Time seemed to tick by far too slowly for the Agents as they waited at the abandoned mines for the appointed bell. Men and women slowly trickled in until a large chunk of the Agency stood at the end of the long forgotten valley. Milo North, Berrod Armstrong, Cerina Borlaaq, N’hara Tia, Reks Blanc, Garyn Almos, Tiergan Vashir, Kariun Gallek, Crooked Tarot, Viktor Harlenk, Sergei Harlenk, Su Mindwalker, Erioch Koren, Dylan Skye, Autgar Bloode, Relavel Outtlaw, Avenio Naemig, and Kitakaze Mugenkagami stood before Director Sarij Rahzersyn as he gave what would be his final speech to the Astral Agency.
"This will be the last briefing of the Astral Agents. I think ya all fer coming and fer putting yer necks and yer freedom on the line." The Roegadyn spoke clearly to the group. "Some of ya are new tah the group, some of ya have been around since the beginning, but we are all here at the end of this all."
"The outlook fer the company ain't rosy, I ain't gonna lie to anyone on that. However, we ain't here about to attack an Immortal Flame's base fer that. We are putting an end to Iron Jaw to protect everyone's future even it ain't with Astral Agency. When I say everyone, I don't just mean all of you, myself, or those not with us from the company, I mean every person that Iron Jaw might go for next. We were not the first and if we don't act we won't be the last."
"We have the knowledge and the means tah stop him, to step away from that is cowardice and we might as well be shoving the dagger into the back of the next group he grooms for his use. Even if we fail here, we are doing the right thing as our own choice."
"When this company was first formed, it was lie to every member recruited. It was a tool for another group's gain. Every job, every mission, every victory and loss was to serve people outside of the company. We fought and bled for something none of us were knowingly involved with, but when we found out we fought and bled to escape the lie and being a mere tool."
"And we succeeded."
"But Iron Jaw tried to once again turn us into that lie... that tool, but this time our eyes were open and we were not deceived. At the end of this company, I am proud to say we are not a lie and we are not some power craven man's tool. We will end the company in an act that is true to the company's name."
"The Astral eras are ones of hope, peace, and prosperity, where the weak are protected and taught to be strong. Where the bounty of life is shared and friends and family share joy and hope. This mission is not one of revenge. This is the Astral Agency carrying out one final mission to prove all our past failures and umbral dips wrong. We will bring hope, we will bring peace, and we will bring joy."
"We will do this by putting an end to a man would would rob everyone of that joy and peace for his own gain. I ask you all one last time to march under the banner of the Astral Agency and carry out what our name means ONE LAST TIME."
Once he concluded, Sarij Rhazersyn stepped back into the group and handed command to Berrod Armstrong to command the tactics. Berrod explained that Sarij would be running interference to the north so that their attack on Camp Bluefog would not be interrupted by the greater forces from the Ceruleum Processing Plant after the initial assault Tiergan Vashir, Viktor Harlenk and Kariun Gallek would move to support him, hopefully before he was overwhelmed.
The attack would lead with the casters and Garyn taking out the Immortal Flame’s sentry’s with sleeping spells and drugged arrows. Then a second group would engage the response while a final group charged through the preoccupied forces to find Iron Jaw and kill him. He was the only target and the only person supposed to be killed. Berrod knew there was not much else he could plan for ahead of the actual attack so he made it clear everyone needs to be ready to adapt and shift as needed. The highland would also try his best to shout out directions as he could even through the the linkshell blackout. The Astral Agency member’s grabbed their share of Viktor Harlenk’s emergency potions and began the march to what would be their final battlefield.
The initial skirmish at the gates had to be timed perfectly with Berrod activating the Aetheryte nullifier and linkpearl disruptors. Reks and Dylan worked in tandem to create and spread a harmless mist that knocked out sentries up high, while Su Mindwalker forced a guard to sleep with a mix of barriers and sleep magic. Unfortunately, Garyn’s mark was able to get out a shout before he too was taken down, this time by drugged dart. At the same time Berrod activated both Aetheryte nullifier and linkpearl disruptors. The Aetheryte in Camp Bluefog went dark and the fizzing of pearls sent the camp into chaos. Civilians fled quickly as the soldiers armed themselves and got into position.
The Astral Agency split into four groups. Autgar, Rel, and Dylan took to the western gate where they were met with four soldiers. Crooked and Garyn took to the cliffs to try to get into a higher position to get a view of the battleground. Berrod, Reks, Milo, and Su stayed outside of the eastern gate to provide ranged support and direction. Avenio led the charge disrupting their defenses enough Erioch, Cerina, and Kita to charge through with N’hara following in support and Sergei taking care to make sure the Immortal Flames were removed from combat with little harm to them.
It soon became clear that the Immortal Flames were not very crippled by the lack of linkpearls, someone was marking Agents for archers and soldiers to attack. Iron Jaw with a squadron of archers stood on a ridge. The Flame Marshal was not doing anything other than marking targets while the archers took aim.The agents unfortunately were forced into the courtyard of the camp and range of the archers by the presence of a mage preparing a powerful spell at the Aetheryte.
Crooked Tarot attempted to try to get to Iron Jaw to disrupt the marking before he could outflank the Agents, but quickly discovered that his highground path was blocked by a barrier and retreated to go support Milo, Berrod, and Su as Reks headed into the courtyard. Milo and Sergei quickly started working on the barrier to get to the archers and clear the path to Iron Jaw.
Garyn, Koh, and Avenio attempted to disable mage, but discovered the second robed individual had erected a powerful barrier to protect them. The Agents were helpless to but watch the spell complete and every member of Astral Agency be marked by Iron Jaw and a fireball explode outward from the spell hunt them down regardless where they stood.
Autgar, Rel, and Dylan were quickly able to disable the four soldiers in their way, one even surrendered before he could be hurt. Their victory was interrupted by fireballs pelting them and forcing them to see cover under the ridge in a tunnel leading to the main camp.
Erioch, Kita, and Cerina were dealing with two final soldiers guarding the base of the ridge leading up to Iron Jaw when they too were pelted with fireballs, but shielding set up by Su, Reks, and N’hara kept them from harm. Though Koh was not so lucky, taking a fireball to the back and being forced to retreat. Those remaining outside of the camp suffered minor injuries from the fireballs as well.
One by one the rest of the soldiers were dealt with, and the barrier was shattered. It left the battlefield consisting of just the Astral Agency and Iron Jaw. However, something loomed high above the battlefield. The Flame Marshal retreated to the top of the ridge and in his steps aether exploded upward until he reached the apex. Iron Jaw raised his sword skyward called out ot the heavens
“IRYNWILF’S GRYMGRINA VERBRACHEN DER MAETI.”
A great, glowing visage of a iron jawed wolf pushed its head through the clouds. Its growl shook the earth as it stared down at every member of the Astral Agency. Something terrible was to come. Sergei Harlenk had heard of Iron Jaw possessing battle turning ability, but never imagined it as such, and the highlander quickly went about gathering the fallen Immortal Flames and putting all his aether into a shield to protect himself and the unconscious and wounded.
The Agents suffered a mix of awe and fear, but quickly made to defend themselves from whatever was to come. Dylan raised stone from the ground on both sides of the tunnel to seal Rel, Autgar and himself inside a protective coffin. N’hara exerted the last of his aether to create a shield around Koh, Cerina, Eiroch, and Avenio. Su and Crooked created barriers around themselves, Milo and Berrod. Garyn attempted to hide. Milo tried to directly attack the wolf, while Kita attempted one last strike on Iron Jaw as Reks ran to the Raen’s aid to shield him as well.
The tsunami of earth aether ripping down from the sky as the wolf howled destroyed the linkpearl disruptors and the aetheryte nullifier. Even the aetheryte, as it reactivated, changed to a brilliant gold as it was flushed with earth aether. The opaque aether concealed the battlefield and when it passed Iron Jaw was no longer on the ridge, but standing in the middle of the camp ready for a final battle, though his eyes revealed the man was quite overloaded in aether
Once the storm had passed and Berrod saw where Iron Jaw stood and called for everyone to take him out before he could do anything. Like locus the Agents descended upon Iron Jaw. Koh, Avenio, and Cerina closed the gap to bury their weapons into the man. Autgar kept his distance but used aether to simulate heavy punches toward the Roegadyn. From up high Garyn fired an aethericly wrapped arrow, and Rek fired high speed water projectiles down at Iron Jaw. Both Su and Eiroch took shots with magic and bullets.
However, instead of bleeding wounds every blast against the Flame Marshal left glowing scars that radiated the same earthen aether that had flooded the battlefield just prior. But the time the Agent’s rally finished against the man, he laughed.
“Funny, here I am robbing all of you of that final blow you crave… not because of some sick pride, but just because of bad luck.”
The man exploded, sending a few limbs across the camp, while the core of his body and his head became coated in earth crystals and he fell to the ground. Dead. Iron Jaw was dead. The Astral Agency had won.
The shift went from combat to mending the wounded and trying to calm down Cerina who had gone ballistic from N’hara’s aetheric boost to her. However, when Iron Jaw fell the foreign aether in the Aetheryte finished being bled out and the crystal regained its bright blue, unfortunately that also meant that Immortal Flames soldiers started to teleport into the camp ready to take down the Agents.
From the north a large squadron of chocobo riders quickly closed in on the camp, led by Flame Marshal Jute. She was a notoriously no nonsense Lalafell officer who would have no qualms putting down the Agents if they resisted. Thankfully, Berrod and Sergei quickly directed everyone to surrender even as Viktor, Sarij, Tiergan, and Kariun’s bloodied bodies were dropped onto the ground. The distraction team was still alive but not in the best shape.
One by one the Astral Agency was cuffed and filed off to Ul’dah and a waiting courtroom. Cerina, Eiroch, and Aveino were given time to have the Xaela calm down from a rage, as if the Flame Mashal recognized it. Eventually, every Agent was carted off to a stuffy courtroom with Judge Burnt Ash.
It was courtroom Milo and Berrod had been before for Balthius’s trial, but this time the entire Astral Agency present at for the mission was on trial. The judge quickly began the trial, having already received much of the Agent’s defense from documents dropped off by Lurial and Gideon in careful timing shortly before the Astral Agency’s arrest. One by one every man and woman was brought up to the bench of state their name and affiliation with the Astral Agency. Once they answered they were asked to plea innocent or guilty to the characters of with open assault on Immortal Flames soldiers, assassination of Flame Marshal Iron Jaw, and sabotage of Immortal Flame property. Viktor and Sergei Harlenk had slightly different charges or were not charged due to not being at Camp Bluefog and being an officer of the Immortal Flames.
Every member plead guilty, but before sentencing the Judge allowed Berrod to make a case as to why they should not be sentenced to death or gaol for life. The highland approached the bench and made an impassioned speech on how the Agents merely did what was right for Ul’dah, the Immortal Flames, and Eorzea. How had they not acted against Iron Jaw, his greed would have grown and twisted into worse deeds and crippled more companies. He claimed if the court put them to death the court was just as vile as the deeds Iron Jaw had performed out of sight of the Immortal Flames. Once Berrod was done, Judge Burnt Ash gave the Astral Agency’s sentence.
“Permanent dissolution of the Astral Agency company and a fine of five hundred million gil for damages and other crimes against Ul’dah, the Immortal Flames, and Eorzea. First payment will be due in one sennight If payment cannot be made the former Astral Agency members will be arrested and made to work in mines and other labor sources until the fine is paid.”
Berrod maintained a calm demeanor for the moment. Some of the Agents were relieved, some were almost nonchalant, others were in a panic about the sheer amount of gil, but all were free to go. One by one people departed, though Sergei was escorted off for his own tribunal. Eventually, it was just a few and Berrod Armstrong nearly broke down before he too left the courtroom.
Astral Agency.
The company he and so many had been with for so long.
Had ended.
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