The Order of the Sentinels

Haven, the greatest remaining bastion of humanity. A shining light on a planet covered in mystery and darkness. It's high walls protect what is left of the great civilization of old and the Orders within are tasked with preserving and retrieving this knowledge.

The Keepers, steadfast defenders.

The Seekers, tireless scholars.

And then... there are the Sentinels.

Dwelling upon the fabled Watchtower, on their own corner of Haven... passing through the stone gates, the forest grounds of their dwelling, eventually the tower rises above the canopy of trees, on a clearing right against the Great Wall.

The Sentinels are the first line of defense of Haven... it's eyes and ears in the outside world. The vanguard in retrieving the secrets of a time long gone. Elites one and all.

They are organized into four Societies. The Eagle are the leaders and administrative branch of the Order, held in reserve for Haven's hour of greatest need... and until that day comes, they support the other active Societies to the best of their capacities. The remaining three Orders, Kite, Hawk and Falcon are the ones who dive into the greatest danger. It is they who step out into the jungles and camps of Haven's enemies.

You all, are of the Society of the Falcon. If you have joined before the last month, then you recently came from a mission scouring a downed warship on which the leader of the Society, Lady Elanor Browning was wounded... however, the mission was a success, deriving a juicy amount of data for the Seekers to pour over. It has been somewhat quiet ever since... some time for the whole team to recover while Kite and Hawk went out on their mission.

Today, however, you personal computer would receive a much expected notification.

Sentinel, report to the White Hall at 9 AM for a briefing with Lady Eleanor. Haven has need of your Blade

It is now 8:13 in the morning... you may be having breakfast, out int he grounds training with some of the men and women of the other Societies, having a stroll on the ground, waiting in your room, relaxing in the common room either in a couch or at some game.

Whatever it is you're doing, you should be able to make it to the meeting at your leisure... however, if you are eager to have the meeting quickly, if all Falcons are there soon, it may start early.

The computer chimed just as the crosshairs touched the center of the target.

Eylah barely twitched. Instead she drew another breath, let it out slowly... then squeezed the trigger. Her rifle barked, venting smoke out the sides, and five hundred yards away, a white-painted square of cardboard ceased to exist. Smiling, Eylah let herself relax, feeling the tension drain from her shoulders and legs as she pushed herself up from her seated position. She snapped the safety back on and slung her rifle onto her back, and only then did she check her messages. "Lady Eleanor," she murmured, a little surprised. Being impressed by the Lady's resilience didn't stop the rush of adrenaline that coursed through her body, though, and she couldn't resist breaking into a jog as she headed back toward the Falcon common room.

They were headed back outside the Walls.

Zoe had arrived early at the White Hall. Sitting on a bench at the side, her cloak around her and hiding her from prying eyes, she spent the time waiting for the others cleaning her blades,

Carefully, she inspected both of them, working oil into them and rubbing them clean with a soft tissue, checking the mechanism and the fastenings on her armor. For her, her blades were life, security, an extension of herself, maybe even an excuse for a purpose in life and for a long time she had cared for her knifes better than for herself. This had changed now that she was a Sentinel, but before if she had the choice between using water to wash herself or clean her knifes...it would not have been a choice.

Things are different now she thought once again, but the act of caring for her weapons still calmed her, allowed her to pass time. She wasn't bothered by going beyond the wall again, but shee wondered who's she have to accompany this time.

Jack was still at home.

Well, the correct term would be "barracks", but it was the closest thing he still had to a home. With one hand, he fed some meat scraps to Sebu, and with the other he brushed the dust off the Sylpheed's scales. His personal computer beeped, but he ignored it for now. Jack was already wearing his armor, it was the first thing he put on in the morning, and his Honor Blade and Relic implied a sense of readiness for action.

After some more routine cleaning, Jack checked up on the message he had received. 9 o' clock then. He might as well go now.

Jack placed his head against Sebu's, a sort of "goodbye ritual" between them, and walked out of the barracks. He activated his grapplers, launching himself into the air. He quickly deactivated them, and used Nervae to alter his trajectory past the building he had grappled and toward the Watchtower.

Lucius, or Flicker as he preferred to be called, was on his morning jog when he heard the chime.

He didn't break his stride as the announcement came, holding to his quick pace (in full armor, of course). Just behind him, Astra kept up easily, loyally on her master's heels. They moved in silence for five more minutes as they completed the three-mile course.

Returning to the barracks, Flicker fed Astra, kissed her on the forehead, and left her to socialize with the other Sylpheeds. He flicked out his Black Talon, examining it to make sure it was in top condition, and blinked invisible to test his Relic before he headed out the door. He didn't bother to shower. After all, he hadn't broken a sweat on his jog.

He still had time. Might as well relax. So he walked, briskly but calmly, and headed for the White Hall.

edited 24th Oct '14 9:22:13 AM by kagescorpionakki

"Jeez Ellie, don't you ever relax?"

The words came from Sir Attics Burro, though they were unintelligible thanks to the biscuit in his mouth. He sat in the barracks kitchen alone in his under armor, what some of the younger Sentinels jokingly called his "Long Johns." He liked wearing it on his days off; with its light weight and flexibility it felt very similar to pajamas. He didn't really care that a grown man in a forest green onesy looked a bit ridiculous.

Attics swallowed his breakfast and sighed. The last mission had ended just recently, and now they were being shipped off for another one. Normally he might've made more of a fuss, but Lady Eleanor had called the briefing. If there wasn't any rest for the wounded, there definitely wasn't any rest for him.

He returned to his room and attached his heavy outer armor, though he kept his helmet and Honor Boots off for now. No need to come to a briefing armed. In a semi-presentable state, Attics started the long walk to the White Hall.

"Seems like we spend more time outside the walls then in." he mumbled.

Pacing about the medical ward, a robot called Squid scanned the rows of Intensive Care Pods scattered throughout the large room. Checking the hundreds of networked ICPs manually was redundant, all the patients were stable. No new results from that alien parasite in the med-lab. The lab-rat population was growing regularly. Nothing to do but whittle the time away. It knew the human medical staff better than anyone else, they were the best physicians in Haven, yet Squid was compelled by its programming to constantly check everything as part of its duties. Unless new orders came through.

8:13 — Sentinel, report to the White Hall at 9 AM for a briefing with Lady Eleanor. Haven has need of your Blade.

"Excellent!" Squid said aloud and over the local comms, "Jotunson, you're in charge, I've got a meeting." A hint of ozone scent filled the air as Squid's hologram activated, hiding the shiny ovoid behind an androgynous human facade. It went through quarantine and was soon ambling its way to the White Hall. Halfway there, Squid came across a Witness and commandeered the drone to hover through a shortcut, gaining an extra 4.39.83 minutes, giving it just enough time to arrive at 08:30.

"Well, we did sign in for a life in the outdoors, did we not Attics?" says Lady Eleanore with a vibrant smile as she sat at the head of the table set upon the White Hall, one of the rooms within the Watchtower dedicated to meetings of business.

Lady Eleanore for her part was wearing a simple tunic with trousers, all in soft blue color. Her eyes were bright blue in color, always seeming to glow with inner energy... her hair silvery and long, changed quite so time ago by her Ascension. It had been a few years since Eleanore had been granted leadership of the Falcons and she performed her duties with determination and vigor.

However, there was someone else in the White Hall who may be somewhat unexpected... Doctor Benjamin Archer, of the Eagle Society. One of the dedicated medical doctors within the watchtower. He had neat short dark hair, sharp eyes behind a pair of glasses and a serene expression backed by dark eyes full of strength of character.

"Sentinels, I see you're all punctual as ever. Please, let me get straight to business. The Falcon Association has been at ease for a whole month. I think that's enough of a rest for now... work has piled up. There's two items in the agenda... picking a mission to embark upon... And picking who will lead said mission" says Eleanor, which would come as a bit of a surprise. It was a bit of a given that unless they split, the Lady was the leader in most expeditions.

"Indeed, Lady Eleanor is to be resting for a little while more, per my orders as her physician" says Doctor Archer with a pleasant smile on his face... though there was a certain weight to his words meant to be obeyed.

Eleanor for her part lets out a little sigh "Unfortunately, it is that way. As you may see" says the leader of the Falcons, pointing to the lower right leg of her pants... which was flapping empty halfway down from the knee "My leg has not regenerated completely just yet. I could use a cybernetic replacement, but Doctor's orders say that it would interfere with my healing process"

"So... any volunteers or nominations?"

Zoe stayed quiet, still hidden inside The Cloak.

"It'll 'interfere with your healing process'? Guess the docs have learned a lot since my ascension."

Attics knocked on his left leg, though it made no sound aside from tapping flesh. The artificial limb that served as his left leg before ascension was surrounded by regenerated tissue.

"Anywho, count me out of the running for leader. Ellie knows better than most that I've got bad luck with handling the reigns."

"Weren't you on a Hawk mission a while back, Attics? That database relic was finally decrypted by the Seekers, it contained lost medical schematics." Squid's hologram mimed mouth motions and breathing as best it could, yet there was always a little off to the robot.

"Lady Eleanore, Doctor Archer, please let me know if you desire to use any of my relic medical functions before we depart."

Perhaps it was the timing, like someone reciting from a script rather than practice. It might be the "soul-less" eyes, or the black cel-shading indicating its artificial status, or even its faint odor of ozone and metal. While the combination of its features kept it out of the uncanny valley, which side it was supposed to be on seemed to have been a point of disagreement among the designers.

"Oh really, Tinny? Thanks for the update. I'm sure the info was worth it." Attics caramelized his words in sarcasm, making it obvious to everyone that he valued the mission's loss more than its gain. It still felt weird not seeing Donnie around the barracks.

"Well then.. knowing who else is in this group, I nominate myself." Navy tacitly stated, standing resepectully and attentively.

His long hair fluttered gently, even without wind. It was part of a mutation from his ascension, surely.

Having stashed Eagle-eye back in her room, Eylah was only a little out of breath and a fair bit late when she slid soundlessly into the White Hall. The meeting had already started, and Jack Fonte had already nominated himself for a leadership position. Fonte's plans tended to misallocate people, but since there was really only one place to put someone with her Relic, it didn't usually cause her any problems. She held her peace as she sat down, looking around to see how others would vote. It almost took her a minute to see Flicker sitting next to her; she nodded a greeting to him. "'Morning."

"Morning." Flicker replied, very quietly. His eyes were fixed on Jack, and he drummed his fingers on the table. It was a nervous habit of his, had been since he'd learned his first card trick. He didn't like talking to people. He was content to follow orders, but now he was somewhat torn. He was... uneasy with the idea of following Jack. But he didn't want Jack to hate him, and he didn't like arguing. So he drummed his fingers, hoped someone else would say something or offer to lead, and waited.

Andurs, fresh from the Hall of Memory, ducked into the White Hall, his face flushed with embarrassment at how long he'd taken to get here rather than any exertion on his part. But for his helm, he was armed and armored head to toe. "My apologies, Lady Eleanore, I was paying my uncle a visit," he said in explanation. His commanding officer knew of his deceased Sentinel relative, he was sure.

Old memories of his uncle surfaced from his childhood. "Don't grow up too fast, now, boy-o," his uncle would say when he left on missions.

He took a seat quickly, and was brought up to speed on the discussion. Long John, Trajan, Goshawk, Squid, and Flicker were here already. "Hm. I cannot say I have been a part of this team long enough to judge for or against your leadership, but I'll go along with it. Trajan for commander in this assignment," he decided, giving the man his vote. He felt a flicker of apprehension, hoping he wouldn't regret putting the man in charge. "What are the assignments we have to choose from?"

edited 29th Oct '14 9:16:39 PM by Enduring_Knight

Eylah sighed inwardly. Trajan wasn't a terrible commander, not usually, but he still wasn't who she would have picked. "No objections," she spoke up, standing to be recognized. "Has there been a new salvage site uncovered? More Empire technology?" She couldn't quite keep the excitement from her voice, as embarrassing as it was.

Lady Eleanore looked around the group, after and before Trajan was the only one to nominate themselves "Very well then, Trajan, you are the leader in this next expedition. Be responsible for all of them, don't be afraid to lead but remember that they are all Sentinels. They don't need sitters to do their job. This will be a good opportunity I believe. Either win them over to your side with your performance Trajan or they'll learn not to be so meek on these moments" Says the Lady... who since a long time has been honest and upfront to a point that is almost rude.

"Anyway, onto the interesting part. Your got your choice of missions, we got three different requests" says Lady Eleanore, letting the holographic display on the table accompany her words.

"First one comes from the government itself. Recently discovered records give us the location of a medical research facility quite some ways from here. As you may know, there has been a new virus going around Haven that so far doesn't respond to our usual treatments. Mortalities so far are low, but it has infected a notable number of our population. 40% of the cases experience only minor discomfort and fever, 50% of the cases require medical attention to manage the illness but after a couple of weeks they heal... however, 10% of the cases lead to serious complications and death. Our normal medication doesn't seem to work... however, Red, might. Relic Class Medicine from the lost Age, Red is a miraculous substance designed to heal near any ailment. Some of our most potent medicines have a small base of Red in them from previous stashes we have found. However, our supply of it currently is too low to take out of reserve. Finding a supply of Red on this medical facility would be pivotal to the safety and well being of the people of Haven, plus who knows what else we may find on such a location. However, the location is fairly remote and the proposed route is filled with unknowns and skirts close to the terrain of many of our enemies"

"As for the second mission... Does anyone know of Ulquiroah? Ulquiroah was one of the first Sentinels as well as one of our first fatalities in combat. His group was tasked with a mission deep within territory of insect class alien menaces. Their Witness, after assessing their threat gave the mission as a total failure and the whole group as lost... However, Ulquiroah beat all odds. The data received from the witness and his companions is still being analyzed to this day... however, what Ulquiroah and his Relic did is still considered legendary. He made a lone stance and managed the secure the retreat of his companions all on his own. This together with the annihilation of more than a thousand enemy lifeforms in close combat in the span of only 5 minutes. The Eagle Association has only now deemed it viable for an excursion to retrieve Ulquiroah's Honor Blade and his Relic back into the midsts of the bug's territory. His Relic after his impressive display has been updated as one of incredible power and rarity and thus highly valued by Haven. Furthermore, the reason Ulquiroah and his team were sent in the first place remains... near his final resting place lies the remains of a ship from the Lost Age. Equipment within would be invaluable for our people, however, there are little hopes or recovering the entire thing given the sheer numbers of bugs around it"

"Finally, the last mission sent to us by the Keepers. There are currently two dangerous tribes of aliens close to our territory. However, the two seem to be on the brink of starting a war with one another... furthermore, their threatened territory is littered with the remains of the Old Civilization... a town worth of it, plus a significant but unexplored source of Essence. Both of the chieftains of the alien tribes are in possession of Relics, though what they do is uncertain at the moment. This mission is possibly the most dangerous of them all. A joint operation with the Order of Keepers to assess the situation, do recognizance and sabotage and finally, if necessary lead both tribes to fight one another before the coordinating a strike with the Keepers to wipe them both out and secure the territory for ourselves"

"These are the missions we have at the moment. It is up to you all which you take on first. The ones you don't choose may or may not be taken over by the other Societies of Sentinels, it all depends on their availability and desire to get out on the field. So Sentinels, which chase is more to your liking?" Asks Eleanore with a smile on her face.

Attics raised his hand like a student.

"I'm up for the bug hunting one! Sounds like the best chance to blow shit up!"

Eylah chewed on her lip, a habit she'd carried over from childhood, though the faint taste of copper no longer accompanied it. "Will we be sending out more than one squad?" The medicine was important, but the promise of the ship tugged at her, a potential treasure trove... a dangerous and thrilling prospect as always. "I'll go with Attics. Someone needs to make sure he doesn't just step on any Relics he finds."

Jack stomped his foot on the ground, angrily and with command.

"Have the two of you gone mad?! Or are you just incapable of clear thought? Our greatest priority should be finding the Red caches before more innocent people die, not some-" Jack shook his hand for a moment, trying to find a more noble term for what he was about to say, "some bug-slaying adventure!"

His eyes blazed with anger. He took a step forward, spun, then glared at Attics. "I had hoped someone of your experience would see that."

Completely oblivious to the impromptu promotion that had just transpired, as well as the current debate over mission, Kharbyr took a sip of water. Leaning back and stretching luxuriously in her seat, she looked around the mess hall.

No one was present. Which did not surprise the newest Sentinel trainee much. She had only seen the members of the Falcon and Eagle societies since her Ascension, the Kites and Hawks apparently being busy with missions. The Falcons on the other hand were recuperating after their latest mission, or so she had been told.

"Must be nice for them," She thought, absent-mindedly drumming her fingers on the table.

Kharbyr enjoyed having the entire mess hall to herself. Most Sentinels seemed to devote this time of the day to training or exercise, which allowed her to eat breakfast at her own pace undisturbed.

Soon enough though, she would have to show up at the barracks, for this day's round of training. Kharbyr frowned at that. The training was not something she particularly enjoyed, even though the need was readily apparent. She had been making progress though, which brought her some measure of comfort. Something else that brought a bit of comfort was her new Honour Blade, suspended from her belt. The thing was nice, and she liked the design of it, which was based on her relic.

Not surprising, since she had been enamoured with her relic the moment she had seen the thing. Even if the power was annoying, she considered it extremely pretty nonetheless.

Downing the last of her water, she got up, taking her used tray and glass with her and placing it on the counter where she had first found the things.

Having done that, she surveyed the room one last time, and merrily skipped out the mess hall in the direction of the barracks. Maybe something interesting was in store for her.

"I think obtaining the Red should be a priority." Zoe said, seemingly out of nowhere. "We cannot allow sickness to get a hold in here, or all other things we do are doomed anyway."

Eylah bristled just a little at Jack's tone, already regretting not speaking up before. Now she was complicit in choosing a man who stomped his feet like a child throwing a tantrum to lead their operation. "And who knows what we might find in an untouched Empire ship?" she asked, not sitting back down. "The medical facility is worth checking out, but we can't say for sure that there even is any Red there, or that there will be enough to treat everyone who gets seriously ill. Are you going to be the one to announce that only the first hundred people to report to us will be cured, or should we just dip into the reserves and do the same thing the next time a civilian steps on an unearthed shrapnel mine?" She looked around, suddenly very conscious of her position.

edited 30th Oct '14 3:47:25 PM by RedSavant

"Even the chance of Red should be investigated! And this isn't some accident, or some case of unbridled stupidity, its a disease we don't fully understand!" Jack glared at Eylah now, his presence seeming larger now that he was angry. Even his hair seemed to float a little bit, adding to his size as a cat's fur does.

"And what, are you going to feel secure in your little adventure while civilians die?" He shook a little, then took a deep breath. His rage temporarily quelled, he continued: "I'd rather save as many lives as I can by taking a chance, than saving none for temporary enjoyment. I've some faith in our doctors and-" He turned his gaze to Squid "allies. They can work with it, as long as we can get some more."