged?”
The Master Sergeant asked as she came up to her.

“Everyone can be broken and put back together.”
Alexandra recited. “But it will be tricky. They will have to be separated before shaking the very foundations of their being.”

“And how are you planning to do that?”


“We will keep them separate at all times for now. The shock will be the hard part but that’s something for after their trail is erased.”
Alexandra replied.

“And how are we going to do that? We are not in a position to make several prisoners disappear without someone asking questions.”
Astarte pointed out.

“We have three Enforcers, the ganger and her package. We can't clear the trail on our own but hopefully Earth’s Reforged will be in a position to do something about it when the ‘Lucky Dime’ gets there."

Chapter 5, Part 1: http://www.well-of-souls.com/forums/vie ... 852#p32852
Last edited by dragoongfa on Sun Oct 28, 2018 10:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 10/14/2018)

Post by dragoongfa »

Wew, unplanned hiatus due to a multitude of reasons, ranging from me being lazy to several other things catching my eyes.

Sorry about that, I will see if I can throw myself back into a proper schedule.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 10/14/2018)

Post by Krulle »

SpoilerShow
dragoongfa wrote:Chapter 4, part 3

[...]
“Astarte, I want you to gather three DNA samples without them realizing it and then have them compared!” She ordered the moment the door close behind.

“Compared? You thing think they are related?”
Astarte asked.

[...]
I just stumbled over that one.
But with the trail these three have, erasing sufficient may be a rather hard task. Good the trails lead into Humanities SOI anyway, and makes trail hunting more difficult....
Vote for Outsider on TWC: Image
charred steppes, borders of territories: page 59,
jump-map of local stars: page 121, larger map in Loroi: page 118,
System view Leido Crossroads: page 123, after the battle page 195

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 10/29/2018)

Post by dragoongfa »

Chapter 5, Part 1

If your plan hinges on your opponent acting like they told you they would act then discard it and proceed to demolish a wall with your head because that’s the only thing it is good at!
The Major who oversaw the officer school’s wargames had ranted at her after she failed at a relatively simple scenario. It was a simple but important lesson that brought down her misconception that warriors were by nature truthful and as such incapable of deception.

She knew of course that the Mizol were the very image of deception but her civilian bias was that all the other warriors loathed the mere thought of deception and were always honorable. Maybe some fools in the other warrior castes were like but Humans weren’t and they made sure to teach them just how deceitful warriors must be in their duties.

“A Mizol actually bit the bait! Can you believe the audacity?” Private Sorcha said out loud as the watched the video feed from the ship’s brig.

“Quiet!” Alexandra shushed her as they saw a Loroi in a Reforged’s uniform tamper with the video feed of the brig’s cameras, making the image loop on half of the monitors, the very half that were part of the ship’s systems. The other half, those were part of their own gear, discreet and well camouflaged cameras that were standard issue for ‘just in case’.

To no one’s surprise the cameras saw frequent use whenever Mizol were involved but in her experience it paid well to take a couple of extra precautions in any circumstances where Mizol were likely to snoop around. They had already taken the steps so she only had to sit back and observe how things would unfold.

She had been worried that the Mizol would not fall into the trap so easily, announcing to the civilians that they would be having a ‘Lotai drill’ with suppressors and then having some of her girls become sloppy their spare uniforms after cleaning them was too obvious of a set up but someone actually fell for it. What was really surprising was the fact that the ‘infiltrator’ was naturally fluent in English and wore both the uniform and the interference suppressor properly. She had to give the Mizol credit for having brought their own suppressor, especially since they hadn’t picked it up from their ‘diplomatic’ cargo
.
The moment of truth…
Alexandra thought as she saw the Mizol read the brig’s unencrypted datalogs on the console; after a minute of reading she made her way to the cells and stood right in front of the closed cell she had hoped for. The records that the Mizol was just read showed that inside was a cooperative prisoner who was charged with assault with a lethal weapon and kidnapping.

It was at that moment that Alexandra regretted not having some extra cameras installed at the cell, if only to have a recording of what followed from different angles. The Mizol should have realized that something was off the moment she saw the prisoner huddled on the bed, covered from head to toe with a sheet but she didn’t. She just walked up to the sleeping prisoner and yanked the sheet off the sleeping Loroi, finally realizing that not only the prisoner had a head full of hair but that she also didn’t like to be rudely awakened.

“The Master Sergeant actually slept?” Sorcha asked as Astarte lunged at the shocked Mizol, yelling a variety of colorful expletives as she landed the first couple of punches on the Mizol’s face.

“It’s a decent bed, a quiet room and she is used wearing a suppressor.” Alexandra said as the Mizol tried to defend herself only to see her arms brushed aside by an invisible force; her expression must have been one of bewildered shock as Astarte let out a laugh as she pummeled the hapless infiltrator to submission, like a bully who was letting herself loose on a victim. A Human would have intervened to put the beating to a stop but it was rare for Astarte to vent her frustrations from her time as a civilian to a Mizol and she knew when to stop herself.

She would have been inducted to the Teidar if she had been born to a warrior, she was strong enough to use her powers in the brawls she frequently took part in and she was certainly lethal when amplified but that didn’t mean anything in the caste system. A telekinetic child born to a civilian had to be naturally lethal for the Teidar to find a ‘genealogical excuse’ to induct her to their numbers; a rarity in and onto itself, more so for civilians who not only copulated sparingly but the odds of them being paired with a telekinetic male were slim to begin with.

Telekinesis was hereditary after all, the odds of a child being born with such powers increased if both parents exhibited tangible powers but telekinetic males were highly sought after by warriors; especially those who were at Astarte’s level and above. Perhaps Astarte would have given birth to a true Teidar if she had been given the opportunity to pair with such a male but she was never given the opportunity to do that.

“What are we going to do with her?” Astarte finally asked as she pinned the battered Mizol down with an arm grip.

“Give her a haircut, take back Confederation property and get her out of the brig.” Alexandra instructed.

“Just that?” Astarte asked at that.

“She is an idiot and she will remember this lesson.” Alexandra replied knowing that this wasn’t the time for an interrogation, she wanted to know if the Mizol suspected the ganger of having a cargo but it was too dangerous and the Mizol’s actions already proved that they were far more interested into the Enforcers rather than the ganger which indicated that they didn’t know about the cargo.

“Guess I will have to enjoy the haircut then.” Astarte said gleefully as the door to the cell slid open to let in a couple of true Reforged who then proceeded to shear off the hair of the struggling Mizol before stripping her down to her underwear.

“Damn it! She wore her own underwear.” Sorcha commented dejectedly as the now shaved infiltrator was frog marched out of the brig.

“We can’t have everything.” Alexandra replied as they watched the half-naked, shaved and bruised Mizol make her way back to the warrior’s area under the sounds of laughter and jeering from the civilians who realized what had happened. “I am going to go inform the Marines about what happened and buy them some beers to keep their nagging to a minimum.”

Chapter 5, part 2: http://www.well-of-souls.com/forums/vie ... 375#p33375
Last edited by dragoongfa on Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 10/29/2018)

Post by dragoongfa »

Actually forgot of writing the date of the latest update in the topic's description.

Other than that:
SpoilerShow
I wonder if people will realize that I just set up the foundations for a major character that will appear in the next story.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 10/29/2018)

Post by Krulle »

Nice.
It's harsh being a woman....
It's even harsher being a Mizol in enemy territory.

(Took me a while to find time to read, even if this part was shorter than most of your installments.
Thanks, once again!)
Vote for Outsider on TWC: Image
charred steppes, borders of territories: page 59,
jump-map of local stars: page 121, larger map in Loroi: page 118,
System view Leido Crossroads: page 123, after the battle page 195

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 01/20/2019)

Post by dragoongfa »

Chapter 5, part 2

“I was under the impression that Loroi don’t drink.” Marine Lieutenant Garnet as he sat on the barstool next to hers, nodding at her half empty beer bottle.

“We don’t, alcohol makes it hard to maintain a stable frame of mind but I am wearing a suppressor and I am used to social drinking; I can allow myself to indulge myself a little.” Alexandra said as she glanced at the two empty cases of beer on the other end of the counter as well as the dwindling contents of the third and fourth cases that the marines were making short work of.

“Makes sense…” Lieutenant Garnet said as he took a sip from his bottle. “I am guessing that the reason for this treat has to do with the shaved, beaten up and half naked warrior earlier?”

“That’s right.”

“And would you mind telling me what happened? The warriors were… vague with everything.”

“It’s simple really, we set up a trap in case someone wanted to snoop around and get to the prisoners in our custody. A Mizol fell for it and was given her dues.” Alexandra replied matter of factly.

“And did you have to make a public spectacle of it?”

“Not really but it was good for the civilians to witness firsthand that the warrior castes hold no sway with us and it must have been an amusing sideshow for the rest of the warriors.” Alexandra replied as she took a sip.

“It was odd really…” He begun. “They were all clearly agitated for a couple of minutes, then they were confused for a minute and they were trying not to laugh in less than five.”

“First they realized that we beat and shaved off the head of a warrior, publicly ridiculing her in front of civilians in the process. Then they realized that the ‘victim’ was a Mizol who was wearing a suppressor and they started asking questions which led them to realize that the Mizol got; what’s the expression? Hoisted by her own petard?”

“Yeah…” The marine sighed at that. “And now all of them are going to want to even the score with you.”

“Not really; try to think of this like a warrior caste Loroi would.” Alexandra begun. “A member of the lying and conniving internal military police caste go beaten and humiliated by upstart civilians while trying to do some underhanded stuff that her caste usually dabbles on. It’s neither their circus, nor their monkeys.”

“That’s not how the expression goes.”

“You get my drift. The other warriors don’t really care enough for what the Mizol brought onto themselves and the Mizol took the message that they are not in friendly territory and that they will only end up humiliating themselves if they keep being stupid with everything.”

“And what happens when they start being smart and one of yours ends up beaten and shaved?” The marine pointed out.

“Beating up and shaving a civilian upstart? They would rather throw away their armors before admitting that we are warriors worthy of such retaliation; hell I would make sure to actually parade our ‘victim’ in front of the rest of the warriors thanking them for the recognition of her status and asking them for her new set of armor.”

“You Loroi are weird…”

“That we are…” Alexandra admitted at that.

“I also caught one of my men naked with a temperamental Listel.”

“Second time those two got caught by a Lieutenant…” Alexandra let out without thinking.

“You knew?”

“Caught them in a bathroom stall, I made sure that they were honest with each other and left them at it with a warning.”

“Corporal Sanders and… what’s her name? Copper?”

“They very two.” Alexandra confirmed.

“So that’s what sparked your comment the other day…” The marine begun. “I would have appreciated it if you had told me about the two instead.”

“He hadn’t ‘pressured’ her because of a ‘need’ and she hadn’t been put up to it by a Mizol. Two consenting adults sharing each other’s bodies and passions isn’t something worthy of a report.”

“I am still the officer in charge of them I wouldn’t like to be blindsided by an incident like the ones you warned me about.” He insisted.

“A fair point…” Alexandra agreed. “Have you done any other acclimation missions?”

“Just the one, just a squad of marines and a handful of warriors that time.” She nodded at that.

“The first mistake one makes in regards to the Loroi is to mistake them for women. The second one is to forget that they are females.” Alexandra recited.

“Yeah I know, what’s that supposed to mean?” He asked irritably.

“Just what it says. We Loroi all have wants and needs just like Humans have. Some of us may be taken advantaged of but others of us may be taking advantage of you. We are different but too much alike, we like the company of men and we enjoy having sex; it’s in our nature just like it is in your nature to pursue us. The only way for Humans and Loroi to coexist peacefully is for both of us to share of ourselves; for our minds and bodies to accept the truth of each other.” Alexandra replied as she glanced at her wedding ring.

“Very poetic…”

“I will tell the one who came up with it you said so.” She replied with a giggle. “Both our kinds are contentious lot but we can be truthful with each other, we just have to make sure that the ones who lie are punished for it.”

“So follow the spirit of the law and not the letter…” The marine commented. “That’s a tightrope.”

“If only life was that easy.” Alexandra said as she finished her beer.

Chapter 6, part 1: https://www.well-of-souls.com/forums/vi ... 682#p39682
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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 01/20/2019)

Post by dragoongfa »

Sorry for the hiatus, had RL stuff and venting about them come in the way of everything but hopefully I should be able to push myself back in form.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 01/20/2019)

Post by Werra »

Less rioting, more riting.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 01/20/2019)

Post by Dorfington »

Hope things are alright on your end Dragoon. Looking forward to reading the next installment. :D

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 01/20/2019)

Post by dragoongfa »

Dorfington wrote:
Tue Dec 29, 2020 9:00 pm
Hope things are alright on your end Dragoon. Looking forward to reading the next installment. :D
I am having the mother, father and the whole ancentral line of writing blocks for quite a while now.

I have been thinking to try and braking it with the brute force approach by seeing it as work.

I will see if it works.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 01/20/2019)

Post by Dorfington »

I am having the mother, father and the whole ancentral line of writing blocks for quite a while now.

I have been thinking to try and braking it with the brute force approach by seeing it as work.
It is true; "The most effective way to do is to do it".

That said, don't force yourself upon it. This was all written up (I assume) for both the reader's and the writer's pleasure. If you make it a chore, then it'll become a bore for you.

Perhaps just simply forgetting about this story and writing something short, and completely unrelated might help get you back into the swing of it? Don't even worry about writing it up on here. You could write about anything. Hell, write about your most recent trip to the shops.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 01/20/2019)

Post by Krulle »

Best wishes for this year.

And remember, the work that takes longest is the one you never started...

Otherwise: remember you're doing this for personal pleasure, and maybe to entertain us.
If it doesn't happen, then it doesn't happen. Neither your or our lives depend on it, nor my appreciation for the work already on display.
I am neither entitled to more of your fantastic works, nor does your income depend on it.

So f. us, and if you feel inspired to give us something, thank you, otherwise we'll f. off.
Vote for Outsider on TWC: Image
charred steppes, borders of territories: page 59,
jump-map of local stars: page 121, larger map in Loroi: page 118,
System view Leido Crossroads: page 123, after the battle page 195

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 01/20/2019)

Post by Werra »

Sounds like you need a muse, dragoon.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 03/31/2021)

Post by dragoongfa »

Chapter 6, part 1


To an unknowing observer the sight of four Loroi prisoners being escorted one by one to the shuttle bay in order to wait for the shuttle that would take them down to Earth would seem like overkill. With their hands and feet bound in chains, their heads covered with a black hood and wearing full spectrum suppressors one would think that there was no way for them to be of any threat but Alexandra didn’t want to take any chances and had each of them being escorted by three of her Reforged while also having arranged for the corridors that they would go through to be free of any traffic and onlookers.

The Loroi Captain of the Lucky Dime, already discontent due to having to make a detour to Earth, didn’t like that but agreed to it, if only because she wasn’t in the mood to see the rumors about Enforcers running amuck on her ship be proven correct. The marines also played along with the farce and added some of their number as lookouts in key junctions. The Mizol had also backed off but they did so after having sent a few messages of their own to the Union embassy on Earth while receiving only a couple of responses. One had only to guess what those messages were really about but Alexandra was certain that the Union would throw a lot of its diplomatic weight to extradite the Enforcers and the Ganger back to them.

Alexandra could only hope that the intelligence officer receiving her own reports would catch on her heavy handed hints about the importance of the prisoners and the evidence she has secured; resulting in them pushing things high enough up the ladder for someone who sees the full picture to take notice and act accordingly.

Now she and Astarte stood alone in full armor at the shuttle bay, waiting for the shuttle from Earth’s immigration authorities to finish its approach. If all went well the two of them would hand off the prisoners to the immigration officers on the shuttle and then they would ride with the shuttle down to Earth to a debriefing where hopefully they will talk with an intelligence officer worth a damn.

Things however didn’t look like they would go well from the moment the shuttle touched down and the ‘immigration’ officers walked out. For one their armor and equipment didn’t bare any markings of being part of the Confederate Immigration Authority, the shuttle did but there was nothing on them to highlight them as immigration officers, in fact their full face helmets didn’t allow for any distinguishing facial feature to be shown.

“Lieutenant Alexandra Pierian?” The man who seemed to be in charged asked at that.

“Yes, and you are?” The man didn’t reply at that, just typed something on a small data pad he held and her H.U.D. flashed an order for her to obey his instructions without asking questions for the time being, Astarte mentally signaling her that she received the same instructions. “I understand.”

“Good, I see that you have isolated all of the prisoners in separate rooms, tied them up properly and ensured that no lookie loos are around.” He begun after reading something on his tablet. “I want you to instruct your girls to vacate the premises and to return to their normal duties. My men will handle the rest.”

Alexandra simply nodded for Astarte to give the necessary orders and observed in silence as the ‘immigration’ officers filled out and went to the nearby empty rooms where the ganger and the three enforcers were separately held.

“What’s this all about?” Astarte sent.

“I think that someone from really up high took notice of this mess.” Alexandra replied as the first trio of officers brought one of the prisoners up to the shuttle. The man in charge looked at her and his tablet flashed a quick message before nodding for her to be escorted aboard.

“Have you collected all the evidence and their belongings?” The man asked the two of them at that.

“Yes, the evidence we collected are in this box here.” Alexandra replied while pointing to a box right behind her. “Their belongings and assigned tablets are in the four boxes over there.”

“Did you do a full sweep of their cabins? Checked if they hid anything in any other part of the ship?” The man asked again.

“We did, we found nothing out of the ordinary.” Alexandra replied.

“Are you certain?” The man insisted.

“Nothing that comes to mind right now.” Alexandra replied again, the man nodding nonchalantly.

“Do you need to take anything else with you for the trip?”

“We have everything we need with us.” Alexandra replied while showing the two duffel bags she and Astarte carried.

“Good.” The man replied and proceeded to see to the other three prisoners in silence without letting out a single word.

“They look efficient.” Astarte commented as the last of the prisoners was marched inside, with the various boxes being carried inside soon after.

“That they do.”

“Follow me.” The man ordered dryly as he turned on the spot, both Alexandra and Astarte following into the shuttle and past the first compartment where three of the prisoners had been tied down onto secured chairs, with a pair of ‘immigration’ officers sitting at each of their sides.

The second compartment they passed by was a large storage room where a plethora of unusual equipment was stored in. The third compartment and the last before the cockpit was a simple passenger compartment, with several ‘immigration’ officers sitting at the back, still fully suited up and with one of the prisoners sitting at the top row next to a flaxen haired Loroi who wore the distinct navy blue uniform of the Confederate Navy as well as a full spectrum supressor.

“I trust that you have a package for me?” The Loroi asked in English as Alexandra and Astarte were brought up to her.

“Indeed.” Astarte replied as she took out the cryogenic lockbox from her duffel bag and offered it to her.

“Can you open it?” The Loroi asked and Astarte opened it in the way the ganger had taught her.

“Damn, they actually fucking did it...” The Loroi said as she took a vial out of the cold storage and looked at it before putting it back into the lockbox and closing it. “You two know what this means right?”

“That we never saw anything and we should never speak about it.” Alexandra replied as she and Astarte sat down next to the Loroi.

“We are way past that point; the Union may have been fooled for now but if a Mizol gets their hands on you they will come to know.” The Loroi said.

“I doubt that...” Astarte replied at that.

“Master Sergeant Astarte is it? A goddess of war, a fitting name in its own way for a Teidar wannabe with quick fists.” The Loroi replied. “I trust that Lieutenant Alexandra has a different opinion.”

“If a proper Mizol wants to know they will know, they may need to take their time but they will know.” Alexanda replied.

“Good to see an Alexandra that is smart for a change.” The Loroi commented. “Then again, you were a ganger so you were bound to know better. I wasn’t a ganger but I worked with enough gangs for the good of my Guild to know that the pact applied to me as well; fortunately for me they simply snapped almost the entirety of my Guild and shipped us all over the border. No questions asked and no accusations levied against any of us. Just an inconvenience that needed to go away, same as you two although I am certain that Master Sergeant Astarte had graduated to an annoyance if only because of her temper and telekinesis.” Astarte let out a chuckle at that.

“You do seem to know a lot about us but I don’t see anything about you on your uniform ma’am.” Alexandra commented as she glanced to the unmarked navy uniform that the flaxen Loroi wore.

“And you shouldn’t see because I am not really here, nor are the pilots and the men you have seen so far. This is an ordinary immigration authority shuttle, transferring some troublesome prisoners for processing; we shouldn’t be here at all and as far as the system is aware we aren’t.” The Loroi replied. “But I am here and I am Captain Maria Ambrosia of Confederate Naval Intelligence; and I have to say Lieutenant that I am actually impressed. Plenty of vain glorious Reforged with ‘warrior’ names would have found some way to make a mess out of things; you didn’t.”

“I simply acted as I thought appropriate.”

“Everyone says that; few actually come out without making some nasty mistakes on the way to the exit.” Captain Ambrosia replied. “Here you are, however; having fixed a mess that you didn’t know existed before you stumbled upon it. Making my life far easier than it had any right to be considering the stakes.”

“I am glad to hear that.”

“Good to know, although you won’t be as glad when you hear out how exactly I have planned to clean up the trail.”

Chapter 6, part 2: https://www.well-of-souls.com/forums/vi ... 163#p40163
Last edited by dragoongfa on Mon May 03, 2021 1:26 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: [Fan Fiction] Reforged (Updated 03/31/2021)

Post by dragoongfa »

And Reforged is back on the menu.

After a surprisingly uneventful side trip to Earth, Alexandra finally meets someone whose paygrade is high enough for the mess she found herself in.

The next part is something that I have been looking up to writing since the moment I first came up with the story itself.

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