Enforcer v. Blade

The blue and amber lights of flickering flames shone in the distance like the last rays refracting off the icy rings of Saturn above.

The somber flames from the burning ship raged into a more menacing form when his eyes widened to his surroundings. Bound in the bowels of one of the vehicles used in their pursuit, Ozrickt tried to free himself after leaning off the window that was separating him from the frigid outside.

Shuffling about while still quite dazed. The mist from his quickened breath condensed against the pane of glass as his panic rose, only for it to be silenced by the occasional warning from the Enforcers outside striking the hull of the craft in frustration.

"Where is he?" One of the Enforcers walked up to the crew of the Enduring Hope, alongside four other officers. All stood quite unusual, garbed in the Enforcers Tactical Armour.

'Poor fitting, some of the securing straps aren't even fastened and all of their bio monitors haven't even been calibrated' With a few sharp glances, Ridge's assessment of them was troubling. Marked by Vronica's nod to the mumbling, Ridge had hoped it had gone unnoticed.

With the same Enforcers sharing a disgruntled expression. Among them stood a particularly impatient one willing to respond and overturn their current objective as she tried to voice her thoughts with an expression warning against any interruption.

Pierce turned up after spending quite some time trudging through the smoldering remains of Ozrickt's ship. Bruised with soot covering parts of his jacket untouched by the fires or the freezing fuel spray he had been dashing through when faced against the escaped cyborg.

Walking between Enforcers and the tongue-tied Ridge, who eked out an apology before standing behind his Captain.

"Officer, you asked for me? Have you already taken Ozrickt into custody?" Taking off his charred clothing as he was handed a clean shirt by Vronica.

"That's Commander Durist, to you, Blade. We already have him secured. You needn't worry about him, from this moment forward, we will take care of the prisoner. However the matter of this criminal aside, I was told you were sent for backup before coming here?" A clean cut figure with sharp features fiery red hair slicked back, spoke up, in a uniform that told him apart from the rest of companions with the stars on his shoulder.

"That is correct. We discovered evidence of suspicious activity coming from this region, and I came to investigate. To ensure we weren't potentially wasting resources I went on my own, and sent for my team to join the requested Enforcers in the region."

"In the event I came across Ozrickt or any of his compatriots and was unable to apprehend them myself" Pierce said before thanking Vronica for the cloth she handed him.

He quickly tidied himself while the Commander soaked in his report.

"That is all well and good, however, this matter fell into our hands the moment you receive word that Jackboot James and Ozrickt Flynn were in our planetary space"

"..."

"Do you have nothing to say? Commander Durist asked you a question" One of the officers grabbed Pierce by the collar of his shirt.

"If we allow such criminals into our territory, that could invite mistrust of the Silver Council. The people's safety is in our hands, and when you let people like HIM tear through our cities and burn our Fuel Fields....you invite disaster"The officer shouted.

"What do you mean by him?" Ridge shouted back.

"Do not break anything V, that's an order"Pierce spoke to her, ignoring the officer.

"I am still addressing you. As an Enforcer, you are to recognize my authority. Or have you lost yourself already, Blank?"

The Enforcer spoke rashly, seen by the expressions on his comrade's faces.

All were silent in the instant it took Vronica to make her move.

The figure holding Pierce was flipped onto the ground with Vronica pinning him to the dirt. Driving her knee into his back, as if she understood where the very plates of their armor joined, she moved until the grounded Enforcer cried out.

"When those Regents told me that they would be sending one of their weapons into our territory, despite our leader's protests., we still chose to act on our own intention. For our home, we would do nothing less"

"But, they were cold and callous in their insistence."

"However to no one's surprise in the few days since your boots have touched our ground, we have had not a moment to ourselves between all of your chaos...so if I'm being at all still courteous, I think you've done enough. There's a reason worlds like ours haven't seen war in hundreds of years, and it's not because of you" the Commander's aid added, with their words following just as harshly after those of Durist.

"She will not break anything. You ask me why I did what I did, and you question my methods, and my intent as though I haven't seen my share battles. You truly question my actions, then you may ask the Silver Council."

"Wh...what, why are you bringing them into this?" Durist chastised him.

"I am here to do my duty. Just as yours is to defend your home, mine is to do the very same to any world that may need us. I have no interest in debating ranks when criminals like Ozrickt and murderers like Jackboot—"

"Captain, that's enough. We came and we did our job. The rest is for the Council to decide" Rayce said with a deep bellow, silencing the air as everyone turned to him. Pierce needed only a minute before obliging his crewmate with a nod before making his way to them.

Refusing to indulge the argument any further, Pierce asked that Vronica free him before telling his crew that they were departing. Reminding him that they would see each other on Luna.

Urging his crewmates to be prepared as they were heading to Luna...

"Hehe. Hold on there Captain, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we've all earned ourselves a cycle or two...to rest, yes rest" All of them were soon to forget the confrontation as they tried protesting against him.

But Pierce refused to answer as he entered one of the pursuit vehicles, waiting for the rest of them to join him, all with pouting faces.

While Pierce was getting stitched up, Ridge wondered how long it had been since he was actually in his home system, wondering if his family actually decided to leave Ma'dim as he turned to Thella. The group was dropped off at the same diner they had first stopped at, stepping through the doors, they narrowly missed several bottles thrown at them by a disgruntled server.

The Captain, knowing full well Rayce was the cause, threatened to report to the Council his companion's drinking tantrums if he did not apologize to the owner. Needing a bit of a forceful hand before he headed to diner's owners, Vronica lead him on his way with a crushing grip on his collar

Being reminded of Ridge's earlier question as they sat in one of the available booths near the holographic window playing a stream of the very events they were a part of.

Thella informs him that if he misses his family, they could visit them on their way to Luna. Both of them looked at their Captain with the hopes of getting a response only for them to be met with disappointment as he was going over the report with barely a notice of the rowdy nature he had invited into the diner.

Vronica would return to the group with their drinks in hand, as she settled them down, she was rushed by a hopeful Ridge that slyly wondered if either she or the Captain would be interested in visiting their family since they were once again in the Sol System.

But she merely passed the drinks along before getting to the Captain who was still at work on his report.

"Captain, your drink?"

"Thank you, V."

"So, are you?" Ridge asked again.

"I don't see a reason why I should"

"To see your family...you do have a family right or at least people you left behind when you joined the force?" The glass in the Captain's hand stopped short of reaching his mouth after hearing him out.

Garnering intense stares from his crewmates, Vronica wondered silently why what Ridge had said seemed so particular as she scanned him.

"I did..." He said before putting the drink down and lifting up the report, Thella and Ridge shared their silence with a glance when V took the report from Pierce.

"Wouldn't you want to see them again?"

"..."

"If I could, I would enjoy the chance to meet all of your families. My kind are not born to such familial structures and communities so I've always found them fascinating."

"Well then, I'm sure our awesome captain will be delighted to take you with him."

"Rayce!"

"What, you asked what reason you would have for seeing them, I just gave you one. Unless there's another reason you wouldn't want to?" Rayce would have bit off his own tongue after hearing himself though common decency expected when it comes to rank would make Rayce someone else entirely if he had any.

"Well..."

"After we return to report on the mission and you are still insistent, we will make the trip" as if he ripped the air out of their lungs, their mouths hung open with a several blink-less moment passing

"Thank you, Captain."

"Now, return to the ship and make sure that everything is ready for our departure. Rayce, you're with me."

"Wait, I did my fair share of thrashing, now I just want to take it easy. Unlike someone of us, I intend to take advantage our of time here, who knows when we'll have the chance to indulge" Trying to walk off with the rest of the crew only the firm grip on his shoulder to leave him stunned unable to take another step.

"Do you think it wise, after our last interaction with the Enforcers, I don't think they will want either of you around" Thella added.

"See. So let's just take it easy until it's our time to leave." Rayce with excitement in his belly as he tried to reach for a second bottle.

"You are welcome to do so after Ozrickt is taken in by the Silver Council. I don't think the Enforcers will be enough to hold him until then, what with Jackboot James still loose"

"So I have to babysit because you couldn't land the finishing blow?"

"We will be on guard duty. Your compliance was non-negotiable" Walking back to the group of befuddled Enforcers, all the while dragging the stunned Rayce with him.

"Oof, I'm way too sober for any of this crap" Rayce lamented as Pierce hailed a cab for them.