In her case, Agent Giles was one of those people.
“Hey! We don't have to go through this each and every time: my name is Jennifer. Jennifer! I cannot stand being called that! Besides, someone like me has it hard enough as it is being taken seriously these days,” Agent Connors says as she stomps out a discarded cigarette.
“Well, if a nickname is all it takes for people to avoid you, then I guess it's for the best. I mean, look at you! You're a young woman who is in pretty good shape. Not to mention that you have that long dark brown hair that I like so much, a pretty good personality and an even better–”
“Okay, okay I get it,” Agent Connors shouts for the sake of stopping him before he got any further. “Say another word and I’ll break your jaw! Your call, Ro!”
As other officials were gathering, it seemed like it was time to get to business. They were in an assembly hall within the facility, filled with several LanTech personnel and affiliates.
The meeting was being held by Cordela Lt. Commander, Elite Agent Laurent Masterson.
“As you are all aware, Veteran Agent Lawrence Keyes was murdered not too long ago. Needless to say, this is a massive devastation on all fronts.”
“While I didn't know him on a personal level, as some of you may have, with him being such a crucial figure in the LanTech Empire, this is nothing short of a tragedy.”
While both Agents Connors and Giles were personally commissioned into the organization years ago, one would think that the Agent Masterson, who was a comrade of Agent Keyes for decades, would project more emotion into his tone. Perhaps that was the true reality of the LanTech Empire.
Draped in their signature black overcoats laced with their silver insignia, an Agent of the LanTech Empire was seen as the personification of authority.
They were well-respected, if not feared, throughout the world.
The truth of the matter was that the LanTech Empire as a whole was a militant force known worldwide, primarily governing in three major regions of Hasania.
Through their crystal-based technology, they were able to pave a new future.
The LanTech Empire was mainly known for its high-tech machinery, primarily used for the preservation of order.
These machines, or simply mechs, were known for their level of destructive power and the onslaught they’d inflict on any who would try to oppose them.
“Old man Keyes, it's a damn shame,” Agent Giles says, trying to get Agent Connors to pay attention.
“I know. I still don't believe it, or at least that's what I tell myself. To think a life like his could end in a way like that makes it all seem so pointless.”
“Pointless is an understatement. He wasn't just a Senior Agent; he was a dear friend of mine and investigating this attack is a top priority.”
The attendees were suddenly being addressed by the voice of Commanding Officer Lansient. Commander Lansient who the embodiment of the LanTech Empire.
Even though he wasn’t there in person, the LanTech Commander was a man known for little words, so his inclusion in the meeting alone spoke volumes.
“It wasn't just a loss for me, but for the whole world. Without him, the advancements with mech-based technology would be so minimal that we wouldn't be where we are today. For that, among other things,” he continues.
“I am grateful to have known the late Agent Keyes for all of these years,” the Commander concludes.
“Understood, Sir. With that, I will address the personnel that will be assigned to the Keyes Investigation,” Agent Masterson continues.
“On a similar note, the commemoration ceremony in his name is currently slated to be held at the Hasania Training Academy. We may get some results if we focus on both closely,” Agent Masterson says, motioning for the end of the meeting.
Through the Fog, Pt. II
Airships roar through the clear skies and the beauty that is Hasania is within sight. Hasania, the major continent of the east, is filled with luscious forests and magnificent mountains that would set the perfect stage for anyone looking for a new beginning.
Filled with a diverse group of people, the very soul of Hasania is a reflection of its glory. Truly an enchanting sight for any and all who have seen or experienced its regions.
The airships were due to land on the northeast region of Tortuga, far north from Colonia Island. The fact that Keenth was able to reach his destination in a short amount of time was all thanks to the brilliance that is the Airship.
While no one enters the world knowing who they are or what they'll be, it's truly remarkable knowing that minds could change the world in ways that most could ever imagine.
The time has come for Keenth to return to the Hasania Training Academy, the largest centralized training institution within the region that was established to help form the future with the best and brightest Hasanians in the forefront.
Unbeknownst to some, Keenth Hedstrom is quite gifted scoring a 173/200 in his entrance exams with the average score being in the 150s and being a Grade Two swordsman as well, where most recruits barely ranked Grade Three.
“Welcome, all! I hope you all enjoyed your much-deserved time off. We are looking forward to…”
Keenth is seen frantically rushing into the main hall, causing some people to laugh at him, while others look away, embarrassed. Instructor Joseph Adey was none too pleased by the matter, but has come to come to expect this from a young trainee.
It is said that Instructor Adey has been a skilled technician for many years, but has recently opted to spend his tenure in the Training Academy. An older man, Instructor Adey has proven he still has a keen eye on the situation no matter what the circumstance…Or so he thought.
“Well, like I was saying, welcome back. It’s been a while, so I’ll give you all a quick refresher on things. Sounds good, yeah? Now, if you would please follow me…”
Instructor Adey continues showing the ins and outs of the various halls and chambers that make up the Training Academy. Mechanical models are displayed with honor, as well as photographs of officials, new and old.
As they go on, Keenth takes a few photographs of his own with a disposable camera as if he was a tourist, but his instructor confiscates it from him.
“As you all know, or at least should, the late Agent Keyes of the LanTech Empire was a major benefactor of our Academy. His goal was to educate the future, not help destroy it.”
“While we’re on the subject, there will be a ceremony held here in honor of him in a few days. It will be a major event, so please prepare accordingly.”
“Sorry, Sir, but who did you say that the ceremony for,” Keenth blurts, proving his obliviousness to everything that was clearly explained to the group just moments earlier.
Instructor Adey sighs in disappointment, but before he can respond, an irritated young man who was sitting on top of a high banister went out of his way to finally speak his mind about the Keenth’s absent-mindedness.
“Wow, he literally just said it was for Agent Keyes, I mean are you even listening? Because there is no way—”
“And here we go. Is there a problem there, pal?”
“For someone to just—wait, do you have something smart to say? As I’ve said before and I’ll probably say another thousand times, I am much more qualified to be here than you are. Something that you couldn't possibly comprehend and—”
This was nothing new to Instructor Adey. Despite being classmates, the two were known to argue over every little thing. This was much to the amusement of the other attendees as well the instructor until Adey himself eventually decided to step in.
“Paul! Island boy! Er, I mean Keenth! That's enough!”
The others collectively laugh as Keenth and Paul stare one another down. Paul Fehren, arguably being the more mature one, decides to take the high road and walks on ahead muttering to himself.
“Whatever…”
Keenth, deciding to take the low road, wanted to have the last word which was muttered ever so quietly und
er his breath.
“Yeah, you keep walking, bitch...”
Their fight continues on until an older woman lightly slaps both Keenth and Paul on the back of their heads. Keenth was quick to question who would dare do such a thing to him of all people, but Paul pulled him aside.
“Quit it, you idiot! That is Madam Chambers, so show some respect!”
“The madam, what now?”
“Seriously, how many times do we have to explain this?” Paul said as he raises his head up. “She is the High Council of Tortuga. She is more or less the leader of this entire region!”
“Actually,” Madam Chambers said as her two subordinates followed her.
“While I appreciate the introduction, young man, just know that it takes a village. Like when it came to this Academy for example. It was mainly established thanks in huge part to the support of the late Agent Keyes. He was a man who greatly contributed in making this happen.”
Madam Chambers turns round and surprisingly hits Instructor Adey as well.
“What are you teaching these kids anyhow, Mr. Adey?”
“To be fair, this is their first day back from break.”
“Well, I wanted to take a look at the grounds for a bit seeing how I unfortunately won't be able to make it to the ceremony.”
“Really? That's rather unexpected. He was a close friend of yours, wasn't he?”
She looked down for a moment and didn't answer. Madam Rebecca Chambers was definitely up there, age-wise that is, arguably older than Instructor Adey. It seemed the older you are, the more accustomed you are to life’s uncertainties.“Well, that’ll be in a few days and I will be sending others else in my stead,” Madam Chambers says, trying to get the attention of the two who accompanied her.
“With that, I'll be off. Until we meet again, good luck to all of you! I'm sure you will continue making us proud.”
Madam Chambers was accompanied by two individuals. One was a young woman with long dark hair with sharp hazel eyes who seemed none too thrilled about being there.
The other woman was around the same age, but a little taller with dark blonde hair and soft blue eyes who looked as if she had just woken up moments earlier.
They were two fairly distinctive personalities clearly, with the only common link being that they were both Executive Assistants to Madam Chambers.
As opposed to LanTech's militant facade, these two opted to wear a relaxed navy-blue uniform, a garb significantly more inviting compared to LanTech's, which may be a reflection on how they were viewed throughout Tortuga, if not Hasania altogether.
“As for you two, I'd like some field work done. While I'm sure LanTech is leading its own investigation, only so much will be released to the public and that's where you come in. Pay close attention to this as I'm sure there is more than meets the eye.”
Instructor Adey has the trainees go on ahead and Madam Chambers asks her associates for a moment so that she could have a few words in private.
“I figured you would do as much,” Instructor Adey said. “I guess I’m wiser than you assume. That aside, do you have a minute?”
“Of course, what is on your mind?”
“You know as well as I do that an event like this raises huge awareness and other officials may be at risk–those in LanTech, the Academy, and warriors alike.”
“I know, but are you suggesting that rebels are really at risk as well? For all we know, they were the ones behind Keyes’ attack. Also, I think working alongside the Empire would be best for what’s going on right now.”
“I wouldn't be so sure. After all, I wanted our own investigation without LanTech for a reason. That and a rebel attack? I mean sure, that's expected but...”
“Wait, you couldn't mean…”
“Well, we still need to analyze all of the possibilities, no matter how unbelievable or trivial. Either way, I would like for you to do me a favor during the ceremony as well.”
Through the Fog, Pt. III
The sun shines on an underdeveloped island off of the northern coast of Tortuga where the location of the Keyes Attack is being investigated.
An individual Airship lands nearby and as the Agent demounts, his subordinates stop to give a briefing on what they have uncovered so far.
“Thank you for coming, Sir! We've found some—”
“I got it, I got it. The information that you all would see as exclusive is pretty much common knowledge by the time it reaches me. Let's see: You still have no serials, no prints, and all available censors were disabled roughly two hours before the incident, correct?”
“Y-Yes, Sir…”
The Agent, noticing that the others felt a bit discouraged by how quickly he was able to discern what they had spent hours putting together in just a few moments, decided to change his tone a little bit for the better.
“But, this is good work considering. At least a case like this keeps us out of the office, so that’s a plus, right?”
The small talk didn't seem to be working.
“Oh, come on,” Agent Fallon says, “Does everyone always have to be so gloomy when they are around me? Please don’t say it has anything to do with my glasses?”
The rest of the group eventually lightened up. Agent David Fallon, much like Agents Connors and Giles, was also mentored by Agent Keyes.
Initially looking to work under one of the three regional High Councils, he opted to join the LanTech Empire after a personal recommendation from Agent Keyes.
“Y-You knew him, right?” a nervous aide asks as she hands him a report.
“Agent Keyes? Yes, he was the kind of person who would make you feel like he was one of your own. Like family, you know. Figuratively speaking, obviously.”
“Hey, speaking of family, don't you have a brother or something?” another aide blurts out, causing the others to get quiet. “Hey… Is it something I said?”
Agent Fallon's usual expression of callousness returned all too soon signifying that the time for small talk was over and they had a job, no, a duty to fulfill.
As Agent Fallon looks up to the clouds thinking silently to himself, the focus is on one of the study areas of the Training Academy where Keenth is seen doing the same.
It has been a couple of days since he returned and since then, Keenth has been hard at work getting back to the basics.
“I think I finally decided on a specialty,” Keenth tells an uninterested Paul. “It took a couple weeks of time off back home to figure it out, but I think I’m going to give logistics a go. How about you, are you in?”
“I wouldn’t recommend a specialty that you can’t spell without looking it up,” Paul smugly responds. “Besides you know there’s more to logistics than kicking boxes around, don’t you?”
“Hah! Coming from the clown who thinks that they have a shot at being an Agent one day? You have a lot of nerve!”
“I’ll have you know that training certifications from the Academy will help me reach my goals sooner than you think. Don’t be surprised if you’re taken down by me one day, jackass!”
“On what grounds?”
“Well, I don’t know, probably for being content with being called a jackass?”
“Really, now? Well, I guess you’re gonna find out the only thing worse than being a jackass is getting your ass beat by one because—”
To absolutely no one’s surprise, Keenth and Paul got into yet another scuffle. This time, however, it was decided that changes needed to be made to ensure that both trainees would fully reach their potential.
But as fate would have it, they were not thrilled with the changes and Keenth was exceptionally vocal about it.
“Paul?? Why in the hell do I have to room with him?” Keenth protests in front of Instructor Adey who clearly didn't care either way.
“You know this is the kind of stuff that starts wars, right? You couldn't have possibly made a bigger mistake,” Paul adds.
“As much as I hate the simpleton, he's right. Sir, with all due respect, if this i
s supposed to be some sort of lesson then, trust me, I've learned it. But I can't bear the thought of being that close to someone, no, something like that for months! This is completely unethical!”
“Hey, you know what, I have to agree with you for once there, man,” Keenth agrees. “I guess it's gotta be a pretty crazy situation where we would…Wait-wait-wait! What in the hell do you mean by thing! You…You're the reason why I drink!”
“Underage drinking is something we at the Training Academy take very seriously,” Instructor Adey quips.
“Ah, just kidding, Sir. H-Ha…joke…yeah,” Keenth quietly states.
Instructor Adey stood up leaving the two students anxious as to what his final word on the situation would be. His say would very much determine their fate as trainees moving forward.
“Here it is. While I wish I could take credit for pairing the two of you together, it is a bit more complicated than that. While Keenth here was seen as fully capable during the entrance exams, his progress in the Academy hasn't exactly reflected that.”
“That being said, Paul didn't necessarily score as well in the entrance exams, but he is definitely in the top of the class, so it's fairly balanced,” Instructor Adey continues to explain.
“We are looking for trainees to be on the same level, so hopefully the two of you rub off on each other the right way. That or at the very least manage to get you two to drop out on your own terms, whichever works best for you.”
Seeing what was before them, Keenth and Paul begrudgingly agree to put their minor differences aside and look back on it all only to laugh it off.
“See? Everything works out,” Instructor Adey says as he motions for someone to enter the room. “Oh, which reminds me: As a training facility, we will do everything in our power to help you succeed. I made a few calls and was fortunate enough to have—”
“Aamina’s the name! Leading’s the game! Assistant Student Affairs Liaison, nice to meet you,” a lively young woman boldly announces to Keenth and Paul.
Fighter's Fever: The Metallic Siege Page 7