WAR FOR THE GRAIL - Part 1: World Of Origin

[Anna]

Forgive my confusion but why are the TAC and AIM at war?

The Akashic Independence Movement was founded some forty years ago in response to the mistreatment by the Terran Allied Colonies of Akasha and its population, but war only began between the two twenty years ago. According to the official story, AIM terrorists carried out a terrorist attack on the city of Garander, the only surviving Originator city. hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed, and the TAC's garrisons in that city were wiped out. After that, it was taken over by AIM, who declared it the true capital of Akasha, and demanded that the TAC withdraw all troops from the planet and grant Akasha independence. Naturally, it didn't go well.

That's more or less the official story, anyway. If Galahad's telling me the truth, then apparently the Grail War had something to do with the AIM and TAC escalating to violence against one another.

There are obvious questions I need to ask Galahad, but I'm hesitant, staring at the Command Glyphs on the back of my left hand, and at my new artificial right hand, tapping my fingertips.

"Why'd you do it? Why did you betray the TAC?" I ask him.

Galahad sighs, sitting back in his chair and rubbing his hands together, "After what they did to us? How they made us? The things we were put through? Oh, sure, it may have been worth it in the end. The idiots didn't realise that our Originator Circuits wouldn't start activating until we were exposed to active Originator signals - which can only be found here on Akasha. We've got the most advanced Originator Circuits that humanity's been able to create." He replies, "But years of experiments, invasive surgery, tests to induce the activation of our Originator Circuits though any means possible? They tortured us, Marion. Because they want power."

He's staring at me rather intently, hands balled into fists, and it's hard to disagree with him, but...

"The AIM are terrorists, Galahad." I say quietly.

"The AIM just want to be free from the TAC shoving their way in, ignoring what everyone else wants, and doing anything necessary to increase its own power!" He yells back at me.

I can't help but flinch away from his anger, staring down at the floor, "So work in the system. You could have left the military. You could have got into politics. Spoken out in support for Akashic Independence. There are people doing that."

"Yeah, well, fat load of good they're doing, aren't they? They were doing that for years without anything happening. Only after Garander was liberated by the AIM did the Colonies start to take us seriously." Galahad mutters.

I don't respond to that. I'm not really sure how to. One of the most shocking terrorist attacks of the last century was just referred to as a 'liberation of the city'. Perhaps the Independents thought those lives were worth sacrificing in pursuit of their goal. I don't know.

There's a long and uncomfortable silence, before I finally change the subject, "So, why did Berserker attack you like that?"

Galahad seems relieved by the change of subject too, the tension easing from his features, "Well, the 'why' is fairly simple. Kill all the Masters and you win. The 'how' is a better question." He gestures to Assassin, "With the exception of your Servant, who is fucking invisible to anyone she wants to be, Servants are generally capable of sensing each other when they're near. Some are better at it, some are worse. But Saber wasn't with me. I have no idea how Berserker's Master knew where to find me, but they likely targeted me because they realised that Saber wasn't with me."

"So at the very least, Berserker's Master is probably smart enough that Berserker's lack of intellect is not a hindrance." I remark.

"More or less, yeah."

"Do you know anything about the other Masters?" I ask him then. Assassin is standing nearby, looking rather disinterested, but I get the feeling she's closely paying attention to everything said.

"Ah, well... sort of. Archer's Master, at least, I do know about. She's another AIM soldier." Galahad says, moving over to a nearby computer and pressing a few buttons.

A woman who looked to be in her mid-forties appeared on screen, a rather tough looking woman with streaked white hair and a scarred facade, solid circuitry and cybernetics grafted onto her body. She has a rather intimidating air to her, just in the picture. It was pretty obvious she was an experienced soldier.

"Her name's Aridia gon Veux. Born on Akasha, served fifteen years in the Colonial Navy. Discharged ten years ago for involvement in political groups that support an independent Akasha." Galahad said, "She since joined the AIM. She's a strong supporter of using activism in pursuit of independence, so she's not really popular around here either. There's lots of hate on both sides of this conflict, so people like her who want to resolve things peacefully... well, it's hard for them to fit in. Anyway, her Originator Circuits were grafted onto her. They're not fully functional, so her psionic abilities are very limited."

I frown, "And she's here at the base too?"

"No, when she summoned Archer she chose to operate solo. She and I made a truce of sorts, before she left, but otherwise we're not working together. I'm representing AIM interests in the War. She's pursuing her own goals. Ultimately, we'll have to have our servants fight each other, but we'd rather get rid of the competition first."

"Obviously." Assassin decides to finally participate in the conversation, if only to interject with a dry, sarcastic tone.

I wave her off, "And the other Masters?"

"Well... on that front, I need to admit, my information is scarce. Caster has been summoned, but nobody knows by whom, or where it is. Lancer and Rider have both been seen, and Saber briefly engaged Lancer in combat yesterday, but their Masters appear to be in hiding, or at least operating secretly for the moment." Galahad replies, offering a small shrug, "Berserker's Master is, however, supported by the Terran Allied Colonies. That's all I know. So the attack on your train was their fault. Whoever Berserker's Master is was willing to murder TAC soldiers to kill me."

I'm not sure if I believe that. He could be lying, or misinformed. He freely admitted he didn't know anything about Berserker's Master, so his information about them being supported by the TAC could be faulty. On the other hand, it is surprising how long it took for the TAC to respond to the attack on the train, so there could be some truth to it.

After hearing all this, I'm feeling rather disinclined to leave. Galahad's anger towards the Colonies and the distrust his Servant seems to have for me makes me uncomfortable with the thought of allying with him in this war, and I don't want to put myself or Assassin in a position to get caught off guard by him, if he decides we're expendable.

Considering all this, I...

A) Make a temporary truce, but leave to work alone.
B) Leave and return to TAC headquarters, decide what to do from there.
C) Leave and try to find one of the other Masters to ally myself with.
D) Stay and ally myself with Galahad, for the moment.
E) Deal with the Akashan Independents here, kill Galahad, move on.
F) Other.

[natan_j]

D. Seems to be a good position to gather intel from, god knows we need it.

[-Desert-]

Remember that they'll have to fight each other in the end, might not be good to stay. Even if you know/are related to someone who betrayed their side, you can never tell. Other Masters... Will probably just kill you. I say A.

[Latooni]

A. I'm not sure our servant would be able to do well in direct combat with Saber in the inevitable betrayal. We would need to do the betraying earlier, but he deserves a little slack for helping us out. Don't write it off in the future, but for now it wouldn't be a good idea. Regroup, assess the situation, and maybe ask Assassin some pointed questions in private. There's an awful lot about our Servant we don't know, and that it'd be best if Galahad didn't know.

[-Desert-]

Yup, don't tell your (potential) enemies anything they could use against you.

Off-topic: Jeeze, over 100 posts made so far.

[STARSTRUCK]

A-ish.

It's definitely not optimal for us to stay attached to Galahad and the Akashic whatever, but I'd like to suggest that we also carefully explore the neighborhood, keeping an eye out for the remaining unaccounted-for Servants and their Masters (Lancer, Rider). Naturally, assume they are hostile.

[Siber]

I'd say a mix of A and B. Ask for a truce and a chance to gather more information, and then see what happens if you go back to TACHQ. But be ready to kill your way back out of it if you have to.

[-Desert-]

Maybe, but who knows if TACHQ won't shoot you to bits? B is possible but rather risky as the TAC might see you as a traitor. (You've stayed with their enemy, duh)

[Necrontyr1998]

Well I think A then B. We might be able to find some info on Berserker's master at the TAC HQ.

[Lizzie]

A. I'd avoid the TAC HQ for now.

[Lukasmah]

A

Also, in some of your commands you people seem to imply Galahad has to die. Why? The Grail can work with more masters alive, they just need to agree on the wish. And even if we want to keep the wish for Mari only, killing Saber and sparing Gala is an option.

He needs his servant to make a wish, no?

[Latooni]

Also, in some of your commands you people seem to imply Galahad has to die. Why? The Grail can work with more masters alive, they just need to agree on the wish. And even if we want to keep the wish for Mari only, killing Saber and sparing Gala is an option.

Masters are much easier to kill than Servants, especially since our Servant doesn't seem to really be geared towards direct combat. If we're lucky, someone else will kill his Servant, but I wouldn't expect agreement on the wish. I'm not saying we're going to have to kill him, but there's no point in pretending we can spare his life. I guess we could ask Assassin what she thinks of the idea later, though.

[-Desert-]

..Once he's out of hearing distance (i.e. Marion isn't in the same building anymore)
Galahad doesn't have to be killed by Marion, let some other Master do it.

[Anna]

"I'm sorry, Galahad. I'll make a truce with you, but I don't think I can stay here. I think Assassin and I need to work things out on our own, at least for a while." I tell him.

Galahad sighs and says nothing for a moment, eventually rising to his feet and giving a small nod, "Alright. I'll organise some basic provisions for you. Some clothing for traveling in, some water and rations, and a side-arm. It's not much, but it should be enough to get you to wherever you want to go."

"That'll be fine. Thanks." I tell him, and he steps out of the room without saying anything.

"You're making the right choice, Master." Assassin says, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I hope you're right."

*********

An hour later Assassin and I step out of an elevator into a barren room, the basement of some long abandoned building. The elevator closes behind us and a wall panel moves into place to conceal the door. I ascend the stairs and leave the ruined building that served as a secret entrance to the AIM bunker we'd just left, turning my gaze out over the ruins of an old city and off into the distance. It's a fair way towards the city of Taron and TAC-controlled territory, but I've got a few days worth of provisions and there are plenty of places we can hunker down on the way if we wish, smaller cities and towns, some of which are not officially under complete control of either side.

I look over the few things I was given and sigh, "Well, it's better than nothing, I suppose..."

"Oh?" Assassin asks, tilting her head quizzically as we begin walking, "What more could you wish for?"

Laughing a little, I shrug, "Oh, well, if we're bringing wishes into it, a Chameleon-Type Personal Armored Suit, a laser-based sniper rifle, preferably a Galiza V08, a-"

Assassin interrupts me then, "Laser-based? Don't particle beams pack more of a punch?"

I turn my head to her, frowning a little, "Lasers are ideal. Particle weapons suffer too much from blooming and scatter. They're less accurate, they're affected by the planet's gravity more than laser weapons, and the shots are slower."

"Fair enough." Assassin replies with something like amusement, "Go on. Continue your list."

Crossing my arms, I do just that, "A handful of MAMX grenades, with a remote detonator, and a scarf."

Assassin stops in her tracks then, and I turn to face her, "A scarf?" She asks, "Really?"

"Really. I'm thinking we'll avoid the populated areas and make our way through the Northern desert, and I prefer not choking on sand." I retort, shaking my head and turning to continue walking, "And besides, I like wearing scarves."

Assassin makes a noise that I suspect was a giggle, but I brush it off, and she soon catches up to me, "Anyway, where's the rest of you? I know I'd just lost an arm at the time and could have been hallucinating, but you looked a lot bigger and a lot less curvaceous the first time I saw you."

"Oh, don't worry." My masked Servant replies, "It's coming."

She nods off to the left, and I see more than a dozen black figures of varying shape and size. Not all of them are human-shaped, and they vary in height from fifty centimeters to two and a half meters in height. Every last one of them has a skull-shaped head, though otherwise each one is unique. And they're carrying things. It's all I can do to stop and stare, and soon I have a small pile of gear laid out in front of me, and those individual robots are putting themselves together, connecting piece by piece until the giant robot Assassin is kneeling in front of me, hidden amongst the rubble of the abandoned city we're still traveling through.

"I... wow, that's pretty impressive."

The green-haired Assassin, the most human-looking one, gave a small nod of agreement, "It is, huh? I can leave this shell of me disconnected from my main body without reducing its effectiveness, but otherwise, dividing myself like that makes me all but useless against other Servants. Not that I'll be a match for most of them in direct confrontation anyway." She says, "But anyway, I got those things you wanted."

"Huh?"

Turning my gaze back to the small pile that the Assassins had placed at my feet. Sure enough, there's an old, worn Chameleon-type Personal Armored Suit, four MAMX grenades, a remote detonator, a Galiza B09 - not the exact weapon I'd asked for, but a very similar model - and, resting neatly on top of that pile, a plain black scarf.

I kneel down, starting to inspect the gear more closely, "How'd you get all this?"

"Stole it." Assassin replied in a startlingly perky tone, hands on her hips - her giant robot body performing the same action.

"From..."

"From the AIM, of course. Their base was loaded with stuff. Don't worry, I wasn't caught. Their security systems are pathetic." Assassin pipes in, holding up a finger and waggling it, "Of course, any security system is a joke when I'm involved. Those are my specialty."

I can't help but laugh, starting to gear up, "Thanks, Assassin. You're a lifesaver."

"I know." She replies, "Anyway, while I was bypassing their bases security systems and editing the security footage and generally making them all look like idiots, I did some snooping too. Galahad was lying to you. Either that, or his bosses are lying to him. They know exactly who Berserker's Master is. They made her."

"Oh?" I glance over, interested.

"Mmhmm. Apparently she's a gynoid. 100% synthetic. She's got an advanced - for you humans, anyway - Artificial Intelligence. Based on her specs, I think maybe I could hack her, but it might be tricky. AIs are not something I like messing with." Assassin replies, "She's an attempt by the AIM at making an artificial Originator, without any human parts. Just trying to technologically replicate Originator biology with synthetic parts. It's really quite ingenious. It says they accounted for all the bits of Originator biology that don't work properly with the slightly different laws of physics that this Universe has compared to the Originator universe, and found ways to synthetically produce similar effects."

She projects a holographic image.



"Her name's Radel, and according to the files I found, she's under the direct command of AIM. That's part of the reason I wanted us to get out of there, but I couldn't tell you with us both being so closely watched." Assassin tells me.

That's hardly surprising. I can't be sure Galahad wasn't lying to me about this, or if he just genuinely didn't know. I hope the latter.

"Well, that's good information to have. Anything else?"

Suited up now, I start moving, and Assassin's human-sized body follows. Her large main-body rises to its feet and starts to move ahead, its black armor shifting until it becomes invisible, blending effortlessly with its surroundings until I'm no longer able to see her. I turn my gaze to the humanoid avatar that she left at my side, raising a brow to her.

"Well, I did find some other small tidbits, but I think maybe it's my turn to ask some questions." She replies.

"Hm... well, if you wish." I shrug.

"Well then, first question, how did you get those Originator Circuits of yours? I've done some scans on your systems, and they're pretty remarkable..." Assassin pipes in, her tone rather gushing, reminding me of a tech geek getting excited over some particularly fancy piece of tech, "The guys who made you really did some amazing stuff, meshing cybernetic, human organics and elements of Originator biology to make something that's honestly a completely unique life-form. Way more impressive than Berserker's Master, really."

I actually blush a little. It's strange to hear a giant robot, of all things, praising me for such a thing, "There's not much to tell. I... Galahad and I... were part of a TAC project. They took genetic samples from the Human Enhancement Project from a few centuries ago, grew some cultures, performed tests to determine what traits would mesh best with Originator-analogue organs, how to most effectively connect cybernetics to organic systems. I think they integrated some alien - non-human aliens from this universe, that is - biology into me as well. I don't really know a ton of the details, though. I was a creation and a test subject, they didn't feel like they needed to tell me much about how they made me."

Assassin nods her head slowly, seeming to take it all in, "And... what's your wish, then?"

"I... I'm not sure I'm ready to tell you that, Assassin." I murmur, "You'll think it's silly."

"There's nothing wrong with silly. As a matter of fact I..." She trails off, her head snapping to the left, "Master, another Servant is approaching us. Fast. It's Saber."

Sure enough, moments after that warning, Saber's massive blue and gold frame smashes through one of the ruined buildings, and she looks down at us, raising her arm up over her head, the shape of her invisible weapon vaguely hinted at by the swirling vortex of air around it. Assassin grabs me by my shoulders, shoving me aside, and in that moment, her larger body appears from nowhere. A white band around Assassin's wrist glows and blades of light appear, shooting forth in a rainbow of colours, directly at Saber. Saber deflects them easily with her Invisible Air, swatting them aside with her sword.

With two quick steps, she closes the distance between herself and Assassin, lashing out with her sword in a vicious blow. Assassin's hand opens, a blade of seemingly solid light forming within her grip, which she uses to block that first blow, taking a step back. Saber doesn't let up her attack, however, her robotic countenance seeming grim and determined as she slashed with composed fury at my dark Servant. Assassin can barely keep up with that onslaught of blows, ducking, dodging and weaving, using the ruins for cover where she's able to, and using her weapon of light to block when necessary. On occasion, Assassin hurls a knife or a blade of light with incredible accuracy and speed, but every time it's deflected with almost thoughtless ease by Saber, who never lets up on her attack.

"Saber! Galahad and I made a truce! He said he wouldn't attack us!" I yell out to her.

"Assassin and I have made no such agreement." Saber replies in a cool monotone.

Another of her attacks is blocked by Assassin, but this time Saber is prepared, and the moment Assassin attempts to knock Saber's weapon aside, the blue Servant steps in and kicks out with her left foot. The kick catches Assassin in her chest hard enough that I see black armor crack and dent, and she's sent flying backwards, smashing and rolling through buildings before she's able to right herself and land on her feet in a hunched over position.

Saber holds her weapon in both hands, preparing to charge, but the Assassin flickers and disappears. Saber raises her weapon, glancing left and right. For a few long seconds, there's no sound or movement, but then a dozen knives of both solid metal and glowing light lash out towards Saber over the span of a second, each seeming to have been thrown from a different location. An earsplitting ring echoes in the air as Saber's weapon moves with starting speed. Eleven knives are blocked, dodged or swatted from the air. One smashes into the building next to me, throwing up a cloud of dust. When that clears, I see Saber and Assassin locked together, Assassin holding a dagger of light as it pierces Saber's chest, while Saber's own invisible sword is held at Assassin's neck, ready to sever her head from her body.

"Saber! STOP!" I hear Galahad's voice. Turning, I see him standing fifty meters away, his left arm raised up. On the back of his hand, one of his Command Glyphs is glowing brightly. Saber's weapon vanishes and she shoves Assassin away from her, turning to return to Galahad, who now has only two Command Glyphs on his left hand.

Galahad meets my eye, giving me an apologetic look, before turning to walk away, "Get out of here, Mari. You were right, the two of us working together is a bad idea."

Dusting myself off, I look to Assassin, "Are you alright?"

Assassin's larger body has once again disappeared, but her human avatar replies, "I'm fine, Master. Saber did no serious damage. I should be able to repair myself completely in a few hours. We should keep moving. Do you have a location in mind?"

A) The nearest TAC outpost would be ideal.
B) Somewhere off the grid and easy to defend.
C) Somewhere we can blend in.
D) Wherever our enemies are.
E) Other

Also, after witnessing that battle, you were able to learn more about some of the Servants. Click here to review.

[Ristyo]

C would be a good place, because Assassin needs to repair a bit, and blending in helps in hiding both from the TAC and AIM.