The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Cloud Questioning

With parts in play, the next couple of hours that they were forced to wait for Vulcrum's team to return with Brel were spent making sure the combined Silver Legion-First Dragon's Own force was properly equipped and trained with the new armor and Shiva/Kali weapon systems. Lash joined the Van Tallert nestari that had accompanied him out of Austria, along with Naryan and her Force Recon platoon, Truk and Narcist in showing the legionnaires and the Dragons how the new weapons and armor worked.

A round of familiarity training also was handled directly by Lash, who took it upon himself to demonstrate the capabilities of the various pieces of military hardware the base had in store. So, for a good section of those two hours, the flight deck rumbled with Dominus tanks moving in formation, loading drills, Wolverines getting put through their paces, and Lupus ATVs racing around the perimeter.

Once that was done, the Night Wolves took the War Bats out on patrol. And it was while they were out that Vulcrum's team finally arrived on their Nighthawk gunship.

Already on the flight deck to see the War Bats getting catapulted through their narrow launch windows, Lash stood at the back of the gunship as the loading ramp slowly descended, arms folded. This Kanter Brel, formerly Ivor Makarov, was the next link in the chain. The question now was: was Brel as reinforced against torture and questioning by nanites as Anna was?

Still unconscious from the trank that knocked him out, Brel was bodily carried from the back of the Nighthawk by the four vampire team that captured him. Looking up and spotting him even as eight Lash nestari jogged over to take custody of the asset, the team leader nodded in greeting.

"My lord," he said, a no-nonsense looking fellow in street clothes with armor and gear over top. "I believe I have a special delivery for you."

"That you do, operative," Lash said with a nod, waving the nestari in to take the unconscious Brel out of their hands. "Thank you. I appreciate your efforts. As a token of that appreciation, I can get you a ride to anywhere you need to go."

"That won't be necessary, my lord Ingamon," the vampire replied with a respectful nod. "Vulcrum has requested we attach ourselves to his interrogation team in case an operation is required during the siege of the Nocturnum."

Lash smiled.

"A wise precaution. Then I'll point you to the mess for food and blood, if you need, and the barracks where you can shower and get some tomb time," the big vampire said, pointing towards the door that would take them to the mess hall and barracks.

"Thank you, Sire," the vampire said, his team also giving Lash nods of respect. Then they were jogging towards the doors that Lash had pointed to.

With the familiarity training well underway, and Brel now in their hands, it was time for the big vampire to make his way back down to the cells. Vulcrum looked up as he stepped into the cell, a frown on his chiseled face.

"More nanites, I'm afraid," he said, handing Lash a vial filled with blood that moved by itself. "I think it's safe to conclude any high level assets that find themselves colluding with White Flames will also just as quickly find their bloodstreams polluted with these infernal things."

Lash sighed as he held the vial up and watched the slow, twisting motion of the microscopic robots working in conjunction to try and free themselves from the container.

"I concur, unfortunately." Lash dropped the vial away from his eyes to stare hard at the unconscious Brel.

'Was there anything of the once loyal Makarov still left inside of this thug-turned-mercenary?' he wondered, slowly turning the vial over and over in his hand as he considered the unconscious vampire.