Chapter 231: Fed vs. New

Open in on the radio jammer station, where Felix and Locus are waiting for the Reds and Blues' call.

RADIO JAMMER 1C

Felix: Time's almost up.

Locus: (speaks on his radio) Bravo, report.

Bravo: (over radio) No visual on the targets. I... don't think they're coming, sir.

Locus: (to Bravo) Hmm... stay on guard.

Felix: Hmph. Guess they didn't trust us.

Felix glances at the mercenaries around them. He spots one from afar walking away into the shadows.

Felix: Locus... how many men did you bring with you?

Locus: Four. The rest were needed at the capital.

Felix: Ya don't say...

Cut to a disguised Carolina walking away.

Carolina: (speaks on her radio) Four pirates carrying prototypes. Mercs are sticking to their usual. I'm heading away from the jamming tower now...

Washington: (over radio) Did they see you?

Felix: (offscreen) Excuse me!

Carolina turns to see Felix standing on a platform above her, aiming his rifle at her.

Felix: (tauntingly) You look familiar. Have we met?

He fires at Carolina, disrupting her camouflage and restoring her cyan armor color.

Felix: (laughing) Ohhhh man! You are fast! Oh, but minus points on originality.

Carolina fires at him, but he activates his Hardlight Shield, deflecting the bullets. More pirates decloak around him.

Felix: See what I mean?

Carolina: All right. You have me.

Felix: So... where's the rest of the crew?

Carolina: They're not here. I came alone.

Felix: Well, that is classic you from what I've heard. But seeing as how they weren't at the gas station or the ship we so generously provided, I'm not sure I believe you.

Carolina: Well, I guess that's your problem.

Felix: Actually, if you don't tell your friends to come out and surrender, you're gonna to have a problem the size of a golf ball in the middle of your forehead.

Felix aims his rifle at Carolina only for Washington to appear behind him, weapon aimed at his head.

Washington: Funny... I was just about to tell you the same thing.

Felix: Oh hey, Wash. Heads up, you're going to feel like an asshole in three... two... aaaaaaand...

Locus decloaks right behind Washington, his shotgun pointed at him.

Locus: You continue to both surprise and disappoint me, Agent Washington...

Felix: (to Washington) Yeah, yeah. There it is.

Cut to Armonia and the standoff between the New Republic and the Federal Army of Chorus.

Doyle: Never in all my life have I met a human being as selfish and bloodthirsty as you, Miss Kimball.

Kimball: How dare you!

Doyle: Marching into the capital thinking you could kick us while we're down. Have you no decency?

Kimball: We tried to be decent in the past, but we all remember how that turned out, don't we?

Doyle: Oh-ho-ho my dear girl, I can assure you I haven't the slightest idea what you mean.

Kimball: Of course not! You're still too busy trying to uphold a government that doesn't even exist anymore.

Doyle: Because you killed everyone who stood for it!

Kimball: It was a broken, fucking bureaucracy that nearly killed the planet!

Doyle: And your ruthless lot of anarchists who killed the only outsiders brave enough to try and save it!

Kimball: I would- (confused) Wait, th- what did you say...?

Cut to the space pirates overlooking the confrontation.

Cut back to the Radio Jammer, where Washington and Carolina are now surrounded by the Space Pirates.

Felix: (yelling into the wilderness) All right, guys! Come out and I promise to kill ya quick! Waste my time, and you get to watch the Freelancers die over the course of... ah... tch! Well until whenever I get bored!

Felix waits for a bit but nothing happens.

Felix: (to pirates) Hnn... spread out and find them. They might be hiding in one of the caves...

The sound of gunfire is heard offscreen.

Tucker: (offscreen) Caboose!

Caboose: (offscreen) I didn't do it!

Felix: ...or maybe they'll just telegraph their position 'cause they're idiots.

Locus: (to pirates) Shoot on sight.

Cut back to Armonia.

Doyle: (to Kimball) Tell me, when you murdered the Reds and Blues, was it because you couldn't stand the thought of them siding with us, or were they mere caught up (raises voice angrily) in the decimation of our outpost?!

Kimball: What are you talking about?! We didn't decimate anything!

Cut back to the Radio Jammer. Two pirates are at the entrance to a cave.

Female Pirate: (whispers) It came from in here.

Male Pirate: (whispers) Right. Move in on three...

Cut back to Armonia

Kimball: You killed the Reds and Blues after they rescued their friends!

Doyle: We did no such thing!

Cut back to the cave

Male Pirate: ...two...

Cut to Felix at the Radio Jammer

Felix: (to Wash and Carolina) Ya know, I just gotta ask. What did you think seven morons, a couple of Freelancers, and an AI would actually be able to do here?

Cut to the cave

Male Pirate: ...One! (they cloak)

Cut to Armonia

Kimball: But... Felix said-

One of Kimball's men are killed by a cloaked pirate. Cut back to the cave. The two pirates enter only to see an assault rifle lying on a crate.

Male Pirate: What the...?

Washington: (offscreen) Well, not much...

Cut back to Wash at the Radio Jammer

Washington: (to Felix) But you forgot to count the , and the .

Locus: The dog...?

Cut back to the cave. The assault rifle's flashlight lights up. It's Freckles in a new body.

Freckles: Heat signature detected.

Female Pirate: Did that gun just fucking talk...?

Freckles: Firing main cannon.

Freckles fires, killing the Male Pirate and alerting the other pirates.

Felix: What-?!

Carolina: (to the hidden Reds and Blues) Now!

Cut to the capital. Doyle ducks.

Doyle: Attack!

Kimball: Open fire!

Cut to the New Republic recruits in the corridor surrounded by enemy soldiers.

Jensen: Duck!

They duck, and the Federal Army soldiers on either side of them kill each other in a crossfire. Cut back to the main road. The two armies open fire on each other. Kimball and her soldiers run for cover.

Kimball: Move!

Cut back to the Radio Jammer. Felix and the other pirates open fire. Carolina and Wash dive away from the gunfire. Locus jumps off the platform and engages in a fistfight with Carolina. Wash dodges a stream of bullets from Felix and returns fire, disarming Felix's gun from his hands. Cut to the Female Pirate running out of the cave.

Female Pirate: Man down! Man-uggh! (Tucker slams her in the head with his rifle, knocking her out)

Tucker: Hi-ya! Haha, bitch! *Tucker activates his radio.* Ash how's your plan going."

Over with Ash.

Ash is hiding behind a create as a few soldiers run by.

"I've got explosives and am ready to use them." Ash says. "I'm having a fucking great time!"

Cut to the interior of the cave. Caboose comes out of hiding.

Caboose: Yes! Good one, Freckles.

Freckles: Thank you, Captain Caboose.

Tucker: Alright guys! Two down, two to go!

Cut to the Radio Jammer. Sarge, Grif, and Simmons are hiding behind a rock formation.

Sarge: (to Tucker) Roger that!

Sarge runs out from cover.

Sarge: (to pirates) Come and get us, boys! (he dives for cover as they open fire) Whoa! (to Grif and Simmons) Now might be a good time to run.

Cut back to the tower. Locus and Carolina brawl, but Locus manages to lift her up and slam her into the ground. Before he can stomp his foot down on her, Wash fires a burst at him, distracting him long enough for Carolina to kick him off the platform. He bounces off some pipes and lands on the ground. Carolina jumps after him. Wash turns around and fires at Felix, who uses his shield to deflect the bullets and charges at him. Wash sidesteps and Felix runs past him. Wash pulls out his pistol and fires at Felix, who pulls out his knife. They exchange blows, but Felix manages to pin a sticky grenade onto Wash's pistol.

Washington: Oh come on!

Felix laughs and mockingly salutes him. Wash tosses the grenade-pistol at Carolina and Locus.

Washington: Fire in the hole!

Carolina notices the armed device and kicks it at Locus, who dives away before it explodes.

Washington: Sorry!

Felix activates his Hardlight Shield and knocks Wash off the platform. Cut to the capital, where the recruits are pinned down by a pair of chaingun-wielding Federal Army soldiers.

Smith: Take out those gunmen!

Bitters jumps out and fires, though he misses. The soldiers pause.

Palomo: Missed!

The soldiers open fire again.

Palomo: (to Bitters) Missed!

Bitters: Palomo! (he opens fire and kills the cloaked soldier about to kill Palomo)

Palomo: Okay, nice shot.

Cut back to the Radio Jammer. A pirate is searching for the Reds when Simmons pops out.

Simmons: Hey, suck it black! (he runs back into cover)

Pirate: What...?

Simmons runs back out

Simmons: Just to clarify, that wasn't a race thing! (he runs back into cover)

Pirate: Come back here!

The Pirate follows Simmons only to find the Reds and Dr. Grey waiting for him.

Sarge: Get him!

Sarge jumps on the soldier, who is barely affected. Grif then jumps on both of them, knocking the pirate down. Simmons follows shortly after. Grey stands back and shouts encouragements.

Grey: Aim for the jugular!

A punching sound is heard offscreen.

Grif: (offscreen) Ow!

Grey: The JUGULAR!

There is more scuffling

Grif: (offscreen) Ow!

Grey stamps her foot angrily

Grey: (annoyed) Punch him in the goddamn throat!

There is another punching sound and then the pirate is heard gasping for breath.

Grif: (offscreen) Well why didn't you just say so?!

Sarge is heard chuckling. Cut to the final pirate patrolling the perimeter.

Pirate: Does anyone copy? Goddamn it, what's happening up there...?!

Donut and Lopez appear from behind a rock.

Donut: Stick 'em up!

The pirate fires at him. Donut dives aside and the shot instead knocks Lopez's head off.

Lopez: ¡Mierda! [Fuck!]

Donut: Lopez! Noooooo!

Lopez: ¡Tienes que estar bromeando! [You've got to be fucking kidding me!] (he manages to make his leg twitch) Oh... espera un minuto.[Oh... wait a minute.]

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The pirate walks up and aims his gun at Donut, only for Lopez's headless body to stand up and punch him in the face, knocking him out. Lopez then picks up his head and puts it back on.

Lopez: Pues... eso salio mejor de lo esperado. [Well... that worked out better than expected.]

Over with Ash.

"I am sneaking." Ash whispers as he crouches behind a box.

Xi appears on his shoulder. "There's two about five meters in front of the create."

Ash puts his Plasma rifle away and pulls his knife out. "I got this."

Ash stands up only to see the two mercs standing right in front of him.

Ash stares at them before he throws his knife into the face of one and pulls out his pistol and shoots the other.

Xi stares at the two bodies. "Well, you do have another thing in common with Minne, he sucked at stealth."

Cut back to the Freelancers and the mercenaries. Carolina grabs Locus' SAW and opens fire. Wash and Locus dive aside to avoid the spray.

Locus: Felix!

Felix puts up his shield, deflecting the bullets. Carolina charges him. The pair brawl, but Locus jumps in and knocks her to the ground, leaving Wash to face the pair. Felix bashes him with his shield, disorienting him. The pair tag-team Wash, punching him and kicking him until he is almost knocked off the tower and into the abyss.

Washington: Woah... (he glances below him)

Felix: Haha, that was awesome.

Locus: Stay focused.

Felix: Right, where's the other one?

Carolina jumps in at that moment and punches Locus, but like Wash, she is overwhelmed by the pair and literally launched by Locus onto a platform, where she lies stunned. Meanwhile, Wash manages to pull himself back up.

Washington: (to himself) If it's not a car, it's a cliff.

Locus: (to Felix) Take care of the simulation troopers. I have this under control.

Felix: Right. (he runs off)

Wash notices a battle rifle lying near him. A SAW lies near Locus. Both are just out of reach for either of them. The pair glare at each other.

Locus: Do not disappoint me again.

The pair both dive for the weapons. Wash grabs his and opens fire. Cut back to Armonia. A soldier next to Doyle is taken out by Kimball.

Doyle: Oh dear...! (he runs away while under fire from Kimball) I'm a leader, not a fighter!

Kimball is forced to duck when a soldier next to her is killed.

Kimball: Damn it! (to the soldiers next to her) Get ready to cover me! This ends today...

Cut back to a sandy area around the Radio Jammer. Felix is stalking the area.

Felix: Come on guys. Let's not draw this out any longer than we have to.

Tucker: (offscreen) Sounds good to me!

Tucker is standing on a rock above Felix. He draws his Energy Sword.

Felix: (laughs) Ho ho... No, you are NOT! Seriously? Y-y-you're going to go with the sword...?! Oh ok- Oh no, okay! Alright!

Tucker: What's wrong? You scared?

Felix: Oh-ho this is gonna to be fun...

Cut to Wash, hiding from Locus.

Washington: (to himself) Last mag, Wash. Make it count.

He runs out of cover, but Locus is nowhere to be seen.

Locus: (offscreen) Why do you continue to help these people, Agent Washington?

Washington: (softly) Where are you...? (he walks forward slowly)

Locus: (offscreen) You have nothing to gain from them. No reason to fight for them. And yet, here you stand with your life on the line for them.

Washington: Is that so hard to understand?

Locus decloaks and fires at Washington, who dives for cover. He runs back out, but Locus has cloaked again.

Locus: (offscreen) You used to be so much more...

Cut back to the beach, where Tucker and Felix are circling each other.

Felix: For God's sake, man, loosen up! You got to get limber!

Tucker: How did you convince Kimball to go to the capital?

Felix: Vanessa? Oh, (snorts) she was easy! I just made up some story about how you all died heroically. You should've seen it man. I gave the performance of a fucking lifetime! Got all broken up, threw in a few dramatic pauses, and they just ate it up.

Tucker: So how long have you and Locus been working together?

Felix: I'm sorry, I thought we were going to be fighting here? (He drops into a ready stance)

Tucker charges him, but Felix kicks him in the back, sending him sprawling.

Tucker: Agh! Son of a bitch!

Felix drops into a mocking praying bow.

Felix: (in a fake Japanese accent) Round One: Felix.

Tucker: God, you're a fucking tool.

Cut to Wash, who is slowly walking through the area, glancing around him.

Locus: (offscreen) You were once an enemy to these men. You were ruthless! You were a survivor!

Washington: I was a different person.

Locus: (offscreen) No, you were a soldier.

Wash notices the air shimmer and watches it suspiciously.

Washington: You say that like they're two different things.

Locus: (offsceen) When a true soldier is told to kill, he kills. He does not question why, he does not mourn the fallen; he fulfills his role and moves on to the next...

Washington: Is that what you want to be? A true soldier?

Locus is revealed to be cloaked and standing on a catwalk above Wash, his gun aimed at him. He decloaks.

Locus: No... that is what I am!

Locus fires, but Wash avoids it. He aims back at Locus, but he's disappeared again.

Washington: Damn it...!

Cut back to the beach. Tucker is hit again by Felix.

Tucker: Ow, you dick!

Felix: God, I just really want to savor this... Ya know, once the Feds and rebels kill each other, I dunno what I'm gonna to do. I mean, we've been playing these guys for years. How do you just walk away from something like that?

Tucker: What happened to retirement?

Felix: Oh well, yeah, I'll be filthy stinking rich, but I'm still in my prime! There's so much more I can do...

Tucker: Keep talking, asshole.

Felix: Well, the thing about that is, ah... oh (chuckles) You'd like that, wouldn't you? You know I just realized, I haven't seen your pals in a while. I wonder if they're trying to (pulls out a sticky detonator and turns around) get the jump on me?!

The Reds and Caboose are revealed to be standing on a platform behind Felix.

Simmons: Ahh! He knows!

Felix fires the grenade. It sticks to the platform.

Sarge: Uh-oh.

The grenade explodes, throwing the Reds and Caboose back.

Tucker: NO!

He charges forward, but Felix turns around and stabs him in the stomach.

Felix: That's the last time you try to outsmart me, Captain Tucker.

Felix shoves Tucker off the knife and onto the ground; his knife is seen covered with blood. Cut back to Locus and Washington.

Locus: (offscreen) I'm a professional, Agent Washington. I complete my-

Washington: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you complete your missions at all cost. You can say that as many times as you want, but I know what you really are. You're a coward.

Locus: (offscreen) Ridiculous...

Washington: You keep trying to play yourself off as some sort of weapon. That you don't care about anyone or anything. But the fact that you're trying so hard to understand me breaks your entire act! No matter how hard you may want to be, you're not a machine, you're a murderer. But you hide behind the idea in your head, because you're too afraid to take responsibility for what you've done.

The air shimmers behind him.

Washington: I know, I used to be a real piece of shit. But at least I'm trying to do something about it.

Locus decloaks and tackles Washington. Cut to the capital, where Kimball is hunting Doyle. She finds him in the command center, alone. They aim their guns at each other.

Doyle: Stop right there!

Kimball: (angrily) You...! (she advances on him)

Doyle: (scared and retreating backwards) D-don't make me use this!

Cut back to the beach. Felix picks up his pistol, and Tucker holds himself up, clutching his side.

Felix: Ya still don't get it, do you? The entire reason you sim-troopers were allowed to live this long, (chuckles) it's because you're all losers! Control was confident that you'd do more damage to these people than they could ever do to themselves. I mean, a bunch of idiots in charge of an army? Oh, come on, it was a recipe for disaster! Locus and I figured we'd let you rack up the casualty count, then kill you after a few weeks. Oh, but then... you did something special...! You gave these people hope...! And with that came a new level of motivation. To fight harder, to die faster! All with the belief that their sacrifice might actually mean something. But you know what? It all means nothing! At the end of the day, if I'm stronger than you and if I'm faster than you, then I can kill you! And that's better than anything money can buy...! (he aims the pistol at Tucker)

Tucker: (coughs) I dunno man, I think I'd rather be rich than a fucking nutjob. What do you think Church?

Epsilon appears next to Tucker.

Epsilon: Yeah, this guy's got no idea what he's talking about.

Felix: (surprised, lowers his pistol) What the... what the fuck is this?

Tucker: Oh this is Church. He's the AI that helps me run my equipment.

Felix: What equipment...?

Tucker: (tauntingly) My helmet cam.

Cut to a first-person view of Tucker's HUD. A line of text shows: EPSILON UNIT CAPTURING FOOTAGE

Epsilon: Oh-ho! Someone just got fucking busted.

"Hey, Ash, I think it's time." Tucker says.

Over with Ash.

Ash is staring up to the jammer tower which as about a dozen of C4 on it.

"HAHAHA! BOOM!" Ash holds up a remote and presses the big red button.

The tower goes up in a big red and orange explosion. 

"Ready Church?" Xi asks.

"Yup." Church says over the radio.

Xi disappears. 

Over with Tucker.

Epsilon: (to Tucker) Be right back!

Epsilon disappears and transmits the helmet-cam footage to Armonia. At the capital, everyone stops fighting as loud static is heard on all radio channels for a few moments, and then the footage of Felix's monologue plays over every visual and audio device. Doyle and Kimball lower their weapons and stare at the image of Felix.

Felix: (recording) Once the Feds and rebels kill each other, I dunno what I'm gonna to do. I mean, we've been playing these guys for years!

Tucker: (recording) How did you convince Kimball to go to the capital?

Felix: (recording) Vanessa? Oh (snort) she was easy! I just made up some story about how you all died heroically! You should've seen it man, I gave the performance of a fucking lifetime! Got all broken up, threw in a few dramatic pauses, and they just ate it up.

Kimball: You son of a bitch...

Felix: (recording) The entire reason you sim-troopers were allowed to live this long, it's because you're all losers! Locus and I figured we'd let you rack up the casualty count, then kill you after a few weeks.

Doyle: Locus...?

Felix's recording continues to play as the two armies realize how they've been tricked. The space pirates watch from their perch.

Space Pirate: This is bad... (they all cloak)

Cut to Locus, who is standing over the stunned Washington.

Space Pirate: (over radio) Locus, everyone at the capital knows... What do we do...?

Locus stares at Washington.

Locus: (hesitantly) ...Follow... protocol...

Cut back to the beach.

Tucker: (to Felix) Oh, dude, are you speechless? That's a first!

Felix: (angrily) You... you're dead...!

Felix aims his pistol, but the targeting lasers of Carolina's binary rifle appear on his head.

Carolina: (offscreen) I wouldn't, if I were you.

Sarge: Ugh... you know, those sticky grenades kick like a mule. But I hear these newfangled laser blasters are quite lethal...

Ash walks over and he's holding a binary rifle.

The Reds and Blues aim their weapons at Felix. Felix puts up his shield. Locus decloaks and covers his back, facing Tucker.

Locus: The mission is a failure. Protocol states where to report to Control immediately.

Felix: They're injured... We can kill them, now...!

Locus: No! We follow orders. (he turns to the others, holding a teleportation grenade) Let me assure you all: This is not over. (The pair vanish)

The screen flashes white and dissolves back into the scene. The camera pans out as Tucker collapses from his wound, while Dr. Grey and the others rush to his side. We hear the frantic orders for a cease fire from Kimball and Doyle.

Kimball: (over radio) This is Vanessa Kimball of the New Republic, ordering an immediate ceasefire!

Doyle: (over radio) All soldiers of the Federal Army, stand down at once!

Kimball: (over radio) Tucker? Ash? Grif? Can anyone read me? What are your coordinates? Where are you?

Cut to black

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07-25-2022

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