Durgama Takeover

– Query Received: Mira Rivera
– Searching Recent Battle Reports…
– Searching Personnel Data…
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– Query returned 1 record: Rev. Mira Rivera
– Review contents?
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– Home Mothership: Bakunin
– Classification: Reverend Custodier of the Observance of Saint Mary of the Knife (Our Lady of Mercy)
– Titles and Rank: Special Envoy of Bakunin; Diplomatic Representative of Nomad High Command; Captain of The Amethyst Sky;
– Current Location: Undefined
– Assignment: Yate Asesino Class Ship - The Amethyst Sky
– Reports Issued During Durgama Crisis: (4)
– Report 1: “Hold the Line” - Firefight Located in Raveneye Port Battery: Ammunitions and Supplies Module
– Report 1: Report Information Address: https://durgamatakeover.warconsole.com/battles/mjgrey-vs-theashenone-1657660808
– Report 2: “Devious Alliance” - Countermeasures Located in Xiāndăo Neosteelworks, 3D Printing Labs
– Report 2: Report Information Address: https://durgamatakeover.warconsole.com/battles/mjgrey-vs-yue-fei-1657758202
– Report 3: "Tilting at Windmills" - Looting and Sabotage Located in Cameliard, Reliquary
– Report 3: Report Information Address: https://durgamatakeover.warconsole.com/battles/mjgrey-vs-sir-wall-1658179375
– Report 4: "Things Left Unsaid"
– Displaying Report 4 Details…
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– Classification: Quadrant Control
– Location: Raveneye Port Battery: Rail Cannon
– Resource Value Allocated to Strike Team: 200
– Combatants:
Bakunian Forces assigned to the ship The Amethyst Sky led by Rev. Mira Rivera
ALEPH Forces of the Operations Subsection of the Special Situation Section - Boarding Team
– Loading Battle Report:
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– WARNING: Report Exceeds Maximum File Size
– WARNING: Review of Battle Report Estimated to Take Significant Time
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– Displaying Report Details…
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– (10) Logs Found:
Log 1: Phase 0.02 - Between the Battles - One (1) Unread Message Remaining
Log 2: Phase 0.0 - Prologue
Log 3: Phase 0.5 - Deployment
Log 4: Phase 1.0 - The Opening Gambit
Log 5: Phase 1.5 - Finding Their Own Place in Things
Log 6: Phase 2.0 - Seeing Red and Nothing Else
Log 7: Phase 2.5 - The (Network) Connections Between Us
Log 8: Phase 3.0 - A Hail of Lead and Fire
Log 9: Phase 3.5 - An End to All Things
Log 10: Phase 4.0 - Epilogue
– Playing Log 1:
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– Displaying Recent Comm Transmissions
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– One (1) Unread Message Remaining
– Sender: Stephanie Aletto
– Displaying Message Transcription
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Hey, Rev.

I'm hoping you get this message before shipping out, but the fact you didn't answer makes me think I might have missed you. Word on the street, well, in Al Bactra, is that the Nomads are about to make a big last push to take command of the railgun. I’m figuring you’ll probably be somewhere at the head of all that. Please, don’t get yourself killed, ok?

By the time you get this, I'll probably be on my way back to Bakunin. I'm looking at private ships, but there's a Circular coming by in a few days if nothing else works out. I think being back on the Mothership in familiar settings will do me some good.

I thought a lot about your offer of joining back up with you and The Amethyst Sky but… I don’t think I can take you up on it right now. It's a little too military for me at the moment. I know my home has been with you for almost as long as I can remember, but things feel different now. I feel different.

Or maybe I don't? I mean, I still miss you, and I miss the crew, I just… I don't… I'm not sure what I want anymore. Things have been so jumbled since I've been back. It's been tough trying to get my head on straight.

I do know the thought of losing you doesn't sit well with me. After this Crisis is over, come home for me, ok? At least for a little while. From what I can tell, you're some High Command big shot now, and I bet they'll want you all over the Sphere doing important things. Maybe you can squeeze in a little time on Bakunin, though? So we can actually see each other? I feel like there's probably some stuff we should talk about…

Alright, I've probably jabbered at you long enough, especially if you're getting ready. Good hunting out there, Rev. Serve the Nomads proud and all that.

Oh, and Mira, I… Well… Please, just come back, ok? I'll talk to you soon.

The shuttle jostled slightly as it left the atmosphere. It wouldn't be the last bump on this trip; things would get more intense as they approached the Raveneye. Mira wasn't looking forward to this mission. Not that she usually looked forward to entering active combat zones, but this one in particular stood out.

Throughout the Durgama Crisis, the Nomads had held tightly to the Port Battery of the Orbital Complex. It held symbolic significance as the weapon that had stabbed directly into the heart of their nation. They wouldn't allow it to happen again, regardless of cost. It was also the site of Mira's first battle of the Campaign and the source of all sorts of complicated feelings.

Going back made her uncomfortable. She remembered how nervous she was as the Combined charged their defenses and how angry she was watching her crew get injured. She still felt the pangs of holding Stephanie's corpse and knowing things would be different after.

It didn't help that she was assigned several operatives she was unfamiliar with. This was a high priority mission from Command, and they would throw whatever resources they could at it. The crew of The Amethyst Sky wouldn't be the only team deployed to the battle. Mira reviewed her roster, wanting to know exactly what resources they had at their disposal.

The rest of the crew was picking up on Mira's anxiety. "This is going to be a bad one, huh Captain?" asked Zinnie, nervously. The taller of the two bunny girls on the team tended to get flustered in tense situations. She was usually their combat medic, but in this fight, Command wanted her as another gun.

"I won't sugarcoat it," replied Mira. "A battle on the hull of the Station in zero-G against heavy resistance as a space battle rages above us isn't going to be easy. Command expects casualties. Haqqislam's QAS Rose of Cairo is ready to evacuate the injured, so we'll all make it home… Here's hoping it's in the same bodies."

What Mira didn't say is they had to get there, first. The Combined had deployed all manner of turrets and gun ports outside of the Raveneye. The shuttle would have covering fire, but the approach was going to be messy.

"Never fought in the void, before, floppy ears?" It was Butch, the tough-as-nails Prowler that had been assigned to their squad. "It's not so bad. Just make sure you take a deep breath first." She laughed a harsh, barking laugh. "Besides, it's not like any of you will be joining me on my little excursion. You'll be safe in this big ol' shuttle."

Butch was going to be deploying before the rest of them. She had a personal breaching pod that Mira hoped would make it through the defenses. In actuality, something that small and erratic would be hard to take down. A slow moving shuttle on the other hand…

"Don't let her scare you," said Red. Command had sent another Zero along with Neru. "Besides, we're just holding the actual railgun. What's so hard about that?" She was inspecting her boarding shotgun and checking her mission supplies.

"R-right!" stammered Lottie. The other bunny girl wasn't much braver than her fellow Moderator, but she would hold her ground if needed.

"We got this. On this team we support each other and work together. The Combined won't know what hit them." Zoe was putting on a brave face, but from getting to know the cyborg Mira suspected she was scared, too.

"Zoe's right," said Neru. "The Captain will watch out for all of us." They'd fully recovered from their previous battle and were preparing for this one by awkwardly flexing their gloves again. Mira wished she shared their confidence.

Dorina and Luna were whispering off to the side of the shuttle bay, clearly having a moment between the two of them. Luna reached out and held Dorina's face before softly kissing her. "It'll be ok, Dori," Mira overheard. She didn't want to interrupt, though it seemed the Pupniks would anyway.

"Buckle up, everyone." It was the pilot of the shuttle. "We're beginning our approach to the Station. Expect choppy waters from here on out."

"This is my stop," said Butch. She grinned and pulled on her helmet with the distinctive glowing line down the center. "See you out there, kiddos." She entered the breaching pod, and the hatch slid shut behind her. There was a clunking noise as the pod disengaged from the shuttle and then a hiss as it sped off toward the station.

The vid screen started to pick up on the battle at the edge of its range. Data scrolled rapidly as it tracked the myriad ships, bullets, missiles, and hundreds of other projectiles. A pair of DDC fighters shot past the shuttle and opened fire on a Combined ship, shredding it to pieces. They veered sharply to avoid the cascade of debris from the explosion, but one of them was too slow. Thousands of particles tore into it, and it spun wildly until it crashed into the Station.

Suddenly, the battle was all around them. The shuttle weaved and dodged incoming fire as best it could. The crew had their mag boots locked and were locked into their combat stations as the pilot maneuvered around wreckage and ships. Shots were coming in from all directions, and the images on the vid screen careened wildly, trying to stabilize the picture as the ship moved. A DDC fighter noticed the heavy pressure on the shuttle and started to follow along, providing much needed support.

"We're nearing the control point!" shouted the pilot over the comms. "The worst of it's coming up! Get ready!"

The shuttle shook violently as a ballistic grazed it. "Shit!" yelled Red as the craft went into a roll to avoid more fire. Suddenly, the artificial gravity cut out, and only their boots and the straps of their stations were holding them in place.

The Raveneye loomed larger and larger on the vid screen until it was the only thing that was displayed. Mira could see the individual Combined turrets stuck like barnacles on the hull. "Saint Mary, protect us and strengthen us. Bring us through these tribulations and grant us peace as we carry out your will. Show mercy to our enemies, for we…"

She was cut off as some form of plasma directly hit the ship. "That hit cut out some systems," it was the pilot again. "We're going to make it, but it's going to be a rough landing! Everyone hold on!" The last of the thrusters flung the shuttle at the breach the Nomads were using as a docking site. Unable to fully maneuver, they took a few shots, but they still managed to come to a safe and screeching halt inside the Station, scraping their way along one of the bulkheads.

"Hahaha, what a ride!" Red laughed in relief. "Not the worst I've been on, but it sure woke me up "

"Don't get comfortable yet," Mira said. "The hard part's still coming up. Grab your gear, and let's move out!"

The team exited the shuttle, and left the pilot to figure out the logistics of how they'd get off the station. They approached the breach that would be their exit to the outside of the hull and access to the railgun. Mira stepped to the precipice and peered over the edge. Her head swum as ships raced past and infinite stars dotted her vision. She then looked to Zoe who gave her a slight nod. She stepped out into the void.

As the team made their way across the surface, the railgun pierced the black threateningly and continued to grow larger and larger. As they neared it, they began to encounter Combined corpses. Some were floating gently, doomed to be another piece of space flotsam, while others were still attached to the hull by their mag boots. More and more started to appear as they approached.

"What the hell happened here?" asked Zoe.

"Someone clearly beat us to the punch," said Red. "The question is who?"

A cold voice cut through the various Nomad chatter on the comms and spoke directly to Mira on a private line. 'We meet again, Reverend. How fortunate for me.

The voice instantly pulled Mira back to her battle in the city underneath Xiāndăo Neosteelworks. It was the same Deva. The same demon that had almost killed her before; that had led the forces that wounded Neru and destroyed Pi-Well's frame. Mira could almost still see her menacing figure shooting at her from a noodle shop.

"It's ALEPH," said Mira quietly. "I don't know that they want with the railgun, but we can't let them have it. The mission's changed; we're still taking the cannon, but we're wiping out those hellspawn first. Zoe, get us some details on the terrain."

"Roger!" A deep dive into the Raveneye's systems yielded the results they needed. "Map should be up on the HUD now."

"Alright, take up full defensive positions. Keep your heads down. They'll march directly on us, and we don't want to give them easy targets."

Each of her force's positions and statuses blipped onto her screen.

Just as predicted, the ALEPH forces arranged themselves on the opposite side of the field, ready to charge directly into the Nomad troops.

"The fact they're all tech makes it easy to get their data," said Zoe. "A helpful Dakini shared all this with me." Troop rosters and positions appeared on each of their HUDs.

'As much as I appreciate your company, I think it's time to end this little rendezvous.

The ALEPH forces began advancing, making their way around a maintenance lab. Several Dakinis flanked a pair of Devas, scanning for threats with their cutting edge weapons.

The Dakini in the lead climbed a nearby catwalk to get a better vantage point. It rested its sniper rifle on the nearest handrail, ready to shoot whatever Nomads crossed its path.

"Zoe, can you get us some extra support? See what you can hack!"

"Got it, Captain!" Zoe searched nearby networks for anything that could be useful before finding a defensive turret. She quickly reprogrammed it to search out ALEPH targets.

The Dakini sniper was ready for it, though. It adjusted its rifle, carefully doing the calculations to make sure its shot would be perfect. A slight squeeze of the trigger disabled the turret in one shot.

As it devoted its processing power to aiming, Neru took the opportunity to launch a series of hacking attacks at it. Their Oblivion spell rewrote just enough of the Dakini's code to be effective. The bot was now disconnected from the rest of its team.

Despite the isolated Dakini and content that they had the upper hand, the ALEPH forces began to take up defensive positions at the base of the railgun.

'Your move, Reverend.' The menacing voice filled Mira's mind. She didn't want to lose herself to her fervency, and she struggled to keep focused.

"Let's do this!" roared Luna. Not even the zero-G would stop her from tossing her smoke grenades. The small canister floated several feet in front of her before exploding into a cloud of obscuring particles.

Dorina followed suit with her eclipse grenades. Her and her Pupniks bounced off of the crates bolted to the surface of the station taking full advantage of the low gravity.

She wasn't the only one making her way toward ALEPH. A vague outline of a person emerged from underneath a fighter that had crashed into the Station and took up position. It was Butch, already halfway up the midfield. She was ready to murder anything that stepped into her view.

On the opposite side of the railgun, Red was getting ready to make her move. The Dakinis were watching the easily visible Nomad troops as the Zero crept forward. With no warning, she removed her camouflage and fired her boarding shotgun into the nearest one. Sparks flew as the shot shattered its frame.

The wrecking crew of Luna and Dorina had made it to the enemy. Luna slashed viciously with her sword before pulling out her chain rifle and firing wildly. She may not be hitting her targets, but she was creating a mess of a situation.

Dorina sent her Pupniks forward and they rushed for the Apsara directly in front of them. The Chimera herself fired her combi-rifle at the nearby proxies, but missed her shots.

Luna began to scale a nearby supply depot, preparing to launch herself at the closest proxy. She bent her legs to give her momentum, until a burst of SMG fire connected with her chest.

"No! Luna! Fuck you, you bastards! Dorina burst into a frenzy, swinging her bladed chain around her. A proxy took the opportunity to reveal herself, hoping to get a good shot off, but Dorina's fury knew no bounds. The Posthuman was mercilessly shredded to pieces.

Not content with her single kill and still seeing red, Dorina pointed at the Apsara. Without a word, her Pupniks rushed ahead and surrounded the Cyberdancer. As the beasts swiped and scratched, the Apsara swayed and spun her way to safety, avoiding their teeth and claws.

Dorina was consumed by tunnel vision and wasn't being careful in her actions. She switched between targets over and over, chasing the last enemy to cross her vision. She swung around, about to run toward the proxy with the submachine gun, when the Posthuman behind her noticed the opening. She fired her combi-rifle into the Chimera's back, leaving her body to gently float along the surface of the station. She knocked gently against a crate, and drifted toward the unconscious Luna.

The Pupniks instantly recognized that Dorina was down. Disconnected from their master, they stopped their slashing and stood still in confusion. The same proxy that had shot Dorina now turned to her pets. A quick burst of fire killed the nearest one, while the second was knocked unconscious by another round.

The threats eliminated, the Posthuman walked toward the barely breathing fox hybrid. She looked quizzically down on him for a moment before stomping the spiked heel of her boot into his skull.

'You're only getting your troops murdered, Reverend. Surrender and I may still show you mercy.

As the Deva spoke to Mira she moved forward, attempting to get a better shot. Red reacted instantly, firing off her shotgun toward the agent of ALEPH. The lead missed its target and instead embedded in part of the support structure for the catwalks.

Neru was a little slower to jump into action, but taking their time paid off. They activated their hacking device and launched their spotlight program, infecting the Deva. She suddenly glowed bright red on the Nomad's sensors, targeted for her all to see.

The Deva was annoyed by the Zeros, but didn't feel threatened. She spun away from the supports she was taking cover against and leveled her spitfire at Red. She opened fire and found her mark, leaving the confident Zero slowly bleeding out while anchored to the ground.

Though the Deva had taken slight damage, she wasn't finished with her mission yet. One of her supporting Dakinis used a medikit to restore her to full functionality. She smirked, feeling confident of her position in the battle.

Meanwhile, Pi-Well buzzed and chirped awake. "Launching defensive protocols," it intoned. It marched toward the ALEPH lines, ready to protect its comrades.

Two or three steps later, the Dakini sniper noticed it moving from cover. Pi-Well continued to walk forward, oblivious to the danger. A lucky shot fractured its optical disruption device, and another quickly followed. Circuit boards, wires, and scraps of metal flew from the gaping hole in the small bots head. Its legs impotently kept walking, not receiving any signals to cut it off

Mira knew the situation wasn't good. Her HUD was filled with alerts and warnings, highlighting the flagging vitals of several of her crew mates.

"We're not losing this one! Zoe, Neru, I'm setting up a repeater network. Get ready for incoming hacking opportunities!" The flashing blue light at the tip of Mira's rifle launched off and drilled into the hull of the Station. It hurriedly armed itself and extended the reach of the Nomad's digital attacks.

Setting up the network was helpful, but Mira had left herself open to attack. The proxy wielding a submachine gun took notice and started to move into position to take advantage of the opportunity.

Suddenly, the faint outline of Butch shimmered into a full person. She fired her spitfire into the Posthuman, shattering its body and sending its consciousness into another proxy nearby.

Mira whirled around at the sound of the blast. "Thanks for the save!" she called across the comms. She began to move toward Butch to regroup and fortify their position.

"Standing in the open, Reverend? A poor choice indeed." The Deva, able to look Mira in the eyes from this distance, spoke over open comms. "Remember, it's easy for me to see you despite your silly disruptive device."

Mira glared at her as she raised her combi-rifle. "This ends now, demon!"

"Quite right. Goodbye, Reverend Rivera." Before Mira could react, the Deva had raised her spitfire. A hail of lead and fire ripped through her.

Mira felt light; not quite unburdened but closer to accepting. Her life didn't flash before her eyes, instead she considered all the things that she wished she'd done and all the things left unsaid. 'There's so much out there…' she thought as her vision started to blur. 'Sorry, Steph… I'm not going to be there to help you… Saint Mary, watch over my team, and…' her thoughts were slowing, and she had trouble putting together coherent ideas. '...and hold me to your bosom granting me your peace.'

"MIRA! Zoe screamed. She started to burst from her cover but instantly dropped back down as the Dakini sniper fired a shot that would have caught her in the chest.

"All too easy," said the Deva as she made her way to the railgun controls. "You Nomads really aren't worth the space you take up." She began manually entering something on the keypad. "Now, let's just—"

Suddenly, the Deva's head exploded as a bullet zipped through it. Her corpse gently drifted backward, anchored to the ground by her mag boots.

"Bitch talked too much," said Butch, lowering her spitfire.

Zoe watched as the ALEPH comm traffic picked up dramatically. They all froze in place for a moment before slowly backing away from their positions. They lowered their weapons and began regrouping into a formation leading away from the Nomads.

"I don't know what they're doing, but we're making a tactical retreat to avoid more casualties. Butch, grab Dorina and Luna; Neru, you've got Red. We're getting out of here!"

"Understood," replied Neru.

Butch, ever the professional soldier, didn't wait to move. She nimbly maneuvered in the zero-G space, picking up both of the downed women. She released her mag boots and pushed off hard, expertly flying toward the Nomad lines.

"What about Mira?!" asked Lottie. "We need to get her cube!"

Zoe hesitated. Lottie was right, but they'd have to move to where the ALEPH forces were congregating to get her remains. She didn't want to leave her friend, but it was too dangerous.

"Command will send another team for the railgun, and they'll grab her. We're not losing anyone else today."

"But—"

"That's an order! Everyone, move now!"

Aboard the QAS Rose of Cairo, the remaining crew of The Amethyst Sky sat quietly. Dorina, Luna, and Red were all in the medbay, still unconscious but recovering smoothly. The Haqqislam doctors had seen much worse, and while the team had come in a mess, they'd leave in perfect shape.

Zoe, Neru, and the two Moderators waited in a viewing lounge. For a long while, no one said anything. Their comms were crowded with messages of the current situation on the Station. The secondary strike team was in position at the Rail Cannon, and they were currently holding strong against incoming attacks. Command reported no signs of ALEPH in the vicinity. Whatever their opponents had come to do, they'd been driven off and hadn't returned.

"They'll retrieve her, right?" asked Zinnie. She's too important to leave out there… Right?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

"They'll get her," Zoe finally replied. "If they don't, I'll go looking myself." It was framed as a joke, but no one laughed. And really, Zoe might do it to save her friend.

"The Captain has been critical to the success of all of our recent missions. I'm sure Command won't waste such an asset."

"An asset? That's not really comforting, Neru." Lottie seemed about ready to cry. "She's a person! Command wouldn't just leave one of our own to die."

Another long pause followed.

*Lottie…" It was Zoe that again broke the quiet. "Command has different priorities than we do. We're all assets to them, and sometimes the cost of securing one outweighs the benefits. If I had to bet, I'd put my social energy on them recovering her cube. But if the fighting on that side of things gets worse, it might become really difficult.”

The statement hung there for what felt much longer than it actually was.

"So what now, then?" Zinnie fidgeted as she asked, not looking at any of her fellow crew.

"I don't know," replied Zoe. "Head back to the ship and wait for orders, I guess? Not much else we can do at this point."

Neru looked pensive for a moment. “I realize it may feel ill-timed, but there’s something I’d like to say. This crew has welcomed me with open arms and accepted me as one of your own. In my little time as a member of your team you’ve made me feel both appreciated and truly at home. I’ve never had something like that before. That we’re all devastated at our Captain’s loss says something about the bonds we’ve fostered and how much of a family we’ve become.”

“A family…” Lottie sniffled. “I think you’re right. None of us would be here without each other.”

That settled it for Zoe. “Alright, everyone. We’re not going back to the ship. Let’s get patched up and reoutfited; we’re going to get that cube.”

“What if Command—”

Zoe cut Zinnie off. “Honestly? It doesn’t matter what they say. Mira’s one of us, and we’re not leaving her behind. We’ll retrieve her, deliver the cube to our Haqq friends here for resurrection, and then we’ll head home to The Amethyst Sky. All of us.”

The crew nodded in agreement. This would be tough, but they were a family, and right now Mira needed them. They looked at the nearest vid screen which still had images of the Raveneye displayed. It slowly spun in orbit, somehow both peacefully and menacingly. It was an emblem of hope, but also a symbol of so much strife.

Behind the Station was the all-encompassing black of space. The millions of stars flickered and glowed, standing out from the backdrop, each a beacon of light in the empty void. The crew had found their home out there, not just on the Motherships in the heart of the Nomad Nation, but on a small ship drifting through the amethyst sky.

– End Final Log
– Analyzing Battle Data…
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– Mission Status Classification: Draw
– High Command Battle Score Rating of Combatants:
The Amethyst Sky - 4
ALEPH Forces - 4
– Resource Value Allocated to Remaining Nomad Forces: 106
– Resource Value Allocated to Remaining ALEPH Forces: 116
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– Additional Log Recovered
– Decrypting Log Files…
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– Files Decrypted
– Playing Log 11:

“How long is this supposed to take? I don’t remember being out this long!”

“You wouldn’t; that’s not how it works, Ms. Aletto. It really depends on the person. It could be—”

“Wait, did she just move?”

“Perhaps. There’s often some physical responses as the nerve stimuli populates the Lhost. It doesn’t mean she’s wak-–”

“Mira? Mira, can you hear me? Wake her up, Doc!”

“Ms. Aletto…”

“Her eyes are fluttering! Mira?”

Mira’s eyes slowly opened, and she found herself in a room bathed in warm light. Everything here was soft, from the muted yellows, bieges, and whites of the walls and equipment to the very comfortable bed she was in. Several vid screens were scattered about the room, and while most were showing updates on the ongoing Durgama Crisis, the nearest displayed Mira's vitals and health information. It took her a second to realize she was in a very fancy Resurrection Room with an annoyed looking doctor and an anxious Steph.

"Welcome back, Reverend Rivera. You've recently been revived and and are currently on Concilium Prima in the city of Al Bactr—"

"Mira!" Steph practically jumped on her in order to give her a giant hug. Mira laughed gayly as the former Zero's arms wrapped around her.

"It's nice to see you too, Steph. How long has it been since the Rail Cannon?"

"A little under a week," replied the doctor. "Your vitals are looking great. How are you feeling?"

"Sensitive, hahaha… Can you hug a little less tightly, Steph, I feel all tingly and sore." She lessened her grip, but still remained close.

"Ah, yes. That's from being woken up before your new nerves have gotten used to receiving signals." He shot a sideways glance at Stephanie. "It should fade within a day or so. If that's all you're experiencing I'd say that's a wonderful sign."

"Thank you, Doctor. I very much appreciate your care." She turned her attention to Steph. "And I appreciate you being here. Weren't you going to be on your way back to Bakunin?"

The doctor took the cue. "I'll leave you two to yourselves. Reverend, if anything feels off or painful, please call." He quietly left the room.

"I was going to go, but…" she hesitated. "I heard about your mission, and…" She stopped, and her face scrunched slightly as she tried to find the right words. "Do you mind if I sit?" Mira scooted over and gestured at a spot next to her on the bed. "Thanks."

Steph continued, "I don't know. It didn't feel right to leave you? After all we've been through? And then I saw your name among the casualties of the battle… I cancelled my flight and started asking around about your resurrection. I didn't find much; they actually found me. Did you know I'm listed as your emergency contact in case of death?"

Mira smiled gently. "You have been for as long as I can remember."

"I would have thought you'd have updated it to someone in the Observance by now. Anyway, the NMF reached out and told me you were being brought back here. I was still in town; it was a pretty easy trip." She smiled weakly. "So… Here I am!"

"So, here you are." They both sat quietly and shifted their gaze away from each other. An awkward silence followed.

"Steph—" "Mira—" they said at the same time.

They laughed, and Mira leaned into Steph bumping their shoulders together. "You go first," she said.

"That's not fair!" Steph replied. "Fine. It's just that… My death changed me. And I'm still feeling that, and I expect to for a while. But, I think your death kinda changed things, too? Like, it made me realize…"

"That you're a piece of me, too," finished Mira.

They met eyes and held each other's gaze for a moment. Steph averted her eyes first. "Yeah, exactly. But…" She hesitated again, unsure whether she should continue. "I think it's more than that. I don't want to leave you behind to go back to Bakunin. Seeing your name on that list… I just… I don't want to be apart from you anymore."

Mira didn't want to waste more time getting to the point. "Steph, I have feelings for you. I think I've had them for longer than I've realized, and losing you shook all of them loose. I want you back aboard The Amethyst Sky so we can be together. I want to be there for you while you deal with your new body, and I want to be there with you on Bakunin, too. Everything that's happened has made me realize how important you are to me."

Steph blinked, slightly stunned, and sat quietly for a moment. "Mira…" A large grin started creeping across her face. "You're so gay for me!" Now it was Steph that bumped into Mira's shoulder. "How cute! My own best friend, after all these years, into me? Who knew I was such a catch?"

Mira wasn't sure how to react, unable to quite read her. "Umm… Does that mean…?"

"Were you listening to anything I said? I have feelings for you too, dummy." She snuggled close to the Custodier. "Guess we should probably be girlfriends now."

"I guess so," Mira laughed. She leaned her face close, and, smiling, brushed her nose gently against Steph's. Steph leaned in the rest of the way, and they shared their first kiss.

"What comes next?" asked Steph, pulling away. "High Command is going to want you back on the field before this is over, and the Observance will want you after that."

"I just died while saving the Nomad Nation. They can give me some time off."

"We're not going to spend all that time off in Al Bactra, are we?"

"Give it a few days, and I'll be back on my feet. Then we'll head to The Amethyst Sky and can go wherever we want."

"Maybe we just head home?" Steph replied. "To Bakunin, I mean."

"Yeah… I'm ready to not be shot at for a little while. Being at home with you sounds perfect." They both smiled at the thought.

"Alright, Rev, it's a deal."

Mira raised an eyebrow. "Really? Still Rev?"

"Ugh, fine. Let's go home, Mira. Together."