At the Rescue Camp, a knight greeted us. The camp was situated in a somewhat deep crater, with numerous repurposed escape pods scattered about.

"Welcome to the Rescue Camp." He said. "I'm squad leader Greta."

"Thanks." I said. "Pleasure to meet you."

"We should get you up to speed on the situation." Greta began.

"The camp has no power and night is just around the corner. Last night, the camp was besieged by all sorts of monsters. We couldn't see, and we couldn't use our defensive turrets. I don't know how many recruits we lost, probably at least seventy or more..." He explained.

"So, how we can help power the camp?" I asked, concerned.

"Our scans located an ancient generator below the camp. Something seems to be diverting the power that should be sent to the surface, so we've sent someone down to investigate." Greta continued.

"We're just gonna have to stay here?" Adrian asked.

"He should be back any time soon. He's an interesting person, I'll say that. Ran into him shortly after we crashed." Rhendon said.

"I'm feeling kind of tired, though." I said, walking towards the campsite. "I'll sit down and get some rest. It's been a long day."

"Yeah, me too." Adrian said, following me. We sat down near one repurposed pod, watching the sunset.

"There's something I'm wondering about." I said. "I saw you in the rec room before the Skylark got attacked. And the first knight I saw after the crash was you."

"Is this one of those weird coincidences like in every anime ever?" Adrian asked.

"I don't know..." I said. "Maybe it's just luck?"

Then I heard the sounds of equipment powering on. Seems like the knight down there has rerouted the generator's power to the rescue camp.

"Well, I guess we should go talk to Rhendon now that the power's on." I suggested. We walked over to Rhendon.

"Not a moment too soon." Rhendon said. The sun wasn't visible over the horizon anymore. Night was close to falling, but now the defensive turrets and lights were back online.

A knight wearing a Spiral Sallet and Spiral Cuirass, both in a Shadow color scheme, came running over to us and Rhendon. He was holding a strange silver & blue object in his hand. Pieces of it were constantly shuffling around.

"Got the generator back on." The knight said. "Also found this plot device down there."

He handed it to Rhendon and struck a dramatic pose.

"What the heck is this thing!?" He asked.

"No idea. Someone else wanted it and wasn't happy I stole it from him." The knight answered.

"Someone else?" I asked. As we conversed, the defensive turrets constantly repelled any creatures that tried to approach the Rescue Camp.

"Just a furry loser." The knight said.

"Well, if they aren't a threat, then we should be safe for the night. Thanks for the help, Knight Blake Dokuro." Rhendon said.

"...EXCUSE ME? It's Sir Dracorock!" The knight said, striking another pose.

"Right." Rhendon said. The knight walked away.

"What's up with him?" I asked.

"No idea." Rhendon said. "He's always been acting like that."

"I should probably try contacting Spiral HQ now that the power's back on." I said, attempting to call Spiral HQ on my comlink.

After a bit, it went through.

"This is Intel Agent Kora of Spiral HQ. What's your situation, over?" Kora asked.

"This is Knight Mary Sue. I hear you loud and clear. We're currently in the rescue camp that's been set up by survivors of the Skylark crash. Can you get us up to speed on any recent events?" I replied.

"Certainly. The exoplanet we crashed on is known as "Cradle". This isn't any usual world we've found before the Skylark got shot down yesterday, as the entire crust of the planet below its surface is a gargantuan mechanical complex, constantly moving like clockwork." Kora explained.

"Fascinating. Well, where are you now?" I asked.

"A short while after we crashed, we discovered a town known as "Haven" and we've moved our base of operations there. The locals have provided us with support and shelter for the time being until we can repair the Skylark. Unfortunately, it seems there's a large chasm between the Rescue Camp and Haven. As we would like to investigate the artifact Blake found near the Ancient Generator, he'll have to cross the chasm by taking the elevator down into the chasm and find another to bring him back up the other side." She continued.

"So, are there any dangers he needs to look out for while delivering the Artifact?"

"We have no information on what lies in the dark depths below, so you, Adrian and Rhendon will be escorting him across. Get some rest, so that we can carry out the operation tomorrow." She ordered.

"Got it. Good night." I said.

"Good night." Kora said, and I ended the call before heading over to Adrian.

"We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow." I said.

"Yup. Got the info from Kora as well." He said. "Can't believe we have to do it with that Blake guy...he seems kinda scary. Not to mention edgy."

"Well, it could be worse. Let's get some rest."

And with that, we headed back to the campsite to rest.
* * *
The next day, Mary, Blake, Rhendon and Adrian prepared to enter the Clockworks and cross the chasm.
* * *
We gathered at the elevator.

"So, are you ready? No turning back after this." Rhendon asked.

"I'm ready." I said.

"Let's go!" Adrian responded.

Blake posed.

"That's settled then. Here we go..." Rhendon said, activating the elevator. We began to descend to the chasm below.

The elevator landed with a loud thud, and we set off, weapons in hand in case anything were to attack us. Heading straight along fighting off a few constructs, we suddenly ran into a room loaded with tons of explosives.

"What the?" I asked in surprise. I heard a little gruff chuckle from behind a pile of explosives.

"...it's that loser again." Blake said. An unkempt-looking fox-like creature walked out from behind, holding a flamethrower.

"And you thought you could walk away with that artifact?" He asked. "Hand it over. NOW!"

"Not happening." Blake remarked. He was holding the artifact.

"If you don't, I, Razwog, will light this fuse and blow up all of you into tiny smoldering bits!"

"Yeah, good luck with that." Blake snarked, posing and firing his Proto Gun at Razwog. He became incredibly angry.

"Grr...I'll just burn you all to the ground and take it myself!" He growled, setting one of the explosives alight with his flamethrower and making a run for it.

"You coward! Get back here!" Blake shouted, shooting at Razwog as he ran, while making various dramatic poses. I put my shield up in front of everyone.

"Get your shield up!" Adrian shouted, also pulling up his shield. Rhendon and Blake did the same.

BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!

Three massive explosions rocked the area as all the explosives detonated. Tons of machinery came crashing down and fires broke out. My shield had absorbed the impact of the explosion on the squad, but it was stained black from the fireball and its generator had shut down from overheating, making it useless for the moment.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked. I turned around. Rhendon, Adrian and Blake were all unscathed.

"...whew, good. We should probably chase him down. If he does this near Haven, it'll be a disaster!" I suggested. We ran off chasing after Razwog, fighting off constructs that had been attracted by the sudden ruckus.

We finally chased him down to what seemed like a dead end. A locked door was behind him.

"WHAT!? You're still alive?!" Razwog exclaimed in shock. "I'll just have to burn you all to ashes myself, then!"

Several constructs awakened and came to Razwog's aid, while we prepared our weapons and began attacking. Rhendon and I dealt with Razwog while Blake and Adrian distracted his minions. I approached Razwog with my Proto Sword and began cutting away at him, while he attempted to scorch me with his flamethrower. Rhendon shot away at Razwog with his Blitz Needle.

He launched a huge wave of fire at me. I jumped away and switched to attacking him from afar with my Proto Gun. As I circled him, I got closer and closer until I was in close enough range to attack him with my Proto Sword again.

I knocked Razwog's flamethrower out of his hands with my sword and then cut into him, knocking him down. I thought I had killed him, but I could still see him breathing, so I had my doubts. I attacked several of the turrets with my Proto Gun, assisting Blake and Adrian in finishing off the constructs.

After we finished off the constructs, Razwog got back up.

"Of course you'd try and decieve us." Blake said as I pulled out my Proto Gun and began charging it up. Everyone else charged their weapons. "Any last will and testament you'd like to give?"

"You'll never stop the Gremlins...never..." Razwog growled, and right after that we finished him off with a series of charge attacks, killing him. The door unlocked and dropped down.

"Geeeet dunked on!" Adrian said. I noticed a strange crimson symbol on Razwog's clothing, but didn't pay much attention.

"Is the artifact unscathed?" I asked. Blake was still holding on to the artifact.

"Yes." Blake said. It didn't have a single scratch on it.

"All right. Let's go." I said, and we headed off. Along the way, I noticed a button for a sprinkler system and pushed it, triggering the sprinklers and putting out the fires that Razwog caused with his explosives.

We then ran into a familiar face. Lieutenant Feron and his escort.

"Lieutenant Feron!" I said, happy to see him. "Am I glad to see you! Things have just been crazy ever since we jumped here."

"Well met, Mary." Feron said. "I'm astounded the four of you managed to escape this blazing wreck alive. How did you four end up here?"

"It's a long story, Lieutenant." I began. I then explained to Feron what happened.

"I see." Feron said. "Haven is just up ahead. I'll brief you on the situation regarding the Clockworks later on. As for the artifact, the technicians in the lab will be eager to study it."

"But what about the others in the Rescue Camp?" I asked Feron.

"Don't worry about then. Once the damage is repaired, travel from the Rescue Camp to Haven should be made much easier and safer." Feron answered.

"I understand. Thank you, we'll be headed to Haven now." I said, saluting him as I headed off to the elevator, with the rest of the squad following.

Once we all got on, it lifted up back to the surface.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Author's notes:
Blake Dokuro...er, Sir Dracorock is meant to be edgy on purpose. He's an emo teen/chuunibyou, to put it bluntly. (So sort of like Gladion or Don Quixote.)

Still no idea how the explosion Razwog triggers doesn't kill everyone, even in-game. Luckily, our shields will protect us.

The plot deviation from the normal mission should be a sign of what's to come in the future. Needless to say, the plot's probably going to derail at some point, although considering the outcome was the same, this might become a recurring theme.

EDIT, July 4, 2018: Oops, I found a continuity error (see Chapter 3). I figured the easiest way to fix this was to cut one line.

Saronsthedarkness: "In all honesty, I'm just waiting for the "Mary Sue gets insanely powerful stuff and saves the day for about the Infinite time."

EDIT: Spoiling this was a mistake. Oops. But expect a twist on this.

THUMP!

The elevator came to a stop at the surface. A gentle breeze blew through the area. We were still close to the chasm, but we could see a large town in the distance. It had been a long day, but we made it!

"I have a visual on Haven. Do you read, Kora?" I asked, calling Kora on my comlink.

"Kora here. Congratulations on making it to Haven!" She said. "Or you would, but you're on the outskirts of the town at the moment. It's not safe out there. Get inside the town walls."

"Roger that." I said. We started walking towards Haven. We crossed a bridge across another part of the Chasm. Fires that were burning below had been extinguished by the sprinklers we activated earlier. Much of the area below was still trashed, however.

As we approached the gates, two knights greeted us with a salute.

"We've been expecting you." The guardian on the right said. "You should get inside. It's not safe outside of the town walls."

We did as he commanded and entered Haven. Heading up the stairs into the town square, I saw dozens of knights all over town. A large fountain was at the heart of the plaza. Several tall robed figures stood about as well.

I called Kora on my comlink.

"We've made it inside the town." I said. "Where do we go to in order to report to Lieutenant Feron, and where do we go to in order to deliver the artifact?"

"Lieutenant Feron's post is inside the Arcade up to the north. We've set up a laboratory in one of the buildings to the east - our technicians and scientists are stationed there." Kora answered.

"Got it. We'll deliver the artifact, then report to the Lieutenant." I replied, hanging up. But as I turned to tell Adrian and Blake what we were doing, Blake and Rhendon had already started heading in the direction of the lab.

"We'll take the artifact to the lab. Go report to Lieutenant Feron." Blake said.

I nodded, and me and Adrian headed off north towards the Arcade, a large building that had been built into the side of a tall rock cliff. As we entered, we saw Lieutenant Feron's post. He was sitting in a chair, having a drink of coffee. We approached and took a seat.

"Knight Mary Sue and Squire Adrian Weiss, reporting for duty." I said.

"Well met." Lieutenant Feron said. "Where is Blake?"

"He's delivering the artifact with Rhendon." I answered. "He should be here shortly."

"Guess we'll wait for him?" Adrian asked, his hand on his chin.

Several minutes later, Blake arrived, posing.

"Knight Blake Dokuro, reporting for duty." He said. He seemed to sigh when stating his name.

"Now that you're all here, allow me to brief you on recent events and what will be happening going forward." Lieutenant Feron said, getting up from his chair.

"As you're well-aware, the Skylark was shot down two days ago by unknown forces and crashed. While most of the crew managed to evacuate, around a hundred thousand were killed. The tearium core of the ship was destroyed on impact. While a large chunk of the ship has survived and we've salvaged most of its parts, the reactor remains impossible to repair or replace - there isn't enough tearium to do so. The backup generator can barely power it, let alone act as a replacement power source." He began.

"So how exactly do we go about repairing it?" I asked.

"When we got our systems back online following first contact with the locals in this town, the Strangers, we detected a power source in the heart of Cradle that outputs massive amounts of power. It could be enough to create a new power source for the Skylark, and allow it to fly again." Feron explained.

"How are we going to get down there?" Blake asked. I was starting to get drowsy.

"The Arcade is our link down into the depths of Cradle, known as the Clockworks. I have been assigned by Captain Ozlo to overlook the Clockworks operation." Feron said. "Problem is, the Clockworks are a death trap that is constantly changing and moving as we speak. This is where you come in. Your mission is to explore the Clockworks and find a way down to the Core. I believe that you and your squad are more than capable for this mission. It will be a long and difficult journey, but should we reach the Core we stand a chance at salvaging the Skylark and..."

Exhausted from crossing the chasm, I fell asleep.
* * *
As Lieutenant Feron rambled on, he noticed that everyone else who was listening to him fell asleep.
* * *
"Ahem." I heard Lieutenant Feron clear his throat as I woke up. "My apologies. I must have gone on for too long. I hereby give you and your squad authorization to enter the Clockworks."

"Roger that." I said. "Is there anything else we need to know before we prepare and set off?"

"The circumstances are always changing. Additional duties may be given to you should the need arise." He said

I heard Feron's terminal send out a beep, indicating a message had been received. He went over to it, read the message and came back.

"I have recieved a report that a recon squad managed to track down some of the Battle Sprites that had gone missing following the Skylark crash." Feron explained. "Report to Biotech Morlin as soon as possible. This will be your first duty. Dismissed."

"Roger that!" I said.

Me, Blake and Adrian stood up, saluted, and then walked off towards the Lab.
________________________________________________________________________
Author's notes:
I assume the Skylark had a crew of around one million. Depending on how big the ship actually was, this might be unrealistic.

And I realized I just contradicted lore. Oops...

I apologize for the fault in the schedule. Those responsible, including my health, my forgetfulness and my laziness, have been sacked. As a result, I feel like the quality of the chapter kind of suffered due to the prolonged time it took to write this, in addition to being quite short. I'm sorry. Thanks for the feedback, however. I'll try to remember to write more chapters later. I swear I will finish this fanfic.

* * *
The next day...
* * *

We arrived in another passageway. The tracing of the Collector's location had determined it had come through here towards its current location. The pathway was littered with constructs. With our sprites by our side, the threat was lessened.

"They really want to exterminate, don't they?" Adrian asked, laying into a robot guardian that appeared to mimic us...a mecha knight.

We reached the elevator and descended.

During the descent, I looked into the distance. The crust of Cradle is so strange. Tons of domes, almost like planets, moving around the complex system of machinery, creating new and strange layers. It was fascinating...

THUD.

The elevator came to stop and we arrived at our destination. Some sort of jail. As we wandered the area, we came across the knight prison.

"Oh thank goodness, someone came!" A knight said. "Get us out of here!"

We tried to lower the bars, but to no use. They wouldn't budge. We tried looking around for another way to lower the gates, but it didn't seem there was anything we could do...until I followed the trail of wires seemingly powering the cell bars. A switch dictated whether they should stay up or down.

I flicked the switch to bring the gates down, freeing the trapped knights. Almost immediately, they ran out.

"Thanks so much!" Another knight said. "But that...thing is still out there."

I devised a plan.

"Adrian, stay with the prisoners. Me and Blake will clear out enemy forces, including the Collector, to give them safe passage." I ordered.

Adrian nodded. I myself and Blake went on ahead, clearing out enemies until we arrived at an arena. A crimson symbol, similar to the one I had seen on Razwog's clothes, was emblazoned on the ground.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Blake said, drawing his sword in an unnecessarily flashy way. We stepped on the button in the center...and lo and behold, The Collector dropped down. I whipped out my gun and began shooting it.

The large construct swung its arm at us, dashing to avoid it. Then it began firing gooey blobs that exploded shortly after impact. Blake rushed at it and delivered a low strike with his sword at its legs, tripping it over. Three retrodes emerged from the ground to support the machine. We began attacking it aggressively after it got knocked down, only for it to unleash an explosion that threw both of us off of it and damaged its armor.

"Thing has a trick or two up its sleeve...what a pain." Blake remarked, as we got up. Two gun puppies emerged from the ground as well. Evading enemy attacks, we resumed our assault with hit & run tactics. I baited it into a corner over to me, then tripped it with Blake. I attempted to cut into it and cause it to self-destruct. Charging up a gun shot, I then fired into it as it attempted to blow us off again.

BOOM!!

The massive explosion destroyed the Collector and its minions, along with sending us flying. Landing on the other side of the arena, I got up as the gates lowered. Adrian and the rescued knights came rushing over.

"What was that!?" Adrian asked, shocked. "Are you guys alright?"

"We'll be fine." I said.

"It was a joke." Blake said, brushing himself off and posing.

"So it was just a prank, bro?" Adrian asked, quoting yet another "meme" to which I shrugged in response.

With the path clear, we ran on ahead into the room the sprites were held in. Some of them had turned red. It seemed like they were trying to adapt. I connected my comlink to Morlin.

"We've found the trapped knights and sprites." I said. "The Collector is also destroyed."

"Excellent! We'll send a rescue team down to retrieve the sprites." Morlin said.

"Got it. We're heading to the elevator back to Haven with the freed knights." I said, hanging up.

We got on the elevator and went up with the rescued knights.

* * *
Upon their arrival and debriefing with Morlin, they learned Lieutenant Feron and Intel Agent Kora wanted to speak them in the Arcade again.
* * *
We arrived at Feron's station again and reported for duty.

"I hope you're doing well." Kora said. "Something has come up."

"Orders have been given from Spiral HQ that come from Captain Ozlo himself. Your squad has been selected to search for traces of the Alpha Squad." Feron said.

"Alpha Squad?" I asked.

"They're like heroes to some knights. They were an elite squad of knights that Ozlo personally selected to enter the Clockworks in an effort to locate the Core. Radio communication wasn't possible shortly after the Skylark crash, so they left a series of recon modules throughout their travels." Kora explained. "When systems were finally brought back online, we couldn't connect to the Alpha Squad and have never heard from them since then."

"We need you to discover what happened to them. You'll start by seeking out known locations of their recon modules in the Clockworks and collecting them for analysis up here. Kora will be in charge of locating them. So far, one has been found in an area of the Clockworks known as the 'Gloaming Wildwoods.' However, the forest is home to a powerful creature known as the 'Snarbolax' which has made quick work of knights sent down to find the module before you." Feron explained.

"Sounds dangerous. But I'm more than willing to take on the job. Find the Core, and we probably have a shot at finding them as well." I said.

"This is why we've selected your squad for this mission." Feron said. "We believe you have what it takes."

"Understood. We won't let you down." I said.

"We will direct you to the Hall of Heroes in the Garrison first, to prepare for the upcoming challenges ahead. Report to Kora once your preparations are complete. Dismissed." Feron debriefed.

With that, we headed off to the Hall of Heroes.

A knight greeted us when we entered.

"Well met, Knight Sue." He said. "I'm Lieutenant Barrus, Warden of the Hall of Heroes. You are here because Spiral HQ has makred you as having potential. As the danger of exploring the Clockworks increases the deeper down you go, certification is required to avoid inexpericed knights falling into peril."

"So we're here to acquire clearance?" I asked.

"Yes, in order to access deeper strata of the Clockworks you must first recieve certification. This entails having armor, a helmet, a shield and at least one weapon of a specific quality or higher, then inquiring with me. The knights you see around me will provide recipes for crafting this gear. I assume you already know the basics of alchemy?"

"Affirmative." I said. "We'll prepare our gear and report back to you."

With that, we set about in the Hall of Heroes, purchasing the recipes we need with the coins that had been dropping from foes we defeated. Then we transmuted the materials we also acquired and from there proliferated our gear.

Adrian procured a set of explosives, along with armor to protect himself from said explosives. Blake synthesized some swords, plus a set of armor that bore a resemblance to a Wolver. I created a set of clothes resembling a cowboy along with some guns and a slightly better sword. After our alchemy session, we returned to Barrus.

"We've procured our gear." I stated. Barrus made an assessment.

"You meet the necessary requirements. As such, you have recieved two-star clearance." He said. I thanked him in response. We then left the hall and I contacted Kora.

"I've recieved my certification and preparations." I said.

"Congratulations!" She said. "Get some rest for tomorrow's operation. A tired knight is a dead knight."

"Got it. Thank you, good night." I said, and hung up.
________________________________________________________________________
Author's notes:
I didn't want to bloat Chapter 4 even longer than it already was, so I cut the Collector part for this. Kind of short, but not really.

Yes, there has to be explosions every time a construct boss is destroyed. Mundanely depleting the health bar is boring!

I decided to mix up the order in which things happen simply because I felt most of the beginner missions were kind of boring. Plus, we wouldn't want to be going around trying to fight the Snarbolax with the starter gear, right? (Plus, their ranks would give them the excuse of having some three-star gear.)

I'm bad at descrptive prose, so here's everyone's loadout so far:

Mary:
Helmet: Gunslinger Hat
Armor: Gunslinger Sash
Shield: Owlite Shield
Weapons: Blaster, Autogun, Calibur

Adrian:
Helmet: Spiral Demo Helm
Armor: Spiral Demo Suit
Shield: Defender
Weapons: Blast Bomb, Freezing Vaporizer, Spur

Blake:
Helmet: Wolver Cap
Armor: Wolver Coat
Shield: Swiftstrike Buckler
Weapons: Brandish, Cutter

"...first, scientists have discovered an energy signature similar to the artifact in the depths of the Clockworks. We're tracing the source right now and it may give us an idea as to what the schemer Razwog planned on doing with the device, or what the device's properties are." Kora explained the first objective. "We've also gotten reports that more and more forces of a kind similar to Razwog are mobilizing in the Clockworks below Haven. We have very little intel on what they're planning, but we suspect it may be an attack."

"That's...concerning." I said about the mobilization.

"Spiral HQ believes your squad is our best choice to track down the signature, given previous circumstances. Rhendon will be dispatched to..." Kora began, before she was suddenly interrupted by a noise.

BOOM.

An explosion? Here? Did some equipment malfunction?

Our confusion turned to alarm when we heard a loud crash behind us followed by more explosions.

"...speak of the devilite." She said.

Rhendon ran in.

"I saw them trying to blow up the floor and get in from below! I think we're under attack!" He shouted. He sounded like he was out of breath.

"YOU DON'T SAY?" Adrian said, making a strange gesture.

Blake pulled out his newly-procured rapier. I readied myself as well, only to find ourselves ambushed by one of the soldiers, armed with a large wrench that almost seemed like a hammer. He swung his wrench down at us, we dodged and Blake promptly knocked it out of his fuzzy hands with a swift kick.

"No time to waste on them." Blake mused and ran off towards the back.

Adrian and I followed suit, as Rhendon attempted to distract them. Fighting off several more soldiers heading towards the back, we found that the artifact hadn't been tampered with or even touched.

Keyword being had. I felt horrible all of a sudden, as if something ominous was approaching. A faint red blur approached the artifact and grabbed it. I fired at it, causing the cloak to fail in a small burst of green leaves revealing it to be another one of the fuzzy marauders who were attacking the lab. He was covered in robes, with virtually nothing visible other than an ear, one of his eyes and his lower legs.

"...So, you're the thieves who stole what was ours. The unworthy of possessing this Artifact shall be relieved of it." He hissed.

"Not so fast." I said, aiming straight at his head. "You've got some nerve, and a lot of questions to answer."

But before I could even ask one, he suddenly vanished again without a trace.

"And here I thought Blake was an edgelord..." Adrian remarked on the intruder.

"Even he's too 'edgy' for me. Whatever that means..." Blake replied.

I noticed that the enemy forces had begun to retreat. Thinking fast, we captured several of them for questioning later. Afterwards, I reported back to Kora.

"We failed to stop them. One of them, I assume their commander, has stolen the artifact." I reported.

Kora pulled her glasses down, looking exasperated.

"Why would they do this? What connection do they have to it?" She asked.

Nobody had an answer.

"The attack has damaged most of our sensors. It's going to take a while before we can resume operations. In the meantime, we'll interrogate the captured soldiers." Kora explained, pushing her glasses back in. "I should also refer you to Biotech Hahn, considering there are likely going to be more difficult challenges waiting for you in the second tier of the Clockworks. I'd recommend getting rest first, it's been a long day for all of us."

"Roger that." I said.

I looked around again. The laboratory was a complete disaster. To say the sudden assault damaged most of the equipment was an understatement.

Given that it was a long day and we were in no hurry to get things done, we left and headed back off to the barracks for some rest.

* * *
The next day...
* * *

"I still can't believe I let him get away." I said, berating myself. "I should've shot him then and there, then asked questions!"

"Mary, take it easy." Adrian said. He looked worried about me. "We'll find him and the artifact."

"Right." Blake replied. "In eons."

* * *
A while later, Mary's squad reported for duty, then was reminded of their referral to Hahn to avoid getting completely wrecked if they went deeper into the Clockworks.
* * *

I contacted Hahn on the comlink, and added Blake and Adrian to the conference so they could hear as well.

"Hello. I was referred to you by Kora?" I began.

"Indeed." Hahn replied. "Let's get right to the lesson. Our current research seems to suggest that the fauna in the Clockworks begins to show more and more unique properties with depth and proximity to the Core. Most cases take the form of extra forms of offense, requiring special defenses to protect against them."

He was talking rather fast.

"So we're gonna be doing a lotta damage, and also taking a lotta damage?" Adrian asked.

"Yes. You and your squad need to begin forming loadouts that protect you against special damage types. For now, we will start on piercing-type damage, produced through all sorts of biting fangs, slimy spikes, and other things that tear through. Beasts and slimes deliver this type of damage." Hahn explained.

"I think we've got it. Thanks for the info." I said.

"My pleasure. Good day." Hahn said, ending the comlink conference.

* * *
Mary and her squad set off yet again, dealing with oilers in the boilers and a troublesome Wolver pack. How...boring. Let's jump ahead to the next day!

Ahem.

The next day...
* * *

I could hear Blake talking to himself as I got up from bed.

"...being edgy is going to kill everyone at some point." He mumbled. "But..."

He sighed. I could tell something was up, but I didn't bother to investigate further. After preparations, we contacted Hahn again.

"Hello again." I began. "We're on to our next assignments?"

"Indeed. As they say, we're off to the races." Hahn started. I braced myself for the rapid-fire exposition.

"Elemental-type damage is generally the realm of energy-based attacks, ranging from photon-based laser fire to arcane energy manipulation and everything in-between. Gremlins and their constructs deal this type of damage." He explained.

"Wait, arcane...do you mean magic?"

"No, no, I'm talking about a psychic energy manipulation here, try and stay with me." Hahn said, attempting to correct me.

"Sounds like a whole bunch of pseudoscience." I remarked back. "Let's not stay on this any longer though, and get to the point."

"Indeed. Good day." Hahn concluded, ending the call.

We set off again, this time dealing with a few rescues and sabotaging a weapons stash.

* * *
Another day, another...yawn...this is boring.
* * *
In between my assignments and lesson on shadow-type damage, I decided to ask the Strangers in Haven for answers. I wasn't going to wait several months for HQ to explain everything.

I approached one near the Garrison. He seemed to have foreseeen my conversation when he spoke up first.
"Hello there, little one. You look as though you seek knowledge of some kind." He said, intermixed with the whirring and clicking of cassette tape.

"I do." I responded. "Tell me what you know about the Gremlins."

"My knowledge is yours, little one. Gremlins are a race of creatures, adept at creating and dismantling all matters of machinery. They are a legion of artificers and a force of destruction at the same time." The stranger explained.

"Do they have a leader?" I then asked.

"All gremlins of the Great Colony serve King Tinkinzar, said to be a ruler and mechanical genius responsible for the vision that shaped the Clockworks. He is never seen by common Gremlins, his band the Crimson Order delivering and carrying his orders out, and share audience with him." He answered.

"That veiled gremlin that lead the assault on the lab could've been a member of the Crimson Order." I thought to myself, recalling seeing a mark on his robes that seemed awfully familiar. "But is that mark really theirs?"

Without asking another question...

"Most Gremlins will attack you on sight, seeing you as an intruder interfering with their operation, but there are some that do not. They are outcasts from the Great Colony that have taken refuge in subterranean towns, hated by their own kind and living a hard life in a world they can no longer call home." ...he continued.

"I see. Thank you for the intel." I said. He folded his arms and bowed, and we parted ways.

I then contacted Hahn, unsure whether or not to report my intel gained from the stranger to Kora. She probably would've figured out much of this from interrogation by now, but even I knew this assumption could be in error.

"Hello again." I initiated. "I think we're ready for the third lesson."

"Let's begin." Hahn said. "Shadow-type damage is mainly from concentrations of negative energy. This could range from psychic manipulation to attacks using weapons forged from dark matter. Fiends and the undead produce this type of damage."

"I see." Blake acknowleged, he and Adrian also being parties to this call.

"So that really is a case where the edge hurts?" Adrian questioned.

Silence.

"There's one more thing I would like to add." Hahn said, ignoring Adrian's question. "I've heard that some of the other Biotechs mention how much they want to get the Skylark operational once again and return home, along with being grateful to knights such as yourselves."

"Thanks. Tell those Biotechs we appreciate it." I replied.

After the call ended, we got on with our next few assignments, aimed at investigating a haunted castle and interrupting contract work for the Gremlins in a fiendish city.

As we ascended the lift from cancelling and writing off the projects, Kora suddenly contacted me.

"Hello Mary, I'm happy to report that my equipment's back up and running! I've got both good and bad news for you, so meet me in the Lab for another briefing." She said.

A few minutes later, we arrived and reported for duty.

"We've managed to track down the source of the energy signature we discovered a week ago, before we were interrupted by that Gremlin-led assault. It's been pinpointed to an area of the Clockworks that Recon Knights have called the 'Royal Jelly Palace' which appears to be a home for the slime aristocracy."

"...seriously?" I asked, wondering if it was an out-of-season April Fool's joke.

"It's as strange as it sounds." Kora remarked. "Said aristocrats, the 'Royal Jellies' are large, badly-tempered and rather selfish slimes that live in rather large palaces we can only assume they've squtted in as they do not appear capable of building such structures. The energy signature is coming from somewhere in the palace, and it's been decided you will go in again and attempt to locate it. Confrontation with the Royal Jelly is likely inevitable."

"Understood. You can count on us again." I said.

"One other thing..." She began, the briefing not over. "We've decided to assign another knight to your squad, as we suspect you may need more firepower and assistance. Knight Oliver Lycoris is that knight. Rendezvous with him in the town square after this briefing.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"That's about it. Dismissed." Kora finished her briefing.

* * *
And now, let's go meet that new guy...in the next chapter!
________________________________________________________________________
Author's notes:
"Don't worry, we won't go on a silly several-month hiatus again after this."
Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

And now, onto what I feel like is a bit of a plot hole in SK canon: The way the knights find out who the Gremlins are feels like an aside matter of fact - Kora brings up the term in 1-3 and then doesn't explain further. This is why in Chapter 7 I decided to introduce the plot element that several gremlins were taken as POWs during the Lab attack in order to have a somewhat credible explanation for how they figured this all out because otherwise to me it feels like one big old plot hole. I guess Pakrat counts as well but that's out of the way.

Hahn's tasks being skimmed over is also mainly due to wanting more dialogue if anything else.

The break was kind of eventful. We were promoted to Knight Elite and we upgraded our gear. We decided that our squad needed a name and came up with "Delta Squad" - original, I know.

I had traded some of the gems we found in the Royal Jelly Palace for an old gun. It wasn't like our energy-based firearms - it was more of a traditional, almost ancient revolver that used gunpowder as its ammo's propellant. My other weapons and armor received standard upgrades. You know, more defense, more power, so on and so forth.

Blake and Oliver traded their gems in for similarly ancient swords, wrapped in mysterious talismans. The blades were heavy and unwieldy, but packed a punch. Adrian in the meantime had used some of the fangs we plucked from the Snarbolax to procure a shrapnel explosive, and later alchemized a sword for self-defense. The blade allegedly had a very steep learning curve that led to research being halted after too many knights hurt themselves trying to use it.

Other than that, not much else happened. This week however, things picked up.

I was sitting down with Blake and Oliver. Adrian had gone off to compete in an explosives event in the meantime. I guess it was a way to pass the time, and he'd been participating all week long. He said he was doing it to get a specific prize or whatever.

"Mary. I've been thinking..." Blake said. "I don't really feel like much of a team player. I feel keeping my distance is hurting everyone."

I was surprised.

"But didn't we take down the Snarbolax and the Royal Jelly together?" I asked. "I remember you setting up that finishing attack against the Royal Jelly, too."

"Yeah. I've been trying to stop that behavior." Blake remarked. "It's hard...I feel anxious around other people."

"If you need someone to believe in you, believe in the Oliver that believes in you, Blake." Oliver said, encouragingly. Blake thanked him.

Then we were interrupted by the familiar ringtone of the comlink. It was Kora. We picked up.

"Hello, Delta Squad. Congratulations on your promotion to Knight Elite, by the way!" She started.

"Thank you, it's an honor." I said.

"I have a new job for you based on intel I've recieved from our recons. It's a little...urgent. Could you head to the lab as soon as possible?" She requested.

"Understood." I said.

"On it! Just finished the last game of Blast Network I needed to get that bomb recipe!" Adrian remarked. "I'll be there soon. Trademark."

We then made our way to the lab. Adrian had acquired an explosive that pulled in enemies before delivering an electric shock. I could see it being useful.

"We're ready for the briefing. What's the intel?" I stated.

"According to recent intel, the Gremlins appear to be plotting some sort of attack. We believe they're in the process of developing some form of weapon they've named 'Project R' that will be used in an attack on Haven itself. Spiral HQ and the Strangers are requesting you investigate this matter."

"Yikes. Because the Strangers sheltered us, they're now in the crosshairs with us." Blake noted.

"I feel the same way." Kora remarked. "We must put an end to this threat as soon as possible. We owe it to the Strangers, after all. I've acquired several leads on where they may be gathering resources. In the meantime, we'll run a scan on that device you discovered in the Royal Jelly Palace. Hopefully, we'll find out what it is soon enough."

"Understood." I said. With the briefing over, we headed off to our goals.

Our first two missions were to shut down several resource gathering operations, with the second one also requiring us to rescue a squad of knights who had been captured. Our third mission had us seeking out the schematics for the Gremlin weapon.

Heading through the halls as silently as we could under the down of Adrian's sprite's cloak, we approached what appeared to be a construction area. At the center was what was being built - a giant gun puppy, unfinished and dormant. It was likely a prototype or mockup of some sort. Sneaking towards the terminal, we accessed and poured over it for information.

The Gremlins really need better cybersecurity. They left the file servers totally exposed, letting us download and make off with several dozen files relating to Project R, including schematics and other miscellanous information of interest. Uploading it now would be rather risky and if we got caught we would likely have to fend off hordes of enemies.

We made our way back up to Haven, choosing to upload the files we had stolen to Spiral HQ for analysis there. As soon as we arrived back in Haven, we were told Kora had more intel for us, and so we headed back to the Lab for a second briefing. What a long day.

"I understand that Spiral HQ has uncovered Project R's nature?" I asked.

"Affirmative. Project R in fact appears to be a superweapon known as the 'Roarmulus Twins' which were designed by a member of King Tinkinzar's inner circle - the Crimson Order. These terrible twin turrets possess an arsenal of strong munitions, including mortars, rockets and powerful laser cannons. Their armor is built of an alloy that seems impervious to our weapons. The Gremlins intend to move these two up the Clockworks into the Arcade, intending to shell Haven until the city has burnt to the ground." Kora exposited.

"Do you have its location? We could stop it." Blake asked.

"We've found the facility it's being constructed at and it appears you won't be the first to have entered it. The Ironclaw Munitions Facility is a factory used to produce all sorts of weapons for the Great Colony and is highly dangerous, even to its workers. An Alpha Squad recon module appears to be somewhere within the facility. Recovering it would be a step forward in our inquiry into where they went." She continued. "I hope they made it out alive..."

"Understood. We're on it." I said.

"Good luck, Delta Squad. Dismissed." Kora replied, finishing the briefing.

With that, we were off, heading deep into the area of the Clockworks we were authorized to enter. As we headed through the tunnels, we began to see the factory. It looked heavily guarded. Breaking in would be difficult...

...but it's what we need to do if we want to save Haven.
________________________________________________________________________
Author's notes:

No, you won't get to see Adrian's adventures in Blast Network. I mean, he was repeating the same minigame like, what, 300 times? Those recipes are so expensive.

And yes, this is more filler. Kind of. Let's not have a huge fight every chapter...