A story that Disco made...

[dexben]

Chapter 6 : The truth is out there..

Today we find the intrepid pair sat outside the dublin jumphole in leeds it is there day off and together with Tobi Reaper a VPS agent they are enjoying a quiet time and pass the time just talking..

"I had the whole of IAB and BAF after me one day " Remarks tobi after a lull in the conversation "Tobi ... what happened i remember you taunting them in dublin a few weeks back .. same thing ?" .. "Can't tell you anna top secret, but lets just say its big enough to start a war" .. "oh great more wars just what we need right now" anna frowns then a thought hits her.

"Tobi... IAB .. Top secret... did they threaten you ?" .. "Kinda.. wiped my logs my guncams the lot and swore me to secrecy.." ... "Jack ... this sounds a lot like what happened to me while you was away..." "Oh anna not more more trouble ..." "Well this was a strange one jack i was going to south shields in newcastle to pick up some supplies, When i see this .. well city in the distance, I couldn't not go over right ?" she carries on "Two IAB agents showed up as i was making my way back, wiped my nav computer for the newcastle and told me to keep my mouth shut and i had never been here.." .. "very similar wouldnt you say?"

Jack has been there he knows the place "Nomad anna, that is an old nomad city.. Tobi where you near to something nomad ?" .. tobi has a little think before he replies " So you know about them too jack .. and yes we encountered a nomad battle ship in chester one day but the IAB covered it up for fears it could start something big..." jack groans "Not chester thats where my encounters with them where Chester has a hole anna a massive big plate with faces on it .. and its larger than a planet..." jack can see the look on annas face over the comms unit " No anna you are not to go there i is dangerous Ian lost his mind to that place and i am not going to risk you .. Got it young lady ..."

20 minutes later Jack and anna are sat at the chester jumphole in dublin ... "Anna im only doing this because i know you will only go by yourself if i dont..".. Relax jack im with you right .. i cant get into trouble " she grins and hits the jumphole dock.

"Anna lock the dublin hole on and form on my wing drop power to weapons and divert to shields .. where were going has a natural lightning storm that is -very- dangerous ok ... now listen anna this plate is guarded by the little ones do not try and engage them they are impossible to hit an...." anna cuts in half laughing "Something i can't hit jack .. yeah right" .. "just do as i ask anna this is no time to proove yourself."

Jack heads off to the distant cloud anna in tow "Anna disable guncams drop the nav computer and disable com log i want no evidence of this .. okay" .. " Done done and done..thats a scary nebula jack looks harsh in there." .. " It is anna just watch the lightning ok and keep those shields up.."

Heading into the cloud annas sensors go mad she gets false readings then nothing, the storm is incredible huge bolts of electrical energy shoot about at random and she cant see a thing.. "Flying blind here jack i hope you know what your doing.." "Keep your eyes peeled anna it's in here somwhere and when you see it you will be right on top of it.

The pair fly around the nebula for what seems like hours before anna gets a solid lock on her scanner "Jack got something and its staying strong on my scanns.." .. "I have nothing anna are you sure.." .. "Your flying civilian tech jack go figure" she retorts "ok anna forming on you take us in slow."

The pair make way towards the signal " 6k,4,2 Crap! Pull up jack pull up" the disk suddenly appears out of the foggy cloud the two climb as fast as there ships will allow to avoid a collision " Anna the little ones 2 oclock ignore them make for the fountain .. they wont follow us there." anna looks about and spots the huge plumes of .. energy ? spouting out from the center of the disk and steers her craft towards it "Not to close anna dont touch it dont touch anything..." Anna stares at the beauty of the massive constrution it is unlike anything she has ever seen before, so alien the faces jack mentions are not human .. not even close "This place gives me the creeps jack i dont like it.. lets get out of here"

They set off back towards the dublin hole "The smalls anna there on your tail hit cruise and go!!" " i cant jack there locking the drive somehow .. going evasive" as anna pulls her manouvers she spots a small group of the smalls heading for jack ... she wrenches the ship around and dives straight at them "Jack six on your tail ill split them up -keep moving- !!" her targeting computer is no use in this cloud she flys off instinct lining up a small she pulls the trigger its shield dissapears and it breaks formation "oh crap.. " they all break formation and start turning towards anna who now has a small fleet on her .. anna has time to smile as she sees jack dissapearing into the soup.

She wrestles with the controls as a bolt of energy from the cloud hits her sabre .. 52% shields not good she thinks another one of those and im exposed. With screaming smalls swarming around her she trails the one she hit earlier and follows it intently.. it levels out for just a second giving anna enough time to line it up again a burst of fire from the smalls behind her rips her shield open and a few shots bounce off her hull plating .. flicking the repair systems she re enables her shield and hull in one go .. i better make this quick she thinks and darts off after the damaged small forgoing her usuall shooting style anna jamms down the trigger and a hail of fire erupts from the sabre she "walks" the trail of energy up to and over the small .. it explodes as it's hull is penetrated letting the cold void into the ship.

On pure instinct anna hits the tractor and checks the scanner "ANNA! what are you doing your miles behind ANNA!!!" the fear and worry in jacks voice is all too evident "Jack you had a wing on you i had to split them up keep going im right behind you.." hitting her booster anna cartwheels through the cloud the smalls rageing behind her trying hard to hit her weaving ship.. But this is anna mccarthy and nothing hits her ship if she doesn't want it too..

Breaking from the nebula the noises stop the fire ceases all is silent bar the noise from her tortured sabre, jack is up ahead waiting for her "jack ... i have one in my hold jack oh my god .. what should i do .." .. "come closer anna i want to see it.." anna steers her ship to jacks and jack scans the hold "Yes anna that is a nomad
if the IAB catch you with that your in trouble anna hand it over to me.." .. "The hell i will jack noones getting in trouble today anna lines up with the white dwarf star in the center of the system and ejects the nomad on a collision course "Ill give you something to scream at you freak.." "Jack lets get back to the hood i need a soda.."

As they near the hood jacks ship starts to rock violently jack is shaking in his seat convulsions contorting his body .. the com link goes dead and the ship starts to spin and spiral towards the battleship.. "Anna can you hear me .. ANNA! .." jacks voice is panicked "Anna .. Melfina NO Melfina don't please NO NOOOOO!!" .. "Hood this is Anna tractor jacks ship, immediate dock and prep med lab" "Hood to McCarthy we have the ship miss .. situation please." "Jack blacked out hood get him to sick bay i'll be there asap." The hood pulls jacks ship in and with a worried face and heart anna docks....

Heading straight to jacks ship anna fears for jack .. was this nomad caused .. is he "mad" like ian. The medic rushes Jack on a automatic stretcher towards sickbay, Anna is right next to him. "Vital signs are okay... it's nothing physical... no injuries... heart frequency is fast..." the medic analyses and Jack looks at Anna, grabs her hand suddenly and presses it with surprising strength. "Jack im here .. what's up ... what's happened?"

Jack's eyes focus... all of a sudden. He looks up, sees Anna, sees the medic... seems confused and sits up straight like a person who has fallen, was embarrassed by that and got up in a hurry, pretending nothing has happened: "I'm... okay... I'm okay..." he stammers.

The stretcher bearing jack reaches its destination and the medics transfer jack to a med lab bed. "Just lie down mr henderson i need to run a CTF scan." jack complies and the medic passes the scanner over his body.
"I'll need to run the analysis jack wont be long" the medic walks over to the control of med lab and gets to work.

Anna stares for a moment "jack follow my finger" she slowly moves it in front of his eyes.. He follows her finger, but too slow... much too slow for a person who can command a fighter craft. "What happened, Miss?" the medic asks, . "He seems as if he was in a shock..."

Jack looks at Anna... and shakes his head... with widened eyes, not saying anything. "Doctor would you give me a few moments with jack please.." .. "As you wish anna i need to get these readings up to the main computer anyway.. he will be fine." Once they are alone she fixes jack with a stare .. its clear she isn't messing about.. "Ok you have something to tell me ..."

"Melfina... they mustn't know... don't tell them..." he says, relaxing somewhat after they are alone. "And... you must get me out of here... they will have seen you... manipulate the hole. They... will have your signature.... you must... and Ian... he's following... and.... why was he shooting you? And why were you shooting me? And..." tears beging to fill his eyes and the rest of the words is just sobs.... "I thought, I'd die..." is the only thing she can understand...

Annas mind acts fast she understands little of what is going on here but something big is happening, has happened.... she takes jack by the shoulders "Jack look at me i need you to focus..... i need you here and now with me.. "

Jack has visible problems focussing, but then he looks her in the face and his eyes focus and all of a sudden, after a few too long seconds, he seems to recognize her: "Anna? You?" and he seems completely confused, turns his head, touches his left arm as if to find out that everything was okay (and he seems surpirsed about that).

"Jack i need to know whats going on that was bloody scary.... how can i look after you if i dont have all the facts.... you do remember keeping your ass alive is my job right !.... i cant do this if i dont know what im dealing with ... " she sits on the bed and rolls up the sleeve on jacks arm ... The arm is perfectly okay... except lots of scars, perhaps 30 of them. Not old, perhaps some weeks old. It looks like a complicated operation... he stares at her... "I'll explain to you... but get me out of here. Because if they... know. I will never be flying again, you understand? Anna... be a good girl... take me to my room. I'll... tell you, okay?" and he adds a "Please..." in a whisper...

"Sure jack let's get you to your room.. " she covers up his arm and helps him off the bed .. look just use me as a support you have to look ok or they will know something up .. can you be strong for five minutes .."

Jack gathers some strength and does as she says... "Okay, we tell them, you where teaching me some high speed manouvers. And I must have blacked... does that sound okay? It was near Hood... I was drifting towards it, you caught my ship...." ... "On it jack don't worry just follow my lead ok." the pair head off out of sick bay as the medic is about to enter.

"And next time you pull a 6g turn jack stabilize pressure for gods sake .. didnt they teach you anything at flight school." She smiles and giggles " Sorry doc he blacked out i panicked he was spinning towards the hood .. the crash would have wrecked him" The Medic looks at her, and seems sceptical "Really? He...." and he looks at Jack, who smiles and tries to look as if everything was alright... "I wanted to show off... sorry... can, we just go? Nothing happened... and I'll not risk things again... like this." and he adds... "Sorry, just dizzy. Stupid me".

"Well the readings are good jack nothing unusual" he turns to anna "Anna make him comfy let him rest .." ... "Course i will suga .. sorry for ushering you out but looking after him is my job too -I- had to be sure he was ok after you had given me his vitals .. you get the body doc i get his head " She grins and ushers jack off to his quarters..

A good deal of his "Okay..." might be attributed to her smile and he nods... "Call me, if..." and then Anna has ushered Jack into the elevator. He slowly seems to regain his senses completely... and when the door closes, he slides down the elevator wall: "Thank you Anna... for... a moment, I was back in there... the pod. I was going insane... I thought. The pain... my arm was shattered by the secondary explosions of 30 nuclear mines... I was losing blood and the painkillers ran out after 3 days." he begins telling, his voice trembling but he keeps going.

"I... reduced... the dose. But I couldn't bear it. I stopped the bleeding, dropped unconscious for I don't know how long. And the whole time I saw Melfina... kill me. Then Ian... who shot her ship. Melfina, not ejecting. Ian heading into the lightning cloud... and then... days... days... of anguish and mortal fear."

"Jack, melfina .. who is she you keep mentioning her .. she shot you .. i .. i dont understand.." They reach lv 41 " To the right jack" sarah chimed putting his arm around her the slight build of a girl half carries jack to this quarters... when the door is closed and jack is placed on the sofa she says "right jack from the top this broken tale is getting us nowhere.. i need to know what we are dealing with here..."

Jack slumps into the sofa... sighs and nods. "Okay... Anna... you must keep it a secret, okay? You must... or I can't say a word." .. Anna looks to the ceiling and mutters to herself... the universe maybe who knows "I'll add it to the rest."

"Okay... Melfina... beautiful.... headstrong.. adorable. I think I loved her... I hardly know her. But she had something. She told me to follow. She went into Bretonian Space, I didn't know the route... we flew and talked... and all of a sudden she was at the Jumphole to Poole to New london... and she sabotaged the hole to just... destroy everything by reversing the transport matrix." Jack swallows hard...

"I was all... out of myself. We ran... I was shouting at her. I was... furious... she was cool as ice. Told me, she was a Kusari spy... she hated Bretonia... I love Bretonia. I fancied her... and I knew, she would kill me. She had to silence me. She realized I was not with her... when she attacked BMM miners from pure rage... I escaped. She followed, wanted me dead. I escaped again and sent a call to Bretonian Authorities. They closed the hole... only 163 people died. Only..." he shakes his head.

"We covered up everything. The IMG... me... we buried it. Decided, it had never happened. To cover us... to protect the Guild against espionage allegations. So... we carried on. Until Melfina found out where I was."

"She waited... and caught me. In Leeds. She was crazy again... she chased me, then suddenly announced she would attack Bretonia and challenged me to keep her from it... like the first time. I chased her... to Chester. Ian followed from Dublin... We flew into the cloud, I already knew it and backed off... Ian followed her.

"I tried to keep Ian from follwoing her into the cloud. He wouldn't listen. I deceided to kill Melfina... I knew of the Nomad thing that we saw today. She wanted to do something with it, so I attacked her. We fought in the clouds... and lightning."

"You know I have no chance against a Kusari special agent. She slaughtered me, my Nyx was hit badly, drifted outside of the cloud..." Jack seems now back to his normal state, just his voice is a bit weaker, lost in thoughts....

"She wanted to finish me off... I kept talking, begging for my life. She just shot the wreckage... I saw Ian approaching, he shot Melfina in a surprise attack... she exploded before my Nyx broke apart. My ejection worked... I was injured, and you know the rest... Melfina did not. She died there... and Ian flew away. And did not search for me. Did not file a report. He sentenced me to death out there. I say... on purpose."

Anna looks concerned this is bigger than she thought - damnit wheres theres one theres more - she thought drawing upon past experiance.. "jack go on i know this is hard but please i need to know..."

"It's... not over... here." he nods, keeps telling her... "I was found by a Junker. It took weeks to get me out of a coma, weeks to regenerate. I was back on duty, perhaps a few weeks before we met." he says, smiles a little... then falls serious again: "... I met Melfina. She was alive. She was on a shooting spree... killing random BMM in Dublin... I tried to protect IMG - we were in the progress of cleaning relations up... she wanted to ruin everything, plunge us into a war against BAF. She wanted Kusari to win... I ordered her arrested... she fled. I chased. I..." he swallows hard...

"I managed to let her escape and follow. We talked... I could not kill her. I kissed her at Holman... and then I let her go. I've... never seen her again. She..." and he shakes his head... "She led me down that path that made the secret agreements with the terrorist NLH possible... our contracts with the Reavers. She taught me that... she was right in some parts. And I lost her twice... she died twice." he sighs and looks at the floor "That's... all. And... I felt guilty. And horrible. And then I saw you. And I decided to do good... to outweigh the bad I had done. Now you know."

Anna with her head in her hands looks up "Jack you bloody fool.." kusari agents, ties with terrorists, the reavers not shooting IMG it all started to make sence now.. "She's still alive jack and still wants you dead..." this aint going to happen i wont let it happen .. on this you can trust me. Who else knows about this jack."

"Nobody. You... I... Ian I think, because he must have been covering Melfina's first death in Jester... and Melfina. And all Kusari agents in the IMG..."

"What!!" anna exclaims shocked "Kusari spies in IMG... who jack and dont lie to me or withhold any from me this is important i have to know who i can and canot trust..." " Ian i can deal with what i dont know i cant.."

"Anna.." he says, shaking his head... "IMG assets are split across the borders... we have Kusari holdings in Holman and Tau 23... we have Bretonians... Bretonian IMG spy in Kusari space... they in our space. We are the only party that can move freely.... Anna... IMG is full of informants and spies, don't you see?" .. after a few long seconds he adds "No one... can know who is who." and sighs heavily.

"Oh god .. what have i got myself into now" she looks up as if to have an answer from the universe and closes her eyes, when she opens her eyes she is relaxed calm and something jack hasnt seen yet... There is a steely set in her eyes the way she holds her face... " Jack i want you to listen and listen good... this conversation never took place.. i am just anna who knows nothg but how to get herself into trouble.. -they- must think that if they get even the slightest inkling i know too much .. WE are finished .. do you understand this." ?

Jack looks at her, realizes the strength that she has now, exactly that strength that he is missing at the moment after his traumatic flashback. "Yes, Anna. You must be the surpirse... the unknown factor if they try it." he agrees...
"Now you know. And now you can prepare... as I am prepared..." and he reaches under the sofa, pulls a military, Bretonian infantry rifle from it... then moves it back. "Sorry to drag you into this... but when I saw, how good you are... I had to."

"Jesus jack you really know how to show a girl a good time you know" She smiles then laughs finally settling for just amusment "Let them come suga .... out there.. there in my territory."

Jack tries to smile and succeeds... "Hey... little Anna..." he says, looking at her for a moment too long... "... thank you. And... don't think I', weak. I will bounce back... this... Chester, it was just too much. I wanted so much to protect you, I put everything aside. And then it struck back, the moment I realized we were safe and the adrenaline was gone... I can remember some more bits. And it just hurt... so... just all I can do is say Thank you for not letting me crash into Hood."... "Getting me out of sickbay... and up here."

"Think nothing of it partner .. if i have to drop IMG from the bottom to the damn top to save you i will .. i owe you that much for giving me all this.... " she looks around and sighs "Even this isn't safe anymore jack.. your battleship is a metal box run by these people..." she thinks for a moment and nods to herself..

Jack nods, smiles for a second, takes a long breath... "We'll work through it... my issues, yours..." he nods, seems to believe it at that moment. Her strength - even if it's only the one of a girl who doesn't understand fully the implications - helps him to get back to find his own strength, at least partially now.

Anna stands "Ok mr henderson rest .. for us both its been a hard day and i have something in mind ... i think i will be safer elsewhere .." its clear the hood is no longer the safe haven she once thought it was she sees it differently now like a cage a box with eyes round every corner.... she crosss the room to the door "And jack on the floor your the strong one .. out there .. thats my job .. lets do our jobs well and we will come through this mess.." .. "Yes go to your room and sleep anna things will look different in the morning.."

Anna stands in the doorway, inside she feels trapped .. not by jack but by knowing the weight of the situation she is now wrapped up in "My room jack .. not anymore jack .. not anymore." Tomorrow she will setup a meeting with Doc and see if she can secure a deal on the ship she has in mind .. big enough to take on a small army but inconspicuous enough as to not cause too much alarm.... this will be her base her fortress her guardian angel....... and let the damned kusari come they will find her ready...

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I have many enemies in the dark. So i stand in the light so i can see them..

Anna's ongoing 95%(ish) true ingame story.