Chapter Three (B): Eric & Alice

[Akirapryde]

Eric & Alice: In to the unknown

(OOC: It is understood that the party has at this time recovered the remaining of their equipment. The party weapons are still MIA, however any non-weapon has returned to its owner)

As the last of the party headed out and the large door closed Alice drew in a deep breath. She didn't know what Eric had planned and wasn't even sure if she wanted to know. She walked over to the desk and took a seat behind it. She allowed her hands to drop below the desk as she started to fidget with her ring again. She couldn't get her mind off the possibility of never seeing him again.

She remembered the first time she saw him, it was in the grand library on Tharkad. He was a librarian assistant with a love for Pre-Star League History and she was on a mission by Professor Angsoft to research from documents about General Kerensky. She couldn't find the book she was looking for and he helped guide her to what she was looking for. It seemed so silly at the time, but it wasn't long before their love grew beyond her wildest imagination. But she knew that Professor Angsoft wouldn't have approved, she was forced to keep the relationship a secret.

Then came the night before their departure for Phoenix Station. He wanted to make sure that she had something to return home for. He offered her his heart and future. She had heard about these things happening in the Inner Sphere. She had thought it silly to allow such feeling to occupy a person, but then it happened to her. Before her logical mind could even consider a protest, her mouth uttered her acceptance. At the time she thought she was going crazy, so she refused to think about it. Now it was something that she couldn't get out of her mind.

She looked up and realized that Eric had said something. She had no clue what he had said and she suddenly felt foolish again. Her eyes widened with surprise at her being distracted. "I am sorry, I was distracted. What were you saying?" she said with an apologetic voice.

[aipsylon]

Erik nodded to her ring. "That is important to you, the person that that ring represents, that your life's commitment to another person, that someone means more to you than anything else in the whole universe, and now they are gone? I have a ring too you know." He said with a nod as if that made it more true, "It represents many of the same thins, a life's commitment to something. A care for something more than I care about myself. It too had to be kept secret if it was to grow." As he talked about it he reached into his pocket to pull out a ring. it was large and made of iron and steel. He slid it onto his finger as he looked to her, seeing if she recognized what it was. "I am a knight, Erik Steiner, I too have a duty to my people, a devotion to them before myself, it is why I was on the ship at all, to see what the professor was really up to. Now I need to talk to someone that can gt things moving for us quickly I need someone intelligent and innocent. Will you come with me?"

[Akirapryde]

Alice saw the ring as surprised washed over her. "We had heard that Lyran Intelligence was asking questions, but we never knew how close you had gotten to us" she admitted. She paused for a moment and raised her hand to stop Eric, "There is more to the meaning then you might understand. Please let me explain."

She turned towards the desk and leaned on it. She looked at the little ring for a moment before continuing, "I am sure that you have heard about Clan Warriors and their rituals. Bloodnames, rites of passage, and duty above all things. Clan Scientists are not much different. Just like True Born Warriors, there are genetically create Clan Scientists" she explained then sighed. "We are raised in family units unlike the Clan Warriors and their SibCo's. For us, we are taught at a very young age a duty to Science. There is no national pride or personal loyalty. For those like my parents, only the Science matters. Which is why they were so willing to help Professor Angsoft. When I met him, I thought it was foolish. I was a Clan Scientist, I was above this petty thing called love. Sure I had seen its effects first hand on other Inner Sphere Scientists I was working around. To my surprise I found myself making up reasons to see him. Each reason was more silly then the one before it. Luckily for me, Professor Angsoft had a passion for General Alexander Kerensky. A passion that he insisted I shared. So those silly reasons were easy to explain away. The night he gave me this ring, I was going to leave the project. But he, the man I loved, asked me to follow through with the project. That I shouldn't abandon the project at this stage. We agreed to marry" she said with a bit of disbelief in her voice. "Me, marry. Even now it sounds so completely unreasonable. A unnecessary distraction from science. But now, I can't forgive myself for walking away from him that night."

She turned her head to look at him, "You are right, my ring does represent a commitment to something that is larger than myself. No not a people, an idea or a nation, but to a single thing. Love. I loved him so much that I was willing to walk away from everything just to spent an entire life with only him."

"Your ring represents a loyalty to your people. But my ring also represents a betrayal of everything I was raised to hold dear. I will help you in what you wish, but I have to ask. Would you be able betray all that that ring represents for something greater than who you are?"

[aipsylon]

"I have already forsaken what I was taught for what this ring represents, now, let's had out before the others get back. Otherwise what was the point of sending them out." Erik already knew they were in the past, the deciding factor for him was the song that Jake had heard. "To ascertain that we are not in our time we only need only ask Suki her age and what year she was born in."

He pushed off the table he was leaning on and heed out the door, looking to be sure Alice was following before heading to the nearest hatch that less off the level, checking the fire escape routes posted to ID the proper hatch.

[Akirapryde]

Alice didn't ask what he had meant by what he had forsaken as she got up. She followed closely behind him as they searched for hatches.

Being a ship of war, there were no passageways marked "Fire Escape", but it didn't take long for them to find a hatch that lead off this level. The hatch fit the bill for what Eric was looking for. Without the help of someone hacking the security systems, it wasn't long before the pair were approached by a security officer.

"You are not to leave this level, by order of the Sho Sho." the security officer said in broken English.

Eric noticed that the man was only armed with a tonfa (OOC:See Side-handle baton). He was protected by a simple security armor and helmet. A small mic dropped down from his helmet and stopped just short of his mouth. However it was what the man wasn't carrying that was surprising. He had no fire arms on him.

[aipsylon]

"Yes, so I was told, however, I have information of a time sensitive and sensitive nature, if you would report to tor superiors that we must speak with them at the earliest available time." His tone was polite and serious, the volume of his voice slightly below conversational.

[Akirapryde]

The disposition of the guard was relaxed as there was no attempt for Eric or his female companion to sneak off the level. He stood there calm and listened carefully till Eric was done. Then he spoke in Japanese in to the microphone from his helmet. After a moment, "you will wait here. Someone is coming here to speak with you."

Alice stood there silent as she waited for Eric's plan to play out.

[aipsylon]

Erik nodded, he could wait patiently , heading down the hall a few steps before leaning against the wall.

[Akirapryde]

Within a few moments, the older Kuritan officer walked up. It took Erik no time to realize that the man was a member of House Kurita's noble hierarchy. His Samurai swords also told Erik that the man carried a great deal of respect about the ship. His rank insignia placed him near the upper ranks of the members on the dropship. After a short conversation with the guard, the older officer turned to face Erik.

"I am Major Tetsuhara" he said with an incredible degree of skill of the German language. "I am told you have information for us. Let us speak in somewhere more private."

Alice caught Erik's attention motioning that she had no idea what he was saying. This was going to be a conversation between the Major and him.

He motioned to Erik and Alice to follow him, "please come this way." In a few short steps, Erik and Alice found them boarding a lift. The doors closed and the Major activated the lift with a access card. "I trust it that you are being treated well?"

[aipsylon]

Erik followed the Major to the room he lead him to before speaking at all. "Greetings Major, I thank you for your prompt reply to my request." He said his own German clearly marking him as a native speaker of the language, a piece of information that the major had clearly been brandished with. He followed along with him, looking to Alice before nodding. "Yes, we have been treated very well, much of the reason why I have chosen to trust you with some information, and to try to get some in return. I was given intelligence from a reliable source that there is to be an assassination attempt late next year by Katrina Steiner-Davion on her brother Aurthur. Additionally where this relates to you, the Draconis Combine will be implicated in this."