NationStates Jolt Archive

One word echoed through the corridors, which were empty of all life, save two. "ORAN!"

The cloaked figure ran down the dark halls, racket from her boots echoing up and down them. Her sword came up and struck down at the head of her prey.

Parrying with his braodsword, Riok Oran kicked her across the hall and into a priceless vase. "Your day is over, Epsilon. The Black Staff died with Delta and there's not a damn thing you can do about it! Kamara and the Inquisition are the new power." Striking out again, she slides away, cloak spinning.

Tossing the cumbersome garment aside, she scowls at him. "The Black Staff may be dead, but two agents still live."

The two fought each other in the halls of the Palace for nearly an hour, niether gaining an advantage. Oran was larger, but his armor restricted his movements, while she was smaller and wearing training garb. The two moved outside in the combat, in full view of the public walking the streets outside the fence.

Thrust, parry, slash, duck, kick.... the movements were happening fast enough that they blended without seam. A rock sailed over the fence at the two, striking Oran in the shoulder... he took his eyes off Epsilon for a moment to shout at the attacker. His words were caught in his throat by the cold metal of her rapier. As she pulled the blade free, she took his windpipe with it, soaking the lawn of teh palace in purple blood.

She let out a sigh and turned her head to stare at the crowd, who stared back. Some were apalled, some smiling and others were just shocked. She dropped the rapier and walked to the fence. Reporters clambered to her, shouting. She answered each and every question in one statement.

"I was Epsilon, the last Black Staff agent in the Empire. As the last agent I have legally executed Riok Oran for crimes of genocide, human testing of bio-chem agents and inciting a civil war. I am now going to assume my prevous identity and leave the Empire immediatly." She turned to re-enter the palace when one last question was thrown out.

"Who are you really?!"

She stopped in mid-stride and turned. Smiling she just shook her head. "All in good time, sir... I will be back. The Empire is going to be in danger quite soon and I will be needed."

Her face was plastered all over the news, as the one that killed Riok Oran, foriegn minister of the Empire and Advisor to Varchak himself. Soon news would leak to the international press.

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Agent Epsilon
Last Known Black Staff Agent

Epsilon emerged from the tunnels under the Palace and into the warehouse district. Walking along an alley strewn with garbage, she looked quite out of place, but the only ones that saw her were her own people. Professional bodygaurds, thugs and muscle posing as workers, bums, streetwalkers and the like.

The door to the warouse slammed behind her and all the lights inside came to life. Monitors, map screens, commlinks, chronometers... and the dozens of people there came into view. One stepped forward, smiling. "You did well, Epsilon. Better than I expected." Byron Fisk chuckled, then waved her over. "We'll be ready to begin the operation in a mere three weeks. Can you be sure he knows?"

"I'm going to Automagfreek myself tommorow, to make sure. Omega is trying to get to The Executioner now. If all is as Delta said, we're still behind schedule. The event will happen in two weeks. Accelerate training... we have to be ready or we'll leave the Empire ripe for invasion. And not even Gholgoth can protect us from all our enemies." Epsilon answered, looking to the map screen. "Allright... Oran is dead, Varchak is in hiding, society is just short of upheaval... we need to find out what the trigger is. What is going to set it all off."

Fisk looked at her. "I know what will do it. But it will probably cripple the Empire in the process." He pointed at the board, at a glowing dot. It was the sprawling metropolis that produced most of the goods used in the Empire. At it's heart stood the dwarved old city of Lodz. "Decimate the city's industries and it all goes to hell."

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Byron Fisk
Minister of Internal Security

----

Vrun Dryath
(The Blessed Shores)

Running through the wilderness of Gholgoth was NOT Omega's idea of fun. Running from a pissed off bear was less fun.

Crashing through the underbrush, he lept, grabbed a treelimb and hoisted himself up. The bear was under him now, angry as... a bear. Taking out his gun, Omega took aim, intending to put a bullet right between it's eyes, when the bear looked away, then roared and took off the way it came, leaving him in the tree wondering what just happened.

You should not cross the wildlife here. For if you cross them, you cross me.

The deep voice carried from all directions, intended to inspire fear, but Omega was glad to hear it as he lept down and holstered his sidearm. "Are you Gar?" He asked, looking around.

Silence followed for a moment. I am he. What do you wish of me, mortal?

"I'm here... to ask for your help." He laid out the entire plan right there, going on for a few minutes. When he was done, only the birds answered. "Gar?"

From behind, a hand dropped on his shoulder and he spun, looking up at the Executioner. I shall do as you ask. The Beast knows what is best for his people and I know what is best for the Blessed Shores. The Storm shall come here. It shall engulf all that you say...

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Gar the Executioner (http://usera.imagecave.com/Alpha-Zero/executioner.JPG)
Hunter of the Blessed Shores

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Agent Omega
Black Staff Agent in Hiding

OOC: Cool.

Myer
0004 GMT
Three Days Later:

Tink-tink

Before the shell even hit the ground, the gaurd was dead, bullet through the eye. The strike team was one of eight hitting throughout the city. Figuring out a plan to enter the compounds of the giant mega-factories was easy. Doing so, undetected, was a much harder thing to pull off.

Teams all over the city were killing gaurds silently and sneaking around gates. Soon foreman and work crews would die, then their equipment would be destroyed. Any video records were left to be found. The teams wore only black outfits, no patches, nothing to identify them. They didn't speak. Their faces were covered. The weapons they used were all used by strike teams worldwide.

----

0800 GMT

Imperial International Newslink

"The city of Myer is in a state of chaos this morning. Eight heavy industrial factories, over a quarter of the production facilities in the city, have been decimated. The loss of life is only eclisped by the loss of the market, which is plunging the Empire into a depression unlike any before.

The Military seems to be the only part of the government still functioning, as the Marine production facilities are untouched in the city of Needles, more often known outside the Empire as Bratislava. General of the Army Meridius was unable to be reached for comment, but a suboordinate stated that the General was 'too busy handling the situation personally to take time to deal with reporters'."

----

"The Empire is going bankrupt. The banks are too. The market is plunging all the way to Hell's Basement." Fisk said, speaking to Epsilon and Omega on his link to them. "I'm not sure if I should be happy or shoot myself for treason. Epsilon, you had damn well better find a way into the Halls and get to him, or we're gonna be speaking Russian and German by nightfall."

----------

Davion Varchak sat not far from the long since nuked capital of Belarus. It had been his home, before Crimmond annexed Baggera. Now he sat in a bunker, awaiting word that it was safe for him to emerge. With Oran dead, Fisk missing and General Marco conviently unavailible in Myer(Meridius had a hand in that, he knew), Kamara was his only ally.

She was in Skye, which sat on the old city of Warsaw. In her place was a woman named Kortana. As Inquisitor Consular, she was second only to Kamara, the High Inquisitor. "Overlord... The Empire is dying. We will die with it, unless we get out now. In Gholgoth, we can survive."

"Do you honestly think our enemy would forget about Gholgoth? We haven't heard a word from our agents there... As far as I know, they are fortifying the whole province. I'd be walking into my own prison cell. I stay here. Among my... Ubermenschen." He gestured to the Civils standing around. They were supermen in many ways, being stronger and faster, with animal senses and human intelect. They ignored the Overlord as he spoke, content to work on gaurding, working electronics in place of absent humans, or prepping for patrols.

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Overlord Varchak
Supreme Leader of Crimmond(In Exile)

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Civil Soldier

OOC: I <3 Underworld! Oh...and I'll be getting to your other thread.

OOC: I <3 Underworld! Oh...and I'll be getting to your other thread.
Thank you.

OOC: Tag.

Thank you.

Arr...me posted!

Epsilon walked the streets of St. Freeksburg, dressed as she was during her execution of Oran. The city was quiet at the break of dawn, but it was obviously waking up. As she approached her goal, the crowds got thicker, though the armed Sentinals outside the great doors desueded most people from merely walking up and going inside, that and the building was the Halls of the Dead.

As she walked past, she didn't give it another look. She wasn't getting in there now. Not with it gaurded. She needed a way in and there was only a few ways to get it.

---

She stepped out of the cab, tossing the man driving some money and waited until it was gone to proceed to the gates of the military base. As she expected, she was stopped by armed gaurds, who demanded to see her ID adn know her reason for trying to get into the base. She explained that the first wasn't on her person and that the second could only be explained to the base CO.

A while later, she found herself talking to just that man, who looked at her like she was a spy or a maniac. She endured the usual questioning of Name, Nationality and the like. "Sir, I'm not here to steal your military secrets. If I wanted to do that, I wouldn't have walked through the main gate. The only thing I want is to gain access to the Halls of the Dead. The reason would make you think me insane... so I wish to speak to a creature that has been there. One of the Death Dealers would be able to comprehend my story much easier than a human, genetically altered or not."

Skye
24 hours after Myer Bombings

A man in a black suit stepped into the Senate, which was crowded with Marines, Inquisitors and Senators, as it was every day. Walking into the chambers, he looked like every other bodygaurd in the place, so he wasn't looked at in suspicon. He stood there for nearly an hour before he had had enough of the Senate's reactionary ramblings. "ENOUGH!" he shouted, bringing the whole senate to silence. He walked to the center of the room and looked around, scowling.

Slowly, it dawned on the Senate who he was and the uproar started again, directed at him. He silenced them all by removing his gun and firing once into the air. "I said enough! The Empire is falling apart and you peopel are only concerned about how to save your own worthless skins! You know, I don't think that the people would like the talk going on in here. You know, I'm sure they don't like it."

He pointed at a space behind the senators. The bank of cameras that broadcasted the announcements of the senate all had red lights on. "Senators, you're on live TV across the Empire. And I don't see any of you keeping your jobs for long."

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Agent 283
Retired Black Staff Agent
Former Head of Intelligence

[OOC: AMF is apparently unable to post due to his schedule. So I'm pushing forward without his posting. Hope I don't break too many of his nation's customs or military proceedures...]

A Deathdealer. A being of great strength, endurance and skill. A weapon of war and intimidation. And Epsilon stood in front of one now, looking up into it's 'eyes'. "I need access to the Halls of the Dead. Specifically to the Vault of Souls. I know that you can get me this access, either through taking me there yourself or talking to Damien. It is imperative I get into this place. The Empire of Crimmond will topple and be conquered by it's enemies if I don't."

She spoke with no fear, in her voice or here eyes. But considering where she wanted to go, she wouldn't be afraid of talking to a deathdealer. After a moment, the being nodded and walked off, with her in tow.

----------

The Deathdealer was not a talkative creature, but it understood the importance of what she asked. Enough that it did not ask permission to take her where she wished to go. Or if it did, she did not notice.

Getting inside the Halls was easy. Getting a Sentinal to follow them inside was too. The long walk through the decaying corpses and the walk through the torture chambers was far worse. Teh Deathdealer never looked around, never seem bothered. She was though... she wanted nothing more than to run from this place, screaming. Possibly vomiting as well.

Down a stone staircase and they were there. Standing in front of the Vault of Souls. She moved to the doors and put a hand to it. "Open it. I need to speak to one of the Souls here." It obliged, after a moment's hesitation, wondering why on Earth she would want to be here. Or perhaps how much it would have to answer for.

The cacophony from inside was horrible, but it slowly died down to a low grumble as they saw the three beings. One a puny human female, the other a being from the Tomb of the Mutilated and teh thid a Sentinal. She tried her best to ignore all the souls except one...

Stepping up to it's crystal, she smiled. "Old friend... you've looked better."

"So I have, Epsilon... but you have not changed." A pause. "Deathdealer. I can feel your presence. You are not needed any longer... go and inform your superiors, whoever they may be, that the Empire of Crimmond thanks them." His rumbling voice cut through the din like a knife and left no room for defiance, even if he was a soul in a rock.

After teh other had left, she sighed. "Everything is as you ordered, Administrator. The remanents of teh Black Staff are assisting wherever they can. 283 has embarassed the Senate, Omega is in Gholgoth speaking to Gar and the collapse of society in Crimmond is going according to your commands. Fisk is handling things while I am here."

"Good. He is a capable leader. He would have become Emperor, if he had any political drive. I have other forces awaiting in the Empire, who will help with my plans. Now, let us see about getting me out of this rock."

She looked at the Sentinal. "Stand before the Administrator. He wishes to speak to you."

As the soldier stood and looked into the stone at the swirling black being inside, Epsilon backed away, out towards the door. The stone started to crack as Delta spoke some archaic chant, the crystal shattering after a few moments, releasing the cloud that was The Beast. The suprosed Sentinal tried to get away from teh released demon, but The Beast was too quick, diving into the Sentinal. It was the only time she had heard of a Sentinal screaming in fear, but what happened to him next was beyond words.

---

The Beast invaded body and mind of the Sentinal, forcing it's essence into it and the Sentinal's out. A quite short war was fought in the mind. A war for the life of one of the two. The Beast won.

As the soldier's essence was pushed away, Teh Beast's took it's place, killing the soul of the soldier and replacing it. It was not a possesion. It was a replacement. Even physically...

Delta removed the helmet and the armor of the Sentinal, tossing it aside. "My clothing, Epsilon." He said, stripping down to nothing, as she removed the clothes from a pack she had brought with her. He dressed quickly, never showing any modesty in the fact she has seen him nude. She had made sure to study him, even though she knew he was uninterested in the carnal pleasures of life.

He was Delta. He was not a demon in a Sentinal's body. Delta's own appearence had replaced it. Even down to the long hair. Placing his hat on top of his head, Delta smilied at her. Then she saw his eyes... two white void filled orbs. "Now, dear Epsilon. Let us see how much death and destruction we can rain down on our enemies."

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Agent Epsilon
Last Known Black Staff Agent

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Administrator Delta