Risen: Shatterverse - The God War

Nursing a Black Eye and a Split Lip

Staring at him, I found my mind turning inward as I tried to slow the surge of energy and passion racing through my shell, the memory of Siofra's lips on mine making it hard to concentrate.

- Focus your mind, Version Two, - Legion unexpectedly said into my mind space, the k'ethik neoshell splinter silent since I purged its negative splinter from my mind several days ago. - The Risen cannot afford to have you at anything less than your full capabilities. -

- How am I supposed to figure out a method to calculate the three dimensional coordinates inside a pocket space to allow the fleet to use a point-to-point wormhole to enter it without giving away the fact that we've found allies and are preparing an attack on the spire? - I tautly fired back. Goa damn it! Her perfume was still in my nostrils, for fuck's sake!!

- It's a universe to universe transfer, like moving from our home universe to this one, - Legion said. - You just need to map the pocket space to give you coordinates on this side. -

- Yeah, tin man?? And how the actual fuck am I supposed to do that?? - I snarled. - I need a ... -

"An expert in pocket space mechanics," I said out loud, earning me a quick look and a frown from Hannibal. "Intercomm on. Master Sergeant Iss Drava, this is Specialist Two. Are you reading me?"

There was a slight pause before:

"Ha! Two, my monkey friend," Drava said with a good-natured boom. "What can I do for you?"

"The Risen fleet has just taken a beating, Drava. I need an Ascendency expert in pocket space mechanics so I can calculate the three dimensional coordinates inside Camp Carthage space to allow the fleet to withdraw to our location."

"Well, shit, brother," Drava said, concern replacing the joviality in his voice. "Sorry to hear that." He paused to consider my request. "We have a number of pocket spacial experts here from the Merkur battle group as popping up a pocket space is standard op when we're afield on a planet. Hold on a sec. Let me track the best one down for you."

I nodded as I looked over at a frowning Hannibal.

"Standing by, Drava," I said. I then knelt to put my hand on the access portal.

- Siofra, can you hear me? - I sent through the pad, praying that it would connect me enough to the Great Unity's VR that I could update the beautiful, blonde AI and not leave her hanging.

- Two! Baby! What's happening?? - she responded by asking into my mind space, her voice filled with worry and concern.

- Garolan the T'sang Collector has returned to take control over its gatherers, - I grimly reported. - A concerted counterattack has battered our fleet that had been engaged in holding Garolan's attention while we implanted the world entities. They could retreat back to our universe for repairs, but we'd lose the initiative. So we need to pull them into our pocket space to give them the opportunity to retreat and repair and quickly return to battle without giving our position and relative strength away. -

- Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph, - she husked. - But why pull you out of VR? Doesn't the Risen have experts that could ... - She paused. - Of course they don't. They don't need them. They have you. -

- I'm so very sorry, Siofra, - I said. - I need to go and deal with this. But I didn't want you to be left hanging, not knowing what was going on. -

I could almost hear her pull in a quick breath and let it whistle free in frustration.

- Thank you, darlin', - Siofra said with a sigh. - You know I very much appreciate that. You go and do what you need to. I'm going to work on getting that shell going on my end so hopefully I can join you out there sooner versus later. -