The Reaper’s Legion

Chapter 90

Last Minute Negotiation

-Matthew P.O.V.-

Moving back through the jungle and the outskirts of the city was more eventful than coming through the first time. It seemed that attacking the hive had roused the surrounding biotics into more aggressive action. I likened it to them realizing that there was a genuine predator around, one that they at first sought to viciously combat.

In so doing, though, they lost their advantage of stealth. Without that, Determinators were more than capable of dealing with their scattered and haphazard attacks. Unlike the Wolves, they lacked the group mentality to truly threaten us. After we moved through the outskirts of the city, though, the attacks decreased greatly, my guess being that they realized we weren’t clearing any other hive cores on that day.

It was interesting to see, though, and it would certainly be something that we’d want to investigate more in the future. If Hives became more aggressive the more of them were taken out, we might even be able to use that as a method to bleed out a biotic population in an area.

To my relief, I received messages shortly thereafter, only a few minutes apart, where Alice and Jeremy reported in. Both had accomplished their objectives.

‘Good, let’s get this over with.’ I directed my mind, sending additional instructions to the others, asking when an attack would be ready.

The response from Alice was that they could make their way over, but she also noted that there was something else she wanted to try. Her plans brought a bared-toothed grin to my face.

She would go and pursue her other task, one that I compacted a general missive of information that could travel across the Obelisk communication network.

Jeremy, on the other hand, responded with chagrin, “that might be a problem on short notice.”

“Why is that?” I frowned.

“Well, apparently-” he said that with clear frustration, “-there are a lot of people out and about gathering resources for the people here. They don’t have much of a standing army, really.”

“And they can’t be recalled?” I asked, arching an eyebrow as we walked, not sure what the problem was.

“That’s what Gerry is saying,” helplessly, Jeremy said, “that they need to be conscientious of their people and making sure they’re looked after first.”

“I’m going to relay through you,” my cold tone betraying my frustration, “please let him know that I’m going to be sending him a communication request.”

“Uh… right.” Jeremy sighed. A few seconds later, there still wasn’t a response. I felt my patience wane when, finally, Jeremy responded, “alright, ready.”

I wasted no time for the connection request to be sent, ignoring a biotic corpse that one of the Determinators was kicking out of the path.

“This is Gerry Bruetor,” I heard the voice in my head.

“This is The Reaper of the Legion. I’m told that your people aren’t going to be recalled?” I half-stated, half-asked.

There seemed to be a moment that passed between Gerry and Jeremy on the other side, but he replied, “we have our own people to look after, Mr. Reaper.”

I felt my chest immediately constrict with a cold sort of fury.

“Allow me to be perfectly clear,” my voice ground out, “when the request for assistance was made, it was on a short timetable. Right now, we have a brief window where we can attack the Obelisk before it gets fortified even more. If we have to wait hours for your people to get together, then we’re just going to leave you all to your devices. And, more than that, when the Obelisk is reset, your people would be far better off with the Matter Energy you already have collected. But, something tells me you’re already aware of that.”

I was guessing, but there were only two things that made sense to me in this situation. Either firstly, they were shortsighted and idiotic, believing that they could put this off at all. Given the man's position, I doubted that was necessarily the case. So, the other option became that he was trying to force something more out of the Legion.

“Gerry,” I heard Jeremy speak to the man, not using the comm’s. I was tapped into his suit, however, and could hear him. “I’m warning you, you’re playin’ with fire.”

The other man replied, likewise not using the comms, “I’ve been under tyrants too long to not get some kind of guarantee, and you said you can’t promise much of anything.”

“No, I told you that none of the things you were asking was a fucking problem where we come from.” I heard Jeremy practically hiss, “look, just be fucking careful here. He’s got no patience for politics.”

I felt a little strange, hearing that from my own Legionnaire. But, I did have to admit that my track record for politics so far was ‘deal with it’ when it came to my deals. Ultimatums didn’t often do well in the political stage. That was food for thought.

I took a breath, “the question, then,” I pretended not to hear what they were talking about, “is what you’re after.”

Gerry took a few precious seconds to regather himself, ignoring the glare that Jeremy was almost certainly giving him. “I’ve been told of how your governmental structure works. I want a guarantee that we can create our own Order.”

I practically felt Jeremy roll his eyes from where I was.

“The Orders are all elective,” I dismissed, “anyone can make an order.”

“I want to be a part of the City Order,” he continued, “the one officiated by the other branches.”

I mulled that over, knowing that Bulwark would normally be the one to collect personnel for that role. While I wasn’t necessarily against having a local in power, Gerry was rubbing me the wrong way.

But who else would be a good option? Mack? Benjamin? Hardly. But, the main issue would be that this would establish a precedent that I wasn’t comfortable with setting. However, while I could come back here with a Legion force in tow, I wasn’t eager to start a war with Sunvilla.

“Fine.” I said, gritting my teeth, “you’ll be an official member of the City Order. However, Bulwark will be adding additional personnel to the Order, with or without your consent.”

“So my vote can be diluted?” He scoffed, “I don’t think so.”

I felt my eye twitch, “I’m made my concession, Mr. Bruetor. I know next to nothing about you, and I will not be responsible for creating a dictatorship out of the Civic Order.”

That seemed to have given the man pause. “I’ll accept under the condition that there be only one other primary member, and that any members must be inhabitants of Sunvilla, no one from Gilramore or New Damond.”

I let out a long, dragging sigh, very much weighing my morality between whether I wanted to minimize human casualties or go through with this deal.

“That… will do.” I shook my head, “when can we expect your people?”

“There’s one more thing,” Gerry said quickly, and I’d never felt my jaw clench quite so hard before.

“How much is this one last thing worth to you?” I felt a headache coming on.

“Don’t be churlish,” the man quipped, “I’m asking for the rights to maintain my own personal militia.”

“Utterly denied,” the words spilled forth immediately, “Bulwark’s job is to make sure a militia isn’t needed. If you want a militia, then start and Order for it and get it cleared past your companion that you’ll have in the City Order. It will not, and never will be a state of someone’s personal militia.”

Gerry answered after a suspiciously short amount of time, “very well, then. I suppose I can concede on that point.”

‘More like you probably planned on that not going through to make me feel like I had more control over this than I did. You basically blackmailed me,’ I grit my teeth as I listened to the man.

‘Is this one an Other?’ I heard Wolvy ask, a hungry gnawing resonating in the back of my mind.

‘Thinking about it.’ I mulled the thought over, ‘he’s definitely on the watch list.’

“I have a force that will be ready in ten,” Gerry pulled me from my thoughts, “we’ll be ready to move when you are.”

I felt a hot coal sit in my stomach at that, knowing he had to have been gathering them before we could even begin negotiating. There was little doubt that this had played out against me, but overall the Legion lost nothing for this. It was the city of Sunvilla, Bulwark, and the Civic Orders that would be forced to grow here that I was worried about.

The only consolation I could take was that perhaps the political situation and culture of mistrust would gradually be assuaged with the presence of the new structure that we would be providing.

“I’ll be counting on you to distract their forces, then.” I said, “Reaper, out.”

With that, I disconnected the connection and quickly sent a summary of the plan. We intended to keep it simple, though the addition of Alice’s gambit would change things somewhat, I highly doubted it would hinder us in any way.

At worst, she’s taken too long and we’d attack anyways.

But, best cast scenario, we could avoid a lot of needless bloodshed.

Though, right now, I could use a little violence as an outlet.

The thought struck me as unusually hostile, and I remembered the cold, deliberate violence that I’d been consumed by twice now. Amusedly, I contemplated the potential that it was some kind of new defense mechanism for my consciousness.

“Alright, Alice, how are we looking?” I sent the communication to her, hearing her connect with a thought.

“Just-oh, just stay down!” I quirked an eyebrow at the sound of someone grunting and the rigid crack of a metal gauntlet against armor. “Sorry about that,” Alice spoke up, chipper and breathing hard, “it was a little more defended than I expected. We’re ready to go here, though.”

‘That was… fast?’ I frowned, considering that we’d only come up with the plan ten minutes ago. Was she next to it already when she brought up the plan?

“Matthew?” She asked, “you still there? Did I break it?” She tapped the side of her helmet and trailed off as she murmured to herself.

I chuckled, “Ah, sorry. Good work, that was… a lot faster than I’d expected?”

“Yeah, we came in through the window,” Alice stated as though it were something obvious, “anyways, broadcast is ready. Should we start?”

“Give it ten minutes. We’ll be on our way to the center of town, that way we don’t risk giving them time to respond with more force.” I stepped into Shade after summoning it down from on high, the rest of the Determinators getting into the vehicle as well, many of which having to fold into their more compact versions to make space.

“Righto~!” She called back, “good luck!”

We disconnected then, and I felt my heart thrum in my chest as Shade brought us to hover over the tops of buildings, clinging to them as we inched as close as we dared to the Obelisk in the center of the city. As settled in as we were, I couldn’t help but examine the defenses arrayed around the Obelisk. For now, there weren’t any heavier armaments that I was especially worried about. There were turrets, some of which were automated in the case of the Eastern semi-circle around the Obelisk. The west bore more manned equipment, and more personnel in general. Together, a fifty meter’s wide no-man’s land surrounded the Obelisk. From here I couldn’t tell, but I wouldn’t be too surprised to find that it was mined.

“Alright, Gerry, let’s see you work for it.” A grim humor took me, though I didn’t sincerely wish harm upon his people, I wasn’t exactly keen on letting him off easy. When the opportunity presented itself, though, I’d make my move.

I just hoped he could do enough to make it a good opportunity, I’d only recently gotten Shade back, after all. It’d be a shame to have to repair it all over again.