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~ 25 000 B.C.E, within a complex disguised as an artificial satellite in the middle of nowhere --

Sorvaa'hr was advancing carefully through the matrix of corridors, crossing paths several times with other beings, mostly Elvani dressed in medic gear. Staying under a constant cloak provided by a small device on his wrist, he sneaked on each of them and either broke their necks or shot them. He did so for every last one of them, without mercy. Mercy wasn't in Sorvaa'hr's vocabulary; he was ruthless, even more so now that he was made angry and worried about his partner Reiken. The place actually looked more like a medical facility than anything else. He made his way through several wings where various rooms - which were really more like cells - were lined up. Most of the subjects seemed to be in a fairly bad shape. He was feeling even more worried now, thinking the same fate might be in store for his partner and his new commanding officer.

"That's just my luck... talk about a great way to begin my service in Second Fleet."

Sorvaa'hr heard some chatting and made his way towards the source of the voices and found what seemed like a commons area for guards - and those did look more like soldiers than doctors - fully dressed in combat gear, not that much different from his own.

"I'd better watch myself around here. Being outnumbered could be a bad thing..."

Still in cloaking, he proceeded to look around the room, being stealthy and careful not to make any noise that could startle or attract someone's attention. He rummaged through some paperwork, soon finding a plan of the area he was in, taking it with him and looking at it, soon finding a familiar name next to one of the holding cells in a nearby wing.

"Marek?! Why is he here, of all people? Whatever, I could use the help, right now."

He didn't necessarily feel like going but a familiar face would be welcome to him, even if it wasn't exactly a friendly one. He started making his way through the empty wing, spotting the room with the number he was looking for. He was surprised there was not any more surveillance than this. That was suspicious and made him extra careful. He leaned in and slid the small panel to peek inside, spotting the lone human laying on the floor, shaking violently and shivering, almost as if he was convulsing or fighting something. He was quite different from what he remembered. Sorvaa'hr whispered, trying to avoid attention.

"What have they done to you...?"

The human turned to him, his eyes glazed over and looking almost mechanical.

"What do you want now, fuzz man?"

"It is you, after all... Marek, it's me, Sorvaa'hr."

The human slowly got up, looking and trying to see where the voice was from, seeing nothing but spotting something behind the door. Sorvaa'hr then realized just how different he was! Several cybernetic parts were added to him and visibly, his body was rejecting the changes quite vigorously. He was seemingly in state of toxic shock.

"By the gods... Is this really you?"

"That voice... Ol'rath? So now they've drawn _you_here to laugh at me..."

Even his voice was different now, sounding deeper and rawer.

"What are you talking about, Marek? What the hell are you doing here, anyway? And how did you spot me while I'm cloaked?"

"Can't you tell? Are you just blind? I've got keener senses than yours, now."

"What did they do to you...?"

"That's none of your concern. You can't stay here. Listen, I don't care what you think. I wouldn't wish this even to my enemy. You're free, aren't you? Get out of here before they get you."

The human made soft mechanical sounds as he moved, the cybernetic parts attached to his body and seemingly integrated to his vital organs. The vision of all this made the dragon shudder as he looked at him. They used to be rivals but now, he was feeling sorry for the human and feeling the way he did, he actually wanted to hold him. Even as rivals, Sorvaa'hr had deep respect for Marek's strength and now, he felt that it was his responsibility to get him out. Marek and Sorvaa'hr had once served together and became rivals as Marek got promoted before him for a much lesser assignment. He knew some strings were pulled. But at that moment, he wanted to have the only one he knew which could ever keep up to him besides Reiken.

"Marek, I will be back for you... I promise."

"For me? Don't be stupid. You fucking hate my guts. Get out of here, you moron. Go!"

"I can't. Not yet. I need to find my friends. They're being held here too. Have you seen a shark or another Kelva around here?"

"I heard they brought the commander of Second Fleet here, a while ago. They plan on using him for the MA project. "

"That's him! Wait, MA project? What's that?"

"Yeah. It's an experimental military program. That's what it did to me."

"Are you trying to say my partner and my commanding officer are going to be used in some kind of sick experiments?"

"Maybe... It'd be too long to explain here. You risk getting spotted. Now, go! In aisle 3 of the East wing, you'll find an archive room. You should find the outline for the MA project."

"Forget it. I hate reading. What about you? You sure seem to know this place..."

"Well, this change has its perks... I remotely hacked into the main database."

"What? How the hell did you do that from here?"

"Too late! You have to go now! A guard is coming this way."

"Shit! Alright, then. I'll be back for you, you hear? Hang tight and don't get yourself killed."

"You've changed, Sorvaa'hr. You've grown soft."

"Shut your trap. I haven't changed, I'm just trying to get things back on track."

Sorvaa'hr headed back down the halls, shuddering and feeling rather angry at what he had just seen. What were they trying to accomplish? What was the purpose of this "MA project" Marek had spoken of? A new kind of weapon, perhaps? He had no time to look for the project's outlines. He was there to rescue his partner and commanding officer and now a third body had added itself to the list.

"This is just getting better and better..." Sorvaa'hr thought to himself as he made his way down the corridors, following his plan but almost getting lost nonetheless, finding the corridors to all look the same, confusing him quite a bit. He crossed a glass tunnel between two wings and suddenly spotted his shark partner below him, seemingly getting interrogated or interviewed by what seemed like doctors and medics. This made Sorvaa'hr shudder as a cold chill was sent down his spine. What did these blue coats want with him, exactly? Sorvaa'hr looked at his plan and memorized the path to head there. Once he did get there, he found that he could not get into the room and he couldn't hear what was going on inside. All he could do was to wait for them to come out and follow them. And so, he did. The shark eventually came out, escorted by several guards and was lead back to his cell. Sorvaa'hr had taken the opportunity to sneak into the cell with him. Once the guards had left and were nowhere to be seen, Sorvaa'hr let out a sigh of relief, which the shark heard. Reiken looked around himself, thinking he was hearing things but then the dragon stretched his head out of the cloaking field. Reiken's eyes widened and he almost gave him out as he blurted out his name.

"Sorv! Thank the Mother... you came!"

"Well, of course I did. Did you think I was going to leave you here? Anyway, the guards would get annoyed at your constant whining. I bet that's why they left."

"Hey..."

Reiken nipped at him playfully and then Sorvaa'hr sat next to him, placing a gentle kiss on his beak. Reiken sighed softly, feeling suddenly relieved that his partner had come for him. Then questions quickly arose.

"How did you get here? Where did you get the cloaking? Now what? How do you plan on getting us out?"

"Relax. One thing at a time. First of all, I got here with the Commander's mobile unit. He gave me the cloaking device. As for the last question, I'm not sure yet. Do you know where they took the Commander?"

Reiken suddenly shuddered and trembled a bit, suddenly looking alarmed.

"Oh no! Alswaram... Oh gods, Sorv! They took him in and they're going to try and give him the treatment!"

"Treatment? For what? He's not sick, is he?"

"No, dumbass! Does this look like a hospital to you? They're going to administer the gene therapy to turn him into a mechanical activator!"

"A what? What are you talking about?"

"You haven't figured it out yet? This place is a special unit development facility! It's like a medical center but they actually produce super soldiers here! The MA project is just one of the divisions..."

"Again with this MA thing... What is it, exactly?"

"I'm not surprised you wouldn't know. All you care about is battle... You've heard about the food shortage for the civvies, right?"

"Yeah. The military's getting the most of the food... and all the civilians get are scraps. I think that's a load of crap. It's the congress conspiring, again."

"You're probably right. Either way, they're trying to find a way to cut the food expenses for the military. One of the ways is gene therapy. They're trying to either eliminate the need for food somehow or to change the source."

"Change the source?"

"That's right. They're trying to find other food sources. The MA project was first developed for mobile unit pilots. The acronym "MA" stands for "mechanical activator". They're trying to modify the body of the pilots to make them able to consume the same things as their mechanical partners."

"What? You don't mean...!"

"Yup. Raw fuel."

"Eww! That's wicked. I don't get why, though."

"I didn't think so... a hardcore soldier like you wouldn't know this kind of thing. How many calories do you think you can out of a pint of refined fuel?"

"Calories out of fuel? How should I know... 1000?"

"Make it nearly 8000 calories. That's more than three times your daily average intake."

"What? Are you serious? That's a lot of energy..."

"That's exactly why. As it is, the body's unable to do anything with it. It's too acidic. If they could make the body able to consume it without tissue damage, it would save a lot of food, since controlling mobile suits require direct connection through the cerebral cortex and that creates hunger. Mobile unit pilots eat nearly three times more than a normal soldier. They're also trying to stick implants in them that would allow them to control machines at a distance through EM manipulation and modifications in the body's bio-electric field. That's where the name "activator" is from."

Sorvaa'hr didn't know but Reiken originally was going into molecular biology and medicine rather than the military. Unfortunately, conservatism and narrow-mindedness had him ruled out of the field because of his Hilandra heritage. He was forced to resign to military work but he was always reading and kept himself in touch with the advancements in medicine and biology fields.

"You sure know a lot about all that stuff."

"Yeah, well it's a field of interest for me. But never mind that! They'll be trying to make Alswaram into one of them!"

"...SHIT! And you can bet he's already got predispositions, being a machine lover!"

"Exactly! About time you got it."

"I've got to get to him! Hey, why did they need you, anyway?"

"I don't know, honestly... all they did was interview me and ask me weird questions about machines and stuff. Maybe they thought I was like him... or that they could use me to threaten Alswaram if he doesn't agree to their terms. Use me as leverage, as it were. Wouldn't be surprising..."

"You're telling me... Do you know where the Commander is?"

"I think he's being held in a special place. He's not in a cell like me. They probably took him to some examination room of sorts. That's what they said when I asked them about him."

"Alright... I've got a plan of this place and judging by what you say, there's only one of two places I can think of where they might have taken him. There's a hangar area but I went by there earlier and there was nothing. The only other place is the treatment aisle. It should be in the other wing, where I haven't gone to yet."

"That sounds good. When you get him, then what?"

"Lancer is in orbit. We'll figure something out. I found someone else we need to pull out, as well."

"Oh?"

"Yeah... Marek."

"You're kidding... He's here?"

"Yes, and judging by things, they might have tried this treatment on him and it didn't work. He's got various mechanical parts etched in his body like a cyber but his body's rejecting them. He might be a lot of trouble if he's left here."

"I see. You do have a heart, after all..."

"Shut up, Reiken. Anyway, I need to figure out how to get back out there. As for you, just don't let yourself get in trouble, you hear me?"

"I know. Leave that to me. See you later, Sorv."

Reiken suddenly got up and started to act sick, groaning and making vomiting sounds. The noise soon attracted a guard, who checked in to see. Reiken said he was sick and said he thinks it was something they gave him and faked fainting. The human opened the door and Sorvaa'hr could take advantage of that moment to escape. Reiken was given sedatives and eventually passed out to sleep, hoping his partner would have everything under control and as usual, placing his trust in him.

Sorvaa'hr headed down the halls, following his plan while being almost unable to keep his mind off the thoughts of what they could be doing to Alswaram or especially to Reiken. "If they touch Reiken, they will all die a horrible death!" he told himself. He headed through yet another translucent glass tunnel, giving him slight vertigo from the perspective it created. Once in the other wing, he headed to what looked like a larger room on the plan. He crossed an overpass and below, what he saw made his spine twist... Alswaram was in there but the situation he was in made Sorvaa'hr feel nearly completely helpless (and that didn't happen very often). He saw Alswaram, with unusual cybernetic-looking veins etched into his fully spread wings. The rest of his body looked untouched but he seemed to be hooked to several monitors and a few hoses and tubes. What were they doing to him? He didn't look like he was being tortured but Sorvaa'hr was not liking the sight of this. There were doctors and medics all over the place at various terminals, monitoring everything.

Sorvaa'hr made his way down the halls, looking at his plan and soon making his way to the room where Alswaram was held. He waited until someone came in to sneak inside without being noticed. He spent a little while watching what was going on and trying to understand the situation. He started to understand that they were doing the same thing to Alswaram that they tried to do on Marek. He felt helpless at the time; this situation was not one he was ready to handle. Battle or action, he could handle... but this? He just stood there and thought he should probably take Alswaram off there and get him out but then what? He couldn't leave Reiken and Marek behind. He was indeed a stoic, cold-blooded soldier but he firmly believed in the "leave no one behind" motto. He was way outnumbered to do anything rash. Then, before he could think any further, some medics moved in and took the dragon off the hooks. Alswaram crashed to the ground, seemingly dizzy and lightheaded. By the time Sorvaa'hr had gotten there, Alswaram had already received the gene therapy several times.

Alswaram was taken back to his holding place. He wasn't in a cell like the others; he had a roomier, slightly better-looking place, as if he was more important than others. Sorvaa'hr sneaked in as they took him in, using the same stratagem as he did with Reiken. When everyone had left, Sorvaa'hr made himself visible again and that made Alswaram growl out.

"Sorvaa'hr?!"

"Yes. Why so surprised? You didn't think I'd leave you or Reiken behind, did you?"

"Well..."

"Oh, please. I have more loyalty than that. Anyway... how are you feeling?"

"Well..."

"Yes? Well, speak up or something! You're driving me crazy!"

"They changed me..."

"Changed you? Well, besides the new wings, you pretty much look the same to me."

"Thanks, I suppose. But it's inside that the changes are more apparent."

"How so?"

"Have you heard about the MA project?"

"This again... I heard from Reiken."

"You were with Reiken?! Is he alright?"

"He was alright. It seemed like they wanted to use him as bait for you or some means of leverage to make you do things for them... but it looks like you didn't need any convincing. Why did you let yourself do, anyway?"

"Well... they said it would be good for me."

"What? That's why you let them do this to you?! Have you gone fucking insane?"

"They said I would be able to drink oil and fuel freely and that I could bathe in a mech's scent unlimitedly. And that I could pilot Lancer even more easily. They said I could handle any kind of machine like it was something innate..."

"I see... I suppose that for you, this is a good thing. Most would deem it as torture. Lancer should be happy."

"I hope he's alright..."

"He's here. I came with him. He's probably orbiting around this place right now."

"Oh, Lancer... I was so worried!"

"Heh, you do worry more about him than about living beings, do you..."

"Well... maybe a little, sometimes."

"Anyway, it's good that you're alright. We're busting out of this hole."

"How?"

"That's my favorite part. We're forcing our way out!"

"I should have known..."

"Care to suggest something else, genius? We don't exactly have many options here."

"Fair enough..."

"Well then. Let's move!"

"They had warned me you weren't necessarily very good as a subordinate..."

"Do we really have time for this?"

"I jest, I jest! Let's go."

Alswaram thought of the same scheme that Reiken used. When a guard came and opened the doors, the cloaked Sorvaa'hr lunged at him and knocked him out. They started to make their way down the halls, knocking down the guards they came up against before they could sound an alarm. They made their way back towards the other wings and Sorvaa'hr led the way to Reiken's cell. There was now an even bigger problem... Reiken was gone. Sorvaa'hr was quick to react, soon getting angry and impatient. He grabbed at one of the guards and slammed him against the wall.

"Where did you take my friend? Answer me, you bastard!"

"W-What are you talking about?" replied the human, shaking and fearing for his life.

"I'm talking about the shark that was here. Where did they take him?"

"They took him to the main lab! They're going to use his brain data to implant it into a new mobile unit! Please don't kill me!"

"Stop whining! Worthless sacks of flesh and bones, all of you!"

Sorvaa'hr threw the human aside as if he weighed nothing, knocking him unconscious. Alswaram was following closely behind and realized how Sorvaa'hr cared for Reiken. He also realized why the higher ups didn't dare to go against him. Sorvaa'hr was a dangerous weapon. Yet, through his anger, Alswaram could see some care and even a hint of fear, for one of the very rare times. Sorvaa'hr headed down the halls, cleaning up the way for them. They had no idea where Reiken was taken to and time was running out. They had to think and act fast.

"Commander, head back to Lancer. I will meet you there. I've got someone else to look out for."

"Someone to look out for? You?"

"Quit the idiocy and go! Take this."

"Alright, sorry. I don't need your map, I can access the security system to map my way and follow Lancer's beacon out of here. I have new senses, now."

"I see... Very well, we'll meet you back on the ramp."

Alswaram headed off, making his way back towards his mechanical friend while Sorvaa'hr took off in another direction, heading back to another wing to pick up his human friend. Once he got there, he was relieved to find the human still in his cell, although he wished he was in a better state. Sorvaa'hr told him to step back - which Marek quickly did - then he pulled out his sidearm and shot the door hinges with several powerful piercing bullets.

"Let's go. Move!"

"Wait, Sorvaa'hr... What about your friends?"

"Commander Alswaram is likely already with our ride home as we speak and as for Reiken, I'll have to come back for him with Lancer. Let's go!"

"Okay."

The two stormed down the halls, a loud alarm suddenly being heard.

"Shit. I knew that was going to happen sooner or later! Let's get the hell out of this joint!

"I agree! Lead the way!"

Sorvaa'hr led the way, rifle fire being heard as they made their way back to where Alswaram was waiting with Lancer. Alswaram seemed disappointed that Sorvaa'hr didn't bring back Reiken with him but he knew that was too much to ask for the time being. He looked at the two and nodded.

"Are we set? Who's your friend?"

"My name is Marek, Sir. I used to belong to First Fleet before I retired to do independent contracts."

"I see. A hired gun, then?"

"You could say that. More like a free sword, really" the human corrected.

"You'll get no judgment from me. Sorvaa'hr, what about...?"

"I know, I know! I'll come back for him when we get home. We're going to get him back!"

Alswaram nodded, obviously looking concerned but knowing they couldn't stay there for long. He then stepped off the mech and looked to the dragon and his human companion.

"You two go home with Lancer. I'll go."

"Commander? This is too dangerous for you alone!"

"Oh? You worry about me, Sorvaa'hr?"

"Don't be stupid! Stop being such a smartass and don't play hero. This is a suicide mission you're taking on!"

"I know. I'm aware of that. But I have to try! Reiken is probably scared and alone somewhere in here. Look, I have plenty of followers that will take my place. For now, I need to get back Reiken. I'm the only one that can do this!"

Sorvaa'hr looked at him for a moment, knowing full well that Alswaram had feelings for Reiken. A part of him was telling him to let him go but the calculating soldier was telling him to knock him out and take him back. Sorvaa'hr had feelings for Reiken, too. Different feelings, granted... but still, he felt for him. Sorvaa'hr nodded to him and took off his rifle and the cloaking device, giving them to Alswaram.

"Use them. The rifle's modified with high-velocity rounds, so it's highly effective against pretty much any kind of target. Don't get yourself killed, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Commander Ol'rath..."

"That's not funny, you asshole. Now go!"

Alswaram took off quickly and Sorvaa'hr growled angrily.

~ Do not worry so much, Sorvaa'hr. Alswaram is a survivor. ~

"Thanks for trying to comfort me, Lancer... I'll be fine. Let's go."

~ Indeed. ~

The mech moved and opened his plates and let the two inside. It was a snug fit for the two of them but it would have to work. Sorvaa'hr would never deign say a word but he sort of liked the feeling of Marek so close against him. The mech rumbled loudly as his systems growled to life, his reactors booming and launching them off the ramp soon thrusting the three into space and having to dodge several debris and obstacles at high speed before they could turn back and look at the artificial satellite.

"Lancer, can we stay here at all and wait for them?"

~ No. It is too risky being detected and we do not know if they have long-range weapons like railguns... or worse. ~

"I know, but..."

~ I will come back for them. ~

"Damn it... DAMN IT ALL! I feel so powerless!"

~ I know. As do I, in all honesty. It will be alright... ~

"I'm sure your Commander will be alright, Sorvaa'hr. After all, he's got a pretty big reputation preceding him."

"Yeah... I hope you're right, Marek..."

The mech opened a subspace window and jumped through, coming out at the other end in orbit around the familiar small planet. He took the two back to the complex, where Sorvaa'hr and Nathan climbed off.

"Thanks, Lancer... Now, go get back Reiken and the Commander!"

~ I will be back soon enough. I need a bit of maintenance and I will get right back there. ~

Sorvaa'hr sighed and shuddered, nodding as the mech quickly took off again for the maintenance area. Sorvaa'hr led Marek to his room, where they chatted and talked for hours on end, reminiscing and talking about the events that led them to the present moment.

-- Meanwhile, back at the artificial satellite...

Alswaram was panting from running around so much. He had been able to make a rough mental map of the complex and was following it through the many wings to a spot on the map he had deemed as a possible place where they could be. The alarm was still going off and by now he had figured it wasn't meant for him. Actually, there was nearly no one left anywhere. They were all gone to another place, it seemed... and that made Alswaram even more worried.

He kept going until he reached a large open area looking much like a test area. He was surprised at how many people were gathered and it didn't take him long to notice the massive black mech that was standing at the back of the room, connected to a multitude of hoses and monitors. He scanned the area and his heart skipped more than a few beats as he spotted the familiar shark, hooked to some systems and looking unconscious. He felt like rushing in but he knew that was suicide. All he could do was watch and try to understand what was happening. After a while, he managed to sneak into the area and stood there silently, listening in on the conversations. A man which seemed to be the one in charge stepped in in front of the others.

"There we have it, men! It's ready! This will teach the confederation not to mess with us!"

"Doctor, are you sure it'll work?"

"This mobile unit is our new secret weapon! It's programmed to react to any aggression and it's powered by a direct copy of the entire memories and identity of this here Hilandra soldier. Reiken Arvalan is said to be the most powerful and focused soldier of his race. He has been the longtime partner of Sorvaa'hr Ol'rath. That alone should prove his worth. The primal instincts of the Hilandra are perfect for it. Are we ready?"

"Yes, Sir! Transferring power to the main operations center..."

The shark groaned and squealed in pain, the last ounces of his very own vital energy and identity being slowly taken away from him in an instant, everything being transferred into the massive mobile unit whose eyes lit up after a while as the shark slumped to the ground. His eyes were glazed over and his body looked limp and empty of life, like he had just been struck by lightning.

"It worked! He's awake!"

"Good work, everyone!"

"Sir, what should we call this new mobile unit?"

"We will call it after the project's codename. His name will be: Storm."

Alswaram shuddered and wanted to scream. He rushed out and vomited his entire guts. He had just watched his potential mate be drained of life in front of his eyes! Mechanical activator or not, he could not bear to think his shark was gone and no mobile unit was going to be able to make up for this. A part of him wanted to stay and watch and perhaps even attempt to take control of the new mobile unit to turn it against them and avenge his shark but the rest of him just felt too empty to do so. At that time, he felt like letting himself die but he knew some were waiting for him back home. He headed off, making his way back to where Lancer would be waiting for him. Lancer quickly noticed how upset and shaken up he was. Alswaram barely had to say anything before Lancer added up the rest and had a good idea of what had transpired. He injected a powerful sedative to Alswaram, who passed out cold fairly quickly, crying himself into unconsciousness. Lancer took them back home, where Alswaram stayed sound asleep for nearly two days.

---

--

-

When Alswaram finally got up and spread the news, Sorvaa'hr went into a blind rage. Alswaram thought Sorvaa'hr would have his head and put the blame on him... but all he did was roar, thrash everything around him and storm out. He was never seen again after that. The shock was too much to bear and he was later filed as MIA. Alswaram was equally shaken. He ultimately quit his position as Commander of the Sirian Second Fleet and left with Lancer for Lemuria, Terra's colony, as originally planned in an attempt to begin anew. Marek tried to follow Sorvaa'hr but was turned back vehemently and threatened by the dragon's utterly broken psyche. Marek's broken body eventually got too much to bear and took his own life. He was found dead in a small loft of the Sirian capital.

Everything had gone south. Everyone was torn apart by the events. Many questions remained unanswered, at the time. What would happen now? What about Storm? What was he built for? What was his true purpose? Where did Sorvaa'hr go? What would Alswaram do on Terra?

To be continued...