Ren: Chasing Shadows

Collection: Ages of Youth//the Halleaux//Submissions//Chronicled by Ren

Chapter Eleven: Chasing Shadows
​They woke early the next morning and began to pack. After a hurried breakfast they prepped the horses and prepared to depart. Mulu-Lizi and Almeisan came to see them off and wish them well.
"All ready?" he asked them
"Yes, we're just waiting on Mira" Ren informed him
"I see" came the reply
"Listen Mulu-Lizi, you need to take the tribe back to the native lands, the entire Authority is coming and they aren't too pleased with me" Ren told him quickly
"You are my brother in arms, we will fight together" Mulu-Lizisaid

"You obviously don't understand, the entire army, we're talking bigger than the Haven Fighters and the Nikitari put together, women and children included. They will show no mercy and I don't want anyone I have the decency to care about injured or killed because of my 'family issues'" he yelled
About that time Mira walked out of her tent wearing a leather frock and boots. Petra shot her a dirty look from the back of her horse, making Ren think that something had happened last night. He made mental note to ask her about it when he got a chance then turned to Mira.
"I know that's not what you plan on wearing to meet the Haven fighters in" Ren told her
"What's wrong with this" She asked
" For starters, you can't strddle a horse wearing a dress and the horse can't run at full speed with you sitting sideways, then there is the matter of you not being able to fight wearing a dress because it restricts your range of motion, and finally part of being a warrior is the look, no offense but Prince scares me more than you do right now." He explained
"He is right, if you are to be a warrior, you must look the part" Mulu-Lizi told her
"Fine, I'll go change" she huffed
Mira went back into her tent and emerged a couple of minutes later wearing pants and a black sleeveless shirt much like the one Petra had seen Ren wear.
"Better?" she asked him
"Better" he told her "grab your things and let's go, I imagine the tribe will be on their way as soon as they can break camp"
"Indeed" Mulu-Lizi confirmed
Mira walked to the edge of her tent, reached inside, and pulled out a backpack that looked ready to burst at the seams. She put it on and walked over to where they stood, waiting for her.
"Come on, let's get going" Petra said impatiently
"Mira, you know how to ride a horse, correct?" Ren asked her
"Of course I do, what kind of idiot doesn't know how to ride a horse" she said, staring at Petra, who stuck her tongue out at her.
"Good, you can ride Prince" Ren told her
"How are you getting back to camp then?" Petra asked as Mira saddled up
"I have a plan, don't worry about me" He told her "Now go" he smacked the horses and they took off at a full run.
Ren reached into his bag and pulled out a metal disk about three feet wide. He tossed it up in the air and it fell down, hovering a few feet above the ground. He stepped onto it and a series of metal clamps locked onto his boots, effectively holding Ren to the disk.
"What is that?" Mulu-Lizi asked him
"It's a disk that projects a magnetic field to push againstthemagnetic field of the Earth which allows the disk to levitate." He explained "I better get going"
A set of jet engines slid out from the bottom of the disk. Ren slid open one of his guantlets revealing a keypad. He punched a few numbers in and pressed enter. He slid the panel shut, wrapped his face, and shifted his weight forward ever so slightly. The disk shot forward with incredible speed, the engines leaving a cloud of sand behind him and turning the sand where the engines had been to glass. He blazed onward, flying along the sands of the desert with incredible skill, his cloak whipping behind him. After about two minutes he passed Mira and Petra on their horses with a blur of red and black.
"Did you see that" yelled Petra
"Yes, how could I miss it?" Mira yelled back
"What do you think it was?"
"There is only one thing that could come up with something as insane as that" Mira shouted
"Ren?" Petra asked
"Ren" Mira confirmed
Two hours later they finally made it to the base where Ren stood on his flying disk, waiting for them. He dismounted and helped them get the horses back into the shack he used for a stable then they all walked back to the base together just in time for lunch. As they ate Ren introduced Mira to Mech and Marius and explained why she was with them. After they had eaten, Ren rose from the table and beckoned Mira to follow him.
"There is an emergency meeting in the computer room in two hours, as a commander you are required to be there. Considering the circumstances I don't see a way that we can avoid allowing Mira to join us so you might as well bring her along." Mech told him
"Excellent, I'll be there. I'm going to show Mira around the base while we wait." Ren replied casually
"Don't forget, be there promptly, there is someone who wishes to meet you" Mech warned
"Got it" Ren stated before walking off, Mira following close behind.
Ren gave Mira a tour of the base starting at his room. From there they went to the lab, the barracks, the hangar, the range, the training grounds, and defense facilities. When it was finally time for the meeting Ren showed Mira the way to the computer room and explained the purpose. When they entered the computer room Ren found several changes. The holographic table had been replaced with a long military conference table surrounded with chairs, instead of darkness the room was brightly lit, and all of the moniters were off. Mech, Marius, Petra, and Gabrielle sat in four of the chairs. Two more were occupied by a very old man and a middle-aged man. The elder of the two was short and rather heavy with thinning grey hair and a long beard. He wore a stained lab coat over his button down shirt. The younger man wore a black shirt and pants as well as an old fashioned set of welding goggles. His skin was fair and you could make an argument for the color of his hair. It was somwhere between a light brown and a dark blonde. From underneath his shirt a light shone in the center of his chest. When Ren entered the younger of the two men rose to shake his hand.
"You must be Michael Ren" said the man
"I must be" Ren replied
"I am-" the man began
"Jean Valjean, sentanced to five years in the Bagne of Toulon for stealing a loaf of bread from a local baker, prisoner number 24601, aliases: Monsieur Madeleine, Urbain Fauchelevant, Urbain Fabre, leader of the Haven Fighters, sworn enemy of the Authority, no known military training, possible tactical experiance, threat level: two, mission cruciality: ten" Ren stated
"I'm curious to know where you got your information" Valjean told him
"Let's just say for now that I'm in the business of knowing" Ren replied
"Or, it could be because you were Javert's head assassin and I was on your target list and thus you would have read and memorized my file, thus at least half of it would be comitted to your long-term memory" Valjean retorted
"He's good" Ren told Mech
"Quite so"
"let's just say I am also in the business of knowing" Valjean finished
They all took their seats, Ren sitting directly accrossfrom Valjean. For a time the two stared at each other then Valjean rose and began to talk about the coming threat of the Authority.
"The entire army will be mobilizing shortly, which gives us a little over a week to prepare assuming they advance at maximum speed. We should begin preparations immedietly, however we have more pressing matters. While you were gone we recieveda node from a mysterious person known only as "Logan". He is inside the base and needs to be found." Valjean said
Valjean pulled up the contents of the node on the projector and they all read it. Ren pulled his knife from its sheath and stood. He began to pace back and forth, scratching his head with the tip of the blade. He poured over the contents of the node several times.
"What is he doing?" asked Valjean
"I'm pretty sure he's thinking" Petra replied
"Assassins think?" Valjean asked her
"Apparently so" Petra said
After several minutes Ren's eyes lit up. His arm shot forward and the knife flew out, wedging itself in the table just inches from Valjean's hand.
"Oops, forgot I was holding that. I've had an Idea of how we can find this Logan fellow. He gives descriptions of his daily duties in the node. We just have to look for anything out of the ordinary." Ren explained
"Ok, he also mentioned a robot number, if he is a robot regular weapons won't work on him" Valjeansaid
"I was hoping you would notice that" Ren said happily
He walked over to the projector and plugged in a USB drive that he pulled out of his pocket. He flipped on the projector and began to show the group several blueprints for experimental weaponry that he has created. Finally he reached the last one and smailed cruelly.
"This is an Arc Rifle, at a low power level it will produce a harmless EMP that would barely break a lightbulb, at mid-power it will produce a high level EMP that would fry a robots circutry, at full power it will produce a deadly Electrical Arc that will kill just about anything, robots included" Ren lectured "Any questions?"
Petra raised her hand.
"Yes?" Ren asked, pointing at her
"Do you really walk around carrying a USB drive full of blueprints for experimental weaponry wainting for someone to show them to?" Petra asked him
Ren frowned at her while Marius and Valjeanlaughed.
"Ha ha, very funny, you're a real comedian" Ren told her
"Commander Ren, attention" Valjean ordered
"Yes, sir" Barked Ren as he sprang into attention
"This Logan is your target, find him at all costs. I would perfer him alive but if that is not possible, terminate him. Do you understand your orders?" Valjean asked
"Yes, sir" Ren said
"Then carry them out" Valjean ordered
"Sir, it would be my genuine pleasure" Said Ren with a smile so big Petra was scared.
"What is your mission?" Valjean asked
"Find Logan" Ren said in an almost robotic tone