Chapter Text
With the morning sun shining down a groggy Rem brushes his teeth. His tired face being reflected in the mirror, seems he had trouble sleeping. Downstairs awaiting the young lad was a hardy breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. The interior of the house was humble and scrappy. It was clear that it was an old garage that had been converted into a house. The walls had pictures of various machines Pepper had worked on, along with pictures of Rem. One picture had a younger Rem between a man with dark hair wearing blue robe, and lady with short dark hair and a yellow robe. Both of them looked humble the only distinguishing feature being the lady’s amethyst eyes.
The chime of another plate being put on the table broke the silence. This one had scrambled eggs with mash potatoes accompanied by a very happy Pepper sitting down. “I made extra, so if you’re still hungry just say the word.”
Rem perked-up at the remark and immediately went for seconds. Lads got quite the appetite for someone of his stature. “Is the Wolf Wood already calibrated?” Rem asked with a full mouth.
“Yep, just waiting for-” Pepper said before a knock on the door interrupted her. “Oh-ho, beat me to it.”
Opening the door revealed a young man of average height, wearing a yellow shirt with baggy blue pants. He adjusted his long black hair a bit, while glancing at the food. “Don’t suppose I can some leftovers for the trip.”
Pepper jovially smiled back. “Wwwaayy ahead of you on that, Paul. I take the others are off to the corner?”
“Just waiting for you to open the hangar, Pep,” Paul said with a smile. His voice was reflective of his age paired with an air of confidence. “How’s it going, Rem?!”
Rem finished up his plate and gave thumbs-up. “All good!”
The hangar was off to the side of the house. Its design was a prime example of wasteland pragmatism. Parts of the roof were mismatched, some of the sides had been fortified with different pieces, and yet it all stood strong. When you’re working with limited resources function goes above form. One key thing is that the hangar had been designed with the heights that came with the old Gen 15 machines, rather than the Succession War Knightmares. As warfare went on, attrition became more valuable and with it a radical change in Knightmare engineering. No longer where Knightmares small, with a focus on speed and powerful beam weapons. Standard height was now a full head taller than the Gawain and just as broad.
The change was so much that the term Mech was used interchangeably with Knightmare frame. Gone were the old hunchback cockpits, as they were now in the chest. The back now having thrusters for either jumping or a quick dash. As the Generations went on the height stayed the same with only the broadness changing. This increase in height and width made it so flying units became rare, as a result of the increased weight. The hangar held two examples of such units.
To the right side was the Wolf Wood, an older machine that the Nova Federation used to use as standard issue. It sported an orange boxy torso with an armored skirt, along with a head that looked like a helmet with goggles on top. The face plate was a bit sleeker paired with angular white eyes. The arms and legs were moderately armored. It was clear that this unit was obsolete, long having been replaced by the Phantom Bear. Still with its boxy machinegun and back mounted cannon, one shouldn’t underestimate such a unit.
To the left was a more recent Knightmare, if incomplete, the Phoenix Archer. From top to bottom it’s a slender looking machine, built for long range combat. Its somewhat angular chest being colored marine blue, as oppose to the standard jet black. Even having blue highlights to contrast the mostly white limbs and skirt. Its slender legs sporting small thrusters on the sides and back. The head had two, blue tipped, rectangular antennas on each side aimed back. They almost looked like demon horns… probably unintended. The front of the helmet sported an emerald jewel-like sensor. This was paired with a sleek pale faceplate that gave the machine a heroic look. From a far it had a bit of an hourglass figurer. It was missing its weaponry, along with having a few areas without armor. It seemed that Pepper was even going for a different configuration for the arms, given the backs had the internals exposed.
Paul and the five allies he brought gathered around one of the tables. A map of the area was laid out with a two wrenches being used as weights to keep it in place. To the side was Pepper with Rem looking at the map markings. The markings told the tale of the expedition to come. One of the old ruins a few kilometers away, recently discovered it would seem.
“Right here!” Paul said, while pointing at an area near a small hill. “Vantage point, gives us clear sight of most of the area. It can also serve as a retreat route.”
“Retreat route? Are the knights nearby?” Pepper asked with a stern tone.
“They are, word is they’ve been a bit more active around this area,” Paul said, while scratching his chin. He did his best to keep a brave face, however internally unease was brewing. He was no stranger to combat, any scavenger will get into a fight at some point. But Black Knights being this close to Federation territory means some upstart is looking for a promotion. “We need to make this a quick in-and-out run. The last heavy rain caused a mudslide that unearthed and old Brighton ship. Engine parts, any decent enough weapons or Knightmare parts will do.”
Rem tilted his head with curiosity when looking at the travel path. The lad wanted to speak, but his shyness led him towards grabbing a pencil and slowly moving around. His eyes were darting around at map, you could practically hear the gears turning in his head.
Paul remained focus and was using small miniature figures to represent unit movement. “First I’ll lead and advancing team of three here.” Three miniatures where placed approaching the crashed ship from the left side. “The terrain and rock formations will give us covers.”
Though Rem kept quiet his expression spoke volumes. A worried look upon hearing such an approach. He cheekily moved around and slowly started moving the miniatures, while Paul continued. Even subtlety adding new travel lines.
“The other three stay around here to keep watch,” Paul said, while placing the other miniatures near an elevated formation.
Again Rem was quick to start moving things around. Even drawing another travel line. Pepper caught sight of the young lad’s antics and chuckled a bit. It was clear this was a common thing that Rem would do.
As Paul’s gaze went back to prior points he found himself annoyed. “Something you want to say… Rem!”
Rem’s face was that of a cat that had been caught out. Shocked with an air of mischievous innocence, he even had cheeky smile. “Wwell… The approach is a bit dangerous.” He pointed at the map. “That vantage point is tempting, but you’re out in the open without cover. You should also approach the ship from the back.”
“Why?” one of the others asked with a raised eyebrow.
Rem swiftly straightened his posture, and tried to hide the shyness. “If the ship was shot down that means there’s an opening on the back of the ship, or near one of the launch ramps. Those are usually the main targets when fighting those old ships. Yyou should also try to bait the Black Knights into following you on that first path.”
“Woah, hang on there! That’s one of the few good paths we have!” Paul said with a bewildered tone.
“True, but it’s also one with a lot of rock formations. You can shoot those to crush them or block them from chasing your,” Rem said, while pointing at the map with the pencil.
Paul’s eyes widen when realizing the play that was right in front of him. He couldn’t deny the logic and the units they had allowed for such an approach. He took a quick glance at Pepper, only to see her with a confident smirk.
“See, this is why we always have our meetings here,” Pepper said with a proud tone.
Paul nodded his head and smirked. “Alright, we got a plan then. Rem you’re on sniper duty, as always.”
Rem gave a thumbs-up, and with that the squad headed out. The units were seven Wolf Woods in total, with Pepper following behind on her buggy. Through the land they made their way past a few destroyed settlements. One sight in particular caught the attention of a few. It was an old destroyed temple with strange marking. Near its entrance was an insignia in the shape of a crane.
“So many ghost stories,” Rem said with a curious tone.
Paul’s unit looked towards Rem. “What, you mean Geass? Makes for fun tavern tales.”
“And rumors about the old world. Supposedly there was a Britannian Emperor obsessed with it,” Rem said with a mild chuckle.
“Are we sure he wasn’t just delusional?” Paul asked with a jovial tone.
“Probably, he was nobility!” Rem said with a cheshire smile.
The group arrived at the area and went to work. Rem stayed near a small rock formation with the Wolf Wood’s cannon prepped. Pepper was on radar duty, her buggy having a custom screen of her own making. So far no signals besides their group’s units. Paul led the first advance towards the back of the ship, even finding a blasted opening to enter through.
“Jackpot!” Paul said accompanied by a cheeky whistle. His team’s units had containers on their backs for salvage. “Remember, grab what you can and don’t bother with anything too heavy or too stuck in.”
“Right!” said the others, as they went to work.
The creaking and clanging of moving metal echoed from within the ship. Old guns, some shields, even a sealed container were among the things the team gathered. The peace would be broken as Pepper chimed in. “Guys! They’re here and they even have a small ship!”
Instantly everyone was on edge and made their way out, only to be met by the sound of shots hitting the ship. The Black Knights wasted no time sending out their units. The standard mech being the Akatsuki Tsukuyomi. The Black Knights had an obsession with past glories that extended to unit appearances. As such this Akatsuki looked similar to the original. The changes being its height is the current standard, jet black coat of paint, a more armored chest paired with an armored skirt and lastly a rounded jump pack. The face was mostly the same, though it now had red eyes that glowed arrogantly. Their weapons were beam rifles, with shots being a light shade of blue, and power swords the successor to the old energy blade line of weapons.
The Black Knights brought with them a hover ship, standard in wasteland warfare, as flying ships are difficult to make due to low resources. The ship itself looked a bit like a tank with a command bridge in place of a cannon. Black with gold highlights and the flag of the Black Knights flying high. On the bridge we get a look at our Knights, and already the uniform tells tale of how far they’ve fallen to vice. Long black coats with gold highlights paired with a tight collar, it almost looked a bit restrictive. Black leather boots with grey pants, many wearing a black soldier’s cap with the Black Knight emblem. They could only be described as overly uniformed in appearance.
It was as if the point was to strip away identity. Not surprising given the chess-like mindset that was encouraged ever since Relius’ rule. The eyes of these knights were a far cry from those of earliest days. There was a soullessness to them, the only thing ticking was a drive to gain power and glory. At the helm was a prime example of the type of person that would rise to the position of commander, Ashton Hues.
He was a blue-eyed young man of Britannian decent with brown short hair tugged inside his beret. His uniform was the same as the others say for a gold lion emblem on his chest. There was a smugness to his posture, clearly he had an inflated opinion about himself. He looked at the map in front of him, not as a commander assessing the area. But as a hunter looking for his next prey. “How many?” The voice was youthful and arrogant, it even had a soft British accent.
“Six units, my Lord. They look to be Wolf Woods,” a soldier said with a condescending laugh near the end.
“Aw, Fed-rat scavengers. It’ll do as a start, before moving on to the nearby town,” Ashton said with a theatrical flick of the wrist. “Is the auxiliary support still on schedule?”
“Yes, my Lord. They’ll be here by tomorrow, should make for a swift advance,” the soldier said with a formal tone.
“Then in the name of Zero swat these pest!” Ashton said, as he rose dramatically from his chair.
The obsession with past glories and strongman image is so hard ingrained that many commanders imitate the theatrics of Zero. Were any from the old era to see it they’d call it for what it was, theft and appropriation of image. Dare I say a bit of identity theft, and this isn’t just towards Zero. Oh no! This extends to all of the famous figures of the Black Knights, including those that secretly allied themselves with Zero. Many dark reflections haunt the wasteland.
Paul’s squad was quick to use their units’ thrusters to withdraw. Units tend to move by way of mild hover functions paired with on foot movement. The old wheel system became obsolete near the end of the Succession War. The roar of engines was paired with the thunderous sound of beam shots and dust being kicked up. Paul and his crew were no amateurs, they’ve seen this type of fighting before, and focused of dodging along with using short controlled burst of fire to deter any chasers.
The Black Knights for their part were trigger happy, operating more like shock troopers. They certainly loved ambush style tactics, similar to Black Knights of old. But these knights were too impatient, even their marksmanship was on the sloppy side. As evident with how a shot missed one of the Wolf Woods that was out of cover.
Paul swiftly turned around to provide cover for his ally, and scored a hit of one of the Akatsukis. “Amateur!”
“Hhey! I need the three in the center to split up just a bit,” Rem said with a nervous tone.
“We can’t afford to get isolated, kid!” one of the scavengers said with a stressed tone.
“I said a bit, not to break-up,” Rem said with an almost apologetic tone. His hearts is in the right place, but his shyness holds him back.
“He knows what he’s asking. Do it!” Paul said, as he shifted his unit.
Thirsty for blood the Black Knights charged in thinking that it was a squad break-up. A single cannon shot whizzed by and annihilated the leading Akatsuki. Then came another that crippled the Akatsuki to the side. One might say the lad had the devil’s aim. As the scavengers made it through the exit path all units open fire on the sides of the rock formations. The cracking and crashing sound of boulder boomed, forcing the Black Knights to halt their attack. Some desperately tried to gain altitude with the jump pack, only to be shot by the scavengers.
And like that a clean getaway! The Wolf Woods maybe old, but they’re good at putting distance. At the Black Knight’s ship we get to see what truly lies behind the theatrics and posturing. “Idiots! Six? You couldn’t kill six Fed-rats?!” Ashton’s tone was petulant and indignant.
“Mmy Lord, there seems to have been a seventh serving as a sniper,” one soldier said with a nervous tone.
Ashton adjusted his collar a bit. “A lucky shot. That’s all!” he dramatically pointed at one of the comms officers. “Don’t you dare report this to high command. You report it as a casualty of the upcoming fight.”
“Yes, my Lord!” the officer said, while trying to keep a straight face.
“Last thing I need is Lex hearing this and wanting to steal my prize,” Ashton said with an air of annoyance.
“My Lord given the… um, proximity of this area to Fed territory. The one that might get sent out-” A soldier tried to say before silencing himself when he caught Ashton’s glare.
Ashton’s eyes narrowed and painted quite the picture of his internal thoughts. He knew who else would be sent, but didn’t want to humor such a notion. He managed to compose himself a bit and put on a stern face. “Begin repairs immediately and make sure to have all units calibrated ahead of schedule. Once the auxiliaries arrive, we go directly for the attack. We cannot allow the Fed-rats to fortify their position. Understood?”
“Yes, my Lord!” sounded off all the soldiers on the bridge.
Back at Pelica our scrappy gang of scavengers celebrate at the pub with drinks and music. Quite the lively crowed gathered, the salvage providing parts for weapon maintenance, as well components for more domestic equipment. Pepper hoisted Rem on one of her shoulders, as part of the festivities. The young lad’s face was a bit on the red side, but still had quite the smile on him.
At the counter Paul was talking on an odd looking phone. It was a cellphone with a round antenna plugged into the back. “Yes! Exactly! It was a hover ship!” He turned to the crowd, while covering up the phone. “Oi! Reign it in a bit! I got an officer on the line!” The crowd’s volume lowered enough for Paul to finish up. “Same thing I was thinking… Yeah… Oh thank God! We will!” With a relived look in his eyes he turned to the crowd. “Alright lads and lasses! We’re getting Federation back-up, but we’re gonna have to hold out for a bit.”
“How fast will they get here?!” Pepper said, as she placed Rem back on the ground.
“Two to three days, but their bringing two ships. One help out before moving on to their main route, and another to be stationed here,” Paul said with a smile and a confident tone.
Rem looked on with a nervous look. “Do we have enough?”
“The city's auto-cannons will keep that ship at bay. After that we have to fight smart,” Paul said with a stern tone.
“Set-up a choke point and gun them down like the dogs they are!” One lad said with a drink in his hand.
“They’re a psychotic bunch, we’re gonna need more than that,” Paul said with a reflective tone.
Pepper cracked a smirk. “Give me a bit to booby trap some of the local routes through the ruins.”
Rem perked up at the idea. “It’s timing! It’s all in the timing… for setting off the traps. That way you can cut-off both their advance and their retreat.”
“Kid’s got the right mindset,” the old bartender said, while scratching his moustache.
Paul couldn’t help, but chuckle. “Then I’ll leave that to the two of you. Right! Put the volume back on! it’s too early to quit the party!” He raised his glass to the cheer of the crowd.
Among the crowd and off the side was the young Grave Keeper. She had the smirk of a lady whom seemed to have found something very specific. “The next performance will settle the question.” She took a sip of her drink, while looking towards Rem. “Please don’t hold back, those pretenders don’t deserve any mercy.”