Love is Short
| Love is Short | |||||||||
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| Part of Ships In The Night | |||||||||
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| Factions Involved | |||||||||
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ShadowHaven Knight Errant Captain Marcus Avera Bezaisen | Mitsuhama Computers Technology | ||||||||
| Asura |
Monkey King (WET) Enlightened Boar (WET) Spiritual Teacher (WET) | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| A broken heart | None | ||||||||
Summary
...it's all my fault. Again, and always, my fault. My failure. My loss.
I wasn't enough. Too slow, too unprepared, too weak to save him.
It's my fault.
It's my fault.
Background
Bezaisen was with me this morning. We had been recovering together for about a month now, after escaping that hell together in the rift. I had healed about as much as one could, after being disemboweled by another fellow supersoldier with her own fucking assault cannon. But that isn't important. What was important, was the heart of my heart informing me of her slowly fading away. Her fear of death. Our forming of a plan to figure out how to prevent it. We...we needed to figure out what was wrong with us, after we separated. We'd need to find others like us, other pairs. See what they had. Work from there.
My father called me down. He was not happy with how endangered I was by all of this. Understandable. He was always a good person. Caring, kind. Very much...not happy with his daughter being thrown out of an astral rift at the precipice of death. We argued about what I should do next. I couldn't linger in Detroit. Not when I was at risk of losing someone so dear to me, when I knew that I could not sit here in the nest. But I at least agreed to hear out the other captain, see what she had to say. I knew my answer already but...but I couldn't just ignore him. He's...he'd done so much for me.
It was unfortunate then, that calamity broke down the wall.
The Meet
An invisible helicopter blew up the wall, and two figures came to face us. An MCT Extraction team. Cocky as I expected. Also, far more prepared for a fight than either I or my father was. It was problematic. They had gained an interest in my retrieval after our exodus from Hell. I was not in the mood to share stories in an MCT Lab.
The Plan
I DNI'd Marcus to get our supplies from upstairs. Bezaisen joined me in our living room amongst the rubble. We were not going to be able to kill this....mage and the adept.
But we could hold out. I just...I just needed to protect them long enough.
The Run
As expected, a very very hard fight ensued. Bezaisen was exhausted and fading, I was in my fucking birthday suit, and my father was old. I knew I could extend my heart out to protect the other two. I had Bezaisen share herself with me during the fight. They were toying with us more than trying to kill us. I could've helped us all get through. I could've saved them both. We could've lasted until reinforcements broke through the door. We were so close. So, so very close. Even as they toyed with me, they could not break me. I know they couldn't They would never have succeeded in breaking *me*.
But they could certainly make me crack. And unfortunately, they found an opening.
Th...the adept threw my father. I caught him before he flew out of the window, at the risk of my own health. That was fine. What was not fine was being then kicked out and falling twenty meters through the hole in the wall. I was separated from them both. The extraction team was running out of time but...
but I saw the bloodied hand on that damn adept.
I ran up the stairs as fast as I could, jacks working overtime. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. But when I fumbled through the door...I...
...Bezaisen was cradling his body. His throat was ripped off.
Captain Marcus Avera was dead.
I failed.
Aftermath
...They couldn't use my flashback sims to get much of an ID, even if we knew it was an MCT team. So, they couldn't make a case over it.
They came in to question me over the situation, had me in the interrogation room. Gave me their flat condolences that were all vapid. Bezaisen was there with me. I'm glad. I'm really glad. I couldn't sit through that alone.
...I'm angry. I was angry then. I'm angry now. I told her we were going to Seattle. We were going to make them pay.
two birds, one stone. They would have members of our own rank among their number.
I won't lose her. I won't lose anyone else like this.
I'll make them pay.
I will make this right.
Rewards
Run Rewards for Love is Short:
6 CDP (2 RVP)
8 Karma (8 RVP)
20,000 in liquid nuyen or gear rates in Ares Scrip or Ares Products (Including Ammo, Avail limit 18) (10 RVP)
May Take Battle Hardened (Up To 3 ranks) at chargen rates
Narrative Consequences:
While the lack of footage allows MCT propaganda department to publically deny involvement in the "terrorist attack", tension between Ares and MCT have ramped up. MCT operatives might face a little more pressure in the future.
Captain Marcus Avera was killed in the line of duty. He receives a burial with full honors.
The Westbound Extraction Unit is reprimanded for poor performance, although continue to operate.
Game Quotes
Player After Action Reports (AARs)
"...It is no exaggeration to say that I would not be here today without the kindness, resilience, and discipline of the late Captain. He was a great comrade to us all. Strong, resolute, ironclad in his belief of protecting others."
"...But he was more than that. So, so much more. He was so caring, in his own way. A firm, guiding hand. A man who would not let you waste yourself. A man who looked at a broken husk and saw in her someone who needed help, and gave it freely."
"Captain Marcus Avera was my father. He will always be one of the most important people in my life. He gave me the body, the wit, and the morals by which I live by. He...h-he saved me from becoming nothing. He gave me the most precious gift I could think of: A second chance."
"I stand here today because...because I do not want to see that compassion die out. Not when we are struggling to grapple with the world at large. Not when chaos and suffering threaten to crush us. When we believe ourselves to be alone, hollowed out, abandoned...those like my father are....a-are the reason this world has not yet torn itself apart."
"I owe him everything. And I want to make him proud."
"...Please look after me from on high, Dad."
"I...I'm going to miss you. Thank you for not giving up on me."
- Eulogy by Ellie Avera.