Operation Pacifica:"Ascension"
by ST

"To ascend you must die you must be crucified for your sins and your
  lies Goodbye...." -Tool, "Eulogy" _Aenima_

"I'm on the wire, over and higher over the pretense over the spire
  On and connected I'm overfloating now I'm overfloating Alone" -Soundgarden
  "Overfloater" _Down on the Upside_

 "Rock climbing, Joel, rock climbing," ST muttered to himself as he
  rested on an isolated ledge about halfway up the plateu.  He had been
  grappling his way upwards for about an hour, and he was starting to tire,
  his weapons getting heavier with every passing minute.  He had finally found
  this ledge after five minutes of searching, and he now sat with his back
  against the rock, his weapons unfastened and spread out before him.  He
  looked up at the fortress of the Lyrans, the closer it got the more sinister
  and wicked it seemed, he thought.  He noticed a vibration in his pocket
  suddenly and was about to grab his sword when he remembered that it was his
  Jihadlinker.  He opened it up and saw a message from Sergeant Bullin.  It
  said that he and his troops had scaled the mountain and were now taking up
  positions.  ST nodded with satisfaction, closing the linker and putting it
  back in his pocket.  [I guess I'm as rested as I'll ever be,] he thought
  glumly, picking up his weapons.  He took another deep breath and started to
  climb again.

Music - Piano Concerto No. 1, second movement, Tchaikovsky

 He was almost at the top when he heard a giggle from above and to
  the right of him.  He instantly held his breath and drew his .357.  He
  cocked it as silently as possible and waited.  He heard an unzipping of what
  sounded like common pants.  His nose wrinkled as he realized what the
  spongin above was doing.  A yellow stream started falling down the mountain
  and ST started climbing away from it in disgust.  He reached the ledge where
  the spongin was relieving himself after a minute or so.  He was about twenty
  yards from the spongin, who had now finished and was zipping his pants back
  up.  As ST got to within striking distance, the minion suddenly spoke.

 "I just bet I forgot to do something!  Umm...let's see, I unzipped,
  I...uh..tinkled...I uh..."

 *BLAM*

 "You forgot to leave the seat down," smirked ST as the spongin's
  corpse hit the ground, a bullet in its head.  He kicked it over the edge and
  continued.

        Ten minutes later, he was crouched behind a rock about one
  hundred and fifty yards from the fortress.  He was in view of what appeared
  to be a cargo entrance, but ST didn't want to speculate what kind of cargo
  was transported here.  It was guarded only by two tall, even taller than ST,
  nagenta creatures wearing glasses that ST surmised were MENSAns, having
  heard of the encounters with this group of pseudointellectual spongin from
  other Jihaddi.  They were holding M16 rifles with grenade launchers attached
  and also had what appeared to be scimitars belted at the waist.  They seemed
  to be talking, and while ST couldn't really hear what was being said, he had
  a feeling he didn't want to.  [Too far for the .357,] he pondered, [and I'm
  not sure if I want to unleash Schlee this close to the Lyrans.  Looks like
  I'll have to create a diversion.  Either that, or get closer and hope I get
  lucky with the .357.  Yeah, right.]  Deciding to combine his plans, he crept
  about fifty yards closer, not making the slightest sound.  He looked up at
  the guards and instantly thought that the MENSAns wouldn't have heard him
  anyway, even if he had been blasting Good Music[tm] at full volume.  They
  were discussing, loudly and vehemently, whether or not b'harnii was dead
  permanently.

 "I have heard some reports from witnesses of the occurrence that
  the vile sword known as "Barney-Slayer" did in fact, spill out the lifeblood
  of Lord b'harnii.  All accounts to the contrary are..." began one.

 "Absolutely true," interrupted the other.    "I have heard reports
  of my own, stating that a young, hitherto unknown member of the Jihad called
  `Sir Timothy' was the one who slew our Lord, not the bearer of Barney-
  Slayer, thus, our Lord will return, Q.E.D."

 "But how is that possible?" stammered MENSAn #1.  "What did he use
  to accomplish the deed, his bare hands, might I ask?  Very few beings have
  the power to bereft our Lord of his life, Barney-Slayer or no.   You are
  living in an illusion, my dear fellow, and although I must commend you for
  your optimism, I am sorry to say that we must go on from here without our
  Lord.  We can only hope to avenge him by slaying the bearer of Barney-
  Slayer.  Sir Timothy was just a bystander in the horrible killing of our..."

 "That is quite to the contrary," interceded MENSAn #2.  "*I* have
  heard that Sir Timothy became enraged and butchered our Lord like an Earth
  pig.  I..."

 *BLAM*

 "What was that sound?"

 "It appears to have been the report of a gunshot, .357 caliber, I
  would say.  It came from over in this direction, I shall go to investigate
  it, you must remain here to effectively guard this entrance.  I shall be
  back, forthwith," stated MENSAn #2 before he loped off in the general
  direction of the gunshot.   "I should certainly hope that that was not
  another fool human servant of b'harnii playing with his pistol, otherwise I
  shall cause great bodily harm to them," he muttered as he disappeared.

 ST snuck back to his previous position, smiling but slightly out of
  breath.  While the MENSAns had been pontificating on his alleged deeds, he
  had managed to creep over about three hundred yards from the cargo entrance
  and fire his .357.  He had then ran back carefully, managing to elude the
  MENSAn who had gone to investigate.   He now had his lochaber axe drawn as
  he slunk silently towards the lone guard.  The remaining MENSAn was staring
  off into space, presumably pondering some silly shit only a MENSAn would
  think about.  ST was now only fifteen feet away and he had still not been
  noticed.  He knew that to challenge a MENSAn was pointless and only wasted
  time, and so he decided not to say a word to his kill, not even to yell
  during his charge.  He inhaled slightly and sprinted for the entrance, axe
  held high.  The MENSAn looked up in time to see ST coming, though, and he
  was able to counter ST's dreadful axe with his scimitar, sending a shower of
  sparks cascading over them.  The MENSAn then attempted to throw a hook with
  his free hand, but ST blocked it and countered with a straight punch to the
  MENSAn's glasses, shattering them.  The nearly blind MENSAn luckily tripped
  ST with his tail, sending the tall Jihaddi to the ground, but he swung his
  legs up and was back on his feet in a second.  The saurian swung wildly with
  his scimitar, not even coming close to hitting the young knight.  ST saw his
  chance and quickly blocked a stroke, then he attempted to shove the MENSAn
  against the entrance, which only resulted in his bouncing backwards a few
  feet.  He did manage to baffle the saurian, though, and the now totally
  disoriented 7' creature overswung, giving ST the opening he needed to bring
  his axe back and swing it deep into the dinosaur-like creature's chest.  The
  MENSAn staggered and fell to his knees, suddenly speaking.  "Please, you
  must have pity on me!  You will feel guilty for the rest of your days for
  killing me!  You..."

Music - "No Remorse" Metallica _Kill 'Em All_

 ST brought the axe back and beheaded the unfortunate servant of
  b'harnii, sending its oversized skull into the lands surrounding the
  fortress.   He shrugged. "o/~ No remorse, no regret, we don't care what it
  meant, another day, another death another sorrow another breath..o/~ he sang
  in mocking tones as he finally entered the fortress.

[A half hour later]

 The tracer J-Rock had given him was starting to blink faster, ST
  having shut off the beeping for obvious reasons.  He had been creeping
  around the fortress for about a half hour, encountering sporadic patrols and
  managing to avoid them all.  [Must be getting close,] he muttered mentally,
  entering a new passageway.  It was deserted, but as he walked down it, the
  blinking intensified.  [Closer than I thought...it must be down here.]  He
  picked up his pace, feeling adrenalin pump through him.  He rounded a corner
  and slightly gasped.

 He saw before him an immense cell block, stretching for at least a
  thousand yards, he'd wager.  The blinking on the tracer was now almost
  solid.  ST pulled out his Jihadlinker and signaled Sergeant Bullin to begin
  his assault.

TBC in "Liberation and Sorrow"
ST