The Shadow of Sirius

[Crysis]

-10/2/823AS

Reiner disappeared after his last visit to Rochester, word is he went over to speak to some Junkers, no body knows if much else took place... He just up and vanished after a few nights, in a Jackdaw from the hangar. He spent his days venturing further into the Border Worlds, The Outer Worlds had intrigued him now and he felt it best to return. He had to go somewhere far, where he could not quench his new-found thirst and remain safe and discrete in his work and business. Throughout his life and upbringing all he had known was to kill, they attempted to build a perfect assassin, and achieved something close if not very far, it had become... Fulfilling... to kill, that is... Reiner believed it best to entertain himself and find something to occupy his time in order to prevent being seen or causing a scene again elsewhere. To remedy this, he began a quest for knowledge to discover who he really was, with only the metallic, stone-like, fragment of rock which hung around his neck, what he believed his name, engraved upon it, to guide him on his journey.

Reiner had set off to the Omicrons, to Planet Malta, to visit his sickly friend, whom had been given an overdose of Cardimine in what was set to be a 'little beat down' by a rival smugglers group, as a sign and as a result he was left in a comatose state as he currently lies. Reiner made haste to his ship where he began to hack security cameras near the areas where Erich had been jumped, within a matter of minutes using his expertise in the field he had it revealed, the faces of four thugs who jumped Erich on the way out of the hangar as he locked up at night, they beat him down with pipes before smothering his face with a large powdered clump of orange from a handkerchief in an attempt to suffocate him before being alarmed by a shot at the wall from a security guard and making off into the night.

The ranch lay peacefully on a hillside, trees aligning the rocky paved road which led up to the home, a beautiful shade of gold lay softly over the land as the sun lay to rest and the moon awoke. With a large boom and a menacing wind which flattened some of the nearby crops, the Jackdaw made its appearance a few yards from the home in a rather hectic fashion as it then hovered softly to a halt as weightless as a feather, as if it had come in peacefully all along, and not destroyed it. The rancher who shared this home with Erich opened the door, his hat half flapped over his head in shock as he held it down. The Magellan Smuggler, Emilio, he stared at the ship for a moment, the hand which lay behind the doorframe clutching the hilt of a blaster pistol in case of emergency, Emilio was not one to be fooled, he was a sly smuggler... The landing gear at the back of the fighter came down with a large hiss and release of pressure as it opened, smoke engulfing the walkway and entrance disrupting all visibility. From the smoke, from the legs emerged a figure in a black bio-suit, it was very sleek and within the grooves it contained a neon glow which outlined certain parts of the man. On his head, a helmet, fashioned to perfection with a purple light on its right side by the eyes, which remained dark, it sat perfectly on his shoulders and followed the shape of his head in a manner in which it would not interrupt any movement, none of this man was showing. As he made his way to the bottom of the walkway and set foot on the ground, he drew back his helmet, which retracted into the suit as if it was never there, his hair hung loosely down, a dark black hanging halfway down his face and almost to his shoulders at the back, his face splattered in blood as was his suit, at the hands, the torso, the legs, the footprints which he left behind were also bloodied pools.

Reiner raised his head slowly to face Emilio, he opened his eyes looking furiously at the smuggler, now a more elderly farmer. Emilio stared back, his breath still held, he paused for a moment before exhaling and loosening his grip on the pistol before making his way out to Reiner with his arms spread as the plump man waddled over pulling up his trousers at the belt.

"Heya Boyo! It'sa been a' while, e!?" Emilio stared closely at Reiner and all the blood, as well as the trail he had left behind a stream from his cockpit to his pure earth "What is this e Reina'?! Wha' you do mang? I, I, Nevermain' boy! Come, we talk!".
Emilio never was one to ask many questions when it came to others business but he waved his arms around Reiner almost at a hover in order to not get himself covered in blood. Reiner smirked, he held the mans arm at the forearm in a shaking manner and simply nodded signalling to the ranch with his eyes. Emilio glanced constantly over his shoulder at Reiner on their walk to the home, it was curiosity.

The pair made their way in and over a drink, had discussed the ongoings of the past year, Emilio was the only person Reiner trusted, the Magellan Smuggler, an old man now turned farmer whom had proved very loyal and set his home as a safe haven for him and his friend, even setting up business with Erich, the very business which funded Reiner's crazed obsession and occasionally brought home some artifacts that Erich and Emilio could either take apart to rebuild or sell on the black markets. Emilio was very talented mechanic, a talent he kept to himself and a practice he enjoyed in the solitude of a secret shelter under his ranch, where he stored ships and parts he had collected throughout his travels over the years. Upon beginning their conversation, one in which Reiner did not disclose too much of his business Emilio noticed a green glow coming arising from Reiners' torso up his neck, it flickered then died down, Reiner caught the old mans eyes and began to explain...

Reiner stared down and reached into his collar before revealing the metallic, stone-like fragment to Emilio, "Hehehe, Well... I guess I could explain what I know..." he paused before continuing, his face seeming almost confused, "This, its's been with me since as long as I can remember, I was found with it as a child around my neck... Now you see its never done anything, but I managed to get word from some sources," he grinned menacingly "Now, they're not with us anymore, we can't have people knowing our business can we, hehe, well... Apparently its of some ancient craft... Similar to some of what has been found in the far reaches of the Omicrons... Now one evening I ventured out, I had been making 'camp'" he curled his fingers in the air, signalling his 'inverted comas' "In what is a wreck on an alien gateway in Coronado, and decided to venture further to Omicron-82, I had my supplies, everything was ready for a few days expdedition... I could see it through the stormy nebula which I sat in, The Temple... I began to approach it ina circling manner keeping my distance for life which is found scarce in those parts... Then it.." he paused and took a breath, his face mushing again, the angered confusion behind it, "Well, you are familiar with the 'Lights' are you not? You must be, from Malta, then ofcourse...Well, I felt it, it flashed me, I began to feel overcome, my vision blurring white before I felt at peace.. My ship at this point had spiralled out of control and collided off an asteroid leaving an engine with failure, I held onto the controls for a second to regain myself, I felt strange, through the corner of my eye I caught a light flicker past me, I felt a presence, but I could not move... I could not shrug the sensation off, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I felt tingly, when I blinked I saw a vast expanse of colours, clouds, merging, certain sectors glistened... I could not make anything of it, but everytime I blinked, I could see it, the visuals dancing before me..." Emilio stared, looking at Reiner dead in the eyes, almost searching for a hint of doubt in my own voice, he found none. The old man listened carefully without interruption. " Well anyway, it wore off after a few moments, I didn't make much of it, tho everytime the darn thing glows it happens! I' thought i had a connection between the visuals and the Sirius sector going, but I cant make anything of it, anyhow, I continued my search, one engine down but I searched and searched, for wrecks, artifacts anything... There is some dark stuff going on out there, the curiosity drives me as does my passion and the thought of such power makes me thirsty, my thirst is bad old man... I shall return to the dark space, using this as my bound area of hiding, I am sure you will allow that?" The Old man nodded, "Ofcourse Reina', Aslong as you don't bring attention or trouble roun' hea" Reiner motioned with his hand as if to hold his tongue..."Emilio... Please... Don't insult me... I thank you for your loyalty, now I must go and take care of one thing for our friend Mr. Scheller, Erich, for his sake..." Erich finished his drink before making his way to the door and begin walking to his ship. "Goodbye, I guess Reina' I apolagais' boyo... You bring me anythin' you fain' nice down there eh, we make it work!". Emilio loved tinkering, and any chance of a deal he could strike outside too, with Reiner he knew better."Be caref'.... Agghhh Nevermind the boy doesn't need to and isn' goin' to... The people you meet Emilio... Aiiiii" He thought it best not to waste his words on the dark figure leaving, something was a little different in the young lad who approached so full of life with his friend those years back, something ghastly surrounded him.

Before entering his craft Reiner turned for a moment his suit now fully equipped and turned on, adding to the ambience of darkness he carried. He looked at Emilio before yelling; "Oi! Emilio, you wouldn't happen to have a barrell lying about and a nice scrubber?! This mess,I told you... I have a thirst, Hahaha" Reiner laughed it was uncomfortable..."Just a rogue pilot I dragged from Liberty space... I needed a quencher for the journey..." Emilio stared back, "I told you I didn' wana' know boyo! Your business, your business! Damnit!" The old man motioned Reiner who hurried back to gather what he had asked for.

Emilio had seen Reiners extensive work in the past years, his bloodthirst and abilities as well as his manipulative and imposing presence and the added factor that he was an expert with computers and intelligence meant he was always a step ahead of anybody he came across, Reiner never entered a fight he knew he couldn't win, however no one knew when that was. Reiner made off into the skies soon after, and it was only the next morning Emilio had heard on the radio channel that four men had been found dead near a storage facility on the outer reaches of town, all of their throats sliced, the scene a bloodied mess and no trail of who was responsible, it was believed it was a gang related homicide attack. Only two, knew better.