»UPLINK: ICN FIRESTORM, INCURSUS NODE

[Petitioner]

Combat After Action Report

Date: 09.23.34, 04:57 GAST
Rank & Name: High Logarch With, Kelly
Reporting From: Valravn Citadel
AAR #002

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High Logarch With reporting.
Dependin' on your clearance, this'll be a long one or a short one. First things first, though.

Effective immediately, Lieutenant Bellamy Crowe is promoted to the rank of Commander on account of their unwavering dedication, ferocity and discipline in the field, and sound judgment in face of concerted opposition. Commander Crowe, ya've done the Task Force and yer fellow Legionnaires proud, and yer entitled to a full round on my dime.

Additionally, Warden Yoruha of the Technocracy of Auxo is temporarily admitted to Task Force Prometheus as a military attaché with the provisional rank of Lieutenant. Nurture the flame inside of you, Lieutenant Yoruha, and bring it forth to the world.

A large portion of this report is classified under OPCOM-7E, for eyes of the Exarchy only. If'n you so much as attempt hackin' in, you'll meet far worse than two weeks' latrine-cleaning duty.

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On the nineteenth of this month, at exactly 2239 hours, I launched from Barrier Gate to do a brief patrol and ended up findin' a large assortment of people all engaged in conversation, with at least the followin' participants:

• Dr. Hans von Goeben (of Med Force Enterprises),
  
• Revenant (you know who),
  
• Lazurith (an informant of Leviathan's, as I gather),
  
• Moreya (a civilian, apparently employin' Lazurith),
  
• Tracey Rivers (a freelancer, apparently also workin' for Moreya),
  
• Menreiki (an IMG pilot with a penchant for exploration; provided their name as Onigawara Haruka),
  
• Bessie "Bison" Bishop (a Hunter with the BHG),
  
• A. Foulke (a Zoner, very quiet and reserved),
  
• Oberth Effect (a 'lancer in a Draugr, suspected criminal connections),
  
• Choomba (a Technocrat asset, think he's... a brain in a jar? directly wired into a ship? been very helpful an' friendly with TFP assets, prime recruitment target in my assessment),
  
• Yoruha (known, of course)

...and prolly several more that I failed to note down. Conversation was mostly trite shite that ain't worth wastin' the breath on, though apparently Crayter recently shot down a Miners' Guild convoy full of refugees from the Slave Revolt, which, can't say I'm surprised, but my god, their depravity knows no limits. I told the Guilder that if Crayter backs the IMG into a corner, they call us up an' we'll shoot 'em. Don't know if we can actually hold to that -- more Megiddo's department to assess -- but hell if I wouldn't be willin'.

Two hours later, at 0038:38 hours exactly, an... abomination with a malformed IFF designator markin' it as "Raspelbock" appeared on the scene, appeared comparable to gunboat-class. Openly said somethin' to the effect of "when I was human", leavin' no doubt that it was some kind of messed-up alien construction. Said it was there just to "check in on" Lazurith, and issued a riddle to him which I didn't really get. After a time, it moved to engage Revenant, at which point me, Yoru', Choomba, and a 'lancer by name of Kitaro Mazda engaged the vessel. Even Lazurith joined in, which seemin'ly traumatized the lad a bit. Guess he's some sorta pacifist. Hope he recovers from that mental disorder soon.

Somehow after this, the conversation went almost back t' normal, with relatively inconsequential tripe an' banter occupying our attention for a good while. So let's skip to the good stuff. We shot the shit for about twenty more minutes before the Vigilant, a gunship of the Gallic National Intelligence, arrived to join us. General consensus of the conversation was that all involved participants think Crayter sucks, with little more of consequence bein' said until approximately 0833 hours, when an ał—̶̲̈́—̶̠̑

[ACCESS DENIED/INPUT USERAUTH BIOMETRICS]

>> ░░▒▒▒▓▓▓
>> VERIFYING MATCH...
>> AUTHCODE ACCEPTED.
>> BIO-DATA ACCEPTED.
>> ACCESS GRANTED.
>> WELCOME, EXARCH.

---

—̴̸̸̢̳̇̿—̰êņ an alien form appeared on the scanners. Many present reported feelin' a chill down their spines, yours truly included. A series of brief hallucinations, like flower petals, clouded my vision. Induced no doubt by the alien. At this point, the my Falchion's systems all went bloody haywire for a solid ten minutes. Canopy tint, shields, comms, everythin' save life support. So there's a gap in the info I collected.

When Flamewright II's system reboot completed, I expressed my "suspicion" of the alien's presence, but Choomba implored me t'hold my anger. Appendin' transcribed audio logs, complete with best attempt at translatin' the weird fuckin' way these things "talk" to ya in yer head. God, that shite gives me headaches.

[20.09.834 01:45:41] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Fuck did I miss?
[20.09.834 01:45:43] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Another little one."
[20.09.834 01:45:59] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Oh, more of you little bastards.
[20.09.834 01:46:17] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Another?"
[20.09.834 01:46:19] Choomba: Hold on Kelly. This one's different.
[20.09.834 01:46:46] TFP)-Kelly.With!: What makes it different? [Her eyes narrow disbelievingly.]
[20.09.834 01:46:52] A/)-Yoruha-: {She looks behind her, towards Kelly and the others. And then to Psyche. She tries using her working memory, through her brain to warn that it may be too dangerous to be here.}
[20.09.834 01:47:13] Choomba: It's got Yoruha Acting all weird.
[20.09.834 01:47:42] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Only her own swansong compelling her."
[20.09.834 01:47:54] A/)-Yoruha-: {She thinks the message, in the hopes Psyche may recieve.}
[20.09.834 01:48:00] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Since when do squids fuckin' interface with robots?
[20.09.834 01:48:34] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: (Amusement.) "One that is not entirely of lifeless metal."
[20.09.834 01:49:01] A/)-Yoruha-: "This one is metal binded to flesh, machine that inhabits the kingdom of man."
[20.09.834 01:49:37] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Choomba, what makes this squid any different?
[20.09.834 01:49:50] Moreya: That is... bewildering! And confirms that Mister Abrams was able to feel the influence within his cybernetic spine.
[20.09.834 01:49:50] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Hell... why do we call 'em squids? What the fuck is a "squid"?
[20.09.834 01:49:52] Moreya: Marvelous!
[20.09.834 01:49:53] Choomba: All I'm saying is Kelly, I woulda started blasting a while ago if it hasn't got Yoruha under some spell.
[20.09.834 01:50:15] Choomba: I'de rather not find out what Yoruha might do if we piss this thing off.
[20.09.834 01:50:16] A/)-Yoruha-: I was once deaf to the song. The song of Psyche breached the shores and allowed me to hear. Their kind.. is not one and the same as the Infectee. Or their benefactors.
[20.09.834 01:50:19] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Kill the enchanter and their charms'll wear off.
[20.09.834 01:50:40] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "No spell crafted. Only the beauty of song appreciated."
[20.09.834 01:50:55] TFP)-Kelly.With!: What are ya, a cheap panhandler?
[20.09.834 01:51:03] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Playin' for the passersby in the hopes you'll get a coin or two?
[20.09.834 01:51:13] Choomba: Ya'll know Yoruha better'n I do. I'll leave this call to you And I'll back you up.

Yoruha indicated that she was talkin' to the creature willingly, an' with Choomba's insistence that this one was different from those murder machines we used to torch back in the day, I decided to exercise my judgment in not startin' a conflict where no one else seemed interested in one. Just thinkin' about the, uh, "conversation" is givin' me a goddamn migraine, so I'll do my level best to summarize.

The alien identified itself as Psyche, and informed me that there are differences between different types of nomads. Said my heart was "plain, rough to the touch", that I was a "child of the fires of hell" — well, it's got the right of it there. Awfully perceptive. It claimed to be... reborn, like a phoenix or a butterfly comin' out of a cocoon. An' I'll admit, I had a hard time not feelin' a touch of appreciation there given how few others can claim ta know anything like such a thing, save ourselves. Venturing into the inferno to snatch heaven outta the jaws of hell. Ah, fuck it, I'll take some bloody eletriptan, here's another log. Transcribin' this shite's bloody taxin', this better be worth it.

[20.09.2024 02:05:14] Moreya: It would seem this alien race is quite interested in artistic expressionism!
[20.09.2024 02:05:27] Tracey.Rivers: Oh, thanks.
[20.09.2024 02:05:42] Lazurith: Some of them are more interested in the indiscriminate eradication of humanity.
[20.09.2024 02:05:55] TFP)-Kelly.With!: I'm interested in the indiscriminate eradication of those fuckers.
[20.09.2024 02:06:03] A/)-Yoruha-: "Ebb.. and flow."
[20.09.2024 02:06:21] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Such fire."
[20.09.2024 02:07:17] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "We recall the source of the flame. Thy hearth, gone cold."
[20.09.2024 02:07:58] TFP)-Kelly.With!: The Flame yet lives.
[20.09.2024 02:08:15] Tracey.Rivers: Well, fortunately, I will not be assaulting your eardrums this time. Show's over.
[20.09.2024 02:08:26] Lazurith: Aww.
[20.09.2024 02:08:36] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "To where shalt thou bring fire?"
[20.09.2024 02:08:56] Choomba: Tracey. Don't be rash.
[20.09.2024 02:08:58] Lazurith: Hey, if only my optic worked, I'd've installed a karaoke soft.
[20.09.2024 02:09:29] Lazurith: But... well. It ain't working now. This is starting to bother me a lot, because I'm not supposed to see blue with my other eye.
[20.09.2024 02:09:43] TFP)-Kelly.With!: To where?
[20.09.2024 02:09:46] TFP)-Kelly.With!: [A scoff.]
[20.09.2024 02:09:57] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Back where it belongs. Back home.
[20.09.2024 02:10:03] TFP)-Kelly.With!: "The hearth", as ya said.
[20.09.2024 02:10:17] Tracey.Rivers: Ship speakers aren't meant for this sort of thing.
[20.09.2024 02:10:19] Moreya: I advise you to visit me at my workshop, Mister Kris. Both for the monetary reward and to have me inspect your ocular implant.
[20.09.2024 02:10:25] TFP)-Kelly.With!: And onto anyone who gets in the way of that.
[20.09.2024 02:10:33] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "A compelling burn. Perhaps one aligned."
[20.09.2024 02:10:54] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Have a hard time believin' that.
[20.09.2024 02:11:05] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "What dost thou believe Us to wish for?"
[20.09.2024 02:11:40] TFP)-Kelly.With!: From what I've seen of ye? Death, destruction, with no care for who or what it rains down upon.
[20.09.2024 02:12:19] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Little bloody parlour tricks cloaked in tantalizin' metaphor, to delude people into overlookin' the fact you only offer death to life.
[20.09.2024 02:12:23] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Death and destruction, parlour tricks... these are not ends. They are means."
[20.09.2024 02:12:52] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Or dost thou believe Us incapable of higher purpose?"
[20.09.2024 02:13:13] Choomba: Well the Higher purpose can wait...
[20.09.2024 02:13:23] TFP)-Kelly.With!: If there's a higher purpose within ya, never seen it. Been a bit busy fighting a war the past decade to try puzzlin' it out.
[20.09.2024 02:13:38] Choomba: Earlier Yoruha and Lazarus were having a good conversation till you showed up and made things all tense.
[20.09.2024 02:13:47] A/)-Yoruha-: If.. I.. I may elucidate.
[20.09.2024 02:14:00] TFP)-Kelly.With!: We can go elsewhere, Choom.
[20.09.2024 02:14:24] A/)-Yoruha-: These seas.. systems - they were originally ordained for the K'hara.. long before man laid eyes on the Sirius star cluster.
[20.09.2024 02:14:29] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Leave ye lot to yer piss-taking.
[20.09.2024 02:14:39] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Not that I'm judgin', mind, done plenty of that myself.
[20.09.2024 02:15:12] Choomba: I'm still trying to process what's going on. Im starting to overheat with logic nulls.
[20.09.2024 02:15:18] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "We wish to reclaim what We need to grow. To evolve. Nothing more. Nothing less. And We are not driven to sundering all like Our Brethren."
[20.09.2024 02:15:29] A/)-Yoruha-: Yes.
[20.09.2024 02:16:07] A/)-Yoruha-: The brethren of these which Psyche resides amongst - are those who are the bigger threat - driven by vengeance, anger and hate.
[20.09.2024 02:17:06] TFP)-Kelly.With!: [A pang of sympathy and despair reverberates through Kelly's mind. Imagery of Galveston being scuttled, forward guns tearing through mighty Arbiters. Humble cities lying in ruins.]
[20.09.2024 02:17:52] TFP)-Kelly.With!: What... specifically... are you seekin' to reclaim?
[20.09.2024 02:18:10] A/)-Yoruha-: [Mieko is reminded again, of the visions evoked by the Wilde operator so long ago - men and women, nomad forms, all gored and blasted, in vain - a tumultuous cycle of hatred.]
[20.09.2024 02:18:34] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "We wish to swim within Our seas, unfettered and unbound, free to access all required."
[20.09.2024 02:18:48] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "All in this sector is crafted for this end."
[20.09.2024 02:19:00] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: **{Sector. An oddly human word to use.}**
[20.09.2024 02:19:23] TFP)-Kelly.With!: [A long pause.]
[20.09.2024 02:19:45] A/)-Yoruha-: We of human-kind are.. one for compartmentalizing that which we see and encounter into categorized sets.
[20.09.2024 02:19:57] A/)-Yoruha-: Hence the use of the term 'sector'.
[20.09.2024 02:20:01] TFP)-Kelly.With!: To live unchained. To take yer future into yer own hands.
[20.09.2024 02:20:10] A/)-Yoruha-: Much like our homeworld, Terra, within the Sol Sector.
[20.09.2024 02:20:22] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "This is the essence of Our desire."
[20.09.2024 02:21:20] Choomba: And how is that achievable with the constant conflicts that arise that is inevitable with hu-
[20.09.2024 02:21:36] Choomba: [Comms shut off after a short realization]
[20.09.2024 02:21:37] A/)-Yoruha-: Long gone, long left behind - much like the Dom'Kavash.. left you and your brethren.
[20.09.2024 02:22:38] TFP)-Kelly.With!: If I had to wager a guess, Choom'...
[20.09.2024 02:22:53] Choomba: No need. I think the odds of that are 0-2.
[20.09.2024 02:22:55] TFP)-Kelly.With!: By fightin' for it. Same as we do.
[20.09.2024 02:23:14] A/)-Yoruha-: Yes.. that sadly seems to be the only viable course of action.
[20.09.2024 02:23:27] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "There are paths beyond spitfire."
[20.09.2024 02:23:41] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "We seek all routes to Our future."
[20.09.2024 02:23:45] A/)-Yoruha-: Please enlighten this one.
[20.09.2024 02:23:45] Choomba: Thus the "means" to an end.
[20.09.2024 02:24:04] TFP)-Kelly.With!: [A heavy sigh as she's reminded of her newfound duties. The headache grows impossible to suppress.]
[20.09.2024 02:24:14] A/)-Yoruha-: Miss With?
[20.09.2024 02:24:16] TFP)-Kelly.With!: [Her voice is strained as she pushes the pain to the side.]
[20.09.2024 02:24:33] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Aye, many ways to skin the proverbial cat.
[20.09.2024 02:24:54] Moreya: As I understand it, "spitfire" means combat? Does this mean these aliens are open to find ways that are not involving fighting?
[20.09.2024 02:25:06] Choomba: But that's mere Ideology. In order to do so would be trampling on other demographic beliefs.
[20.09.2024 02:25:10] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Thou art correct, seeker of truths."
[20.09.2024 02:25:50] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Yet those in power in thy homes are invested in carrying on as though We know naught but war."
[20.09.2024 02:26:17] A/)-Yoruha-: Yes. Spitfire - violence, the exchange of fire betwixt forms.
[20.09.2024 02:26:27] Choomba: Are you implying achieving a form of unified singularity?
[20.09.2024 02:26:45] A/)-Yoruha-: And yes.. the houses have much to gain.. from the exploitation of the Slomon K'hara.. much as the main collective has of our annihilation.
[20.09.2024 02:27:07] Moreya: Hm! It would seem that seeking animosity and holding grudges belong to the negative traits mankind appears unable to abandon!
[20.09.2024 02:27:25] Moreya: And yet, there is hope, on occasion!
[20.09.2024 02:27:35] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "The Brethren are chained by their pain and fear. Just as shadowlings are."
[20.09.2024 02:27:54] TFP)-Kelly.With!: These brethren.
[20.09.2024 02:28:10] TFP)-Kelly.With!: [She tries to call to mind the image of Raspelbock earlier, the unwanted and malicious intrusion.]
[20.09.2024 02:28:20] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Like that fucker from a bit ago.
[20.09.2024 02:28:30] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Hunting dogs."
[20.09.2024 02:28:38] Vagrant.Eye.of.Psyche: "Hounds of death."
[20.09.2024 02:28:57] A/)-Yoruha-: Ravenous hounds from hell, who spitfire to spitfire, or linger amongst the flocks of man.
[20.09.2024 02:29:06] A/)-Yoruha-: Rarely an in-between.
[20.09.2024 02:29:07] Choomba: Speaking of spitfire.
[20.09.2024 02:29:24] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Don't take hell's name in vain. [She says it dryly, clearly aware of the irony but with a sense of sincerity behind it.]
[20.09.2024 02:29:33] Lazurith: ...Man, just when I thought we had seen enough Gauls today.
[20.09.2024 02:29:35] Guepard-1: Would you look at that...

A lone Royalist operative, Guepard-1, appeared on the scene. We spent some amount of time talkin' with the lad, considerin' what all he'd done and urgin' him to seek out a life not in service to genociders, given he seemed remarkably sane for someone of his affiliation. I certainly wasn't gonna be the one to break the Freeport's NFZ first -- well, first excludin' the riddle-dispensing hostile biomachine from earlier. He seemed adamant on not desertin' given that the remnants practice unit-scale corporal punishment for such things. Despicable it may be to fight for such a cause, gotta admire mate's loyalty to his comrades. Psyche expressed a measure of derision and scorn at the assembled crowd for bein' willing to civilly converse with someone guilty by association of Big Chucky's crimes just on account of their humanity, contrastin' this to the treatment of aliens.

...that's an uncomfortable point, innit?

After some time, "Raspelbock" appeared again. This time, with two brainwashed 'lancers in tow, one at the helm of an Inquisitor, both insistin' that they were defendin' an MND vessel. Repeatedly. Over and over. Unable to say any-fuckin'-thing else. Seems there's a difference between types of alien after all.

[20.09.2024 03:07:33] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Ah, an' it's back.
[20.09.2024 03:07:38] Moreya: Goodness me!
[20.09.2024 03:07:40] A/)-Yoruha-: It's the same one from earlier!
[20.09.2024 03:07:44] Jonathan.Guilles: Negative, this vessel is definitely from Rheinland.
[20.09.2024 03:07:50] Hale's.Angel: We have been hired to protect these MND vessels, we will guard them with our life
[20.09.2024 03:08:00] Guepard-1: This vessel is barely human-made.
[20.09.2024 03:08:05] Lazurith: Sellswords, hm.
[20.09.2024 03:08:07] Choomba: You freelancers are truly idiots or infected yourselves.
[20.09.2024 03:08:17] Jonathan.Guilles: You better do not approach this vessel.
[20.09.2024 03:08:23] Hale's.Angel: I am a freelancer, I have been hired to protect them with my life
[20.09.2024 03:08:24] A/)-Yoruha-: What do we do?
[20.09.2024 03:08:26] Wilde.Raspelbock: *** {An insidius rattle takes hold in the minds of all.} *** I am piloting an Experminetal Rheinland Vessel.
[20.09.2024 03:08:28] Moreya: Assistants, please stay close to the station!
[20.09.2024 03:08:33] A/)-Yoruha-: TOMARE!
[20.09.2024 03:08:45] A/)-Yoruha-: I know what you are!
[20.09.2024 03:08:56] Jonathan.Guilles: How do yoou know this vessel is not an experimental from MND?
[20.09.2024 03:09:00] Guepard-1: So, you're hired wings to defend this... Thing?
[20.09.2024 03:09:03] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Shut the fuck up, all of ya.
[20.09.2024 03:09:06] Lazurith: Well, Gardener. You've definitely got my attention now.
[20.09.2024 03:09:09] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Death-bringer, what do you want?
[20.09.2024 03:09:20] Hale's.Angel: I am a freelancer, I have been hired to protect these MND vessels
[20.09.2024 03:09:24] Moreya: Eek! This is truly worrisome!
[20.09.2024 03:09:29] Wilde.Raspelbock: Simple: To cut a deal of wants and wishes.
[20.09.2024 03:09:29] Choomba: Thralls.
[20.09.2024 03:09:31] Choomba: Must be.
[20.09.2024 03:09:32] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Ya've said as much five bloody times now!
[20.09.2024 03:09:34] Jonathan.Guilles: I am a Freelancer, I have been hired to protect these MND vessels.
[20.09.2024 03:09:36] TFP)-Kelly.With!: Shut yer fuckin trap!
[20.09.2024 03:09:44] Hale's.Angel: We are many
[20.09.2024 03:09:45] A/)-Yoruha-: Two gunboat tracks, one fighter.
[20.09.2024 03:10:01] Guepard-1: You're forgetting the space fish.
[20.09.2024 03:10:18] Tracey.Rivers: Kris, I don't know what you're thinking, but I'll follow you.
[20.09.2024 03:10:19] TFP)-Kelly.With!: That one won't be a bother.
[20.09.2024 03:10:23] A/)-Yoruha-: I have a high belief the Nomad will not engage.
[20.09.2024 03:10:24] Lazurith: Okay... what exactly spurred you to come all the way out here in this complete armpit? There's clearly something you want.
[20.09.2024 03:10:43] Jonathan.Guilles: I am a Freelancer, I have beenn hired to protect these MND vessels.
[20.09.2024 03:10:53] Hale's.Angel: We will protect them with our lives
[20.09.2024 03:11:00] Wilde.Raspelbock: You. I need you to keep him... "sane".
[20.09.2024 03:11:04] TFP)-Kelly.With!: I'll hire ya to shut the bloody fuck up, ya gobshites.

So, I wanted to test that theory I had about "kill the sorceror an' the illusion fades", but unfortunately combat ensued quick enough an' was sufficiently hectic that both the freelance vessels ended up splashed before the miraculously-returned abomination did. Received assistance from Guepard, who was unsurprisingly quite skilled in the pilot's seat -- no wonder he's lived all this long.

Looks like Laz might be gettin' over his violence-abstentionist brain disease after all. Exposure therapy works bloody wonders.

---

Casualties sustained no serious damage to their persons, though we'll have some fairly significant ship repairs to do. In the course of this engagement, Choomba -- who, might I remind, is somethin' like a brain wired directly into a ship -- quickly docked at the Gate, purchased a Magpie from a dealer over the 'net, an' had the techs do a quick an' highly hazardous swap of his, uh, neural architecture or whatever the hell, into the fighter-bomber. Lad came out of a Starflier. Ended up takin' some serious damage to his language faculties as a result, an' only the intervention of Psyche givin' him some kind of stabilizin' alien magic neural imprint horseshite kept the li'l knight alive. First Technocrat I've ever seen that's crossed the transhumanism barrier into fully becomin' one with the machine, and fuck me sideways if he doesn't have the Fire within him as bright as the best of us.

Uncomfortable to think just how helpful Psyche seems intent on being. Maybe this is worth investigatin' further, somehow. Maybe we're not so different. Or maybe I'm gettin' brainwashed like those poor 'lancers. That's for you two, West an' Megiddo, to weigh in on.

Anyway, that'll finally conclude this report. With, out.

---

Libera Te Ex Infernis
Mihi Vindictam Ego Retribuam