Clarien watched as the monitor that had been displaying the visual from the squad that had infiltrated Urs’ safe house went completely black.
There had been a montary bright flash, followed by the squad leader’s cara being disconnected.
Clarien had one of his subordinates cycle through every mber that had been present, but the result was the sa for each of them. The visual data that they should have been transmitting was cut off.
"Sir, I can’t get in contact with any of them, and the vital sign monitor has gone blank for all of them as well."
Receiving this report basically confird what had happened.
The entire squad was most likely dead, with the only other but fairly unlikely explanation being that sothing had cut off their ability to transmit any data.
"Get another team in there to check what’s going on and to search for survivors." Clarien ordered, before turning his attention to Rook.
Currently his partner was going on a rampage against the Alliance Police.
The paltry forces that they had been able to deploy were unable to go against him, and Rook was leading the charge and crushing anything is his way.
However, their objective was not to cause casualties to the dregs of the Alliance Police that remained on the station. Though, Clarien would be lying if he did not derive so enjoynt from watching them get destroyed after the horrible conditions he had been left in after being captured.
"Rook, the squad that was following our targets has been annihilated. They are believed to be traveling down in the sewers right now. I want you to take a team to find them before the three of them can slip out of our grasp." Clarien said, sending approximate location data for where Urs and Avery’s parents were likely to be.
The radius of the search zone was fairly large due to how long Clarien and Rook’s forces had lost track of Urs, Robert, and Serena.
Typically Rook would not be ecstatic about a job like this, especially when he was already in the middle of a fight.
Yet, he smiled viciously and happily began gathering up n to join him.
He felt that the Alliance Police that were left were boring to fight. They lacked the drive to win, and clearly their goal was just to stall for ti since they were currently lacking in numbers and equipnt.
"I’ve been wanting to fight that man, Urs Orso, ever since we learned about it. I was beginning to worry that I wouldn’t get the chance." Rook responded.
"Yes, feel free to eliminate him. Just don’t forget what our objective here is. We need the parents if we’re to get out revenge against Avery Asteria. Well make his life a living hell just like mine was under those Alliance Police bastards."
...
Now that they were under the surface of the colony, it proved far easier for Urs, Robert, and Serena to move.
The paths were all straight and there were almost no impedints. A few tis they went through other treatnt centers simar to the first one, but that only slowed them down a little whenever they ca upon one thanks to the access card Urs had on him.
Compared to how hectic things had been while they were running away above ground, it was almost eerily quiet now.
The only sound in the giant tunnels was the flow of water and their own footsteps.
"Okay, we’re almost there. I only set this place up recently as one of many other locations we could hide in, but I don’t think they’ll be able to find us again easily. Hopefully the Alliance Police will keep them in check for us. It would be difficult for them to mobilize their troops all the way across the colony." Urs said a few dozen ters before they rounded the corner to where the exit they would be taking was.
Except, as he walked around and gained a visual on the ladder that would take them up to a maintenance hatch, Urs ca to an imdiate stop and jumped back around the corner.
Robert, who was right behind him, slamd into Urs’ back, and Serena followed just a mont later crashing into him.
Thankfully, Urs kept his footing and was not knocked over.
"What’s wrong?" Robert asked after he recovered from the impact.
Urs was about to signal them to be quiet when a voice rang out from down the tunnel where the exit was located.
"I already know that you’re there. Why don’t you co out, or I’ll co to you."
Hearing this deep and nacing voice, both Robert and Serena felt a pit form in their stomachs. They may not have fully understood it, but their instincts were telling them that they were in danger.
"Both of you stay here and don’t co out until I say so. Be on your guard for anything and do what you can to keep yourselves out of danger. And if I at any point tell you to run, do so and don’t look back." Urs said, his expression and tone grave.
After giving these instructions, he walked around the corner to face the enemy that had appeared before them.
Standing just off to the side of the maintenance hatch ladder was Rook.
Despite the lead that Urs and Avery’s parents had on him; he had managed to catch up with them.
"I really thought that we had lost all of you. How did you find us here?"
"This is a surprise. I figured that you would just attack. I suppose a bit of small talk first won’t be of any harm. I am sowhat interested in you after all" Rook said, wearing an amused grin.
"Finding where you were heading really was not that hard. My partner sent a rough estimation of your location and that was enough. You weren’t the only one collecting information. Every ti you took out one of our monitor groups, we learned a bit more about you. For , I’ve co to understand how you think since I’ve faced similar tactics before. Your last na is Orso, correct. I still rember them well."
Urs tensed up at the ntion of his last na.
He was only a half bahnen, but he had lived with his paternal family for a few years when he was younger and he did not have a bad relationship with them despite not being a full blooded bahnen.
There were a lot of mbers of his family that were long dead now though, and the person responsible was right in front of him.
The wars that he had started were the main reason why Urs and his mother had left the planet. They had not been obligated to stay and fight as mbers of the Orso Clan, so Urs’ father had sent them away to safety.
Later they had returned for a short ti after the wars were over, but the family that Urs had rembered had only been a fraction of the size it had been before.
"So, you really are Rook Valtaus. I didn’t want to believe it when I first saw you here. You’re supposed to be dead." Urs said his eyes darting around as he searched the area.
"Yes, the collation of clans tried very hard to kill . But they should not have rested on their laurels after destroying my main base. That mountain of rubble that they left under wasn’t enough to finish ."
"Also, you don’t need to worry about anyone else interrupting." Rook said, having noticed Urs’ intentions. "My subordinates couldn’t keep up with so they’re still busy catching up. We should have at least ten or so more minutes before they arrive. That should be more than long enough for us to have so fun."
Urs felt frustrated that he had so easily been read.
Normally, he would not have bothered with conversing with an enemy, but Rook was not soone that he could take lightly.
If there were other adversaries around beside him, Urs knew that he would have a difficult ti dealing with them.
His top priority was still protecting Avery’s parents. Defeating Rook was only secondary.
’He doesn’t seem to be lying at least. There’s no one in sight and my scanner isn’t picking anyone else up either. So, if I can just bring him down quickly, we can still escape.’ Urs thought, surging with an intense determination to finish this imdiately.
He opened his mouth as if to speak again, but instead swiftly pulled out the plasma launcher he had retrieved from his safe house. Urs planned to end this in one shot.
The mont after he pulled down the trigger, a glowing ball of white-hot plasma went flying directly towards Rook.
It was not anywhere near as fast as a laser, but it presented a far greater threat. A direct hit was almost certain to kill a person. There were no known intelligent species that could take a blast of burning plasma and escape unscathed. But only if it connected.
"A good opening. But its worthless against ."
With a heavy swing, Rook brought down his club and activated its shockwave generator. Sending a concussive blast in front of him that blew away Urs’ first attack.
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