Despatche #005

Day 4,330, 08:19 • Published in Ireland Japan • by Violence Seth



2.4 Special Ops Commander, Seán "Black Hound" Murphy, Veritas Unit, Rasa Blank

My footsteps made long echoes and my shadow grew by the light of the high window behind me as I made my way to Muis's holding cell. I rapped on the rusting cell door. Sub Floor #2. "Muis, 'you decent?" I could hear muffled crashing about and swearing within the cell. T'was a prison that Petrov had used before. The O'Malleys had been tortured here. I felt a bit creeped out. After a while he called out "Binne!" It sounded affirmative so I unlocked the door and poked my head round before stepping inside. The cell was immaculately clean. Muis was doing pull ups by another high window. He had his back to me. "What do you want Swart Hond?" He still sounded on edge. I'd found a good tailor through the builder O'Flaherty. He'd made us Rasa Blank uniforms in bulk for all the different Units and ones specially tailored for Commanders. I was carrying Muis's draped over my arm.

He dropped down from his pull ups and finally turned to face me. He regarded me, dressed in my new officers outfit, carrying my clipboard. "You scrub up well Blackie."Is Ratel te bang om te kom homself?" I lay his uniform atop his bed and stepped forward at attention. "You are required at the behest of base command... You know what, this seems ridiculous. Ratel wants you to go check in on Ladybird. She was blinded by a flash-bang during the fighting and..." Muis ignored me and checked out his new uniform. "Yeah, I was there… So I'm Captain of Chance now?" He put on the beret, red with black and silver trim, Chances colours. "I suppose I have no choice, do I?" I just shrugged. I thought he'd be happy, well not happy but something. After his wild and bloody excursion he was lucky to be getting out of "cool-down" so soon in my books. But we were running short on true soldiers fast so needs must I guess. "Once our Staff Doctors have a look at you you're free to do whatever you like Captain. Just sign here, here and your initials here" He gave me a funny look.


2.5 Captain Muzikayise "Muis" Eric Peters, Chance Unit, Rasa Blank

'Swart Hond' definitely looked the part but up close he just looked tall for his age. He'd certainly the confidence of youth maar spokerig, none of the childishness. To be fair, the new uniform looked immaculate but in a way he was handing me the dry-cleaning of my dead blood-brother JP. I bit into a couple of Type 4's, savoring the bitter, petrolic taste. Seán's a good yongeling but he can be so cold without even realizing it. I suppose it was the environment he grew up in that made him so... lakoniese. Only a yongeling and already a famous man of war, with a battle nickname and all. G*d, what an ugly mess this world has become.

He stood outside whistling some St. Paddy sounding tune to himself through the reverberating corridor. Once I was dressed I followed him to the Medical Bay. "How are you feeling Muis?" asked a sheepish Dr. Ali. “She is resting at the moment so I'll have to.." I breezed by her mumbling "Eks Piek fyn Doktor, Dankie." Ladybird was in bed at the end of the room. Her bed was the only one lit by lamplight. Her eyes were covered in white gauze. I nodded towards the door and Seán lead the good Doctor out with him, closing the door carefully behind him. "Ladybird..." I whispered. I gave her a gentle nudge. I clenched the palm of her hand. I felt her grip back.

"Muis? You came back!" she said happily, half awake and smiling. "I'm sorry for breaking rank, I seen... I saw a chance and I..." I shushed aloud. "It's alright, I'm just glad you're okay." She tested the frame of her bed tentatively, sitting herself up. "Dr. Ali said my vision will be back but it's gonna take some time. Patience." I sighed with relief. "How long did she say it will take? We'll be missing you out in the field." She reached towards me and I guided her hands to my stubbly face. "Probably never. She said she'd help me through it though, she's doing her best. In truth I could probably see again tomorrow but I'd end up with a hideous, awful looking robotic eye. I'd take blindness over a monstrous reflection." I lead her fingertips to my cheeks. I was crying. "You'll always be beautiful to me, we..." She laughed aloud. "It's not that bad, I can still help out. I just gotta get creative. Doctor’s orders."

I embraced her. "I'm so sorry about JP." she whispered. I wiped my tears on the sleeve of my brand new officers uniform. "Call me Eleanor, Muzikayise. No need to be so formal." She pulled me closer. I laughed to myself. "You said your name was Anne no?" She headbutted me as she lunged in for a kiss. She nearly knocked me out clean but soon after I was set adrift, dissolving into the bliss of her.


2.1 Head of Intelligence, Nastya "Raven" Mikhailovna, Blind Unit, Rasa Blank

I'd hauled the remaining tech I needed out of Montpelier Hill were Goshawk had "overseen" their mission. Amateurs. There was a crashed, burned out helicopter nearby with a rope and an aluminium Goshawk weapons cache strapped to its landing skids. Muis's doing no doubt. Took him three bars of soap to wash the blood off him, that maniac.. I set up a patch relay to get in touch with Rasa Blank. I was terrified Seán would have me for desertion but I took a breath, staring down at Dublin Town as a sheet of heat lightning rolled out into the thrashing sea far beyond. The rain came in flurries but yet it was still uncomfortably warm. I'd a canvas tarpaulin covering the jerry-rigged Comms station I'd built down the hill in the overgrown gardens of the long abandoned 'Lord Massy's Estate'. Vines, shrubs and trees had begun to reclaim this old stone garden, long before the Simulation Wars. I felt I was at a safe enough distance to make the call but I dreaded doing so.

I stared at a headless Venus, poxed with light green mold. A gentle breeze blew in a fresh haze of fog and rain. I needed to make this call quick before my roof collapsed under the weight of the pooling rainwater and drench the instruments. I dialed for one of the Sub Gates. “This is Blind Unit, do you read?” I stroked my forehead and pulled my drenched hair back. "Yeah, what do yeh want?" Typical Dublin Brigade. I tried to sound as bossy as possible. I used Claire's cadence as inspiration. "This is Second Commander Nastya Mikhailovna, Blind Unit. Zero-Niner. Missing assets, Priority One spotted at Baldonnel Airstrip, Goshawk held but light. Pilot injured, there's still time, they haven't left. T minus one hour I'd guess. Do you read me? Over." I held my breath, waiting for Seán to bark "Coward!" out of the static. I could see Liberty Hall, a dot down there, lit up by spotlights. "Copy that Blind unit. Status?" a new, unfamiliar fay males voice said. "I've been better, hurry to Baldonnel! Over and out." I unplugged the wires and rechecked my gear. I was a fool to play this game but I was all in now. I'd just to see what lay down the river.


2.6 Special Ops Commander, Seán "Black Hound" Murphy, Veritas Unit, Rasa Blank

I was on the roof with Muis and Ratel directly in my ear piece. We'd salvaged a wonderful stealth chopper from the fleeing Goshawk soldiers stationed outside of Dublin. "The 5th Generation Nightingale Vorpal Attack Chopper. Mark IV. As I live and breathe." said Muis reverently. It shimmered incandescently. "We could fly into their barracks with this." said Muis, smiling. He was inspecting it before take off. "So, the aul clear and sweep job? Drop me off nearby?" Muis waved his hand, he'd to check everything, I was distracting him. Once he'd checked the last box on his list he flung the clipboard off the building and into the windy squall. "No, Ratel was certain. It's the escaped prisoners." He said, lifting the pilots door and marveling at its design. At least he looked happier. "So snatch and grab? What are you thinking? He nodded for me to get in the back transit. "Spit it out Muis, I'm your senior." He just laughed, warming up the engine. "Really? You think so?”

Soon we were in the air, the rain crashing on the pane. "Right, what was Ratels plan?" I asked over the Comms. Muis remained silent. I was beginning to lose patience. No sooner had we whirred through the heaviest rain we came upon our target. "Right Blackie, take that parachute and jump. There's a lead line and another backup wrapped in red tape. Do you see it?" I strapped into my parachute. "Copy, what's the second line for?" I could see him laugh in the cockpit. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing. Point both as close to the forest outside the airstrip. Use the mooring gun and make two lines close to the base as you can. We're going fishing." No wonder Ratel didn't tell me, this was another nutcase, bottom of the barrel job. "Come in Ratel!" Comms silence on his end. I aimed the harpoon-esque cable gun as Muis tried his best to keep the chopper still. I fired both fairly close. "What now?" I asked Muis. He just put his thumbs up. Effin' Chance Unit.

I tied myself to the 30° to 45° cable with a steel clamp attached to my parachutes harness belt, made a quick holy cross gesture with my hands and then before I could question the logic of what I was doing I was sailing down the primary line at breakneck speed. I pulled on the clamp for friction but I was almost free falling. I pulled my parachute and it immediately got chewed up by the secondary clamp. This was Fermanagh all over again. I landed hard and remained still. No pain, no alarms, no guards, no dogs but one extremely lucky Irishman. I stood up and detached my parachute and immediately hit the Comms. "I'm alive. What now?" My heart was still racing. "Find the prisoners and tie both of them to the support lines. Hop on yourself if you fancy a lift." I peered ahead, looked like lights out. "Looks like a skeleton crew." I checked my rifle and pistol for ammunition. "Well if they're not their, you know your way back to base, ja? Head North-North East and you'll..." I switched off my Comms. Absolute lunatics. I wrapped the wild, flaying anchor wires around two trees in a loose knot so Muis couldn't leave without me or my quarry.

I walked in the shade of Baldonnel Airstrip. A single jet was in the yard and all hangers were shuttered. There was a guard tower with a spot light but the guard was sitting down so I guessed there was a good chance he was asleep. I could see lights on at a pre-fab near the bases radio tower. I went around the back of the hangers to get a closer look, trying not to step on the newly fallen leaves that'd been guarded from the rain. Sure enough our assets were awake, playing cards and listening to music from what I could make out. The music, some odd chamber violin piece was blaring, they couldn’t have made it easier for me if they tried. Moving closer I could also see they'd several empty wine bottles on the table they were sitting 'round. So strike that, they could actually make it easier, the total amadáns. I'd strips of long, heavy duty cable tie ready on my shoulders and steel, spiked mouth gags on my belt. I approached the pre-fab, looking for a way to get behind it. A Guard was sitting by the door, smoking by the looks of it. Goshawk held, I recalled. He was probably stoned on Type 4’s. "Hey buddy, you awake?" I’d a pistol with a silencer aimed at him. He was fast asleep with his arm resting on his fist, his cigar smoldering to ash. I threw a rock to the other side of him but he remained asleep. They say espionage is hard but people are more often than not, simply in a world of their own. Not that I'm complaining, it really does make my job that wee bit easier to be fair.

I cut the power in the pre-fab and as they both went to investigate I had them both tied and gagged before they could raise an alarm. I lead them back at gunpoint to the cables mooring Muis's chopper. Gráinne had already dishonoured herself before the truly scary part ahead. I cable-tied Astrid first, before she got any ideas, then the weeping Gráinne. I switched my Comm Link back on. "Daai bliksemse onnosel! Thinks he knows… Finally! We thought you'd been taken or worse! Never switch your Comm-Link off during..." roared Ratel. "Assets secure. I think I'll walk home.” Astrid tried to look disinterested, an interesting choice of reaction to be sure. Gráinne looked like she had something to say. No one had followed us so I loosened her gag. “Please don’t kill me Seán! You’re not like them, your a good lad. They made me do it! Please don’t do this! I have information!” I made the universal open palmed gesture for her to spill the beans. “I want a deal!” I shrugged my shoulders. “What do you propose?” She pulled on her restraints, “Release me and we can talk about this..” I went to restrap her gag when she blurted, “It was her, the albino, that freak there. She killed the Blind Fox, she’s the one who killed Liam." The albino thrashed in her constraints in a fury, blood seeping from her mouth. “Now you see? There now Seán sure I told you, so please be civil! You have to be civi-” I pulled her gag tight. “Careful with them up their Muis, they’re not that well fastened to the lines.” Both of their eyes were wide with pure, unremitting terror as they began to lift off the ground. "Copy that Black Hound, I'll be careful. Sure you don’t need a lift?" North-North East, about a night’s march. “Nah, I’ll see you back at base.” I’d a lot to think on. “Eeha vah, Commander.” Muis switched off his Comms. A long walk home was the closest thing to a break or holiday I could expect these days but the rain had past and the stars were out in all their splendour. The grass was wet but it wasn't tall, a small mercy. Sure who knows, maybe I'll even find a Civ bar along the way? I’m gaspin’ for a pint of plain.


Thank you for reading! This is the last season,
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The Whole Series: Seasons 1 - 4