He was sitting in the bar at the ocean beach, enjoying gine and the beauties of local landscapes. Planet Curacao was a pretty nice world, always warm, distant and free. A perfect place for independent people, however, Hawk told to himself that it's too soon for his retirement. He knew that the Legion can help him, as well as he can help them. But he still needs a crew, otherwise the Archangel is going to be more than useless. Incognito's recruiter was supposed to arrive exactly at this bar at the exact time. He only knew that this person is familiar to him. Someone that he knows pretty well.
He was still waiting and watching for people in the bar. And here comes the person in the black hood. Jason was afraid of the worst, that it's going to be the Oracle again, but his face was hidden. Gladly, his silhoutee and manners were different from William's. The unknwon person sat in front of Jason. "So you're the Incognito's recruiter?" He asked. "Aye. I heard that ya need a team for the siege cruiser, so here I am." His voice sounded familiar to Jason. The manners, accent and figure were revealing his Texan origins. Hawk was suspecting that it was Jeffrey sitting in front of him, but it was more unlikely, since he retired from Liberty Navy. "Jeff? Is that you?" He asked. The unknown person smiled and took the hood out. Indeed, it was the ex-member of Archangel's crew, Jeffrey Presley. Jason wasn't believing in everything he saw. He thought that after the incident in Kansas, Jeffrey won't wish to be a part of Archangel's crew. "Glad to see you rocking again, Jeff. But why did you decided to come back? Do you know that the thing that happened in Kansas is only the beginning?" Jason's question called a smile on Jeff's face. "Ya know, this whole retirement thingie is a bit boring. And ya're the one that loves to put his arse into dangerous adventures. So I decided to meet ya once more and stay at Archangel's. By the way, how's Lex goin'?""She's alive as well, quite depressed about Liberty and her family, but it doesn't affects her fight spirit. But the major question here is you. How did you ended up contacting the Incognito?" Jeff rubbed his head and answered to Jason's question. "He contacted me via one of his agents. He considered me interestin' as the one who survived that mess in Kansas. And I know that ya worked for him as well, ain't cha?" Jason caughed a bit to release the tense of this dialogue. "Yeah, happened. So you're here as Incognito's recruiter... But how do you think you can help me? Because I highly doubt that you know enough people who can turn against Liberty and join our crew." After his words, Jeffrey risen up and beconed Jason to follow him. "I know a planty of people who dislike Liberty Government. Several of them are actual Liberty Navy officers. They're waiting for us at landin' pad 24. I hope that ya have a shuttle to move us to Archangel, do ya?""Depends on how much people do you have.""About 30. That's goin' to be enough to mantain the Archangel.""Then we have to do two runs." They both laughed, after which they headed to the landing pad.
Jason was surprised when he saw a lot of people in naval academy uniforms. He afforded that they were the cadets from West Point Academy and Jeffrey confirmed it. Some of them were older than Hawk, the other ones - younger. However, there was a distant person who was standing far away from them. As Jeff said, it was an another recruit, the Cloak Disruptor specialist. But sadly, he was the Lane Hacker. When Hawk done talking with everyone else, he saw this guy and became worried. "This one is strange. He doesn't appears to be a naval person. Why is he standing alone? He's not from the academy?" Jeff turned at him and suddenly, his smiley phiz changed to ironic look. "That's uh... Our Cloak Disruptor specialist. The best option that I could find. But sadly, he's the Lane Hacker. Or, at least, he was." Jason's apprehensions were just confirmed. "The Lane Hacker? It's going to be interesting. I'll talk to him." He left the main group and headed towards this guy. He was looking at the ocean panorama, thinking about his own and the future. Sounds of Jason's steps brought his attention. "Mister Hawk." His voice was low, but determinated and clear. "So... I've met the everyone else, but I know nothing about you. Only that you know how to work with Cloak Disruptors." He exhaled. "Well... Everything I can tell you is that my name is Ryan Rayden. I was once a Lane Hacker, but when the Cloak Disruptors were invented, I became interested in those things. That's how I ended up in Jeff's list. And you were lucky to befriend with him. He's a good friend, but can be also the worst nightmare for you." A tense between those two became less concentrated. "And what made you leave the Lane Hackers?""I was born as pure Lane Hacker, but when I realised that they support the Outcasts, I was dissapointed in them. So I left. Became a Zoner and then met with Jeff in California. He recruited me as Incognito's agent, I don't know why, but maybe they considered my hacking skills and Cloak Disruptor experience rather valuable." Jason smiled and patted Ryan's shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it.""Yeah. the Archangel is going to be an interesting experience. Whelp, at least we fight against Liberty Government and Navy." They shook each other's hands and headed out to shuttle, which was supposed to take them to the Archangel.
The Archangel, Main Hangar.
Lex was awaiting for Hawk's arrival. Gladly, everyone fit in this shuttle and they didn't even had to return for remaining crew members. She was rather surprised to see Jeff again, but he was quite happy. Most of the crew already knew how to deal with libertonian technologies, but the other ones were barelly handling them. However, it was all depending on experience. After a brief talk, everyine took their places. Jeff was sitting in front of the control panel of maneuvring systems, sometimes looking at the holographic panorama in front of the ship. Lex was setting up the scanners, asking some of the crew members to help her. Ryan with a couple of crew members already managed to get in touch with a prototype Cloak Disruptor. He always dreamt to be the crew member of capital ship and his dream just became truth. The Archangel was ready to depart. And Jason was sitting in his cabin, as usually. But at this time, he was rather positive, than depressed. When Lex told him that everyone are at their posts, he decided to make a little announcement for the crew members. He activated the inner radio communication and started to talk. "Crew. I have to thank all of you for joining us in our journey for freedom. Before those entire events, I was like anyone of you. But for now, we have to act special. Civilians of Liberty suffer, while their government doesn't even tries to fix it, and their Navy is enough unguarded to allow the ones, who don't wish us to be alive, cause the civil war from the inside. From now on, we're fighting for freedom of Liberty. We all will uncover those, who stand behind all this massacre and then we stop them." He diactivated the communicator and turned at Lex. She was rather happy, than encoureged. "An another inspiring speech. Guess we're now ready to fight. But when this all ends, what will we do?" He smiled and looked into the window. "We're going to leave them... Maybe we'll settle at Canaria and live at there. But for now... Set coordinates to Monterrey. We're moving out." She soluted and headed out to the bridge. Hawk was wandering, how many times his paths will cross with those, who caused the civil war in Liberty. But he wasn't afraid of them. Seeing his old friend back, an ex-pirate and a lot of smart people onboard of his ship was filling him with hopes. But who knows, what will happen in the future?...