[IC] Symphonis: The Art of Deception [Revised]

Prologue

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Smoke gently swam around the room. It wasn't a very large room but quite large for an office. Double door entrance, bookshelves with books and trinkets, a large soft rug and one large window opposite the doorway that panned out over the sleepy city below. Neon and LED signs still burned and patrons of the night still muddled about yet the night was oddly quiet comparatively.
With feet up on a rigid metal desk and file in hand, the Overseer puffed on a Terran cigar. Imported straight from Earth by the original makers of such a fine vice, it cost him quite a pretty penny. The file was simple tan, marked "VOID" in bright red. It had been a plan at one point, obviously failed and disregarded but still something to learn from. A stream of smoke billowed from his mouth as the lounging man haphazardly tossed the reading material in a random direction.

"Fuck." One word, snorted out like it was the sign of his defeat. In one fluid motion the Overseer stood, landed on his feet and took slow steps towards the large wall-size window. He tucked one into his side and rested the other atop it so his cigar would be in-front of his face. That had been his last plan. A strategy to bombard the house their double-agent resided within with lesser powered explosives and storm it with troops through the ground. Of course it would be declined by the Council, it was a last ditch effort - his last hope before his hand was forced. Operation Skybreak would launch into full swing. Battlemage, Dreadnought and Eclipse would all activate and come into play. When each would be needed, he hadn't a single clue. What was for certain was that Battlemage would need to act first. They would provide the recon and the intelligence necessary to mobilize Dreadnought and Eclipse but were any of the divisions really ready?

Any thought he might have had was broken up by the entire window hazing out into a dull gray. Replacing the cityscape were three silhouettes. Two women and one man.

"Overseer, physical-"
"And psychological profiles-"
"- Have been completed. Dossiers uploaded to your computer terminal." The two females spoke, one spontaneously breaking up the other but falling into perfect sync as if that were normal. Their voices were silk: Calm, soft, soothing and eerily smooth. It was almost as if they held no emotion at all.

"Thank you, Doctor Issolas and Doctor Reesa. Your assistance has been been quite admirable since Skybreak's creation." The Overseer congratulated, taking this moment to drag on his cigar. The two doctors were clones. One only had to look at the Cyberetiks to see why cloning was a risky business - however humans were stubborn and frankly idiotic. If something happened to be dangerous, humans would want to complete it just to show they could.

"Overseer, we did not arrive to exchange pleasantries." The male spoke up, suddenly being accompanies by the silhouettes of every other species in the Order. "The council has been debating your course of action for some time now. Having thrown out your last plan, there is only one option left." The council, as was mentioned, was a sort of monitoring party to certify the Overseer was doing his job. One representative from each species or six members. Each of them was under extreme secrecy as not even their respective governments were supposed to know of Skybreak.

"Indeed. Operation Skybreak will come under full effect tomorrow morning. I've already alerted the compound staff, quartermasters and trainers. O'two hundred tomorrow I'll provide a briefing and lay out our first course of action." The Overseer in his talking, took slow methodical steps to the corner of the room, opening a liquor cabinet and deciding on a poison. Through the pouring of russet fluid he carried on. "In ten minutes, Nighthawk Three will collect and transport me to the new location." The speech was slightly slurred on account of the cigar being stuck in his mouth.

The Kul representative spoke up then, tone full of malice and repressed anger. "So you're the one who has claimed priority over a VIP extract."

The Overseer simply shrugged, back turned to the Council. "I suppose I'm a V-VIP. Very Very Important Person." He finalized, turning and sipping lightly on the firewater he just poured. It went down as smooth as one could expect but provided a pleasing distraction. "That's not the only reason you're here. As the human representative has made clear - you all knew quite well my action plan. Offering a house call to gather information you already have isn't like the Council." The Overseer surmised, lightly kicking his chair out of the way so he could lean into his desk facing the window-turned-screen.

"That would be correct, Overseer." The Trivinad took the stage now. "Our purpose is to gauge your mental efficiency as well as explain to you the true limit of resources at your disposal." She explained. All members of the Trivinad were female and had oddly soft, calming voices. "That is to say, are you truly prepared for what will occur after today? What shall occur to you should this fail?" She asked, two questions the Overseer had heard ever since he took up the position.

At the mere beginning of these questions, he placed the bridge of his nose inbetween two fingers. The cigar burned dangerously close to the wild unwashed black hair atop his head. "Yes, I understand full well. The former, I'll be biting my nails in hope that each division succeeds. The latter... Well, my record won't even exist to show what happened to me now will it?" He sharply retorted, replacing the cigar in his mouth to pull a long drag. Embers lit up his face in the dark room, the only source of light besides the dim glow off the screen in the room.

From out of left field, the Xic'Si representative broke the question game. "Cut the shit Tarx. We expect results. You'll start providing daily reports, noon, no exceptions." The unusually demanding Xic'Si bluntly stated. "We're giving you everything the Order has and more. Failure is not an option, for any of our sake. If what your agent said is true, Ascension might very well bring about a cataclysm."

Through a scowl at being chastised by a species thought to be so docile, the Overseer let loose a breath of smoke. "Again, I'm well aware. Losing Agent Pitux is an unfortunate setback yet I hope I can do his soul justice by stopping Project Symphonis before it begins. Beginning later today I'll provide reports, allow me to brief the divisions and assign their first task at the least. Unless you prefer your reports bite sized." The Overseer shot back, twisting the end of his cigar into a volcanic glass ash tray. "Before you hold me up further, I'll be relocating right now. I suggest you all get some sleep and leave the directing to me, farewell." The Overseer cut short, waving his hand in front of him to return the gray screen into transparent glass.

A simple huff to release the tension in his body and he was gone - out the door to the landing pad where Nighthawk was waiting patiently. In a few hours he would arrive at the Skybreak headquarters, until then he would compile what was known and try to determine what needed to be said.

[Dr Catfish]

Human Colony Naurex - Cerberus Supercluster
Undisclosed Location
05/22/97 1:55 AM

Skybreak Headquarters was a shoddy looking place. At least from the outside. A mundane farmstead with a colonial red barn in the middle of nowhere about two hours driving from the nearest city. The entrance was in the barn, hydraulically controlled doors gave way from the floor to reveal a complex tunnel system into a sprawling underground fortress. Packed with staff, electrical systems, weaponry, explosives and vehicles. It was enough to support a small army, or a well trained platoon at the least. Prototype weaponry, transport and armour was developed at a frightening pace - traveling from concept to design to application in wild attempts at creating something useful. Some progress was made, but it was slow going for certain. Kul, Greer, Trivinad, Xic'Si, Entyn and Humans all milled about doing their respective tasks and gave the entire compound a beehive-like buzz. A pleasing environment beneath a distraught land above. In the city of Rekkart nearby, all hell had broken loose. After discovering a double agent in their ranks, a sect of Ascension took out their anger on the city. Small gangs thought frivolous by police and government alike were rapidly equipped with military tech and suddenly became uncannily aggressive. Ascension was using them as proxies to keep heat off, or so that was what the Overseer believed. Speaking of government, the mayor of Rekkart had seemingly disappeared without a trace. Most likely bought off or killed to add another level to the brewing chaos.

Put lightly, it was a shit sandwich with used toilet paper for bread. At least, that was how the Overseer deemed it while walking through the hall. O'two hundred had been the time set for the briefing. During this time he would explain the situation and lay out the ground work for each Division, what they would be doing and how each would contribute - as well as the first lead they had to go off of. A casual briefing if it weren't for the sensitive topics he would also need to disclose. How did other staff members navigate these twisting halls and rooms without being late for everything, was it too late to have a drink?

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The doors to the auditorium swung open fashionably late at two-eighteen. In walked a medium sized man known to most anyone as the Overseer. Raven hair strewn about his head and falling off the sides, slightly greased on account of being unwashed. Falling off his shoulders was a large black felt coat that draped down about knee level. Beneath that, was a simple blue button up and black slacks. His face appeared... Heavy. Dark eyes cold and dim as if the man behind them was never really there. Stubble grazed a chiseled jaw complete with chin cleft. This shell slowly moved down the steps, commanding silence from the ambient noise that had been taking place with his mere entrance. Handcuffed to his right hand, was a rectangular black briefcase.

The room was configured much like a professors hall. A simple half circle around a large desk which held trinkets, papers and folders and the like. Chairs for most of the races and large nest-like cushions for the Xic'Si to nestle into. A considerable number of people were in the room. High ranking staff members and officials within Skybreak, as well as the Battlemage division. Dreadnought and Eclipse would come one at a time afterwards, as there was no point cluttering their minds with details that did not concern them. Without hurry or even an apology the Overseer continued walking to his desk, setting down the briefcase and inputting the code. It seemed as if he was not concerned at all that the hall could potentially be missing members. This was no assembly of amateurs however, so anyone missing simply wasn't appropriate for the task. The briefcase hinged open with a satisfying click.

"Before I begin, I would like to explain the situation we are all committed to." The black-haired man began, taking files and papers from the briefcase and tossing them onto the surface of the desk. "This is, by all research and consideration - a suicide mission." He paused again, sliding open a drawer of the desk and withdrawing two things: A bottle of liquor and a wooden cigar box. "Upon joining Skybreak, your records and everything which makes you, you, has been expunged. None of you exist any more." His voice was strange. Collected, calm yet commanding all whilst being devoid of emotion. "If everything goes right, they will be retrieved."

The liquor was opened and poured slowly into a snifter as he seemingly organized his thoughts. "Atop this, those of you in division Battlemage have been outfitted with explosive devices in your blood stream. Designed to nestle within your brain, our control room has absolute control over their detonation. Now hold your tongue." He barked the last bit, lifting and sipping from the glass with his non-bound hand.

"None of us intend to direct or guide your actions. The reason for this device is so that in a scenario where you are held captive and tortured, you will not reveal sensitive information to hostile parties. Utmost caution has been taken to minimize the risk of premature detonation, so no extra care should need to be taken. If you're curios when this implant had been installed then I will tell you." He paused to take another sip of his liquor, opening the cigar box and calmly running his fingers over the contents as if they were golden treasure. "Doctor Issolas, in charge of conducting the physical examination injected the machine into your blood while withdrawing some for her records."

With the motion of his hand, the lights suddenly dimmed and a light gently illuminated the desk he stood beside. Above him on a large screen, an image came into view - of a glasses wearing gentleman of around mid twenties. The photo appeared to be rather candid. slightly pixelated due to distance and with the subject peering off in the distance at something.

"With the more stressing information out of the way, we move onto an actual action plan for Battlemage to conduct." Even in the dim light, anyone would be able to spot what now took place in his free hand. A large Cuban-style cigar with an odd reflective foil wrapping near the base. Those closer to the front could make out the stylized hawk emblem burnt into the material.

"Hours ago, a double agent of ours in deep cover was found out. Working under one Professor Clark pictured above. While known to run a small criminal organization, we believed Clark was operating under order of Ascension and until being discovered, our agent confirmed these suspicions." The noise of a lighter, followed by the lighting of a cigar and the scent of thick sweet smoke filled the auditorium. In the front, two members of Skybreak began talking only to silence themselves after a glare from the Overseer.

"Before losing contact, our Agent disclosed key information about Ascension. When Ascension stopped terrorizing the public, they weren't cooling down as was thought - they were building resources to ramp things up." Another pause to drag on his cigar. The red embers illuminated his face slightly and offered some colour to the dark room. "Project Symphonis, the code for whatever Ascension plans on completing. What it is, how it's made, how they plan to proceed we have no idea. The only thing able to be extracted is the project's purpose: Annihilation of life." He paused again, yet for good reason this time. The image above flickered to a cliff-side mansion. Quite large with wall size windows, a balcony/patio and a half floor. A low sloping roof in dark brown with burgundy accents. It was a classic with wood siding.

"Our only lead so far is Professor Clark, which means he will be our first stop. Luckily our double agent convinced Clark he worked for the police force rather than an illusive organization. As such he should still remain within his home, perhaps with more protection. This is why Battlemage is being sent to capture Professor Clark, alive. Upon retrieval, a collection shall be sent and interrogation will begin to extract what we can. Only from there can we proceed with planning." The Overseer paused for quite some time then, taking a pull of his cigarette and a drink from his glass. Above him the imagine changed again into a floor plan of the house.

Floor Plan

"The agent was never permitted to enter the second floor, so it has been left undocumented for now. However the main floor has almost been charted entirely. The only room here unavailable is the Office on the north side, identified by the question mark. Only Clark himself was allowed inside and it was closely guarded. The contents within are possibly invaluable, so searching this room is a secondary objective. There has also been talk of a basement yet even the entrance has yet to be discovered. Possibly through a space underneath the stairwell." With one gulp the rest of his liquor was downed, only to be replaced with a refill soon after.
"To summarize, Battlemage will relocate to Professor Clark's home, infiltrate and subdue him so they may bring him back for interrogation. If possible, checking the office may provide additional leads, and if there is a basement - searching that may dig up information as well." With a flick of his fingers, he threw the ashes from his cigar onto the floor. Embers trickled down and extinguished on the cool floor below. "The mansion is a good hour drive away. That's about ten minutes or less in the transport we're providing."

Only now did the Overseer settle into his chair. The lights slowly returned to about half-brightness which allowed him to flip open the folders on his desk. Once they had all been thrown open, he took a drag on his cigarette, exhaled the smoke and placed it in his lips so his free hand could move some papers about. "Five of you, brave souls all of you. I won't lie when I tell you that your task will be the most complex. Perhaps not the hardest, but the most intricate." He used his thumb to move a couple more strewn papers from the folder further into the center. "You ship out ten minutes ago. Your pilot is named Petal but due to the sensitivity of our mission, none of you will have radio contact. After exiting the transport you will be acting independent without response. If you're curious as to how we'll know if you are being interrogated to make use of the kill switch: You've also been implanted with a subtle neural link of sorts. We'll see and hear what you see and the technology allows it to only be detected with specific equipment. For specifics on how the hell it became compatible with Xic'Si, ask the egg heads below." The raven-haired man surmised, finishing up his cigar with a deep pull.

A brief look down at his desk and its integrated clock confirmed his suspicions. With he himself being late, they were running behind schedule; two twenty five. As if to remind himself, he gave his head a shake and blinked several times. "Petal, the transport, will be equipped with weaponry and armour for all of you. The A-6 multi-role assault rifle and Tactex pistol. The former being a prototype, firing mode selective, six-point-five millimeter compact rifle. Seven hundred rounds per minute with optional attachments. This is the lethal option for worst case scenarios. Taking this is up to user choice as it, and the ammunition, are quite heavy. The Tactex pistol, is an intricately designed weapon specifically for this task. Light, made of polymer and absolutely silent. Featuring a piston type round half an inch wide it is exactly as I said - silent. Newly crafted powder creates an intense explosion which propels a piston into the true round, sending the bullet onward while the piston finds itself stuck in the barrel of the pistol. This leaves the weapon forced to be break-action and single shot, yet allows ranged subduing potential. These guns are light but the ammo is not. I recommend every member carries one on their person. Most hits will be incapacitating but could prove lethal in certain spots or at close ranges."

The screen above turned off, and the room illuminated fully now. At some point the Overseer Houdini'ed out of the handcuffs and was looking through another folder. "The armour for each of you has been specifically crafted using the results of your physiological profile. For the Entyn doctor, brought straight from their homeworld, a biological-synthetic blended armour. Plant coated steel that melds with an Entyn's body and can be replaced at will. The stuff is lighter than most, but can only cover vital areas. As the Xic'Si already has their own armour... We haven't provided anything besides materials and manpower to create additional copies. For the humans, Earth has pulled out a secret development should you choose to take it. Body plating made of graphene sheets. Light as air, more durable and bullet resistant than ceramic plating. Protects from stabs and modular enough to defend most vitals and sensitive arteries. Those of you with cybernetic modifications will be unable to use it however. Apparently the conductivity produce averse side effects."

Had he been talking too much? It sure felt like it. With an uncommon gentleness, the Overseer placed the file onto his desk and leaned forwards in his chair, placing both elbows on the metal surface and clasping his hands. "This briefing is over. Battlemage get moving, your transport is waiting for you in bay A-1. I have faith your squad leader will formulate a plan of action on your journey in, so my task is completed, good luck."

With all that laid out in such a short amount of time, the Overseer suddenly laid his head on the desk and seemed to become unresponsive. A large eight passenger transport VTOL was indeed warmed up and ready in an underground silo. Hopefully, Battlemage would leave the auditorium, gather the required supplies from their own rooms, then load up into the transport and be off to begin the dismantling of Project Symphonis.

PROJECT SYMPHONIS COMPLETION
1%

[AzenExile]

"This briefing is over. Battlemage get moving, your transport is waiting for you in bay A-1. I have faith your squad leader will formulate a plan of action on your journey in, so my task is completed, good luck."

Well then, thought the alien. Let us go, he said to himself in his mind. He rose from his seat, which was at the front, in the corner. Then he turned and went away, out of the room first and looked for the way to the room where his locker was. He did not want to go without some of his own gear. After that, he wanted to visit the armory for the weapons and other essentials he needed before heading to bay A-1.

And just like that, he disappeared, not speaking to anyone for now but at the same time being polite enough to greet those of higher ranks than he has and waving to those lower than he is. Until he reached the locker rooms, he kept that up. And when he was alone with his locker, already grabbing stuff he needed, he simply hummed.