Things have been moving fast.
I can't help but be impressed by the logistics of the Order again. The Printers are now always running at max capacity, to the point where a slight vibration can be felt when I approach the workshop area. The Legionaries have also been training with renewed vigor, and I spotted a few new faces in the ranks of the recruits. There have been a lot more members of the Inquisition patrolling lately, but it's inevitable considering the massive influx of new people.
As for me, I finally decided on a new course of action since the new armors are being produced. The printers running at full capacity are something else, they take a pile of raw materials an transform it into a complete suit of armor in less than an hour. From what I've heard, a young Fabricator made this kind of workload possible by adapting some parts of the research we have done on Starmetal cooling.
By using a closed loop of circulating essence of frost the Printers can run at higher speed than first anticipated, so the production capacity is significantly increased since the tools no longer risk melting after a few hours.
But I didn't get all the details, what the Fabricators are discussing is usually way above my understanding, so I just smile and nod when they explain something to me.
It has only been a day since my meeting with Taanyth, and I decided on the Starmetal processing machine. We need it now, so I have to take it from Krognar. Ideally, we would also get the blueprints so we can copy it and understand how it works, but the situation is too urgent for that. Of course, convincing the hiding engineer to join us is a possibility, and I'll try it, but I doubt he'll willingly become part of the Order.
And, knowing his personality, it's not unreasonable to think that he'll kill himself out of spite if we force him to take an Oath. We also can't imprison him, that Goblin is too smart so he'll find a way to escape in no time.
I'm convinced that the Goblin has a ton of security measures in place for his hidden machine, so I won't be able to do it alone in a reasonable time frame without help. So I assembled a special team: First, there's Mary, who is here in case we encounter anything I can't handle.
And, if I consider my track record, then it's pretty much everything.
The second member of the team is Sarah, the mind-reading girl. She was never meant to be on the front line, but her ability could allow us to acquire the plans for the machine and the ways to defuse the security measures.
Another member of the group is Cynthia, which is the promising young Fabricator that came up with the cooling upgrade form the Printers. Alan recommended her, citing that she had worked a lot on deciphering Krognar's runes. Philip would have been a better choice for that, but the old man is too valuable to not have him do research.
The last member of our posse is Alex, yet another member of the defunct Occult Club. He insisted on providing an escort for Cynthia when I recruited her, and his combat performance is up to the standard according to his commanding officer.
More firepower is always welcome, and someone who can do smaller strikes that Mary should be useful in the crowded environment of Krognar's Shard. Everyone, except me, has been provided with a rifle. Mary grumbled about it, but a glance towards the hybrid was enough to stop her upcoming complaints.
This escort group has been issued the first instances of the new armor, and now they are waiting for me in an open space near the main barracks.
I wave towards the motley crew I assembled. Each of them is from different branches or special units, so the logo on their metal-breastplate are different, an unintended side effect that makes it easier for me to identify them under their otherwise identical armor.
That armor looks like my own, but there are fundamental differences. First of all, no lifeforce detector. There's also none of the fancy binding operations that makes the armor operable by a single person, and there's no retraction mechanism so putting on the armor takes a bit of time. The metal used is also more steel-like compared to mine, which looks a bit more like brass and copper. They also have their distinctive red robes, but theirs isn't capable of generating a one-man rave party.
But the environmental resistance is where most of the work was focused, and it's almost on par with what I have. The manufacturing process stops it from being as detailed as my armor, but it shouldn't matter too much unless we plan on taking a month-long vacation in the middle of an active volcano.
"Why do I bother with this..." Mary grumbles as she pokes the rifle attached to her by its sling. On the other hand, Cynthia grips the weapon with all her strength. She isn't supposed to be deployed like this, so she hasn't received the adequate training. I'll need to pay attention to her to make sure that she isn't hurt.
Alex has the stance of a soldier, but he isn't particularly remarkable otherwise.
Sarah looks more comfortable with the weapon and moves like a veteran with years of experience. I was informed that her ability allows her to copy spells and movements as long as the memory is from a human, but it's still impressive to see. The only thing that remains to be tested is how well she will cope with the stress of a firefight.
Now that I think about it, I did adapt quickly to being attacked with deadly spells. But I guess it's inevitable when you AlWaYs CoMe BaCk.
"I think you all know why you are here today?" I ask while putting my hands behind my back and surveying the group.
"Where's here to kick some ass!" Mary says enthusiastically while pumping her fists into the air. It earns her a curious glance from the others, but they don't say anything.
I would also stay silent if the one who was acting ridiculously was able to burn an entire town in the blink of an eye.
A sigh escapes my mouth, and I shake my head, "Not exactly... We are going to see an old friend of mine if you can call him that. We will first try to convince him to give us what we want, and we'll also attempt to have him join our merry group."
"And if he doesn't accept?" Mary says while licking her lips and looking at me straight in the eyes.
"Then we'll have to be a tiny bit more forceful," I return her look and smirk, which seems to satisfy the hybrid.
"Everyone should know what they have to do, right?" I ask. I've sent written orders to all of them, but even I don't read the reports most of the time, so it's better to check now. To my relief, everyone nods their heads, so I won't have to waste time by explaining everything again.
"Good," I retract my armor and speak into the newly installed communication channel. In my case, it's just a jury-rigged secure phone connected to my belt while the others have this feature directly integrated into their suits. "Now, your armors are brand new, so I can understand if you still need a few moments to adapt. Everyone knows how to operate the comms?"
"Yes! This is great!" Mary is the first one to understand how to operate the thought-activated communications. Alan told me that if the user decides to use the comms, the armor will stop the user's voice from leaking out.
"Y-Yes, I think I-" Cynthia talks normally, then stops talking. "It-it should be better now," she says on the secure line.
"Testing, over." Alex's monotonous voice is the next one to join.
"Is this thing on?" Sarah inquires.
"Yes, good job!" I say to the mind-reader. "Now that we can communicate, it's time to begin the operation. I trust all of you to know how to operate your weapons. But this is going to be the first real off-world operation for most of you, so let me give you a few pointers before we begin."
I survey the group to make sure I have all their attention before continuing, "First of all, the Shard we're going to go to is, as most of them are, controlled by a bunch of criminals. From what I've seen the public order in that particular Shard seems surprisingly good, but who knows what we might encounter. So stay on your guard. Also, the Order taking over the Shard we are now calling home might have ruffled a few feathers. We might face great resistance if anyone recognizes us."
It shouldn't be the case since Terrence has been very thorough and removed all the survivors, but I can't be too careful.
"Another point and this is more for Mary than anyone else, but don't pick a fight with the locals," I say while glancing towards the woman, who giggles and waves at me like she's completely innocent. I sigh, "Of course, I'm not saying that you have to be pushovers. We're going to enter a world full of bad people, so if someone bothers you then absolutely shoot them in the face."
I pull out my Portal Gun and aim it at my feet, "It's time to teleport, the waypoint should still be named 'KrognarShop', it should be shown on your HUD."
The others nod, so I pull the trigger.
I sink into the ground and emerge near the entrance of the shop, my companions soon follow.
"Whoa, so this is what another dimension looks like," Alex mutters.
"You idiot, the home base is in another dimension," Cynthia adds.
"Yes, but-" I suppress a chuckle and interrupt the red-headed Legionary, "Please keep the comms clean, we're in what might be enemy territory."
"All right, sorry about that." The Legionary says, "But still, it's not the same thing..." he mumbles before looking around.
"Sarah, look into the mind of the locals for a bit, see if someone recognizes us," I ask, and the mind-reader nods.
"There's nothing as far as I can tell. The ones who are giving us more than a cursory glance think things like 'what a bunch of weirdos' and 'I better stay clear of these people'." she answers.
"Good," I say, at least we won't be bothered. "Now let's meet Krognar, his shop is just right there," I say as I point towards the ancient building.
"Seriously?" Cynthia exclaims, "The guy that made all those damn unreadable runes and those overly-complicated systems that kept me awake for weeks work in a- in a shed?!"
I can't help but chuckle, "Yes, it was a shock for me too when I first came here. I know that the building doesn't look like much, but it's a treasure trove full of good equipment."
"I can't fucking believe it..." Cynthia mumbles, and the way she jumped just after her sentence tells me that she said that on the comms by accident.
"Let's stop fooling around, and let's go in. Try not to break anything, that old Goblin tends to put a high price on his wares." I grimace as I reminisce about the times I bought something from him.
The old wooden door creaks when we enter, and Cynthia along with Mary can't help but look at all the displayed artifacts. They act like children, but I barely pay attention to them. Instead, I focus on the two small armored figures carrying spear-like devices near the counter.
I have never seen anyone else in Krognar's shop, but maybe I was lucky since his wares must attract a lot of people. I study the other clients while pretending to browse the displayed items. Their small stature reminds me of the shopkeeper's, but their armor stops me from identifying their race. I would like to know what they are, just to be sure that I can kill them if they decide that they want to attack us.
...I'm a bit too paranoid, aren't I? I guess it is normal considering my situation since almost everyone I meet tries to kill me as soon as they see me.
Usually, the crafty Goblin comes to the counter when I enter, but Krognar's figure remains unseen. I take a few steps forward, and I realize that the spear-carrying creatures shifted their attention to me. I feel like they want to jump me, but maybe it's my paranoia that's-
"Fuck!" A pained shout followed by a large yellow beam that goes through the wall takes me out of my thoughts.
"Get ready; something is happening!" I shout to my companions, who are already rushing towards me while pulling out my pistol. The two spear-carrying creatures also react, and they point their weapons towards me.
I Rewind a few moments in the past and react as soon as the blast appears and put a bullet into the skull of the two creatures before they can respond.
"Something is happening in the back, follow me and be careful!" I say to the other members of the Order. Alex nods and ready his rifle, Mary's weapon is uselessly dangling on its sling as she readies a fireball in her hand, and Sarah's trembling while Cynthia hides behind her.
*Not the best crew, but they'll have to do.*
"Sarah, stay here and protect Cynthia! The others will come with me!" I adjust my orders and rush into the room where the beam came from. Or at least I try to, but the flimsy looking door is sturdier than it should be. The reason behind that unnatural strength becomes clear when light reflects off the tiny, almost invisible engravings on the door.
Of course, that Goblin must have enchanted the entire building. I reach for my Portal Gun and, to my relief, the room isn't equipped with a barrier against teleportation.
"Teleport two inches ahead!" I say to my companions as I enter the coordinates into my magical device and fire under my feet. The interior of the windowless room soon greets me, and the scene is gruesome.
A pool of blood littered with small bent metallic pieces covers the center of the room, and a wounded Krognar is standing in the middle of it. He's covered in gashes, and his silver arm has been reduced to scrap, its shape is barely recognizable. Arcs of yellow electricity sometimes appear over the cracks.
His assailants are, as I suspected, two other similarly dressed small creatures. One of them is clutching what remains of his shoulder. I assume that where the beam of light hit since a large circular chunk of flesh is missing.
The shopkeeper is the first one to speak, "Y-You! What are you doing here?"
"Who are these people?" I ask while looking around. The other attacker is still stunned by my flashy apparition, so I shoot him and his friend in the head. Their armor bulges in odd ways before the pressure causes the metal to snap and a big ball of blood splashes on the already bloody ground. "I would like an answer now."
Krognar leans against a wall and takes a deep breath. It looks like his wounds are more severe than I thought. "Mary," I say over the comms, "Heal him, we need him alive."
"All right," the draconic hybrid replies and heads towards the Goblin. He tries to raise his mechanical arm when she approaches, but he soon gives up as a healing light envelops him.
"So, what's happening here?" I ask while surveying the area. It's evident that they attacked him. And, from the look of things, they dragged him into this room and really did a number on the old shopkeeper.
"It doesn't concern you," he spits a glob of blood and uses the wall as support to go towards the counter, "What are you even doing here? I thought that I would never see you again after our last transaction."
"You see, things have changed. I'm the leader of a certain group, and we declared war on the Enforcers, so we need your Starmetal processing technology." I answer.
He spits on the ground as he reaches for a hidden drawer and removes the broken husk of his artificial arm. "Are you kidding? Isn't one Spell Jammer enough? You want me to give you my life's work for something as futile as money? I already have more than enough to last me a couple of lifetimes!" he pulls out a new arm from the drawer and sticks it into the socket on his stump. Krognar grimaces as the artifact come to life, and large bulging veins appear just above the spot where the metal meets the flesh.
"You don't seem to understand the scale of our conflict. I have a good source for large quantities of Starmetal. We only need you to help us with storing and processing it." I keep explaining. "We can even help you with the problem you seem to have."
"Ha! Don't make me laugh. As tough as you and your friends think they are, there's nothing you can do-" I interrupt the Goblin with a good light show. Mary even adds to the effect by releasing a large glob of condensed power.
"W-What is this-" he stammers and falls on his back.
"It's but a glimpse of my power. I'm capable of destroying demons alone, I have weapons at my disposal that would make even the strongest Families tremble, and I mastered interdimensional teleportation! I have my own Shard, and I can protect you from those who pursue you if you agree to join me." I declare while putting my hands behind my back and standing straight. The show is a bit cheesy, but the situation should make it very believable.
"Joining you? Don't you understand the situation?! These people are from my home planet; they somehow tracked me back here! I will never be safe again!" the shopkeeper slams the counter with his fist.
"Then we'll kill whoever is after you!" Mary shouts while making fire coming out of her mouth, "Prometheus can do anything! He's a living deity!"
Krognar is taken aback by the sudden display, and he sits down with a smirk, "As if! Would you take on a whole planet for some old Goblin fugitive?"
I speak to Sarah, "How is he feeling? Is there a chance that he's convinced?"
The mind-reader replies instantly, "I believe so, he's replaying certain painful parts of his past, and the frustration Krognar feels about the ones who ruined his life is snowballing."
Good, then maybe we'll be able to work something out.