Tabula Rasa Roleplayers

((This story starts after the events of the first Unfortunate Casualties thread))

Sara woke. She was warm. But she felt cold. She was clean and dry but she felt dirty. She opened her eyes a crack and relaxed as the familiar surroundings of her home came into focus. It was different from the home she remembered from Gerin's memories, but it was home. She used the latrine, cleaned herself up and walked to the door. The two soldiers who were always posted at her door braced to attention. She smiled slightly, nodded to them and started walking to the dining area. The soldiers followed her. When she got to the dining area, the soldiers took up their posts at the entrance. Nothing would get past them.
Not even Gerin can sneak past them She thought with a smirk. She looked and saw her brother Ed sitting and eating. She made her way over to him. He handed her a ration pack and she made a face as she read the label. Liver and onions... again...
Oh well... beggars cant be choosers, and it wasn't as if she hadn't eaten worse. The two unlikely siblings ate in silence for a moment. Then Ed broke the silence.

“How are you feeling?”She nodded, his first concern, as always was for her... when he wasn't lost in battlerage that is.

'I'm OK. I take it you carried me back?” she smiled a bit at Ed's small nod. “Thanks.”

“Well, thanks for keeping me standing... I mean.. I saw what I did, after...” He broke off as Sara's face became sad.

“Ed... You know we are not tied into the AFS network. If you die out there, you're dead. If I can't get to you... I... I don't want to lose you.” Sara broke off in tears. Ed reached over and laid his massive arm around her shoulder. But his touch was gentle.

“I don't remember... I was following the plan, I had set up with my launcher... then you were waking me up. I don't... I can't... Did I put you in danger?” The last was soft, almost a whisper.

“No.” Not exactly the truth but the Bane had mainly been concentrating on him. “They all focused on you.”

“I don't like to get angry, I don't like not knowing what I did, if I... If I hurt you...” Sara looked at him and then slapped him on the top of the head. She took his massive head in her hands and forced him to look at her.

“You didn't. You wouldn't. Even in the middle of your rage, you knew where I was. You were careful.” She smiled “As careful as you could be. And I know to stay out of your way when you are like that. So does Gerin. Speaking of which, have you seen him?”

“No, he hasn't come back. He said something about hunting. You know Gerin.”

“Yeah, never more words than absolutely necessary.” Her head came up as one of the soldiers approached and bowed.

You are needed
Sara and Ed got up. We come.

Gerin sat in meditative posture. It wasn't often that he could take off his armor, get completely clean and just sit somewhere. So he savored the feeling, focused only on his breathing until it stilled. Then he focused on his problem. An unknowable time later he realized he wasn't alone. He opened his eyes and was not surprised to see his brother and sister sitting with him, both also meditating. They were the only two the guards would have let in without waking him. He smiled as they both opened their eyes.

“Good morning.” They both nodded but they waited for him to speak. “Sara, what do you remember about the Nightstalkers?”

Sara jerked a bit, she hadn't expected that question. “I wasn't around them much. I remember they were kind to me but wary of me too, especially after...” She hung her head.

“Hey. We have gone over that. It wasn't your fault. How could you have possibly known that that kind of healing wasn't normal? You couldn't have.” Gerin smiled as she looked at him, still with doubts in her eyes. Then he sobered. “Do you remember Darius Solarian?”

“Wasn't he the one Miliano threatened? The engineer who was always handing out glowsticks?” Sara barely remembered the guy. She remembered a tall somewhat geeky looking guy who always was tinkering with something. Of course EVERYONE had been tall to her until her legs had been replaced and her genetic sequence stabilized (mostly anyway). Now she was full adult size and it helped a lot in lots of ways. “he was with the others wasn't he? I mean...”

“He was at the CP.” Ed looked blank and Sara searched her memory, but nothing came to mind.

“You're sure?”

“It was him. He left footprints. He was there. AFS records show him KIA along with all the other Nightstalkers, so...”

“Something stinks.” Ed interjected.

Sara was thoughtful. “I ran into Melissa Miliano in the Foreas base tavern the other day.”

“Miliano.” He had never gotten on with Miliano, they were both snipers, but that was all they had in common.

“She looked bitter, frozen in a moment maybe, I don't know... I don't know what to think.” Sara wasn't sure how to handle humans sometimes.

Gerin nodded. “I'll check it out. And then I'm going hunting.”

“What about us?” Sara felt her face heat as Gerin looked her over. “I'm fine.”

“No you're not. You are going to remain here until you are completely healed. If I have to have one of the soldiers knock you down and sit on you, so you stay for treatment, I will.” Sara opened her mouth to retort and then stopped.
He was completely serious and she knew it. What's more he was right and she knew that too.

“You also have translation work to do. Come on Sara, there are lots of medics in the AFS, but none of them can do what you can do.” Reluctantly she nodded. His point was irrefutable.

“What about me? I mean..” Ed broke off as Sara and Gerin both grinned at him.

“There is too much breakable stuff in here.” They chorused. Ed smiled a bit, but it was forced. Gerin saw his discomfort and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Actually I was talking to an AFS officer after you left the CP. The 1st Engineers is looking for more people and Major Andyrs seems to have his head on straight. He said he's looking for people to reconstitute his battalion. I mentioned you and he said to send you his way.”

“but...” Ed broke off and waved a hand at the surroundings.

“If he asks, you can't talk about it. But he probably won't ask. He seems to be the sort who prefers results.” Gerin looked at his siblings and they looked back at him, worried and at the same time upbeat.
“Just make sure he hooks you into the AFS network. Don't volunteer anything. And you will be fine. I'll be around if you need me.” They shared a look and then they hugged. It might have seemed sappy or silly, but the siblings had seen too much horror and death to miss any chance to show their care for each other. They got up in silence and went their separate ways.

Ed went to his chamber, checked his weapons and then froze. A bundle was sitting on his footlocker. It hadn't been there when he had closed it. A note in Gerin's handwriting sat on the top of it.
"This should fit."
He looked at the bundle then opened it. It was an AFS uniform. It had no rank tabs or name attached. He looked at it for a moment then stripped off his fatigues and put the uniform on. He felt... almost naked in it, but he collapsed his grav armor into his backpack. He would need it. He holstered a pistol at his side and moved to leave. He examined himself critically in his small mirror. He wanted to make a good impression. He nodded to himself and left without a backward glance.

Sara waited until she was sure the others had left before she got up and slowly walked to another door. It opened at her touch and a blue beam emanated from the ceiling, enveloping her. When it left her she was somewhere else. She walked foward with only a little fear.

"You return, child of Earth."
"I am ready to continue the treatment."
"Are you sure? I do not wish to cause you more suffering, even in healing."
"The wound must not be allowed to fester."
"As you will it, child."
"I will it done."
"Very well" A long arm waved her foward and Sara lay down on the low table. She relaxed as best she could. A pair of strangely articulated hands closed gently on the sides of her head and she relaxed completely as her discomfort faded.
"The wounds are deep Sara. I will do what I can. I do not know if I can completely repair the damage."
"I trust you, Zuriel." With that she slipped into a deep dreamless sleep.

Gerin walked into the Foreas Base tavern and glanced around before walking to the bar. He saw Miliano sitting in a corner, and he knew she saw him. He ordered a light drink and sipped it slowly. Sara had been right, Melissa was sitting in a corner listening to music. He hoped it was better than the canned crud that was playing over the speakers.
He heard muttering from various patron about her, how she came in every day and did nothing, just sat. one brave (or foolish) man moved to her table but a glance from her was enough to send the man packing. Gerin walked over, he made no effort to sit down or even to start conversation. He just waited. She finally pulled her earbuds out of her ears.
"Hello Miliano." he said quietly. "Sara said I might find you here."
"Do I know you?" She asked in a hard voice. That kind of hurt, but it was to be expected, he had only been with the Nightstalkers for a short time.
"Name's Gerin Kalenath, I was with the Stalkers."
"So were lots of people."
"I thought you were dead, they told me you were all..." Gerin broke off.
"I don't remember you." Miliano looked him over and dismissed him.
"I joined the stalkers right before the Major's trial." Her eyes lit up a bit, but only a little bit.
"Oh yeah. You! You are the nut who led us a wild goose chase through the marshes, thanks. Took me two days to get the stench out of my armor."
"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't exactly sane at the time.'
"Were any of us? What do you want?" her voice was caustic again.
"Have you seen Darius Solarian?"
"Darius? I havent seen him since I left. He was with the team, they are dead. Why?"
"He's alive." He almost thought he saw something flicker behind her eyes, but it came and went too fast for him to interpret.
"So?"
"If you hear anything from him, let me know please. It's kinda important." he handed her a card with a AFS email account on it.
"If I see him and if I remember, I might." Gerin restrained a smile, she hadn't changed THAT much.
"I'll let you get back to your music." Gerin finished his drink, crumpled the can and threw it the length of the bar to hit the trashcan square in the center. Then he walked out. Her eyes followed him out.

Gerin was being followed. This was nothing new. People with both fair and foul intent had followed him a lot recently. What was new was this follower really knew what they were doing. He could never catch a glimpse of the person who dogged his steps. This wasn't as worrisome as it might have been say, in Iraq or Afganistan. Between stealth armor, the dark night and the marsh he was travelling through, it was a wonder that whoever it was could track HIM. He was on his way to Paludos, one of the Forean free cities, when he realized he had a tail. Nothing in sight, just the certainty that he wasn't alone in the swamp.

He made a quick decision, and submerged himself in the bog he was in. To the observer he must have seemed to vanish completely. He waited, and waited. His armor would sustain him for almost an hour even in the nasty polluted water of the bog, but he wondered just how patient his pursuer would be.
Finally the sense of footsteps came through the peat-like ground of the bog and he tensed. he slowly and carefully drew a sonic pistol and set it to low power by touch. He wasn't sure if it was an enemy and if it was the one he sought... well, he wanted answers.

The footsteps walked right by his position and he cautiously raised his head above the shallow water. A figure in stealth armor was peering this way and that trying to discern where he had vanished to. He raised his pistol slowly and carefully and with a quick double check to make sure it was set to disable, rather than kill, he fired. The figure jumped, narrowly avoiding the first shot but the second hit center mass and the figure slumped half in, half out of the water. Gerin came up out of the bog, keeping his weapon pointed at... the woman?

He examined her quickly. She was alive. She was no one he knew. She had a sword strapped to her back, that made her a member of the AFS elite spy corp. Nutcases who actually enjoyed getting up close and personal with the bane. He unhooked her helmet, it wasn't that dissimilar from his. He scanned her features, sat back on his haunches for a second and and then looked hard at her. He pulled out his small scanner and swept her for bugs. He was not surprised when he found none. He thought hard for a moment. then he activated a portal, picked her up and carried her through it.
A few minutes later, he returned through the portal and continued on his hunt.

Gerin snuck through the ruined Forean villages of Preo' das looking for anything out of the ordinary. He had been the scout of one of the first AFS teams to try and rescue the beleagered Foreans trapped in the ruins by the Bane. His team had succeeded, driving the Bane back, even killing the overseer inside the base and blowing all of the machinery into small peices.
His search in Paludos has yeilded the fact that Solarian had been through and headed towards the ruins of Preo' Das, so he went there. he took some comfort in the fact that many Foreans had been rescued, so many in fact that the Foreans hailed him as a hero. It embarrassed him. He was no hero. He was just someone who was good at his job and in this case that job had been blowing the crap out of a Bane facility.

But as always, the Bane returned, stronger than ever. They had been repairing a lot of the hardware. However, something... or someone... seemed to have taken a aversion to the Bane continuing that course of action. The equiptment had been reduced to smoldering ash, even more broken than when he had set off his demolition charges. And the gates, whch had been blasted by Gerin's team, were... His thoughts broke off abruptly. This was weird.

The Bane gates had been scavenged, critical pieces had been removed completely. Not destroyed, taken.... There were scavengers aplenty in teh Marshes, sure, the Retreads, but...
The Retreads were brave and cunning but they wouldn't have been able to make it here. He had barely been able to avoid seemingly endless Bane patrols through the wetlands. Twice he had been forced to remove the patrols from his path. There were no other signs, so he started to make his way back out. At the cave that led to the outside, his eye was caught by something that hadn't been there when he had entered. A sign had been tacked to a tree. He smiled as he read it.
"I'm not here, Gerin"
He knew that Solarian must have him under observation so he spoke aloud for the first time since entering.
"Darius... You know I'm not going to stop hunting."
With that he took down the sign, removed all trace of his prescence, and left as silently as he had arrived.

She woke up warm, dry and clean. She savored the feeling for a moment. it had been so long since she had taken off her... She froze. She wasn't wearing her armor. She could feel the bed underneath her, but the way she was lying her sword wasn't on her back either. Was she a prisoner? She couldn't think of anyone who might capture her then bathe her... Her mental musing broke off as a throat cleared nearby. Through her slitted eyes she could see someone in graviton armor carrying a tray standing on the other side of the room.

"I know you are awake and I'd rather neither of us got hurt. I brought you food and water. Eat and rest please, you were hurt. Also, please do not try and leave, the door is locked and guarded." The man set the tray down on the floor, turned, opened the door, went out, then closed it. She heard the lock click.

She was out of the bed in an instant, but she could see just by eye that the hinges and mechanism for the door were on the outside. She looked around the room in wonder. It might be a cell, she thought, but if so it was by far the nicest cell she had ever been in. (She had been in her share) The bed, a real bed not a cot, was soft and at the same time firm enough for support. A small desk with a chair sat in a corner and another door led to a small private bathroom complete with shower. She just stood for a moment shocked. Communnal latrines were a fact of life in the AFS. After a moment, nature called and she availed herself of the facilities. Examining herself she found a large fading bruise in the middle of her chest, and a few sore spots in various places, but no other injuries. In a footlocker at the end of the bed she found a set of fatigues, they fit her. She looked at the food, sniffed loudly, then sat down in lotus position in the middle of the floor to wait.

The absurdly young looking woman at the computer desk looked up as her brother walked into the command center. He nodded to her and she returned her attention to the screen long enough to save the work she had done. Then she stood up, stretched and smiled as he came over and hugged her.

"Morning Kat." She returned his hug gratefully. He massaged her sore shoulders. She had night shift.

"Morning Gerin. Oh, don't stop." She writhed in pleasure as he hit just the right spot to ease her muscles.

"What's the word?" he asked and she tensed a bit.

"Sara's back." she said quietly when he dropped his hands to his sides.

"And?"

"He says she should recover fully. But she will be unconscious for a while."

"A while? What are we talking about? Days?" She shook her head, "Weeks? Months? Years? What?"

"He doesn't know. He never had to treat anything like that before. But he said probably at least a week."

"Oh... well, if she's going to be in the infirmary for more than a couple of days..." he broke of with a sour look on his face and she smiled at him.

"Big tough black ops sniper dude and you get squeamish about plumbing. Don't worry I took care of it, and the machinery is automated."

"Well, yeah..." He laughed a bit. "What else?"

"Karl and Zara are back from advanced training. They are both sleeping at the moment. No sign in the AFS networks that they are missed. Johnax and Laney are taking turns guarding your... guest."

Gerin sighed "She's not a guest, she's a sister."

"WHAT? I thought you said..." She broke off. Then she nodded. "I thought she looked familiar..."

"I thought Sara was the last. I guess I was wrong. Penumbra tried to clone me twice that I know of. Both times there were... problems." He broke off lost in memory.

"Well, her injuries were not bad, and they responded to my ham handed treatment. She woke up when Johnax put the food in the room, but she hasn't touched it. She has just sat there for the last eight hours."

"Would YOU eat food or drink anything if you didn't know where you were?"

"Probably not. Oh and Ed... well, he's cooling his heels at Foreas base."

"Oh?"

"Major Andyrs was called out into the field again before Ed got there. Ed will be staying in the barracks tonight I think."

"It will do him good, he's been too sheltered here." Kat looked at Gerin with an odd look on her face.

"If he doesn't blow up the base."

"There is that..."

She started a bit as someone knocked on the door. She just sat, wondering. The knock came again and she spoke... or tried to, her vocal cords protested the lack of moisture in them but she sternly controlled them.

"Er... Come in...?" She expected almost anything but not what came in teh door. The man was carrying another tray, he was unarmed and unarmored and he had her face! She froze in amazement and he placed the tray on the floor and sat down with it between them. he smiled slightly.

"I know you have many questions. I'm here to answer some of them. But first you have to eat and drink something. You have been here for two and a half days and the body starts to suffer if it doesn't get nourishment." She looked at him and he smiled slightly again. He took a bite from the food and a drink from the water, set it in front of her and waited.
She thought hard, but finally decided. If her strange captors had wanted her drugged or dead, she would be. She pulled the tray toward her and noted that the food was from an AFS ration pack, although it had been prepared a bit more. The water was clean, completely clean. It tasted odd to her at first them she realized that there were no chemicals in it at all... It was just water. She savored the rich taste of the food for a moment then looked up startled, she had lost focus... she was a prisoner...

"No you are not." The man spoke gently, but firmly. She looked at him then at the door. She realized it was unlocked, she could run... but... she wanted answers. She finished her meal and sat back into seiza, ready to move any way she needed to. "So ask..."

"Who are you?" She waited seeming calm but he could see how some of her muscles clenched.

"My name is Gerin." She flinched a bit, but when she remained silent he continued. "I'm with AFS sniper division. You were following me." She looked at him in shock then sobered.

"You vanished, how did you... Oh." She shook her head in disbelief. "You were on the bottom of that pool weren't you?"

"Yep." he smiled and this time she smiled back. Tenative, a bit worried , but a smile nonetheless. "Why were you following me? I could have killed you. Many people would have, just on general principle."

"Why didn't you?" this came out quiet. She was still scared he realized, and no matter what she looked like she couldn't be very old.

"I've been doing this kind of thing for a long time, since before the Bane came to Earth. I have got a lot of death on my conscience. Some were deserved, some were not. I don't like killing humans." The last came out hard and she looked away.

"And if you are ordered to?" This was very quiet.

"When you are in the field you have to put your soul in storage. I..." he broke off as she nodded. "I'm not going to ask what your orders were. I can hope they were not to kill me..." She shook her head and he sighed in relief.

"I was told to follow you and report where you went, and who you talked to."

"To who? Your superior?" She didn't move. "I won't ask. but you have more questions."

"I'm a copy... of you?"

"So it seems."

"Well, what do we do now? They call me Gerina."

"That's up to you." He sat down, releasing his tension for the first time as she relaxed and sat in a graceful pose. This could be a long day.

She was bemused. The man with her face, or she had his face or... whatever.. was leading her through an underground complex. It seemed very similar to any of the AFS bunkers she had been in, except... There was no one else around and it was silent. Every AFS bunker she had ever been in had been crowded, dank, smelly and noisy with equiptment and chatter. or it had been carpeted with corpses... she winced in memory and the man beside her smiled. It was a smile of commiseration, not contempt. He KNEW... He knew what she was thinking of. She smiled back a little weakly. They had talked for a long time, she wasn't sure just how long, but it had been hours at least. Her stomach had complained and without a word he had stood and waved for her to follow. The door had opened to his touch. And he led her along these silent corridors. He stopped a a blast door and turned to her. She tensed at his expression.

"I like you. And I want to trust you. But..."

"You don't know me." She tensed as he nodded. "And any oath I may give might be meaningless, right?"

"More lives than mine and yours are riding on this. MANY more."

"Do whatever you have to do, brother." He nodded sadly then something stuck her in the neck and she was falling, so slowly.... the ground came up and she knew no more.

Gerin laid her down, she seemed to wiegh next to nothing.
"Kat. Are you sure..." he broke off as the dimuntive woman came out of the shadows where she had waited patiently with her injection gun. She scanned the unconscious woman with her medical gear.

"I may not be a biotech any more but I DO know my basics. She's unconscious, deeply so, but alive. You will have to carry her, she's too big for me." She smiled to take the sting out of her words and Gerin picked up the still form as if it weighed nothing.

"Lead on sis." Katerina opened the blast door and led the way into their real home.

This time when she woke she was restrained on a hard surface. She tensed and then relaxed as Gerin's voice came to her.

"Don't struggle. The bonds are carbon steel covered with organic plastic, you won't break them." She couldn't even turn her head and she was ashamed when she couldn't bite back a whimper. A warm hand caressed her cheek and Gerin's face came into view.

"Wha...?" She could barely make herself heard. Gerin grimaced.

"You have my word that whatever happens here, no harm will come to you. If you pass the test, all well and good. If you fail, you will wake up in Paludos with no memory of any of this." She sighed. She trusted this man, she wasn't sure why but she did.

"Do what you have to." she whispered and Gerin's face withdrew. A large form loomed over her and she screamed at the sight. Then she was gone...

She stood on a featureless plain. She was armored and felt her sword at her back. It came to her hand easily, she turned it on, studied it for a moment then deactivated it and put it away. She knelt in seiza on the ground and waited. A young human girl, wearing the robes of a queen appeared in front of her. The girl smiled and then spoke.

"My name is Ecien. We have a lot to talk about."

I'm intrigued. There's an interesting idea behind all this, even if there's scarce information about what's going on.

I want an update alreadyyyyyy!

Gerin sat at the table and tried not to fret. He knew Ecien was good at this kind of thing. She had done it many times now, but still... he barely noticed when Katerina came up and sat beside him.

"You know she will be all right. Ecien has never lost a patient."

"I know... it's just..." He broke off as she grinned. The rest of thier kin, minus Sara who was still unconscious and Ed who was in Foreas Base barracks, came in and sat down. The six of them sat in silence for a moment until a chime sounded. They were all on thier feet in seconds. They nodded as the spy came in shaking her head in bemusement. Gerin ran to her and hugged her tight. She returned the hug solidly. the others crowded about her as well, offering welcomes. She looked behind her at the door and a large form passed into the room. Ecien barely managed to fit through the door, and her escorts had to wait outside.

"I am glad to see the hive increase." The tinny sounding words came from a box on her thorax, since Atta cannot vocalize in ways that humans can percieve normally. "How is Sara?"

"Zuriel says she will be fine. And if you can't trust an Eloh, who can you trust?" Gerin replied with a grin as his, somewhat strange, family came together again. "Everybody, this is Gerina."

"Gerina? That name just won't do." Katerina looked the woman over and nodded to herself... "We need to think of another name."

"Call me Gina" The spy replied in a kind voice and gave her new sister a hug.

"That works" the impudent sprite replied. And then hugged the woman again.

Ed sat in the barracks in Foreas Base. He hadn't known what to expect but this, this was nothing like he had expected. He had arrived, handed his card to the clerk behind the desk and been told that Major Andyrs was out. Since then he had cooled his heels, either in the reception room, or in the barracks. He had practiced with his weapons as he always did, but even after cleaning and maintaining them, that left a lot of time free. Gerin had warned him about the tavern so he hadn't even gone to that side of the base yet. But now he was bored.

He got up, automatically picked up his pistol and placed it on his hip, and walked out towards the tavern. At the doors of the tavern he stopped and winced. He had been exposed to several forms of music, some he liked, some he disliked, but this... This music, if you could CALL it music, set his teeth on edge, and suddenly he was glad he had left all of his heavy weapons in his locker.

Being a very large man, the patrons made way for him. The scowl on his face also did wonderful things for his personal space. He did not go unnoticed.

Ed had been in the tavern for an eternity. Maybe 30 minutes. He wished a slow roasting hell on whoever had chosen the music for the place, and was sipping his drink. Gerin had warned him, but he hadn't believed...
The beer was NASTY! He had paid for it so he was drinking it. Slowly. A shadow fell over him and he looked up into the drunken eyes of a man who was almost Ed's size. Almost.

"You're in my chair." The man's words were slurred together and Gerin had warned him. So Ed decided that this... place... really wasn't worth his time or the trouble he might get into. He got up to leave.

"Oh no you don't" the man stumbled as Ed moved away. "You were in my chair... I'll TEACH YOU!" With that he swung a clumsy fist in Ed's general direction. Ed didn't bother to block. He just moved out of the way. The drunk, pulled by his own momentum fell onto the floor.
Ed moved towards the door. He remembered Gerin's warnings about bars so was not completely taken by surprise then the drunk's five friends stood up from the table they had been sitting at and barred his way to the door. He sighed to himself. So much for maintaining a low profile...

The thugs started to close in and Ed sighed to himself. he REALLY didn't want Gerin to get mad at him and he was afraid if he killed anyone, that's exactly what would happen... so... he reached into a pocket and the whole bar became VERY quiet as he pulled out a concussion grenade. he tossed it in his hand. Once, twice, then looked around. Everyone's eyes were on the grenade.

"Do we have a problem?" He asked quietly. All five of the thugs sat back down quickly and when the drunk started to get to his feet snarling, one of his friends kicked him back down. "Have a nice day." He said as he exited the building, pocketing his grenade.
What do you know... it worked... he smiled then sobered as he recieved a radio transmisison to report to Major Andyrs.

Ed collapsed into his bunk and almost sobbed. He had made a complete ass of himself.

"Is there anything else that can go wrong today?" He jumped almost through the roof as a voice came from the other side of his bunk. "Don't ever say that Ed."

Gerin came around the corner. He was grinning as Ed landed on his feet.

"Geez don't do that! if anyone sees you in here..." Gerin smiled at Ed and Ed scoffed at his own naivete, no one would see Gerin unless Gerin WANTED them to see him.

"I screwed up Gerin.. I know I did..." Gerin moved to take his brother by the shoulders.

"No you didn't, once you started being yourself and not some imitation of me." he had been watching, of COURSE Gerin had been watching...

"But, I was never a soldier Gerin, I wasn't before and I'm not now... I'm just good at making things explode."

"Most of the soldiers I have known were the same way once. That's why they call it training Ed. You will learn. Now get some sleep. You will need it." Gerin grinned, then was gone. Ed lay back down on his bunk and wondered. Then he picked up his pad and started studying military cortesy as his new commander had suggested.

Kat led her new sister into the depths of thier home. She pointed a number of rooms out as they passed.
"CiC, Mess hall, gymnasium, armory- your gear is all in there, quarters, ah and here, my domain." Gina looked at the small but well equiped infirmary and laboratory. She shook her head, bemused.

"This looks like an AFS base." Kat sobered for a moment.

"It WAS an AFS base. The Bane found it, and they used gas." Gina shuddered. The tought of being cooped inside the walls while poisons spead through the air ducts was a horrifying image. Kat looked at her then patted her on the shoulder. "The Bane never came in, the Atta persuaded them to leave." Gina, having fought Atta, winced again. "When the Atta knew we needed a base, they cleaned it out for us." Gina did not ask how. However...

"Won't the AFS come looking for this base?"

"No. Gerin reported that the gas the Bane used was a persistent nerve agent, which was true. What was not true was that it could not be removed. The Atta did that within two days." Kat sat down at her chair and spun it in place. She touched a pad and her computer lit up. She pursed her lips in thought as she perused the readings.

"I need to check something, come with me. I may need your help."
She went into a smaller room and there were two medical beds in the room. One was occupied. The young forean hybrid lying in the bed was pale, but the readings on the monitors surrounding her were within norms for an unconscious person, except one. Kat looked at that one closely and Gina followed suit. Brain activity was steady, but every so often she would murmur as if dreaming.

"She's not supposed... SHIT!" Gina jumped as Kat swore and several monitors went off at once. Kat reached into her pouch and pulled out a healing tool. A few anxious seconds later the readings stabilized again. Kat relaxed as the readings subsided again.

"This is Sara isn't it? Gerin told me about her, some..." Gina asked.

"Yeah." Kat responded, resetting the monitors and alarms.

"What happened to her?" she broke off as a fierce look came across Kat's face. "I'm sorry if I..."

"Not your fault. Short version is Penumbra found out she can talk mind to mind with people." Gina hissed in wonder and apprehension but didn't interrupt. "They kidnapped her, with official approval. They interrogated her, but that didn't give them what they needed, so they tortured her. When she tried to escape, they blew her legs off. All through that they were running experiments on her. Somewhere along that time they stopped reporting to Penumbra HQ. By the time Gerin found them, they were truly rogue in all ways. And she was mostly dead."

"I heard about what he did. Through unofficial channels."

"He had reason. He brought her to the Atta, who took her to Zuriel."

"Why do these Atta like you? I mean..."

"Most Atta you have met wanted you for dinner right?"

"Yeah..."

"Simple gratitude actually. Gerin rescued Ecien from the Bane. Ecien is the new queen of this colony. Add to that the ability to communicate with them. We are the only ones who can talk to them. So technically we are ambassadors from the AFS to the Atta."

"You're kidding..."

"Nope, welcome to the diplomatic service Gina." She smiled at the expression on the spy's face.

"One word of caution Gina." Kat said with a serious look on her face.

"Yes?"

"there are two people in the AFS who know about us. Only 2. One is the Director of Penumbra, Gerin brought him in after Sara's... incident. We had no choice, Penumbra wasn't going to give up. We have a laison with them, who is NOT cleared for everything. Agent Clark is our conduit to the Director, nothing more. Clear?"

"Clear. And the other?"

Kat grinned "The other was accidental. But fortuitous. She was on patrol a while back and saw Gerin meet up with the Atta. She followed. She is the only person I have ever met who can outsneak Gerin. It didn't help her though. The guards surrounded her before she got too close. It might have gotten bad, except Gerin saw the fight and stopped it. And no, I don't know who would have won. That lady defines tough!"

"Who?"

"Morrison."

"You are shitting me... SARAH Morrison?"

"You cannot be more surprised than I was when Gerin brought her in and showed her around. I was the third one here, after Gerin and Sara. Gerin found me after I had been left for dead, he has a positive TALENT for that, brought me here, helped me heal and recruited me. The same way you were." Kat smiled in bemusement shared by Gina.

"So the others..."

"Recruited the same way. and now... We have you." She smiled and Gina returned it

"Ok, come on. now that the tour is over, the not-so-fun part begins." Kat's face took a serious aspect and Gina tensed.

"Do I want to know?" She asked quietly. Kat smiled at her but remained serious.

"You need to. You went through decontamination when you came here. you are negative for bio-agents, nanites or technological bugs. However..." She broke off as comprehension dawned on the spy's face.

"Oh..."

"Yeah. The Atta are remarkably sophisticated. There is a lot of evidence that the Eloh worked with them before we got here to Areki. But... they are still very vulnerable to poisons and diseases. The last thing we need at this time is a plague running through their ranks." Gina paled.

"Should Ecien have touched me then... I mean I like her..."

"She was protected. Everyone likes Ecien. She is young, innocent and at the same time incredibly wise. Part of that is the..." Kat waved her hands in self exasperation. "Nevermind. If I start lecturing we will be here all day. up on the table with you."

Once Gina was arranged as comfortably as she could be Kat continued

"I wont lie to you. This is not going to be pleasant. This will take at least 4 hours. Parts will be boring. Parts will be uncomfortable. One part will be downright painful, I'll try and minimize that. When you are done you will probably want to sleep. My advice, do so for at least 8 hours. When was the last time you ate?"

"I'm not sure how long I was out talking to Ecien. I ate last when Gerin brought food to me and introduced himself."

Kat looked at the clock and nodded.

"Six hours, plently of cushion." Gina gave her a quizzical look. Kat grinned sourly.

"One of the uncomfortable parts will involve you vomiting."

"ok..." Gina replied in a small voice, noticing the container right by the head of the table for the first time.

"I'm sorry if I seem... impersonal. It's how I deal with these kinds of things. I'm not a medic by trade." Several things clicked together in Gina's mind.

"You are an exobiologist..." she waved a finger at Kat. "If you kill me and raise me, I'll come back and haunt you." She grinned and Kat shared it. Then Kat reached for her controls and Gina resigned herself to being poked and prodded.