The YoungWorld

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:06 pm Post subject: Children of the Gun

Children of the Gun

OOC: The contents of this story have been taken from a series of old role play threads created in The YoungWorld several years ago, and edited together to produce a singlular tale of deception and intregue. The story begins in Fort Europe in 1956 when Elizebeth Rigolo, Esmerelda's grandmother controlled the five nations on the Larissa Peninsular known as the Europan Commonwealth.

So sit back, relax and enjoy.

Credits:
Members involved in the creation of these stories include:

Doramicus
Fort Europe
Makaar
Oraqk
Scamptica Prime
Scrivneria
Tryanny
The Twin Guns
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Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:07 pm Post subject:

14 November 1956

Aksara District, Fort Nathan

Expelled ammunition cut through the air along a back alleyway in the Europan Commonwealth as a black cloaked figure grunted. The automatic machine gun that had become her lifeline in the last few hours was empty. She was obviously female, judging by the way the dirty blouse bulged out on her chest in two distinct places. The long cloak revealed only her booted feet as she ran. Cursing, the lady pulled a second weapon, a pistol, from a belt hidden beneath the cloak and took aim. She reached the end of the alley and leant around the corner for a brief moment. There were two men on the street in front of her. Summoning courage, she leant out again and fired off several shots. Pulling back, she ejected an empty magazine from the pistol, took the last full one from her belt, examining it to make sure the rounds were sitting properly and then loaded the weapon. Running low, she realized that she would need to conserve ammunition. A tear rolled from her cheek. She did not want to die in a place like this, so far from her home and her lover.

With effort, she dashed as quickly as her long slender legs would carry her. She reached the centre of the road before the two men responded. The tallest fired his weapon, while the other dived for cover. Her own finger twitched on the trigger of the machine gun in her left hand, and she saw the taller man fall as she reached the cover of the alleyway on the opposite side of the road. Turning the corner, she looked back out into the road, where the other man was getting to his feet once more. She fired, striking him down with a shot to the chest. A quick check confirmed that the area clear, but she could still hear sirens in the distance. Alone in a strange country, with a language that she could barely understand, she longed for home. A doorway provided an opportunity, and she forced her way inside. Removing the cloak’s hood revealed a pale face covered by a thin film of sweat, blue eyes and dark red hair. It was the face of a girl who was a long way from home. Her eyes pierced through the darkness of the room. The police were no doubt on their way, so the young lady had little option but to keep going. She had a mission to complete, and her deadline was fast approaching. Silently, she moved through the building until she reached an exit at the rear, and from there she slipped into the night.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:08 pm Post subject:

The Next Morning

For all the achievements of The Europan Commonwealth in technology and social development, there were still parts that had been left far behind, overlooked by the general population and ignored by the Councils tasked to govern them. They were small pockets of the nation where the underground thrived, where illegal immigrants and street gangs went unchecked. One such area lay on the outskirts of Fort Nathan, an industrial city at the foot of the Larissa Mountains, some way north of Stape, the Capital of Fort Europe. Fort Nathan had a long history of conflict dating back before the reign of the old Bovingtonian Empire, right up until it was bombed during the Kellertopian War. The city had been rebuilt since then of course though some believe it would never fully recover.

It was in one such area, an urban slum on the outskirts of the city that was disturbed that night by automatic weapons fire. Witnesses had seen a foreign woman who had yet to be identified running from a large gang who were well known in the area. By the time the Commonwealth's military police had arrived on scene the woman was long gone, leaving an impressive body count in her wake. Fort Nathan's Provost Marshal, Major Rick Kelly was accustomed to gunfights in these slums, gang wars were usually spurred on by black market trade, but when he was called into investigate this incident there was an undertone that he didn't like the sound of.

"Il doerrus dal nau vel'klar, wun renor. Usstan gumash naut kyorl ilta jindurn. Il mumbaroe b'veckole, xuil draa guunes. Il elgge draa nesstren gaer, lu' quen mzild gaer. Nindel zhahus jal Usstan gumash kyorl." An elderly witness told the Major, speaking nervously in Synx, the intellectual language of the region. The witness pointed to a passage way between two old warehouses, and the Major translated the words into standard Bovish as he wrote it down.

‘She came from nowhere, in black. I couldn't see her face. She moved strangely, with two guns. She killed two men there, and four more there. That was all I could see.’

"Ussta g'rftte ush'akal" The Major said, thanking the man before heading back to his vehicle. This case had him baffled. What was this woman doing here? One witness who had watched from a window described her as having yellow skin, with black hair and green eyes, but no one else had been able to confirm this. Perhaps he was looking at this from completely the wrong angle. Nothing seemed to make sense.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:09 pm Post subject:

Louise Naval Base, Fort Europe

Normally Elizebeth Rigolo wouldn't have batted an eyelid at a public appearance, but today was not a normal day and she would have been grateful for anything that would allow her to go and stick her head under her pillow until the day was over. It was her Birthday. As it was, no such reprieve came and she stepped out of the vehicle to rapturous applause at Louise Naval Base where she was to preside over the launch of the Commonwealth's latest warship, the noise only serving to increase her headache further. As Great Leader of the five nations of the Europan Commonwealth, she had a duty to perform on such occasions, for her birthday had to be shared with the nation. The Europan Commonwealth Ship Sovereign was the eighth Beardmore Class battleship to join the fleet and would no doubt do her crew proud. Liz attempted a smile as she returned the salute of William Langton, the ship’s Captain, but it probably looked more like a grimace.

As the Captain introduced the Great Leader to the rest of the ship's senior crew, Liz's mind wandered back to the other matters that had occupied her of late. The high rate of population growth was particularly worrying, costs were rising and the pressure was being felt by all national and provincial councils to provide more housing, which of course would be at the expense of the nation's delicate environment. Not to mention the pain that losing both her parents had caused. She longed for the days when leading this nation had been simple. Of course news of the shooting the night before had reached her at the morning intelligence briefing, along with news of a bomb threat at the Tryannese embassy, plague quarantine areas in Kellertopia’s central province were still in force in two of the northern towns, and a two percent increase in teen pregnancy which had been recorded over the last year. Fortunately she had the councils to deal with these problems. Sometimes she wondered how her father had managed without the councils for so long, especially during the reformation after the fall of the Bovingtonian Empire all those years ago.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:09 pm Post subject:

Aksara District, Fort Nathan

It wasn't that Josy went looking for trouble. She would have preferred to do her job quietly and leave without fuss, and certainly without bloodshed, but trouble always seemed to find her. She had not walked far from the building when she heard weapons fire. The shots had been close, far too close for comfort, and she moved into the shadows to gain her bearings. More weapons fire came in reply, this time from further away. A figure moved on the far side of the road between two warehouses, running with some kind of rifle. Josy placed her back against the wall and drew her side arm. It felt good in her hand, for it was light and well designed, as though the gun was part of her arm. A noise behind her brought her attention and her gaze, and she spotted two more moving down the road she had just walked down. The last thing Josy wanted was to draw attention to herself, but it was clear that somehow she had walked into a fire fight.

It was difficult for her to tell who was fighting or why, but there were two clearly defined sides. One was to her right, using a storage area for cover, while the others were scattered on either side of the cross roads, which lay in Josy's path. It was probable that she could back track and work her way around the mess she had found herself in, but there wasn't time. The train that was to be her escape from Fort Nathan would depart in around twenty minutes, and she had to be on that train. It was a tight schedule, for the train would take her to a waiting boat, and passage to Annaria and relative safety. That left her one option, and one option only. She would have to fight her way through.

Turning the corner, Josy summed up the situation to the left of her position, aimed at the nearest target, and fired. She recoiled, pushing her back into the wall once more, and breathed. A man on the far side leapt from cover and dashed a few yards from right to left before placing himself behind a crate. He held an automatic rifle of Mekhulian design. She watched as he reloaded the weapon, and went to aim along the road. This was where Josy needed to be, she figured. There was a an entrance to one of the warehouses close to the crate, leading in the direction she wished to go. She levelled her pistol and fired. Someone else fired at the same moment, but it was Josy who struck first, and the man slumped back against the warehouse wall.

She wanted to make a run for the far side, but there were still too many weapons trained on the crossroads, and were firing sporadically in both directions. Movement behind her prompted her into action. She turned, and pounced cat like behind a concrete loading dock, that at least provided cover in one direction. She still had no idea as to whom these two factions were, but neither seemed particularly friendly. Fortunately those now behind her seemed to think that Josy was on their side, and took to firing past her. It wasn't much of an achievement, but while one side believed she was friendly, it cut down the number of people trying to kill her.

There was a scratching sound coming from the other side of the loading ramp, and Josy was certain someone was there. She waited, keeping low, and pulled a knife from her boot. Then, when she was convinced the other was about to make a move, Josy rose. The knife left her hand in a flash, and flew along the length of the other's hand gun, and lodged in the left eye of its intended target. The other died instantly, more by luck than judgement, for Josy had simply guessed at where her target would appear. The target, as it turned out, had been a woman, not much older than Josy, wearing a dark opaque top, and black combat trousers. Had it not been for the knife through the woman's eye, Josy might have thought the woman to be attractive. The kill however, prompted more of a response from those in the storage yard behind her. They seemed almost relieved.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:10 pm Post subject:

Twenty minutes later

It occurred to Major Kelly that he was following a trail of destruction across this small suburb of Fort Nathan, and he wasn't surprised to learn that the same vague description of a cloaked woman had been identified in both encounters. The body count now lay at thirty confirmed, and maybe even more beyond. However, unlike the crime scene of the day before, there appeared to be more to this fight. It looked as though two gangs were involved in this battle over a storage facility on the edge of the Ingato River. There were bodies belonging to both sides, and several survivors had been arrested and questioned, But the mysterious woman had disappeared once more.

She's still here. The thought came to him without warning. Is was not a logical conclusion. It was more of a gut feeling than anything else, the evidence at hand was far from conclusive, but there it was. Short of swimming the treacherously fast flowing river, there was only two ways out of the Aksara District, by road or by rail. The Major's mind was made up, he couldn't let this woman escape, nor could he let this violence continue. At his order, the nearby garrison was alerted. Soldiers in the area had been tasked to wipe out the gang warfare that had taken grip of Fort Nathan, but they were making slow progress, and this would be a good opportunity to put them to task. Soon Major Kelly would have troops and armoured vehicles rolling through this entire area, searching building after building for anyone who was involved in creating this mess. As Provost Marshal he certainly had the resources, equipment and numbers to deal with the situation. The one thing he did not have however, was time. He would need the whole area closed off, troops at every exit, and he would check the railway personally.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:12 pm Post subject:

Josy could feel the noose tightening around her. After the scuffle she had expected the Commonwealth's provosts to cause her grief, but she was almost at the railway. She hoped the train was on time, or it might be a close run thing. She could hear the sirens, the engines of vehicles drawing nearer, and a warning in the back of her mind that things were about to go horribly wrong. It soon did. The entrance to the rail yard that she had intended to use was blocked off by a military looking vehicle that had the words 'Fort Nathan Provost Division' written in Bovish on its door. Two police men stood in front of it, armed and alert. Josy frowned, for behind them, her train was ready to depart. The black engine billowed a plume of smoke above it's short funnel, and a figure in overalls was hanging out of the cab, taking to some unseen person further down the train.

There was nothing else for it. As much as she wanted to avoid killing Europan officials, these two were in her way. The automatic weapon in her hand had been taken from a body she had killed earlier that morning, and she levelled it at the police officers before they could respond. Both went for their weapons at the same moment she fired. A trickle of blood flowed down the road from where their bodies fell, one on top of the other. Josy checked that both were dead, and then the vehicle. It was empty except for a large radio in the back. She fired into it, sending sparks in all directions, but the noise of the weapon was covered by the train's whistle. Josy looked up, and saw that it was starting to move off. With that she was running, chasing down the train as hard and fast as her legs would carry her, with two more police vehicles closing behind her. She reached the line just as the front of the engine crossed her path. Josy slowed, reached out, and as the handle passed, she leaped, and swung herself into the cab with a flourish. The stunned engineers gaped at the stranger in their cabin, as Josy squeezed the trigger once more.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:13 pm Post subject:

Louise Naval Base, Fort Europe

Evening descended upon the day, and Elizebeth Rigolo arrived at Triumph House, for a traditional naval top table dinner. As was custom, she was placed at the head of the table with the very senior personnel that her Navy had to offer. The house its self was built in the 19th century and named for the flagship of that time, adorned with hundreds of paintings and artefacts. In all honesty, Liz was not in the mood for a grand event like this, she felt hot and uncomfortable, but she bore it with her usual reserved dignity. Even so, she was extremely grateful to the messenger who interrupted the fish course. She excused herself, stood and left the room, knowing well that she would be fined the usual bottle of port for leaving the table during the meal. At least she wouldn't be expected to drink it. As hoped, the message was of the highest importance, and required her to leave the banquet promptly. Unfortunately, that also meant it was extremely serious. A vehicle was waiting to take her back to the capital, where a press conference had been called for the following morning.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:13 pm Post subject:

The Mekharian Channel, five miles from Kimerage

The Solaris Ventura had slipped its mooring and passed the outer harbour marker by the time the Great Leader had been informed that there was a situation. Josy looked out from the bow at the fading coastline behind. The Europans had tried to be clever, first ordering the train to stop, and then by trying to redirect it from it's intended route to Sutina Bay. However, Sutina was not where her vessel was waiting, and in their attempt to slow her down, the Europan officials guided her safely to where she wanted to go. All in all, the whole mission had been easier than she had been prepared for, but even so, she heaved a sigh of relief when she was at last out of danger. As for the train, she had little notion of how to control the great lumbering machine. The engineers had been kind enough to start it for her, and she had no requirement to stop it. She simply jumped from the footplate as it passed her destination. As she watched the bow wave stretch away, reflecting the shades of burnt orange from the setting sun, Josy let her imagination play with the idea of the steam locomotive causing all kinds of havoc, and she rested safe in the knowledge that she was going home.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:14 pm Post subject:

Provost Headquarters, Fort Nathan

There was no love lost between the Commonwealth Police Force and the Commonwealth Army, and tensions were normally high when they were asked to work together on a matter of national security. But there was one thing that united them. Both the Army and the Police force hated the agents of the Commonwealth Intelligence Corps. The CIC, were known to poke their noses into everything, take credit for the work of others, and let others take the blame when it all went wrong. However, as much as he mistrusted the Intelligence Corps, Major Kelly suddenly found himself under their command. More to the point, he was under the command of a young agent who went by the name of Sonya Zomeg. Whether that was her real name or not, the Provost Marshal could not tell. To him though, the girl before him had barely reached puberty, and yet she interviewed his men as though she had been a detective for decades. Such was the way with the intelligence agents, from his limited experience of them.

Unfortunately, this line off questioning was wasting time. The fugitive suspect had escaped, fleeing into the night first by train and then by boat, and the trail was quickly going cold. The wreckage of the steam engine and more than twenty freight wagons had been found several miles north of Kimerage town, derailed on a curve in the track. No great damage had been caused, but steam engines were expensive things, and the train's cargo was also spoilt. Kelly wanted something to be done. The Intelligence Corps, the Navy, even his men and himself, someone should be out on the channel chasing this woman down, and bringing her to justice. Not least for the murder of two police men, the train's engineers, and more than thirty others. He couldn't even work out what the motive was for such wanton death and destruction.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:15 pm Post subject:

Commonwealth House, Stape

Following a fifteen minute long public address given in her usual calm and unphased persona, Great Leader Elizebeth Rigolo returned to her office and immediately removed all trace of that calm from her face, revealing the pure rage beneath.

"Putt! schol! attchien! Vel'bol l'vith zhah aluin pholor? what in this vithen'th world are you trying to say here Captain?!" The fury dripped from every inch of the Great Leader as she pounded her fists into the desk before her, the only solid item between her and her chief of intelligence, the only thing in that small office that was preventing her from choking the information she wanted out, though she hoped that wouldn't be necessary.

"From the top?"

"If you must!" the great leader sat down and crossed her arms as though confirming she was prepared for what was about to be said. Captain Sanders sighed.

"Okay, as you are well aware, the Commonwealth Airforce Base at Purple Hill on Selemzhin Island is used for experimental projects such as weapons developments and aircraft prototypes, military and some civil too, so won't bother detailing everything..."

"Don't waste my time Amy, get to the point."

"Ah, well the point is that my people chose this location to run a new exercise codenamed Silent Storm," The intelligence chief answered, without batting an eyelid. "The details of which boil down to a full test of foreign Intelligence resources for our own ends. We leaked a document to a rogue group in Fort Nathan's disreputable underground, which held information regarding a plausible classified operation on Commonwealth soil, and now we will monitor their responses. The result, a clearer understanding of their setup, and some new ideas for improving our own initiative and training."

"Are you telling me this whole thing is just a training exercise?" Liz seethed between clenched teeth.

"Yes Ma'am, I am." Amy replied evenly.

"Why was I not informed?" Elizebeth's eyes narrowed, her teeth still grinding together.

"Because that speech you just gave had to real. The Tryannese alone have over a dozen people who, sole job is to monitor your every word each time you make a speech, checking your tone, articulation, expression. If one word exits your lips that you do not believe to be one hundred percent accurate, they will know about it. Now all you told them in that speech is that you had at that moment no more idea of what is going on than they do. They may not believe it, but they are faced with the undeniable fact that the only thing you were trying to hide was your lack of knowledge. Therefore their response in turn will be exactly what it would be if this was for real." Liz glared at her intelligence chief, her oldest and most trusted friend, her sworn protector, and slowly dissected her molecule by molecule.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:15 pm Post subject:

Five minutes later

Amy Sanders walked through the corridors of Commonwealth House, to her left the man she had placed in charge of Operation Silent Storm, Captain Dylan Snook.

"What did you tell her?" His voice barely covering his emotions, though the rest of his body remained a solid rock, something he had long since mastered.

"The truth of course..." She looked for any sign of a reaction from the other.

"Thats not funny." He replied

"Relax. I gave her our cover story, as planned and nothing more. She has absolutely no need to know what is going on, and I can't afford to have her prying in on everything we do."

"She's a resourceful woman, she will find out one way or the other..."

"And when she does, your head will be the second to roll, right after mine. Besides, what would you have me tell her? That some guy named Chris Storm made a discovery so disturbing that it has already cost hundreds of lives to cover up... you of all people should know what would happen if the truth got out, you were there!" She said forcefully, referring to the incident on Norward Island several years earlier.

"Okay, okay, I give in... again!" Dylan sighed. "But there is one thing still bugging me."

"Which is?" Amy looked quizzically at him.

"What about the reporter who leaked this?"

"I assure you my dear friend, if he is still alive then he won't be for long?"

"So you really don't care if this civilian lives or dies?" A look of concern spread across Dylan's face.

"He was not a civilian, he used to work for me and turned rogue. He is therefore entirely expendable, the only thing I'm concerned about is finding those who have him, and anyone else he told!"

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:16 pm Post subject:

Hamblegroun, Annaria

Lord Fraser Wilson approached the towering building with a due sense of dread. The Annarian Intelligence Directorate were bad enough in wartime, when they knew who their enemies were. He knew that well, but in peacetime, they were paranoid and aggressive, suspecting everyone, always wondering who their next enemy would be and treating everyone as an enemy until war was declared. Basically, they were typical Annarians. Of course there be paranoid and aggressive, it was in their nature, but at that moment something else was going on. It was something fad darker and more sinister than Lord Wilson had known before. There was a sense that something big was happening on an international scale. The feeling was reinforced by the heavy security in and around the Directorate's distinctive building in Humblegroun's Government complex.

"Sir, I am Carmen Brooks," Said a female voice eventually, "follow me please." Fraser looked up at the slim woman who stood on the steps before him, in front of a large, ornate doorway. She wore a dark blue military uniform with gold laurels on each shoulder denoting her rank.

"Thank you Major" Wilson replied politely once he had climbed the steps to the entrance. He was used to dealing with the military, but he had not been expecting such a welcome. The moment he reached the door, she was already leading him through it into a large reception area. They turned a corner, walked down a long corridor past a number of Royal Guards, and arrived at a metal door which looked oddly out of place. Carmen opened the door, to reveal a metal box with another identical door in front of them, and a second to their left. To their right was a window, and a young woman could be seen on the other side. The glass was thick, probably bullet proof, with a series of small holes in a circular pattern designed for speaking through. The Major held up her pass to the girl in the window, and a moment later the door in front of them opened.

Inside, Lord Wilson was led down another corridor, and into an excessively dark room. Small lights illuminated the hands and papers resting on the desks of the various people there, and they were all sat around an oval-shaped table, but he could not see any of their faces. Another light showed an empty seat in the near side of the table, and the Major directed him to it, before taking her own seat on the wall behind him, completely out of sight.

"Lord Wilson," a voice said from the darkness, "Please, sit down." He complied, noting the room felt unusually cold. "You are Lord Fraser Wilson, His Majesty's Ambassador to the Europan Commonwealth, are you not?" The voice asked.

"I am." He replied.

"Lord Wilson, this briefing is classified." The voice continued. "You are aware I believe of the proposed alliance between the Europan Commonwealth and the Kingdom of Ancasta. The Directorate fear that this alliance would not be in the best interests of Annaria or our allies. We have strong concerns over the security of our coastline with the increased presence of potentially hostile nations on our borders. Not to mention our trade routes with Gryneria and Hamistan."

"You are required," Another voice said, "to do what ever is in your power to stall and preferably prevent this proposed alliance. You are to report any and all information to us that may be deemed useful to this process." The briefing continued for several more minutes as others in the darkened room covered the assignment in more detail. Particularly, expected threats and misgivings about the nature of the Europan Commonwealth and their alliance with Ancasta. It was a short meeting, and soon came to an abrupt end when Lord Wilson was directed back to the door.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:17 pm Post subject:

Sennesae Palace, Ancasta, the same day

Rays of morning light glistened on the damp cobbled courtyard below, reflecting the golden hue in a pattern across white washed walls. The familiar sounds of daily life drifted through the open window, a melody of bird song soothed the clattering and scraping of servants about their work beyond the ornate glass. From her bed, Emilae listened to the world outside. She had grown complacent of the beauty that surrounded her home, but only now did she realise how much she would miss Sennesae Palace. She was certain that she would miss Ancasta as well, but most of all Emilae would miss her father. The love she had for her father was clear for all to see, even if she was particularly angry at him for sending her away. He had told her that it was for the best, but she couldn't see how. Tryanny was a distant place, far removed from the beauty of northern Ancasta, her family, friends and everything she knew. A daughter's place however, was found by obeying ones father, and doing everything he asked of her. This was the Ancastan way. Only the commands of the King himself could overthrow the power of a young girl's father. But as Emilae's father was the King of Ancasta, she had little choice.

Emilae Prassionnerille, Princess of Ilya, was the youngest of three siblings born to King Rolan Tyquarma, the King of Ancasta. Her two brothers were both older, Jaques was Twenty four, and Kore was three years older than that. At ten, Emilae was tall for her age, slim, with long brown hair that flowed the length of her back and matched the colour of her eyes. Her soft tanned skin betrayed her youth, while its perfection gave her a beauty common amongst Ancastan women, or so people said. On the dressing table beside her bed, the maid had placed out Emilae's best petticoat, a fine white garment made of the very best Ilyan satin lace, which was to be worn that morning. She sunk deeper into the warm bed, procrastinating in the hope that her troubles would disappear. They did not, for her hopes were dashed by the arrival of Josephine Blamchek, her governess. Emilae buried her head under the sheets, but it was only delaying the inevitable.

Fort Europe · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 3:19 pm Post subject:

Commonwealth House, Stape

"It's not that simple." Amy Sanders said, frowning at the man in front of her. "I cannot say any more than that."

"Well..." He replied. Admiral Arthur Saranvall was a stern man, much older than Amy, with white hair and a matching beard. The Navy and the Intelligence Corps were meant to be on the same side, but in dealing with the Admiral, Amy often had to wonder if he was aware of that. Today was one of the better days however. "I will see what can be done."

The Admiral departed, leaving Amy to her thoughts. It was a worrying time, for secrets which should have been closely guarded had been leaked. She knew of course what these secrets were, but in the hands of those that might do harm, there was no telling what threat might surface as a result. She sat there for some time, pondering the possibilities, but as yet her agents and sources had been unable to trace the woman who had rampaged her way through Fort Nathan. Somehow, she had slipped from the Larissa Peninsular without leaving any evidence behind. Where she was from, and where she was going however, were questions that needed to be answered quickly. Descriptions of the woman varied too greatly to get an accurate picture, but all recalled seeing a short, dark figure with a firearm in each hand.

"You called?" Dylan Snook asked as he stepped into Amy's office, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Ah, yes." she responded, looking up at the tall man in the doorway. "There has been a slight change of plans. According to the Admiralty, these recent events have caused a shake up in the Mekha Channel, and there could be an imminent and direct threat to the islands..."

"Saranvall was here, wasn't he?" Dylan asked, and frowned when Amy nodded. "and?"

"And, you are to report to Purple Hill." She continued. "I am convinced that the source of our leak is there. Meanwhile, the Admiralty is organising a ship to be placed at your disposal."

"Which ship?" Dylan was curious.

"I don't know yet, the orders have to be sorted at their end. But it will be a destroyer at the very least."