#torke

[crazydane666]

[heisenbergchronicles]

Breaking Time by Torke in Spain

[blitzandthebarracudabrigade]

Prologue 1.4: Taking Takoyarkov

Phew, this took a bit longer than I would have liked. But here’s part 4 of the Takoyarkov prologue arc!

Agent Phantom and Mantis belong to @splat-tendency

Agent Penguin (Penny) and Polar Bear (Ursa) belong to @oranguin

(Several miles from the crater in Takoyarkov, 100 feet above sea level...)

“GBR HQ come in. This is Commander Blitz. Do you copy?”

Roger that we hear you loud and clear sir.

”Excellent, me and the other Agents are approaching the drop zone in approximately 5 minutes.”

Understood sir. Tell them to prepare for low altitude jump once you are at the drop zone.

“Understood HQ. Over and out.”

The inkling commander packed his radio away in a pocket on his parka and made his way towards the back of his aircraft, a reverse engineered helicopter from human schematics. He looked to the passenger compartment and saw 4 inklings wearing the latest Agent gear and weapons supplied by Sheldon. 

They sat together in pairs, which he assumed meant that they’d rather work with each other’s pairings. Two of them, a sea foam green inkling girl and a lime green inkling boy, were quietly conversing with their weapons, a Hero Splatling and a pair of Hero Dualies respectively, by their sides. The other pair of inklings,  pink and purple, were keeping quiet with the pink one holding onto one of the purple one’s arms nervously. Blitz took in a deep breath and made his way towards them.

“Alright Agents, we’re almost at our target. ETA 5 minutes. I’ll brief you one more time on the mission.” Blitz motioned for all four to move closer to him as he dragged a small collapsible table to the center of the compartment. He took out a folded map and spread it across. “We’re about here,” he planted a finger over a stretch of ocean. “heading east towards here.” he dragged his finger until he stopped at the center of a large city ruins. “Our objective is to extract two of my commando operatives from what we believe to be is a human weapons bunker.”

“Woah...” the lime green inkling stuttered as he stared at the map in awe. “So that’s where we’re headed to?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re saying that there are Octarians and Salmonids there as well?” the purple inkling huffed, a cross look on her face.

“It seems so. We’re not entirely sure why they are working together but it can’t be anything good.”

“Yep,” the sea foam green inkling nodded, holding onto her weapon close. “as if dealing with those Octarians weren’t bad enough...”

“Anyway our primary entry plan is to conduct a low altitude jump with me on point. I’ll clear a small area so that our pilots can land this bird and get you on the ground. Once we establish a foothold there two of you will move into the crater and find my operatives. Once you’ve found them head back to the heli and we’ll get out of here.”

“And if our plans don’t go accordingly?” the lime green inkling asked as he crossed his arms.

“Then we’ll just have to improvise, won’t we?” Blitz grinned and packed up the map and slid it into his parka. He then pulled out a Bamboozler Mk. 4 and planted the butt down on the floor of the helicopter. “Alright! Agents Phantom, Mantis, Penguin, and Polar Bear, prepare for low altitude drop!”

“Sir yessir!” All four stood at attention and readied their own weapons.

Without looking, the inkling commander swung his left arm back and hit a red button, causing the back of the aircraft to open up.

“W-wait, you were serious?” Agent Penguin sqeaked in surprise as air began roaring in and out of the compartment.

“Yes, this is what I mean when I said ‘low altitude drop’!” Blitz made his way towards the opening door and looked outside. As he gazed at the passing buildings and flora he saw that the surroundings were beginning to look like the ones on the map. He turned towards the Agents and stamped his weapon down again. “Alright, don’t forget the mission Agents! I’ll see you on the ground!” With that Blitz started to fall backwards and out of the aircraft, causing the 4 remaining inklings to stare in shock and disbelief. 

“Is he crazy?” Agent Mantis yelled over the sound of the rushing air and propeller engine.

(Meanwhile as Blitz was free falling towards certain death...)

Blitz turned himself so that his body was facing the ground, ever growing closer to him as wind whipped by his face. He made a small grin as he quickly holstered his Bamboozler and pulling out a Hero Shot, aiming at the ground and letting out quick bursts of ink. Once he saw a small puddle of his ink reach the ground he quickly shifted into his squid form and aimed himself right at the colored splotch, landing with a loud SPLASH! 

Looks like I made it to the ground safely... Blitz shifted back to his bipedal form and looked around, seeing groups of Octarians and Salmonids beginning to converge on his location. Switching his Hero Shot for his Bamboozler rifle, he calmly pulled out a bayonet and fixed it onto the end of his weapon before cocking it. “Alright ya bunch of scum sucking suckerheads and fish sticks, you want a piece of me?”

The enemies that were already waiting pointed their weapons at him. But he only grinned as he pointed his own at the closest target. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

(Back in the helicopter...)

“Did... did he really just dive off the chopper?” Agent Phantom stared at the others in bewilderment as the others watched him begin assaulting the surrounding enemy force. One by one he gunned down Octarians and Salmonids in quick succession with his rifle, quickly changing his style of combat from close range fire to close quarters combat with his affixed bayonet. 

“Woah... he’s unstoppable.” Agent Mantis muttered, holding onto her Dualies tightly. Moments later the skirmish was over as dozens of enemy troops lie dead or wounded around the inkling commander, his parka splattered with purple ink and green mucus. 

“Agents... the enemy force has been neutralized. Sector is clear-”

Blitz heard a booming crack from behind and dodged to the side as a large projectile whizzed past his face before impacting a few meters behind him.

“Not clear! I repeat, not clear!” He stood up and saw that an armored tank was rolling towards him, the main gun pointed right at him. Gritting his beak he holstered his Bamboozler and started running to its left side, making sure to keep an eye on where the cannon was pointing. As soon as it was aiming in front of him he quickly turned to rush its right. He continued this zig-zag movement until he was almost face to face with the vehicle. He then pulled out his Hero Shot and inked the frontal plates before swimming up to the top. He was then met with an Octarian trooper who popped his head out from the commander’s hatch, which he quickly took down with a few bursts from his weapon. He stood over the open hatch and threw down two Splat Bombs before leaping off and landing in front of the tank. He heard the sounds of panicked voices before-

BOOM! BOOM!

The Splat Bombs went off and rocked the vehicle, the engine eventually stopping and the gun barrel soon leaked of ink.

“Tank destroyed. Agents, tell the pilots that the area is now secured.” 

“You got it Blitz.” Agent Polar Bear replied before making her way to the cockpit. “Commander Blitz said that the area is cleared out.”

“Understood, prepare for landing procedures. Tell the other Agents to get ready.” One of the pilots ordered as he flipped a few switches. Agent Polar Bear returned to the others and relayed the pilot’s order to them. A few moments later all four watched as the aircraft landed next to Blitz, the inkling standing with both his weapons holstered. The group met up with the inkling commander and gave him a quick salute.

“Good, now we’ll split up into two groups. Group 1 will come with me and venture into the vault to see if my operatives are alive, hopefully. While Group 2 stays here with the pilots and holds this landing zone until Group 1 returns. Understood?” Blitz pulled out his Hero Shot once more and cocked it ready.

“Yessir!” All four replied.

“Good, Agents Penguin and Polar Bear will be Group 1 while Agents Phantom and Mantis are in Group 2.”

“Understood.” Agent Polar Bear nodded.

“We’re on it!” Agent Mantis motioned for his partner to follow him.

Blitz signaled for Group 1 to follow him as he descended down the pit. Don’t worry you two, help is on the way. 

(Moments later...)

As Blitz and Group 1 made their way down the darkened corridors of the vault, he tried to radio to Siemo and Torke. 

“Siemo, come in.”

“....”

“Torke do you read me?”

“....”

“Shit, this isn’t good. They aren’t replying to my radio.” Blitz sighed with frustration. 

“Then we should pick up the pace.” Agent Polar Bear suggested as she looked back to Agent Penguin, who was keeping silent and holding onto her Hero Roller. “Hey, we’re gonna be alright. You saw how Blitz took care of those guys earlier.”

The pink inkling nodded to her friend but kept quiet. Suddenly she felt something wrap around her shoulder and looked up to see that the purple inkling was holding her close, a warm comforting smile beaming down to her. “I’ll keep you safe, don’t worry.”

“Come on you two, stay close to me,” Blitz looked back to the pair. “We don’t know who else might be here.” 

The pair grouped up behind him and continued onward until they came upon a set of metal doors. They seemed to have been cut open and torn to shreds. 

“That... is definitely not good.”

Blitz took cover to the left of the opening and signaled for the others to take the right.

“Alright, on my mark I’ll take the left side. You two take the right.” He whispered to them. He took a quick glance around the door way before looking back to the agents.

“One... two... three!”

The group rounded the corner and readied their weapons. However what they saw instead caught them completely off guard, as all around them were several octarian and salmonids soldiers lying dead. Blitz lowered his weapon and stared at them, memories from years ago coming back. 

Good Cod, what... happened here?

He walked to the nearest corpse and took a closer look, noticing that the body was riddled with holes. 

Just as I thought. This isn’t the work of an ink weapon...

He stood up and looked at the other bodies, seeing that they too had the same type of wounds. He also noticed many small metallic cylinders scattered along the ground.

“We have to find my operatives now!” Blitz made a run through the carnage, leaving the two agents behind. They glanced at each other and knew what to do and followed on his heels. As they moved through the ginormous storage space they kept finding more and more dead soldiers, all of them meeting the same fate as the ones they found earlier. Eventually the trio found themselves in front of what appeared to be a makeshift barricade made up of a few vehicles, crates, and pieces of debris. He motioned his hand for the agents to stay put and carefully climbed up the pile. 

“Siemo? Torke?” He called out, hoping to get a verbal response. “It’s me, Blitz! Are you two alright?” He could barely make out the sounds of someone moving behind the barricade. Unsure of who it was he reached over to his Hero Shot. “Siemo, Torke. Please tell me that’s one of you two behind there...” For what felt like a small eternity he waited to hear anything from the other side. Finally he heard someone grunt as though they were in pain. He took a deep breath and quickly crested the top of the pile and aimed, seeing a certain albino octoling pointing at him with a weapon herself. For a moment the two held their breath before Blitz lowered his sights and let go of his gun, raising his hands in front of him. “It’s okay Siemo, it’s me.” But he only managed to take a few steps forward before the octoling raised her weapon at him.

“Don’t come any closer!”

Blitz raised his arms up high and stared at her. The look in her eyes was of determination... and fear.

“Siemo calm down. It’s me.”

“How do I know you’re not some... mimic octoling pretending to be you!”

Blitz calmly reached up to his beret and slipped it off, revealing to her his hair tentacles. She looked and immediately recognized it.

“It... it really is you.” Siemo’s eyes softened and she dropped her gun, the weapon clattering loudly on the ground as she let out a sobbing gasp. She was about to collapse on the ground when he reached to her and broke her fall. “There... there were so many sir...”

“It’s okay Siemo. I got you.”

“And... and Torke got hit and I didn’t know what to do so I just kept shooting and-”

Blitz grabbed onto her shoulders and stared at her with hard but stoic eyes.

“It’s alright Siemo.”

The octoling wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Th... thank you sir.”

Blitz patted her head and back to comfort her before he set her down next to some rubble.

“Agents, come up here! One of mine needs medical attention!”

Seconds later Agents Penguin and Polar Bear went over the top of the barricade and climbed down. The first went over to the wounded inkling commando and tended to his injuries while the second kneeled next to Blitz.

“So, what now? We extract and head back to the heli?”

“No, not yet. Those octarian and salmonid forces were here for a reason, despite everything in this vault.” He stood up and looked around again when his eyes fell upon a third sealed door. This one seemed to have even more security locks on it compared to the first and second. “And something tells me that is why they came here.” He approached the door and analyzed it. The structure of it as well as the amount of locks and security grids gave it the impression that it’s impenetrable. For a few silence minutes Siemo and the agents watched Blitz as he was deep in thought. 

He must be thinking of a way to crack open that door. Maybe some highly calculated guesses on the door’s password? Or perhaps some kind of hacking device that would-

“Hiyah!” Blitz kicked at the control panel of the door, which caused a shower of sparks to fly in all directions. Suddenly the door rumbled and gradually opened.

Or... he could do that and skip the thinking all together.

“Heh, pretty sensitive tech.” Blitz scoffed. Once the door fully opened he walked inside, the hallway stretching towards another chamber. Once he reached it he saw a giant container, similar to the one discovered years ago with the cat Judd inside it.

What the...? Blitz cautiously approached the tube and looked through the glass panel and couldn’t believe his eyes. Inside it wasn’t another feline or even an animal. Rather it was-

A human? He stepped back in shock as he realized what he had just stumbled upon. This changes everything! Blitz reached for his radio and quickly contacted Group 2. “Agents Phantom and Mantis! Get my pilots on the line!”

“Wh-what? Why? What’s going on?” Agent Mantis asked but was cut off.

“Do it now!”

He heard him hesitate for a moment before the agent rushed to the helicopter and handed his radio to them.

“What’s the situation sir?”

“Change of plans. Contact GBR HQ immediately!”

“Huh?” The pilots glanced at each other in confusion. “Understood sir, what do we tell them?”

“Tell them to send in everything we have to Takoyarkov!”

“E-everything?”

“Everything!”

The two pilots nodded to each other and began to turn on the aircraft’s communications systems.

Blitz put away his radio and ran to the others as quick as he can. When he reached Group 1 and his operatives he picked up Torke and placed him on his shoulders. “Let’s move! Hurry!”

“What? What’s going on!” Agent Penguin questioned him. 

“I’ll explain on the way to the chopper! Now let’s move it!” Blitz didn’t look back to the others as he ran towards the second door way, leaving the others to catch up with him.

(A few minutes later, back at the helicopter...)

Group 1 along with Blitz and Siemo finally appeared out of the crater to Group 2′s relief. Blitz quickly went inside the aircraft and set Torke down before reaching into a medical box and pulling out an IV bag. He inserted the needle into his comrade’s arm and got the drip to start before moving to the cockpit. 

“Sir, we’ve contacted HQ and they’re sending in as many squads as they can muster.”

“Good, now wait with the others.”

“Yessir.” They obliged and left, leaving Blitz alone. He turned to a small box nestled between the pilots’ seats and opened it, pulling out a koshirae. He then slipped the sheath through a loop on his pants and walked outside. There he saw all four agents, his pilots, and Siemo waiting for him. 

“Everyone, change of plans. We have to hold this area until backup arrives. It seems this alliance between the octarians and salmonids was more than just finding those human-made weapons.” He reached over to a small crate and pulled out several folded panels before giving them to Agent Mantis and Polar Bear.

“Listen up! I’m gonna need you to set up those barriers around the perimeter of the chopper. We’ll form a defensive perimeter and hold off any remaining forces who might try to take back this vault. Understood?”

“Sir yessir!” The two set out and began to place the panels around them. He then took both his holstered weapons out and handed them to the pilots. 

“You two will help the agents and Siemo hold this perimeter.”

“Yessir!” They gave him a quick salute and moved out, pulling the panels up to form cover.

“Siemo,” he called out to the octoling. “I’m going to need you to provide support fire for Agent Phantom and Penguin. Mantis and Polar Bear will be able to help you out as well.”

“Okay...” the albino sighed before stealing a glance at her wounded comrade.

“Hey, I’m worried about Torke too. But you have to keep your mind on the here and now,” He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “He’ll make it.”

She looked up at him and nodded before taking out her Octoshot. “Thank you Blitz.”

He returned the gesture and waited for the remaining panels to be placed. Once the last have been placed he called them all back and ordered them into positions so their respective weapons will have the most effectiveness. 

“Alright everyone. I suspect that any lingering enemy forces will have regrouped by now. And as we speak they are most likely preparing a counterattack in an attempt to force us out of this city. But we will stop them here!” He pulled out his sheathed blade and struck the ground, slashing a line in front of him. “If we can hold out until reinforcements arrive then this city and everything in that vault is ours!”

Just as we was finishing a loud booming horn rang out from around them followed by a chorus of war cries.

“This is it people! Keep calm and soldier on!” He swiped his sword to the side and grabbed it with both hands before raising it to his side, the metal shining the rising sun’s rays off its surface. Then the first wave of attackers appeared a few hundred meters in front of them, their weapons primed and pointing right at Blitz. The inkling took a long deep breath before screaming at the top of his lungs and rushing the oncoming force.

“Tenno heika banzai!”

[countryofthecanyons]

Bright blue music by Michael Torke

[blitzandthebarracudabrigade]

Prologue 1.3: Revelations of Takoyarkov

Aie, life waits for no one huh? I’m still working on putting all my ideas on paper... err rather typed up in this sense. But I digress, here’s part 3 of the Takoyarkov prologue!

Quick mention to @clodcast‘s oc Commander Sturgeon, leader of the Salmonids.

“...this is Siemo here, reporting from the ruins of Takoyarkov. I repeat, this is Siemo.”

“We read you loud and clear Siemo. What’s the current situation?”

“...e’ve found the objective but there are several groups of Octarian and Salmonid forces here.”

“What? But... that shouldn’t be possible. International laws forbid any interactions with the Salmonid people.”

“Well it looks like the Octarian leader Krillovsk thinks otherwise.”

“What? He’s there as well?”

“Yessir. It looks as though he’s forme... some kind of alliance with a Salmonid leader. We... n’t know who it is but we might be able to-”

“No. ...this changes things. Listen to me carefully. Do not engage Krillovsk or this Salmonid leader. See if you can get evidence of this and report back immediately. Is that understood?”

“Sorry GBR HQ, but...e and Torke have other plans to deal with him and his ally.”

“What do you mean?”

“...”

“Siemo answer me! What do you mean?”

“...”

“Siemo! What do you think you’re-”

==========

(Back in Inkopolis Military Base...)

”Sir... it seems that Siemo cut the transmission from her end.” An operator manning a radio system turned to face an inkling standing behind him. The inkling took a deep breath and closed his eyes.”

“I’m not surprised. She’s picked up my improvised planning I see.” The inkling then opened his eyes and headed towards a set of exit doors. “See if you can’t bring up communications with them again.”

“B-but what about you, Commander Blitz?”

The brigadier leader turned to the operator and showed a faint grin forming at the corner of his lip. “What do you think? I’m going to get her out of there.”

==========

(Takoyarkov, 5 minutes after end of tansmission...)

The pair of commandos snuck to the other side of the perimeter of the excavation site, their view now cleared from the rubble they hid behind moments ago.

“Okay, what’s the plan Siemo?” Torke huffed as he took out his weapon, cocking the firing mechanism ready.

Siemo looked over the area once more and took note of everything she could. She saw that several crates filled with explosives like dynamite and barrels filled with a black, syrupy fluid were piled and scattered here and there. She also noted that several tents were arranged in such a way that an individual can sneak by passing patrols. Finally she saw that the now gaping hole had a slight slope that might be enough to allow something to be rolled down.

“Okay, I’m going to need you to cause a diversion near the opposite end of the perimeter. Make sure it’s big enough so that they think a large force is attacking them.”

Torke looked over and saw that the opposite end of the area had several piles of debris. “Got it.”

“Once you begin the diversion, I’ll try and sneak my way past the alerted patrols and gather as many explosives and barrels as possible before moving them next to that pit.” She pointed to the various crates and barrels. “After that I’ll prime those explosives and roll as many barrels as I can into the pit and hopefully get those sealed doors open. Got it?”

Torke nodded and removed his pack, opening it to reveal several small bags with wires and timers attached to them. “Alright. I’ll buy you as much time as I can. But don’t do anything crazy.”

Siemo nodded back to him and started making her way closer to the base of the perimeter. Torke made his way towards his location, taking out two of the devices and laying them down by piles of loose debris piles and structures that were on the verge of collapsing. He continued setting more and more along the ridge until he had one left. Okay, now to wait for her signal.

At the same time the octoling was sneaking her way into the camp, making sure she kept out of sight from passing patrols of octarian and salmonid troops. Easy now... don’t want to alert them yet. Once she saw that a majority of the patrols were out of sight she began moving fuel barrels towards the pit. One by one, she piled barrel after barrel, weapon crate after crate until the exposed doors were covered with them. Okay, now to give Torke the signal. Siemo retreated back up the ridge, still undetected, and radioed her comrade. “Do it Torke!”

“With pleasure.” The inkling commando whipped out a detonator and flipped a switch.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Several explosions erupted along the opposite end of the perimeter, sending piles of rock and housing tumbling down towards the nearest tents. Octarians and Salmonids alike swarmed out and ran as fast as they could away from the landslide.

===============

“What was that!” Krillovsk demanded, the entire camp rocking from the sudden explosions.

“Sir! There appears to be an attack coming from the eastern side of the base!” An octarian stammered as he held open the tent flaps. The two leaders raced outside to find that a haze of dust had formed over where the explosions occurred. 

“Get our troops over there and stop whoever is attacking us!” Sturgeon barked. Groups of chums and octolings nodded in compliance and headed for the cloud. “It seems out enemies are catching on to our activities here. We must accelerate our plans.”

The Octarian leader immediately set out towards the pit, only to see a certain octoling standing before them.

“You!” Krillovsk pointed towards the opposing octoling. “I should have had you killed when I had the chance all those years ago!”

Siemo just grinned as she held a detonator of her own. “Oh well, too bad for you.” She grinned as she flipped a switch.

BOOOOOM!!

A massive tremor rocked the area as the pit lit up in a fiery ball of destruction, sending burning barrels and metal pieces flying towards them.

“Move it!” The Salmonid leader screamed as he and his allies fled to the nearest piece of cover. 

“Now Torke! Let’s go!” Siemo turned towards the rapidly dying fireball and saw that the metal doors had been shredded open from the second explosion. She glanced back and saw the inkling had super jumped to her and was following close behind. Nodding she turns to the exposed opening and takes a leap of faith, with her comrade following suit.

Meanwhile as the two leaders recovered from the shock they saw that Siemo had disappeared. 

“Damnit! We cannot let her get to that vault!” Krillovsk hissed with rage. “After her!” 

Several troopers made their way to the pit and stormed in after them, with Octorus Krillovsk and Commander Sturgeon taking the lead.

(Inside the vault...)

”Keep moving Torke! They’re not far behind us!” Siemo gasped for breath as the pair ran down several winding hallways and corridors, the walls lit by flickering lights with most already shattered. Soon enough the two made it to what they could only assume to be a large open hanger. But what they saw, they were not prepared for. All around them were tens of hundreds of what they could only guess was military grade weaponry and equipment. Field guns, mortars, artillery pieces, and weapon racks lined up about a quarter of the space, while the remaining space was occupied by vehicles of wheeled and tracked types as well as aircraft such as helicopters and jet planes.

“What... is this place?” Siemo muttered as she gazed in awe.

“This... is the rumored Bunker of Takoyarkov. A human made warehouse to store all their machines of war.” Torke responded, walking up to the closest weapon rack and picking up what he presumed was a rifle of some kind. “Commander Blitz said that he saw ones like these 2 years ago...” He inspected the weapon closely, taking note of how it was made from stamped metal parts and other alloys. “And it looks like these function just like how he describes them.”

Siemo looked over to him and glanced at it. She couldn’t help but remember what happened to her back then, when she was shot at and hospitalized. “Yeah, it looks like they do.”

The inkling put it aside and resumed looking through all the weapons arranged around them. “What do you think all these were intended for?” he asked Siemo as he stopped in front of a large tracked vehicle.

Siemo pondered the question to herself, curious as to the reason behind why all these weapons of war were stored away. But her thoughts were interrupted when she heard shouting coming from the entrance they came in from.

“Hurry! They must have went this way!”

“Uh oh.” The octoling patted Torke’s shoulder and motioned for him to find a hiding spot. Soon they found a half-track truck located in the far back of the warehouse and hid in the rear compartment. “Let’s just lay low here until they go away-”

“I doubt that’s gonna happen Siemo. We practically gave them the keys to Pandora’s Box! Look!” Torke waved for her to look outside. As the two peeked out from their hiding spot they saw a company’s worth of octarians and chums making their way through the line of vehicles. They hid back and leaned against the side of the truck bed. “If we don’t do something to stop these guys, who knows what they can do with everything in this depot.”

Siemo stared at her feet, unsure herself on what to do. She tried to formulate some kind of plan but her mind couldn’t focus. “...what can we do?”

Torke looked around and saw that another weapon rack was next to the truck. “We could use some of those.”

Siemo gave him an almost horrified look. “W-what? Use these human weapons? We don’t even know if they still work!”

“Only one way to find out, right?” Torke gave the octoling a hard look, his eyes waiting for her reply.

“...okay.”

The two snuck out and crept towards the rack in their squid and octopus forms, not risking the possibility of making loud footsteps. As soon as they were in arm’s reach of the human-made weapons they began to figure out how to load them.

“How does this thing work?” Siemo grumbled as she tried to fit a thin rectangular box into a hole at the bottom of one of the weapons.

“I... don’t know,” Torke hissed in frustration. “All Blitz said about these things is that you put those boxes into the open slot at the bottom, but...”

CLICK!

Siemo held out her weapon in front of herself to see that the box finally locked into place. “Oh, that’s how it works.” She then noticed a small piece of metal protruding from the side and had the strangest urge to yank it back. But as she pulled back the metal bit she didn’t realize how much noise it made until-

CHK-CHK!

”Hey, what was that?”

“It sounded like it came from back there!”

“Shit, not good.” Torke copied the octoling’s actions and loaded his own weapon, pulling back on his weapon’s metal bit and hearing the same clicking. “Alright, you ready?”

Siemo looked to her comrade and nodded, gripping the weapon firmly.

“Then let’s do this.”

[blitzandthebarracudabrigade]

Prologue 1.2: The Truth of Takoyarkov

Well, it’s about time I started working on these again! Writer’s block is apparently just as potent as artist’s block (qnq). But I’ve pulled through to bring you the next part to Prologue 1! And who might show up in this story? Who knows, but there’s only one was to find out now isn’t there? So here’s part 2 of the Takoyarkov story!

(Several hours after landing…)

“…ake up.”

…

“… wake up.”

“No… a few more minutes…”

“Siemo! Wake! Up!”

“Gyah!” The octoling sat up in a daze and looked around, only to see her comrade standing over her. “Ugh… what’s going on?”

“It’s been 4 hours. And your turn to overwatch for us.” Torke grumbled as he slouched down by a dimly lit lamp in the center of the room.

Siemo zipped open her sleeping bag and stretched her arms before reaching for her weapon. “What? No time for coffee?” She joked.

“Har har, just stay by the windows and look out for anything suspicious or moving.” The inkling scoffed before grabbing his flask to sip some water. Leaning on some debris he watched as Siemo took his position by the window. He saw the determination in her eyes despite waking up, her sights set on the most remote spots around them. Her pupils focused on adjacent windows, crevices, and even the few bushes that dotted the cracked pavement running along the buildings. Hmmm… she certainly knows her stuff. Keeping a sharp eye on every little detail. He’s taught her well. Torke thought as he reached an arm behind him to rest his head. Maybe she really is ready for her own missions… 

Siemo leaned against the wall she was hiding behind and kept her eyes peeled for any movement. But in between her vigilant watch she would glance up at the night sky to watch the stars twinkle. It reminded her of the kettles that would change the artificial skyline from sunny days to clear moonlit nights. But the underground bunkers’ projectors couldn’t compare to the vibrant lights of the celestial specks. It’s so beautiful… I wish my friend is able to see them every night. Siemo wondered as she felt her grip on the Octo Shot loosen slightly. I wonder… if any of them could see the real thing. For a moment Siemo was lost in though when her weapon almost slipped out of her grip, forcing her to quickly tighten her grasp on the stock. Her heart skipped a few beats as her fingers curled around the grip of the gun. Did… did he see that? She turned her head and saw that Torke was lightly snoring where he laid, a hint of drool forming on the corner of his mouth. Sighing in relief, she turned her attention back forward to resume her overwatch shift.

(The next morning…)

Torke slowly opened his eyes and sat up, crossing his arm in front of the other to stretch them out. He looked around to see Siemo still sitting by her post, leaning against the wall she was hiding behind. Nodding to himself, Torke stood up and packed up their equipment before nudging the octoling. “You ready?”

Siemo looked back to him and nodded. “Let’s go.” She stood up and vaulted over the broken wall and checked around. Just like the night before the surrounding buildings, or rather what was left of them, was still and silent. She waved her hand for Torke to follow, watching the commando slide down. Giving each other a quick glance they proceeded west, where their destination awaited. After several minutes of silent walking, the two eventually came upon a large open field that was now populated by small young trees, their branches having just budded their spring flowers. Siemo stopped for a moment and walked up to the closest tree as she could begin to smell their faint aroma.

“Heh… not something I expected to be honest.” Torke scoffed, shifting his weapon from one shoulder to another. 

“Yeah… I wouldn’t think anything like this would grow.”

“Mhmm, these kinds of places haven’t been explored ever. I wouldn’t be surprised to run into a bunch of tribal peoples or something out here.” Torke leaned next to another tree as he reached a hand up to pick one. He moved the still budding flora and lightly sniffed before letting it go to drift down to the ground. “Anyway we should keep moving. If I’m correct we should be less than half a mile to our objective.”

Siemo stepped away from her tree and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, let’s go-”

Suddenly the pair heard a faint humming from the distance. “What is that?” Torke looked around, but found the trees were blocking most of the skyline. But it didn’t take long for him to get an answer as several flying objects began to appear. “Come on! We gotta get to cover!” Torke grabbed Siemo’s wrist and started to make a break for a nearby cluster of bushes. Grabbing his weapon, Torke shot at the base of the bushes before leaping into it in squid form with Siemo following suit with her own. For several seconds the two watched as dozens of the flying objects flew by, the trees swaying from the force of their speed rustling their branches. “Stay down.” Torke muttered as he carefully peeked out of his hiding spot. Eventually the last of the objects passed by, leaving the area eerily still and silent. Torke popped out of his ink puddle and scanned the trees around him until he was sure there wasn’t anything else passing by.

“Is it safe?” Siemo asked as she peeked out of her puddle. Torke nodded and waved for her to come out. As she did the two noticed that all of them were headed right for their objective. “What were those things?”

“I don’t know, but it’s definitely not good. We better move and find out.” Torke huffed sternly. The pair then started to make their way once more, determined to find out what those flying craft were doing.

After passing by numerous collapsed buildings and ruins the two finally reached their objective: a clearing of what they assumed was the “town center” of Takoyarkov. They looked around and found a small outcrop in which they could see what was on the other side. 

“Up there. That should give us a good idea of what we’re up against.” Torke started to climb up to the outcrop, with Siemo not far behind. Within moments they reached the top, only to be greeted by an unsettling view.

All across the clearing was what appeared to be a mining operation. Hundreds of Octarian soldiers were gathered around pits and tents, some operating excavating machines while others were driving trucks carrying away piles of dirt and debris. However the most alarming sight was the presence of Salmonids. Among the Octarian troopers were several Chums who were busy with their own operations as well as Cohocks carrying away pieces of scrap metal. Flying around them were squadrons of Octocopters, Octobombers, and Fly Fishes patrolling the outer perimeter.

“What the hell…?” Siemo mumbled as she pulled out a pair of binoculars. She scanned the groups of Octarian and Salmonids and noticed that a majority of them were crowded around a much larger tent, donning the Octarian emblem on top. Despite the crowd Siemo could just barely make out two individuals having a conversation.

“What do you see?” Torke asked as he checked their flanks for any patrols.

Siemo felt her heart skip a beat as she zoomed in on one of the two talking. The unmistakable head crest, the distinct green X-shaped scar on one arm, and that cold-hearted glare. Only one Octarian had those features.

“It’s Octorus Krillovsk…” 

(At the Octarian/Salmonid base of operations…)

“We finally meet Octorus,” A capped figure chuckled as he puffed a smoking pipe. “I presume that your part of the plan is already prepared?”

“Yes, and it seems that your part of our plan is coming along well.” Octorus huffed as he looked back towards a giant pit being dug out. All around the edge of the pit, diggers operated by Chums were clearing away slabs of earth and rock as Cohocks lugged away mine carts filled with debris.

“Indeed. Once our plans are complete, those pesky inklings won’t know what hit them,” The pipe smoking figure grinned, his whiskers twitching with anticipation as a puff of smoke plumed out. “Once we reach that underground bunker, all of the weapons locked away will soon be ours.” The two let out a malevolent laugh as their respective soldiers joined in chorus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What are all these Octarians and Salmonids doing?” Siemo asked as she hid behind a collapsed wall.

Torke followed shortly behind her. “I have no idea, but this is a bad sign if I’ve ever seen one. If what I think is going on down there is true, then we better move fast.” The pair then plotted out a path around the perimeter of the enemy’s base, making sure to stay clear of any patrolling aerial personnel. Slowly but surely Siemo and Torke managed to reach a position close enough for them to hear a conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you believe those inklings know of our presence here?” Sturgeon huffed his pipe, a few more plumes of burnt tobacco floating upwards.

“I highly doubt it, this human ruins hasn’t been visited by any faction ever since the peace treaty that ended the Great Turf War all those years ago! DJ Octavio swore revenge on that day and yet he failed to because of a single inkling agent!” Octorus cursed, almost spitting venom at the ground at the mere thought of the failed usurper trapped in the snow globe. “But the humiliation us Octarians suffered will soon be replaced by revenge!”

Commander Sturgeon nodded in agreement. “Yes, and the Salmonid people will have their own vengeance for the past 2 years of those pesky ‘freelancing’ inklings stealing our golden eggs. They think they could just hunt my people down for sport like we’re game?” The towering salmonid removed his pipe and looked over the quarry. “No longer. The Salmonids will have a new location to claim as their own.” He signaled to his Fly Fishes and motioned a fin towards the bottom of the pit. They then gathered above the perimeter of the pit in mere moments before opening up their rockets pods to unleash their full payload. The pilots then fired upon the pit, sending volley after volley of Tenta Missiles into the pit. As each projectile impacted the ground, the resulting explosions sent chunks of earth and rock flying in every direction causing the few spectating Chums and Octarians to flee from the site. In minutes the Fly Fishes dispensed almost all their ordnance, the pit now covered in green slimy ink. But at the bottom of the pit was what appeared to be a slab of metal with rivets bolted along several plates. 

“Sir! We’ve found something!” One of the Chums hollered.

“Excellent! It must be the secret weapon bunker!” Commander Sturgeon grinned. “Let us see if we can’t crack open the vault.” Octorus nodded in approval and followed the Salmonid, with their soldiers trailing behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Uh oh…” Siemo said as she lowered her binoculars.

“What just happened?” Torke hissed, still unable to believe the sudden barrage of missiles.

“I…I don’t know but it looks like they’ve found something.” Siemo raised her binocs again to see that something was exposed at the bottom of the pit. “It looks like… some kind of vault door.”

“Oh no. That must mean…” Torke didn’t finish his sentence as he yanked the octoling back into concealment. “Siemo, we need to notify GBR HQ of this.”

“But how?” Siemo stuttered. She then saw him pull out his radio from his coat. 

“We should be able to raise a signal to contact home base with this. But…” Torke trailed off as he stared at the device. “It means we’ll have to compromise our position if they have scanners to detect unknown frequencies.”

“So… you’re saying that we either let them take whatever is in that vault or risk being captured or worse.” 

“Yeah, it looks that way. But if you ask me,” Torke unholstered his weapon and cocked it ready. “I’d rather take some of those bastards down before they try to achieve their goal.”

For a moment Siemo looked to her inkling comrade with uncertainty. But she then recalled everything her new commander did in order to protect Inkopolis. Taking a deep breath, she unholstered her own weapon and cocked it with a click.

“So… what’s the plan?”

[blitzandthebarracudabrigade]

Prologue 1.1: Secrets of Takoyarkov

Aie, it’s been far too long hasn’t it? Sorry for the unannounced hiatus everyone. A lot of life business decided to rear its ugly head and drag me through hell and back but now I’m able to continue my side hobby of story writing! It’s also given me time to come up with a second big story to coincide with the sequel to Splatoon. I hope you can forgive my absence and enjoy this piece of what’s to come!

(2217 hours, 4 miles above sea level...)

“GBR HQ, this is Remora 2 approaching the drop-off.”

“Uh, affirmative Remora 2 we are calculating that it will take approximately 30 minutes until drop-off. Over.”

“Understood GBR HQ, we’ll keep our altitude high and dry and haul ass asap once we deliver the units.”

“Continue radio silence until you are beyond the designated danger zone. HQ, out.”

The radio crackled into silence as the pilots of a Remora 2 helicopter shut off their communications before focusing on their duty. The pilot signaled his wingman to notify their passengers to prepare for landing. He got out of his seat and made her way to the troop compartment, where two other individuals were sitting opposite each other.

The one sitting on the left was Siemo, a rare albino octoling who’s been lucky enough to escape the dictatorial grasps of General Octorus Krillovsk. She donned a standard issue lightweight padded helmet and padded uniform and pants. On her back was a large utility pack and her trusty Octoshot, refitted with inkling tweaks to better improve its combat capabilities. She was idly kicking her legs to and fro in her old pair of boots, signs of wear and tear still present along the bottom sections of the footwear.

The other occupant, Torke, wore heavily padded armor which protected most of his body. The only visible part of him was his face which was masked by a full tinted visor gas mask. He was focused on cleaning his weapon, a modified Bamboozler, with a rag. The barrel length was increased by one segment along with an unusual mechanism located at the tip of the weapon and the handle readjusted to be held in a diagonal fashion. A moment later he looked up to see the co-pilot approaching them.

“Hey, octoling.” He motioned to Siemo with the rag before tossing it aside. She took notice and collected her gear.

“Okay you two, I’ll give you a briefing one more time. Your objective is to investigate the designated zone known as ‘Takoyarkov’ and see if those rumored weapons are stored somewhere within the city. Once we reach the drop zone you’ll have to go into radio silence until you complete your objective, understood?”

“Yessir!” The two replied, strapping their weapons tightly to their packs before grabbing a parachute. They returned to their seats and awaited further instructions.

(Several minutes later...)

“All passengers this is your captain speaking,” a voice spoke throughout the troop compartment. “we are about to reach our destination so please unbuckle your seat belts and proceed to the big ass door located at the rear of the aircraft. Thank you for flying with Inkopolis Military Airlines, where our ass is only a peg more important than yours-”

“Stop fucking around.” the co-pilot interrupted.

“Sorry.”

Siemo and Torke stood up and made their way to the opening. The pair looked outside and saw that they were several thousand feet in the air, barely able to distinguish any landmarks. 

“You ready kid?” Torke made a last minute pat down of his equipment before tightening the parachute over his shoulders.

“Yeah.” Siemo copied his actions and made sure her weapon and pack was secured to her.

“Then I’ll see you on the ground.” Torke took a few steps back before running forward and leaping out of the aircraft. Siemo watched as he spun a few times before positioning himself head long at the ground. Taking in a few deep breaths, the octoling stepped back and followed suit, the noise of the aircraft suddenly replaced by the rush of air racing past her. As she descended, Siemo looked around her and saw something she would never have seen in her dreams.

Stretching as far as she can see, the ground beneath her was dotted with several details almost too numerous to make out specifically. Cities and suburban areas dotted the horizon, more specifically the glimmering metropolis of Inkopolis. She could make out the unmistakable Inkopolis Tower and the Great Zapfish nestled firmly around the structure. For the few minutes she spent free falling she couldn’t avert her gaze from the glowing electric eel, sparks glistening through her visor. 

“Siemo, I’ve reached the drop-off. What’s your status?” a voice crackled through her ear piece. She snapped out of her daze and responded.

“Uh, I’ll reach it in a moment.” She patted herself down quickly and found the release cord. Siemo pulled on it and felt her body jerk before seeing that her parachute had safely deployed. Letting out a sigh of relief she descended towards a faint glow where her comrade was waiting. A few seconds later she landed, quickly collecting the chute and removing the straps to the parachute pack.

“You good?” Torke asked, unholstering his weapon and filling it with ink.

“Yeah, just had to find the cord.” She joked before taking her Octoshot out. “Ready.”

“Alright, we have to find a safe location to set up a temporary hideout.” Torke suggested as he scanned their surroundings. Most of the buildings that once towered around them were now toppled over and overgrown with vegetation with a few exceptions that still remained standing. The paths between them were just as overgrown, the pavement cracked and choked full of grass and weeds.

“You’re right. The sooner we find shelter, the sooner we can begin looking for those human weapons.” Siemo agreed as she stuffed her parachute into her pack. The pair then headed towards what appeared to be the main street and followed it down to the center of the city.

(A few hours later...)

“Nothing,” Siemo sighed as she exited a small building. “no sign of any recent activity.”

“Well that’s good,” Torke replied, standing up and giving the building one last look. “it means that there’s little possibility of anyone getting in the way of our mission in this... codforsaken place.” 

The two have been searching around for a suitable place to hunker down in, but every building they’ve searched through looked as though they would cave in if they so much as sneezed. Worse still, the Geiger devices that were attached to their uniform sleeves began to faintly click indicating they were close to radioactive spots. The octoling looked at hers and saw that the meter read 8% radiation. But this didn’t deter her nor her comrade.

“We should find an elevated spot to camp out for a while.”

“Right,” Torke nodded. “but most of the skyscrapers that are still standing are further down that way, which could also mean higher levels of radiation.”

It was a risk they had to gamble on. They had to inform GBR HQ of their status, so the two ventured deeper into the dead city. After passing several alleys, streets, and empty buildings the pair entered what they could only assume was the inner city sector. The relatively stable skyscrapers surrounded them, giving the impression that they were trapped. 

“I guess this is city central.” Siemo muttered as she checked her geiger device. The needle inched towards 15% radiation. Torke looked at his own device and placed a hand on the octoling’s shoulder.

“We’re still in the safe zones. Now let’s go see if these buildings are safe enough to camp out in.” He patted her a few times reassuringly and took the lead as they approached the closest structure. Torke scanned the seemingly intact doors that stopped them and merely touched the handle when it suddenly crumbled into pieces. He looked back to his comrade and shrugged as he stepped over the pile of dust and entered the vacant building. Once inside Siemo and Torke looked around and saw that the interior of the building was surprisingly roomy. Despite the walls looking severely decayed along with what remained of a tiled floor and ceiling, the space they were in seemed safe enough to hide out in. They pushed piles of debris and rubble aside and managed to space out the center in order to set up their field equipment.

“Home sweet home.” Torke joked as he unpacked his gear: a few boxes of MREs, a portable radio, and two ink tanks for his weapon. Siemo followed suit and laid out her own equipment including a map of the city ruins and a compass.

“Where do you think we are approximately?” The octoling asked as she tried to determine the location of where they landed. Torke took his place by her and scanned the chart. He pointed a finger to what appeared to be part of a highway leading into the city, similar to the one they walked on.

“We took the path here,” He then moved his finger along the road towards a cluster of collapsed buildings. “And made our way through this mess.” Torke then tapped on an open space close to the building they’re occupying. “And now we’re here. So we’re not too far from our objective.”

Siemo nodded in agreement and sat back to prepare an MRE. “We should rest here for now. Better to continue on rested and full than tired.” She ripped open the small cardboard box and pulled out the few contents inside: a pack of crackers, a tin can of refried beans, and a container of pickled veggies. Wasting no time the octoling started digging into the can of beans, barely giving time to chew on the individual pieces.

“Geez, slow down there,” Torke chuckled as he had barely gotten his own package opened. “There’s no need to rush your meals.”

Siemo looked down at the can only to find that she had gulped down almost all of its contents. For a moment she felt her mind was back at the Octarian boot camp she started training at. The same training routines with the same schedules for meal breaks and sleep. She tightened her grip on the container before setting it down gently. “S-sorry... I guess my mind was somewhere else.” 

The inkling commando shook his head and looked down to the makeshift map. Making a few last minute calculations he guessed that they were within a mile east of their objective. Leaning back against some debris he peered over to the octoling and watched her picking at the can with her utensil. “So... the Commander decided to let you come along this mission with me?”

Siemo looked up and nodded. “Yeah. He said that I was ready to take on a mission without the need for his supervision.” Grabbing the can she tilted it up and swallowed the last morsels of beans before tossing the empty tin away. “...I’m surprised you didn’t oppose to the decision. Given who I am and-”

“No, I’m alright to working with you. From what I’ve heard around the base camp you helped him contact Inkopolis a year ago at the Battle of Octo Valley with uh... Echo?” Torke reached in and grabbed a biscuit before breaking off a piece and popping it in his mouth.

Siemo recalled the battle, hearing the distant explosions and gunfire as she tried to convince Agents 1 and 2 of what was happening. “Yeah... I remember,” She slid her MRE box aside and turned to face him. “If it weren’t for him and his brigade... I don’t think Inkopolis would have been around today.”

Silence fell upon the two as time passed, the sky growing darker with each passing minute. They managed to finish their meals without another word before setting up positions to take turns overwatching. Torke offered to take up first shift, allowing Siemo to get some shut eye. Slipping into her sleeping bag, the octoling placed her Octo Shot by her head before closing her eyes. 

The inkling looked back to his sleeping comrade before reaching into his combat vest, pulling out a small radio. Flipping the device on he fiddled with the few notches and dials in order to get the right frequency. After a minute of adjusting he succeeded.

“Torke to GBR HQ. Come in.”

Radio static crackled from the device.

“Torke to Great Barrier Reef HQ, do you read me?”

“...e read you troop... Ho... s the mission pro...ding?”

“Just as planned. We have managed to find temporary shelter within a mile of our objective location. Will update you when we are ready to move out, over.”

“Co... that. Make su... you two find out... at the enemy is planning... over.”

“Will do. Commando Torke, over and out.” He scrambled the frequency before flipping the radio off and tucking it back into his vest. Glancing once more over to the slumbering octoling, the commando drew out his weapon and cocked it ready for any potential hostiles. 36 hours... we must find out what the Octarians are doing here...

[blitzandthebarracudabrigade]

(Preview) Secrets of Takoyarkov

In Inkling society, human technology has aided the bipedal cephalopods into creating vast cities and develop their own technology, such as the Respawn Pad System and the Ink-rail Transportation Modules. However, there are some peoples who would risk everything in order to acquire what is considered to be “forbidden technology.” When it was discovered that some of this human technology had the capacity to wipe out entire civilizations, they vowed to never use it under any and all circumstances. 

The desolate city designated as “Takoyarkov” is one such location where the forbidden human weapons are rumored to be stored. Its numerous crumbled buildings and unstable environment that scours the once bustling metropolis now makes it one of the most hostile places in Calamari County. Located several miles away from Inkopolis City, the forgotten urban jungle is only accessible when the tides become low revealing a traversable passage leading to it, known as the Mariana Pass. Very few who have ventured to the ruins have ever come back alive, and even fewer unscathed both physically and mentally.

The now fully trained albino Octoling Siemo, accompanied by one of Blitz’s elite troopers Torke, has been tasked with finding any evidence of whether these weapons are real. If they are still being stored somewhere within the bowels of Takoyarkov, it’ll tip the advantage to ensuring the defense of Inkopolis City and its denizens. But if the enemy were to find them first...