3 Days Later

“So you really found him, then?”

“Sure seems like it,” Gavon replied. “If the base we found wasn’t his main one, then he’s a much bigger problem than anyone expected.”

“EA’s base, huh…” Colonel Saito mused as he strolled through the streets of Compound Tresnon, alongside Major Hackett, Captain Travis, and Master Captain Gavon Savénos. All four of them carried their guns with them, as they had just been relieved of guard duty atop the walls of Tresnon; it was on this walk back to their living spaces that Gavon broke the news of the Black Suns discovering EA’s base.

“What makes you so sure that it’s EA’s?” Travis questioned with a side-glance toward Gavon.

“According to the report, the defenses were automated to an extent that no other organization in the galaxy has ever been able to match,” Gavon replied. “On top of that, many of the buildings and defenses have EA’s insignia painted on them: that blue ring with the double cross-bars running up and down and side-to-side.”

“He certainly isn’t subtle about claiming what’s his,” Hackett remarked.

“I can’t say that he’s too different from Austin, there,” Travis mused. “I remember when he was younger, he loved to slap little insignias and things on everything he made.”

“Seems like a bad idea for someone who’s trying to fly under the radar, though.”

“In general, I’d agree,” Gavon said. “But for EA, I think it’s fully intentional. In most cases that we’ve seen his insignia, I fully believe it’s because he wanted us to see it. He wants us to think that he’s a threat.”

“How much of a threat is he, really?” Saito questioned. “I’m not being glib, either. I hear he’s attacked all of the Big 3 PMCs, but is he really too much for you all to deal with?”

“I’d like to say ‘no’, but…” Gavon responded uneasily. “The Black Suns, the Chaos Knights, the Light Keepers — we all individually have the size to take on EA, I’m sure. And the incentive, too; he’s been attacking all of our supply lines and stealing those supplies for himself. It’s a massive pain. But his tech is too much for us to handle. Between his beaming, cloaking, Subspace Drives, automation, enhanced Chaos shielding, and his overall reliance on spacecraft, I suspect that only a national military will be able to launch an effective attack against him. Especially given that the base we discovered is far too heavily defended for a ground incursion without accompanying naval cover. There’s even orbital defenses!”

“Is there a Gate?” Travis asked.

“There is, but it’s been blocked every time we connected to it,” Gavon said. “That’s part of what clued us in to something being wrong with the planet.”

“If you didn’t travel there by Gate, then how did you discover the base?” Hackett pressed. “I thought the Black Suns didn’t operate a navy.”

“Just because we don’t have a navy doesn’t mean that we don’t have any ships,” Gavon refuted. “Most of them are just transport craft or freighters, but we do have a few scouting Frigates, allowed to us by the standard PMC charter. They’re slow and lightly armed, compared to national recon ships. But they do the job well enough.”

“And this base was large, you said?” Saito questioned.

“A massive industrial complex, by the looks of it,” Gavon said. “The exact details should’ve been forwarded to SERRCom already, but from what I hear, it appeared to be a large manufacturing facility for those robots that EA uses.”

“He’s only been around for half a year,” Hackett stated. “How the hell did he set up a massive factory in that time?”

“Maybe it’s actually just old Aldredian tech that he managed to get working, again?” Travis suggested.

“I have no idea, personally,” Gavon said with a shrug. “But given the defenses around the base, it certainly seems important. I’d bet that wiping it out will do a serious blow to EA, if nothing else.”

“I hope,” Saito said, “but were there any spacecraft foundries in orbit around this base?”

“The report didn’t say.”

“That’s a good point…” Hackett mused. “EA had to have gotten his ships from somewhere. So if they weren’t produced at this facility… then does that mean he actually has multiple production bases?”

“That sounds like a real pain in the ass,” Travis remarked with a uneasy chuckle.

“Let’s reserve judgment until we see SERRCom’s own scouting reports,” Saito declared. “A SERRCom recon Frigate will be able to more thoroughly scan the base than a Black Suns Frigate; we’ll know more, at that time. But, either way… I have a strong suspicion that the brass are going to call us back, soon, to help deal with this issue.”

“’Soon’, meaning…?” Travis prompted.

“Within the week, I’d bet. Maybe two, but certainly no longer than that. EA’s technology is incredibly advanced, after all — and the Suns don’t even have PCSes. Chances are, EA was able to detect the Black Suns Frigate, which means that he knows that we’ve found him. We don’t want to give him enough time to pack up and leave.”

“Understood, sir,” Hackett replied. “We’ll be ready to move out whenever necessary.”

“This timing, though…” Travis muttered. “Tresnon is still in danger of a Bleeder attack, and you’re saying that we’re going to have to leave…?”

“Don’t worry, Luke,” Gavon remarked as he offered the Captain a reassuring pat on his shoulder. “I’ll still be here. On top of that, the Deans hired some Black Suns reinforcements that should be here within a week or two. We’ll make sure the place is safe while you’re gone.”

“Still…”

“I’m afraid that’s just how things turn out, sometimes, Captain,” Saito said, and then nodded toward Hackett. “But we won’t be leaving just yet; with luck, we’ll be sticking around at least until Creators’ Day, so make the most of what time you have. Meanwhile — Major, let’s go speak to the Deans about this news. They deserve to know that we’ll likely be leaving soon.”

“Understood,” Hackett replied as she and Saito broke away, turning down a side street toward the WCU campus.

Gavon and Luke watched the two leave for a second before sighing in tandem.

“Thanks for bringing this news to SERRCom,” Luke eventually said as the two resumed walking down the street, “but I have a really bad feeling about this, for the Nimalians…”

“As I said, you can leave everything to me and the Suns,” Gavon insisted. “I hear the reinforcements will be led by my superior, Master Colonel Sinstis Krydonin. She has plenty of experience, and has even worked with the Deans, before. Tresnon will be perfectly safe in her hands.”

“I don’t doubt that. I’m just concerned about the period of time where we’re gone, and your people haven’t shown up, yet.”

“…I can’t deny that I’m a little concerned, as well, but there isn’t much that we can do about that. At this point, it’s better to focus on what we can do… which might be better achieved after a good drink.” Gavon passed Luke a glance. “You up for hitting the bar?”

Luke briefly looked skyward; the sun still shone brightly over Tresnon, but the western horizon was just barely beginning to tint the golden color of late afternoon. “…Might as well,” he responded with a resigned sigh.

Gavon grinned as he steered them towards the nearest bar. “Glad to hear it! Don’t worry, Luke — even if worst comes to worst, I’ll make sure your nephew is safe.”

“He’s not the only one I’m worried about,” Luke refuted. “It’s his friends, and Tresnon, too. There’s a credible, immediate threat, out there, and it just feels bad to leave before it’s dealt with.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling…” Gavon responded. “Will you at least be returning, afterward?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I imagine so. I was sent back after the Sunova op, after all. Still, even if I’m only gone for a week… anything could happen in that week.”

“True. Though I must admit, I’m a little surprised to see that you care so much about Tresnon. I didn’t think that SERRCom cared.”

“I don’t think that SERRCom does. I just care about this place on a personal level. They’ve been through too much shit for no one to care about them, and besides, it’s like I said…” Luke paused to take a deep breath before throwing a quick glance toward Gavon. “…Austin isn’t the only person I care about, here.”

Gavon returned the glance. “…Oh?”

“Yeah. You’ve been a good friend. Well, Selind has, too, but… …she hasn’t propositioned me, haha.”

Gavon raised an intrigued eyebrow. “But if she had, would you have accepted?”

Luke shrugged. “Maybe. But that’s not the point, right now. I know it’s been a month, but… well, if your old offer is still open…”

“If you’re talking about a relationship, then I’d gladly accept!” Gavon replied. “But, I have to ask. That night, the concerns you raised were perfectly valid. Are you sure you’re alright with dating a Black Suns officer, despite all of that?”

“I’m still a little uneasy, but I’ve kept you waiting for an answer for over a month. And after hearing the news just now that I might have to leave Tresnon behind in the face of an imminent Bleeder attack, well… let’s just say that I don’t want to have any regrets.”

“You’re getting real heavy on me, now, Luke! But, I certainly understand where you’re coming from. In this line of work, it’s always dangerous to leave things for later.”

Luke nodded. “Exactly.” He then passed Gavon an uneasy smile. “So, just to be clear… I’m sorry for makin’ you wait, but would you have me?”

Gavon responded with a warm smile as he patted Luke’s shoulder again. “Of course! I’d be more than happy. But now, I have to ask: are all Earthians this proper when it comes to matters of the heart? Or is this just your nerves speaking?”

“Ha ha ha…” Luke laughed sheepishly. “No, that’s… that’s the nerves. I’ve never been good at this kind of thing. I don’t think I’ve ever held down a relationship for longer than a couple months.”

“Well, there’s always a first — and, failing that, even just a few months can be something worth remembering,” Gavon declared. “But I digress. We were going to get drinks, weren’t we? And I’d say that we have quite a bit more to drink to, now!”

“That we do,” Luke agreed with a smile as the two continued on through the streets of Compound Tresnon.

---

*

“So. …They’re definitely together, aren’t they?”

“More likely than not, at this rate,” Hackett replied as she glanced over her shoulder.

Saito responded with an amused laugh. “What, are you afraid that they’re listening in?”

“You should always be wary when gossiping…”

“You really can be a bit stiff, at times,” Saito remarked as he led the duo down the streets of Tresnon toward WCU. “We’re just talking about Travis and Gavon, here.”

“I still don’t like to speculate about this sort of thing,” Hackett pushed back. “It’s quite rude.”

Saito shrugged his shoulders. “A little, I suppose, but it’s not as though I’m spreading rumors.”

“Until either Travis or Gavon says that they’re actually together, it is just a rumor.”

“Alright, alright. I get your point.”

“Aren’t you concerned, though, sir?” Hackett passed Saito a wary glance. “Gavon is with the Suns, after all.”

“What happened to not speculating, hmm?” Saito retorted as he passed Hackett a smirk. She rolled her eyes in response, at which point Saito turned forward and continued speaking. “I am a little concerned about them getting together, I suppose. But Gavon is with Sector 1, and more than that, Travis isn’t the type to leak confidential information to someone he’s dating. This whole thing is worth keeping an eye on, but I’m not so joyless as to stop it completely.”

“Do you just want to experience a relationship vicariously through the Captain?” Hackett teased.

“Well you never talk about your wife, so I can’t very well live through you,” Saito replied with a smirk. “Besides, I’m fine with being all on my own. It gives me more time for me.”

“That is indeed what most single people tell themselves, sir.”

“Haha! I’m glad you only say these things to my face, Major!”

“It’s all part of the job, sir. I can’t let my commanding officer get too big in the head.”

“That aside…” The Colonel released a lofty sigh, as though preparing to change the subject — but before he could, he noticed something out the corner of his eye. Turning to look, he remarked, “…well now, is that MacTavish?”

“…Huh, so it is,” Hackett said as she turned to look in the same direction as Saito, where Researcher MacTavish had just stepped onto the main street. As soon as she had, she almost shrunk away into a side alley, her eyes fully squinted in the bright sun. “Can’t say I expected to see her out and about by herself… I wonder what she’s up to.”

“There’s only one way to know,” Saito replied, and then waved toward MacTavish as he called out to her. “Hey! MacTavish! Fancy seeing you, here!”

“Ah—!” The Researcher jumped at Saito’s call, her attention immediately snapping to him. As soon as she recognized him, an obvious sigh of relief escaped her lips, only for her body to tense up again. “W-what are you, um, d-doing here…?”

“This is the main street,” Hackett pointed out with an amused smile.

“We were just headed up to the campus,” Saito remarked. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’re you up to? It’s rather novel to see you out and about on your own.”

“Y-yeah, w-well…” MacTavish fidgeted in place. “…I-I was, um, a-actually going to the, uh, th-the campus, as well…”

“Oh, great! Let’s walk together, then!” Saito declared, gesturing for MacTavish to tag along with him and Hackett. She looked up at him uneasily, but she eventually stepped out onto the main street to join the two other members of CSF-1.

“…It is pretty bright, isn’t it,” Hackett remarked after observing MacTavish’s furrowed brow from how hard she was squinting — even though her glasses had transitioned into full shade.

“U-uh, y-yeah…” MacTavish replied quietly as the trio began walking down the street again.

“That’s the desert, for you,” Saito said. “It’s been getting quite warm, lately, as well. Can’t say I’m a fan.”

“I doubt most people are,” Hackett pointed out.

“True.” Saito then glanced toward MacTavish. “So what brings you out here? Or, to the campus?”

“Oh, j-just, you know…” The Researcher responded uneasily. “Uh… s-stuff.”

“I take it this isn’t work, then.”

“Uh… n-no…”

“This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with that Creators’ Day holiday, would it?” Hackett questioned.

MacTavish turned to give the Major a wide-eyed stare. “H-how did you know?!”

“It was just a guess. A lucky one, it would seem.”

“No need to be so embarrassed about it, MacTavish!” Saito remarked. “What you do in your own time is entirely up to you. I don’t judge.”

“Uh, right… u-um… thanks…” MacTavish responded slowly.

“What’re you doing for Creators’ Day, then? Are you teaming up with the recruits for something?”

“…S-sort of… I, um…” The Researcher fidgeted a bit before continuing, “I-I’m just, um, h-helping with some… game testing…”

“A game, huh?”

“I recall Travis saying something about his nephew running some tabletop RPG,” Hackett said. “Is that what you’re helping with?”

MacTavish nodded once, though never made eye contact.

“Ah,” Saito responded with a smile. “Finally getting to know the recruits, huh? I’m glad to hear it, MacTavish!”

“Um… th-thanks…?”

“Now, not to put a damper on your fun, but…” Saito lowered his voice as he spoke to MacTavish. “Chances are, we’re going to be called back, soon — possibly within the week.”

The Researcher eyed him uneasily. “…Really?”

“Yeah. We finally found EA’s base, so the brass are no doubt putting together a plan to take it out. A plan that I’m sure we’ll be a part of.”

“Oh… o-okay.”

“Don’t be shy, MacTavish. This should be the kind of mission where you excel! I’m sure there’ll be tons of tech for you to hack and salvage. In fact, you and Kate might even be necessities on this mission.”

“Th-thanks…?”

“It was a compliment, I’m sure,” Hackett stated. “You do good work, MacTavish.”

“And speaking of your work…” Saito continued, lowering his voice again. “I was finally able to cross-reference Mark’s report from last week, in regards to Earth’s Gate.”

Hackett and MacTavish shared a glance before the Major quietly responded, “you mean, about Earth’s old coordinate?”

“That’s right. Mark said that he dialed both the new and the old coordinate, and made a connection each time. Well, I took that information and pulled up the Gate activation logs from the New York Gateport — there were no scheduled activations when Mark performed his experiment, but there was one unscheduled activation from an unknown location.”

“Just the one?”

Saito nodded. “Yep. And based on the timings that Mark gave me, that connection was using Earth’s current coordinate. So when he dialed the old coordinate… he must have reached a different Gate.”

“I suppose that makes sense…”

“B-but, h-how is that possible?” MacTavish questioned. “I-if the old c-coordinate was also used for Earth, a-and the new one was, too… th-then why don’t both reach Earth?”

“I was hoping that you’d know,” Saito replied.

“O-oh…” The Researcher looked down uneasily. “…I… …I c-can’t think of, um, a-anything…”

“This is a pretty radical departure from everything we know about the Gates, though, isn’t it?” Hackett pointed out. “We know that the old coordinate used to reach Earth, but now, it doesn’t. And a significantly different, new coordinate is now the one we use to reach Earth. From everything we know… there should only ever be one coordinate per solar system, and they don’t change often.”

“Y-yeah, exactly…” MacTavish said. “I… I-I don’t know what this, um, m-means…”

“We can’t ask the ETAA about it, either, as that would show our hand…” Saito mused, and then released a resigned sigh. “…I guess this might be the end of the road, for now.”

“But we still know barely anything,” Hackett replied.

“I know, but it’s still something. I can’t help but feel that it’s a pretty significant something, too, but… for now, there’s nothing more we can do with this info.”

“O-okay…” MacTavish responded, her shoulders slumped.

“Never fear, MacTavish, you still did a good job finding that coordinate,” Saito declared. “Without you, we wouldn’t even have this lead. I’m sure we’ll be able to follow up on it, one day.”

“Either way, we’re finally here,” Hackett said, gesturing up at the gates to the WCU campus. Late afternoon sunlight shone down on three dreary campus buildings, as well as the practice fields that were nigh-abandoned in the heat of late spring.

“Oh…” MacTavish looked up at the gates herself, and then passed an uneasy glance toward Saito. “U-um…”

“Go on, don’t let us keep you.” The Colonel waved her off with a smile. “We’ll be leaving soon, so make the most of the time you have, here!”

“Uh… r-right!” The Researcher offered a meek smile in response before whipping around and jogging off toward the dorm, as though she were trying to escape the wide-open campus as quickly as possible. No sooner had she entered the building, however, did Mark and Danielle step out, with Mark carrying two large, empty canvas bags with him.

“Well isn’t this a coincidence,” Saito called out to them as they approached.

“Oh, sir!” Mark commented, giving Saito and Hackett a quick salute as he and Danielle joined them at the gates. “This is a surprise.”

“Yeah, first Kirstin at the door, and now you guys!” Danielle exclaimed. “Did something big happen?”

“Kind of, but MacTavish isn’t here for that,” Saito answered. “That part really was a coincidence.”

“As is us meeting you here,” Hackett added, and then nodded toward the bags in Mark’s hands. “Going shopping?”

“Just for some groceries,” Mark replied.

“Mark’s been practicing his cooking skills!” Danielle remarked. “All for Creators’ Day!”

“Oh, so you’re getting involved as well?” Saito questioned as he turned towards Mark.

“Ha ha ha…” Mark laughed sheepishly. “It wasn’t really my idea, but… it sounded fun.”

“I hardly think you need practice, though,” Hackett commented. “Not when it comes to cooking, at least.”

“Thanks for saying so. It’s not all just practice, though. The Keys have been hard at work on their own Creators’ Day projects, recently, so I just thought that I’d keep them fed so they can focus on their work.”

“So you’re all doing something, then?” Saito responded, his brow raised in surprise.

“Everyone except for Pierce, and Danielle, I think…”

“I mean, I’ll probably just help you out with your cooking,” Danielle said. “You know, like I’ve been doing!”

“Are you sure there isn’t anything you want to do on your own?” Saito questioned.

“On my own…?” Danielle echoed. “…I hadn’t really thought about it. I don’t know what I’d even do…”

“You seemed interested in Austin’s game,” Mark suggested. “Maybe you could help them out?”

“But I was going to help you…”

“If that’s really what you want to do, then I’ll gladly take your help. But don’t feel like you need to. I’d say that you should think it over, see if there’s anything you want to do, yourself.”

Saito nodded. “Exactly. This Creators’ Day thing is a good opportunity to express yourselves, so I’d encourage you to at least think about it.”

“Hmm…” Danielle mused, her hand held to her chin in thought. “…Okay!”

“Good to hear,” Hackett remarked, and then passed Saito a glance. “But unfortunately, the Colonel and I do have some business we need to tend to.”

“Oh! Sorry to keep you, then,” Mark apologized, only for his face to light up as though he had just remembered something. He then reached out for Saito and Hackett, who had already begun to leave. “Actually, sir, hold on! Before you go, I wanted to ask. Is there a plan for us to do anything about the Bleeders?”

Saito and Hackett exchanged a glance. The Colonel then released a wary sigh as he and Hackett turned back to face Mark and Danielle. “Right…”

“I’ve heard some speculation that they’re going to attack Tresnon, soon,” Mark continued. “If there’s anything we can do to stop or mitigate that attack, then I want to be there for it.”

“Me, too!” Danielle quickly added.

“Yes, well… about that,” Saito responded. “Chances are, we’re actually going to get called back to SERRCom within a week. Maybe two.”

“What?” Mark’s eyes widened in alarm. “What happened?”

“We found EA’s base. SERRCom only just recently got the tip, but I have no doubt that we’ll be launching an attack on him, soon — and CSF-1 and the Eximius Vir are likely to spearhead that assault.”

“Oh. Cool!” Danielle remarked.

“But… that’s going to take us away from Tresnon when they need us most!” Mark protested. “Sir, this timing is terrible!”

“I can’t deny that,” Saito replied. “But that’s just how the cards fell. EA has been harassing the Big 3 PMCs, and they’re all putting pressure on SERRCom to do something about him. Hell, given his showcased manufacturing capabilities, it’s in our own interests to take him out as soon as possible, as well.”

“That may be, but even so…”

“I understand your concern, Mark. But the locals aren’t useless without us — they have their own Defense Force, after all. They also have Dean Densalin with them, and she’s a powerful Chaotic. On top of that, they’re hiring Black Suns help — and the Suns should arrive within a week or two, from what I hear. They should be fine without us.”

Mark regarded Saito with an uneasy stare. Eventually, he sighed. “…Alright. If you say so, sir.”

“So we’re really going to be fighting EA, then?” Danielle questioned. “It’s been a while! Are we gonna bring Austin along?”

“What, because EA is supposedly Austin’s evil twin?” Hackett scoffed.

“I wouldn’t be quite so quick to laugh off that claim, personally,” Saito said. “A lot of weird things have happened in our galaxy. Hell, we only have the Genesis because it literally popped into existence twenty years ago; I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a similar force behind EA’s existence. And if there is, then Austin could potentially have some valuable insights, if we brought him to EA’s base.” He then turned to address Danielle. “But with that said, no, we won’t be bringing Austin, or any of the other recruits. They still need a lot more training before they’re ready for combat missions.”

“If the threat of a Bleeder attack is real, then leaving them here could be just as dangerous,” Mark pointed out.

“At least here, they have plenty of other experienced Chaotics to protect them,” Saito replied. “And the Bleeders, at this point, are a fairly known quantity. Whereas we have little idea of what to expect at EA’s base. Best to only bring our best in that situation.”

“I suppose…”

“Well, at least we’ll get to see Mote and Kate again, right?” Danielle remarked. “It’s only been a couple weeks, but I still miss them.”

“Well, for better or for worse, we’ll all be together again, soon,” Saito said. “And on that note, the Major and I were actually here to inform the Deans about everything we just told you.”

“Oh, right.” Mark stepped aside. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to keep you.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’re the ones who called out to you, after all,” Saito replied. He then nodded at each of Mark and Danielle before moving towards the campus’s admin building. “You two take care of yourselves.”

“Right… you too, sir!” Mark responded, at which point he and Danielle continued on through the gate to tend to their afternoon activities, all while putting their uncertain future out of mind.