[b]Innocence Lost[/b] "Sometimes, you just cannot run, lest your demons find you anyway," Natasha said. "Sometimes, you can't run, lest you always be haunted by the ghosts of the past. Legion, you're sapient; can you actually say that you don't regret running away from something and letting others be hurt or worse?" Natasha didn't know [i]all[/i] of Legion's backstory, but had guessed quite a bit; perhaps more than Legion would find comfortable. "Nevertheless, the choice to let the kids fight stands for today; again, if the operation fails, we can send them home." She changed the subject, "Now, should I dive into battle, can you manage the ship by yourself?" ------ The two teams went out of the [i]Xuanxang[/i], hiking to the site of the [i]Circle of Hell's[/i] wreck without incident. Reisus, Stella, and Eldrid were directed by the maps given to them by Moonstrike, maps that allowed them to reach the outside of the ship, where there was a gap between two armor-plates to the side of the ship's stern from which they can enter the ship without the enemy's knowledge. Should they take it as their path towards the hull breach? ------ John, Orky, and Rachel, with Orky carrying an Anti-Tank Coilgun whose long tube resembled an Old Earth Recoiless Rifle, also arrived at their destination, which was the edge of a former hangar bay patrolled by a substantial number of grim-faced Ascendancy Infantrymen, with a tank (itself equipped with anti-personnel machine guns and a forcefield as well as a main railgun) as the centerpiece of its defense. For a brief moment, as John snuck into the bay, the young man hesitated; was he really ready to take this final step, the step to treason against the Ascendancy? As he, Orky, and Rachel snuck past the boxes, downed shuttles, and rubble that made up the crude enemy defenses, John almost blanched at what he was going to do. That moment passed as he reminded himself that no one needed to be shot yet, that they can potentially make it without having to kill anyone. It was a remote chance, but still possible. So he said to the two over comms, "I'm going to wait for Stella to give an all-clear to fight, but be ready to set things on fire - whether with magic or mundane means - when given the chance." And then he saw it; a small skittering cleanng bot (that resembled an ancient Roomba), which was suspiciously close to them. On instinct, John opened his Supernal Vision, and was shocked to find various magical enchantments of surveillance on it. John pursed his lips, before saying, "We're being watched; it appears this ship may have a few [i]Loyalists[/i] in it..." ------ Snow Cecil had been discovered. He would dispute the assumption that he was [i]completely[/i] a Loyalist, but the boy had to preserve his cover. Looking at his Tayanen escorts, Gog and Magog, he knew that he was already looked at with suspicion by his superiors due to being 'allowed' to work with Aliens, and so he had to do something, something to both confirm his 'loyalty' while at the same time furthering his own plans to get ahold of Realist and the information he possessed. So he took out his commlink and said, "[i]Attention to all local troops within the Circle of Hell![/i] This is [i]The Provocateur[/i]. You may not know me by name, but your superiors have informed you we're on the same side, right?" A pause. "Well, a rebel team have been detected close to the South Hangar Bay of the Circle of Hell; they have an Alien with them as well. Infantrymen and Tank, begin shooting!" The die was cast as Ascendancy infantrymen and small drones began to fan out all across the hangar; they would find Rachel, John, and Orky in mere seconds and draw their weapons, not expecting to fight Mages. Snow Cecil then went forwards to where Realist was, hoping he did the right thing... [@Gentlemanvaultboy][@Starlance][@Bartimaeus][@Stern Algorithm][@Crowvette]