by Alex Knight
When the last of the wardens went down, the shuttle let off its guns. Their spinning barrels slowed, then stopped.
“Ha! Now that was a thing of beauty!” Sergeant Dawson cheered, pumping a fist in the air.
The shuttle spun around, then lowered to the deck and opened its rear door. A moment later, a figure stepped into view.
Ellenton
Warden Lieutenant
Class: Blast Warden
Faction: Warden Corps
Level: 29
“Enjoy the show, Captain?” she said, a smirk stretched across her face. “Took you long enough to log back in. We were starting to wonder if you ever would.”
Thorne lowered her hammer, frowning at the lieutenant. She looked at Dawson next and started to piece things together.
“Why help me?” she finally managed, asking the first of the many questions swirling in her mind.
“Things have gotten... weird around here lately,” Lieutenant Ellenton said.
“We’ll explain on the Borrelly,” Sergeant Dawson said. “Best get moving before reinforcements show up.”
Chapter Nine
“I suppose I should say thanks,” Thorne said as the Borrelly rocketed into the abyss of space. “But you realize what you’ve done, right? Turning on the Corps like that, killing a colonel?” She shook her head. “There’s no going back from this.”
“We’re well aware,” said Sergeant Dawson. Or was he just Dawson now? He produced a sleek black shard from his inventory and inserted it into the collar all wardens wore around their neck as part of their armor. He turned the key with a click and the collar fell away. As it did, his character’s status updated.
Dawson
Free Warden
Class: Power Warden
Faction: Unaffiliated
Level: 32
Dawson looked down at the collar lying on the floor.
“Never thought I’d do that. Always thought the Corps was my calling.” His voice hardened with his next words. “But this isn’t the Corps I signed up for. Not anymore.”
“Things have changed since you disappeared during the battle at the void tear,” Ellenton explained, still piloting the ship but craning her neck to one side so Dawson could unlock her collar as well. It clattered to the floor and Dawson kicked it under a seat, then offered the key to Thorne.
A week ago, she would have hesitated to take it. Would have had to stop and consider the consequences of using the key and becoming a free warden. But not now. She’d committed herself to this course, had joined up with Kaiden and his friends, and now – well, now there was no room for uncertainty. She took the key and broke her vow to always support the Warden Corps.
Her collar fell away with a soft click. Anticlimactic, almost. Probably she should have felt more emotional about it, but knowing what the Party had done, what it’d become, there was no doubt this was the correct course. She might have made a vow to the Corps, but first she’d made a vow to serve the people. When those two conflicted, picking between them wasn’t much of a choice at all.
Congratulations! You have been released from the warden program and are now a free warden. You retain your character, along with all gear and experience collected. The Anakoni will no longer be your respawn point upon death, but the last large city, outpost, port, or settlement you visited prior to dying. Welcome to the full Nova Online experience!
“You feel any lighter?” Ellenton asked from the pilot’s seat.
“I feel like I’ve just declared war against the Party and all of its supporters,” Thorne said. “And so have you. But why? That’s what I don’t understand. Why did you help me?”
“It’s like Dawson said earlier,” Ellenton answered, talking over her shoulder while flying the shuttle. “The Corps has changed. You know Moran’s always been the power-hungry bureaucrat. More concerned with moving up in the Party than running the Warden Corps. But hey, fine by me, I always said. We still got the job done when we needed to, for the most part. But when Kaiden and his friends attacked you on the Anakoni, something changed. The Party branded them traitors, rebels, terrorists.”
Thorne could only see the profile of her face, but it was enough to see a questioning frown stretch across the pilot's features. “Now, I hadn’t known them long, but they struck me as a pretty alright bunch. Rebels? Doubtful. Terrorists? No way, Jose. That didn’t sit right with me, but hey, I was just a lowly lieutenant, right? What do I know? Then there was that nonsense at the void tear – you know, when the dark turen decided to play demolition derby with our fleet? Yeah, ever since that happened and you disappeared in the middle of it, Moran’s gone off the deep end. Says you’re a traitor now.” Ellenton laughed and shook her head. “Then the story came down the line that you let yourself be bested by Kaiden and his friends to cover their escape. And with classified information, no less. They said you were working with the resistance the entire time. Now, I didn’t think Kaiden and his bunch were terrorists, but I knew for darn sure you weren’t. So I said to myself ‘El, this has the stink of Party politicking all over it.’ From then on, things only got worse.”
“Worse is being too gentle,” Dawson said, then cracked his knuckles angrily. “Moran started showing up in-game all the time. Wanted to be a hands-on leader all of a sudden. Wanted to bring his own personal henchmen with him, too.” Dawson hiked a thumb over his shoulder. “That colonel you saw back there? Tarsin?” He laughed. “That moron hadn’t played Nova for more than a week before today. Hadn’t joined the Corps either. Then, all of a sudden, him and a ton like him – not even worthy to be ensigns – start popping up. Came ‘highly recommended’ by Moran, too. Got appointed officer ranks right away. Ranks they didn’t – and don’t – deserve. They’ve been superseding the authority of every warden from lieutenant to general since. It used to be rank counted for something. Was a thing to be respected. But now, all that seems to matter is whether you kowtow to Moran or not.”
Colonel Tarsin? That level twenty-one’s the captain of the Anakoni. And Moran expects experienced career wardens to take orders from him?
Dawson was pacing now, fists clenched. “Now, I like to think of myself as a tolerant individual. I try to be reasonable. Undermining the integrity of my Corps, though? That’s a fine way to piss me off. And then there’s…” He paused and the anger drained from his face a moment. Looked like he was caught up in a memory. “And then there’s the crackdown.”
Ellenton nodded solemnly as he said it.
“They haven’t just gone after people close to Kaiden and the others. The Party’s using this crackdown as an excuse to go after anyone and everyone. They took my neighbor’s kid a couple nights ago. Now, I’m not gonna say the boy was a saint, but he wasn’t a danger to anyone. Just stupid kid stuff, a bit of anti-party graffiti – typical rebellious phase. Happens to the best of us. Didn’t stop him from being disappeared in the middle of the night, though.” Dawson shook his head. “I’d always heard rumors of that sort of thing happening, but rumors are rumors, you know? And besides, if it did happen, the criminals that got brought in probably deserved it. But this? This was different. They damn near took the whole family. And for what? Didn’t even have a warrant. Seems they don’t need those anymore.”
“Things are changing, and fast,” Ellenton said. “Worst they’ve been since… well, since the Test, I figure. Dawson’s not the only one who's seen these new abuses of power. Hell, I saw a guy arrested just for being a patron of that restaurant you liked. You know, that soup and sub place? Since you went dark, anyone who knew you – or was what they considered ‘too close’ – was at the least taken in for questioning. We both certainly were.”
“Who took you in?” Thorne asked, mind reeling with questions and struggling to keep up with everything she’d missed in the last few days.
“Some ass named Werner,” Ellenton said with a shrug.
“Things are changing, and very much not for the better,” Dawson grunted.
“How deep does
this sentiment run?” Thorne asked, mind filling with more questions by the minute. She’d expected Moran would have labeled her a traitor and figured some wardens would find that suspicious, but it seemed like things were considerably farther along than that. Not to mention the Party acting against their own laws, taking in anyone even suspected of something illegal. Since learning Werner and Moran’s true nature she knew such things were possible, but even then, they’d been subtle. Kept quiet.
And what was the deal with these jumped-up officers? The whole thing sounded like a takeover of the Corps. No doubt these new ‘officers’ were people like Werner, loyal to Moran and actively serving the interests of his shadow government.
“I couldn’t say for certain how many others share our point of view,” Dawson said. “Few are willing to speak out of turn, what with the purges and all.”
Purges? What?
“Oh yeah, that,” Ellenton said. “Speak out against Tarsin or the goons like him and you’ll find yourself reassigned. Or that’s what they’re calling it. Far as we can see, anyone that steps out of line logs off and doesn’t log back on.” The implication hung in the air, all the more worrying for its ambiguity.
“Moran caused this divide,” Dawson said. “He made it clear. You’re with him or you’re against him. When given the choice between him or you, well.” Dawson stood up a bit straighter. “That was hardly a choice at all.”
“I’m... honored,” Thorne said, the words catching a bit in her throat. “And seriously concerned. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be happier to have you two with me, but do you understand how bad this could be for you? This goes beyond Nova. Beyond the Warden Corps. You need to protect yourselves. Need to hide. Moran is powerful in the Party. More powerful than I thought possible. He will send people after you. He will—”
“Yeah, yeah. We’re aware of that,” Ellenton said with a dismissive wave, her tone of voice entirely too unconcerned. “But this isn’t just about Nova. Word on the street is that whatever Kaiden, Zelda, and Titus stole, it was big. Big enough to cause a bit of a scene if it got out.”
Thorne found herself nodding at that.
“That’s, uh, putting it gently.”
“So you’ve seen them, then? The files they took?” Dawson stepped forward. “Is it as bad as the rumors say it is?”
Thorne nodded. “Worse. What they’re trying to expose would change everything. And, as far as I can tell, for the better. I hadn’t realized how bad things were. Hadn’t realized Moran and those working with him had deceived all of us.”
Dawson sighed at that. Ellenton gave a sad sort of laugh.
“Dawson,” she said. “I told you, didn’t I? Way back when. I said I thought something was wrong. Said too many things weren’t adding up.”
He nodded at that, a sad, slow sort of nod. “I didn’t want to believe it then. Hell, I don’t want to believe it now.” He looked up at Thorne. “But if you’re saying this is real, this is the point we’re at? Then I believe you. And I’m ready to do what I can to make it right.”
“We’re ready,” Ellenton corrected him. “As evidenced by the fact that we just sent a superior officer and a bunch of fellow wardens to respawn,” she said with a disbelieving chuckle. “Whoo, boy. We’re in a heap of trouble.”
“You really are,” Thorne said. “Look, if you’re with me on this, I am eternally grateful. But you’re no use to anyone if Moran’s goons find you. You have to get somewhere safe. Somewhere hidden.”
“We didn’t exactly wing this, you know,” Ellenton said, too casual as always. Sounded more like she was talking about having planned a party than attacking her own government.
“We have a plan to get hidden,” Dawson explained. “Everything’s ready for us to disappear. We just needed confirmation what we were doing was right. And you’re telling us it is?”
“I am,” Thorne said, praying she wasn’t ruining their lives. She’d chosen to walk this path herself, but she hadn’t expected anyone else to follow. Definitely hadn’t expected to lead them into it.
“Then that’s that.” Ellenton stood up from the pilot's seat. “You’re working with Kaiden and the others, yeah?”
Thorne nodded.
“Take the shuttle, then. Group up with them.” She left the cockpit and slapped Dawson on the shoulder. “Sarge and I will take care of ourselves in the real world. Once we’re settled, we’ll be in contact, yeah?”
Dawson gave a firm nod, then logged off.
Ellenton watched him disappear, then looked back at Thorne.
“Oh, and Captain? Be gentle with my baby. She’s a good shuttle.” With that, she logged out.
Thorne was left alone in the Borrelly, thoughts spinning to make sense of everything that had just happened.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said to herself. “Because your life isn’t the only one on the line now.”
Chapter Ten
A burst of light exploded from Kaiden’s shield as he used Flash Bang.
Ability: Flash Bang
Discharge an intense light from your shield that blinds opponents within 10 feet for 5 seconds. Has a 3-second cast time.
Cost: 25 charge
Cooldown: 5 minutes
The pirates closest to him stumbled backwards, hands over their now burning eyes.
No time to waste.
Kaiden darted in and brought his hammer down on the first of them. His first attack missed the headshot he was aiming for, but the aim on his follow-up strike was true.
Critical hit!
+50% damage (Headshot)
The pirate’s health bar flashed with each attack, then drained. One more blow and it emptied entirely.
Pirate Lackey assisted kill - 800 EXP gained!
Achievement Unlocked!
Swabbing the Deck - 200 EXP!
Clearing pirates from a system is always welcome. The righteous will thank you for your efforts. The less than righteous will... well, you’ll find out.
Kaiden turned to the next pirate, who was a half-dozen paces away, and activated Hammer Toss. The throw was on target and slammed into the opponent’s chest, dropping her health into the red. An Improved Burst Arrow from Zelda came in over Kaiden's shoulder to explode against the pirate and finish her off.
Pirate Lackey assisted kill - 800 EXP gained!
“Hey! Fight your own pirates,” Kaiden shouted jokingly.
“Already finished all of mine,” Zelda retorted. “Looked like you needed the help.” She smirked.
“How smug you all are!” The shout caught Kaiden’s attention. The pirates' captain was striding toward them.
Argos Andros (NPC)
Pirate Captain
Faction: None
Level: 35
“Who sent you?” he shouted, the veins in his neck visible as his voice echoed through the cargo hold. “Answer me! Who sent you!”
Kaiden hesitated. “Uh, that’s a good question.” He racked his brain. “Hey, Titus. Was this the quest we picked up from the station security chief or that merchant captain?” They’d grabbed so many at once it was hard to remember.
Titus shrugged. “Does it matter?”
Kaiden turned back toward the pirate captain and raised his hammer. “Guess not.”
“Such insolence!” The pirate captain flung back the folds of his haggard trench coat to reveal an extra set of arms – robotic and melded on to the sides of his torso. “I’ll teach you to cross Captain Andros!”
Kaiden ducked behind his shield as each of the captain’s four hands drew a pistol and started firing. His charge bar filled more with each blast that he blocked – a good thing, considering he’d been just about empty.
“This guy’s got four levels on us,” Zelda said while doing her best to bob and weave through the hail of blaster fire. “Let’s not underestimate him.”
“He might not be our only problem,” Kaiden said as the captain turned and instead of shooting at them, fired half a dozen rounds into the lock
of a door at the rear of the room. The door hissed and smoked, then slid open. A roar echoed through the cargo bay and then a massive beast clawed its way out of the too-small room it’d been crammed into.
It looked like some foul cross between a rhinoceros and a camel. Thick brown fur covered its body, retreating only around its two humps and nose where a bramble of horns jutted from the creature’s flesh.
Enraged Ceraphalodon **Huntsman**
Level: 40
Quick facts: Captivity has left this creature wounded and weakened. It cannot heal to full health while captive.
Kaiden read as much about the beast as his visor would tell him, focusing specifically on the “Huntsman” tag next to its name. What was that about? The Baboulian Manhunter they’d fought way back in their early days in Nova had been marked “Elite,” he vaguely recalled. It’d been a tough opponent. But what was this “Huntsman” tag?
Creatures in higher level areas can spawn with an additional status attached to them.
“Elite” represents a general increase to all of their stats. “Tenacious” means the creature will deal more damage the lower its health is. “Huntsman” means the creature will always attack the highest-level opponent in the vicinity.
Kaiden relayed the information to the others as the Enraged Ceraphalodon shook its head and took in the room. Its eyes scanned over everyone.
“It’ll attack the highest-level opponent in the room?” Zelda asked, frowning. “But that would be…”
The NPCs in Nova were well programmed, but there were some areas where they fell short of human intelligence. The Enraged Ceraphalodon gave a roar, then lowered its head and charged Argos.