The Phoenix armor had been laid to rest, garnished with the scorched crests and chevrons of an unforgiving past: the abominations of TW1 and TW2. Each passing dawn, he stared at it with envy,
"Where is my respite? How do I address the restlessness of soul and relentlessness of nightmares?"
Now the war klaxons shrieked again after years of silence and battle-chat was unceasing with a most wretched and foreboding plea from the OLD.ones:
--Our Children are dying--
Duty, instinct and a grim sigh lifted the suit: "Come on OLD.friend, Retirement is for the dead...."
Toni had slept for hours, as was his habit during long jumps. The shield doors were sealed tight against the aberration of hyperspace that subdued centuries of travel time to mere weeks.
The implanted encoded chat-chip sparked to life again and woked him abruptly.
"He's in" came the whisper from deep within.
Toni grinned with eyes closed...one of his stipulations to join the OLD.ones was for the founder to be on board. Shadow had worked his magic again and brought the poet-theorist away from the pen and desk back to the war room where he was needed.
--Who else?-- Toni mouthed, almost feeling the synapses firing to the chip.
Sorry--need to know
Now one eye flared open...this was not good...secrets were tri-bladed, cutting truths into speculations that would not close.
--Who else!-- echoed again...this time with a bit more persuasion.
Only two others that I can disclose right now...one you know and one you dont sparked the honest reply.
d**n! an Unknown! shazbot! doom or salvation!
--WHO!!!!---
Your left side
Toni's left eye closed again...he instinctly reached around the tunic and felt the horrid radiation scar that had saved his life and a deep sense of relief and disbelief filled him: Fnook was in! Years before that crazed b@stard risked his own life and the lives of the regiment with his typical maddeningly accurate fusion mortar and er, umm, -extreme- rescue skills. The "green ham" that had scorched Toni's entire left side had destroyed an entire squadron of Hellions but that burn had brought him home. He smiled again, --Fnook was in--. There was a chance they might return after all...
--Well...the other--
A newcomer...a qualifier
--What! I agreed to experience only!!!-- Toni sputtered and fumed sending internal arcs.
Toni...he eclipsed your record at Tombstone and the bots were set at level 11...he is properly tagged and goes by Drailer
--Frag!-- hissed ever so slowly from his lips. He didnt even the know the bots could be set higher than 10...d**n...it has been too long.
--11! By the Crest! the scales are tipping...--
You expect any less from me? Shadow..out
