Kimball!" A federation soldier called out. Kimble was in the citadel walking alongside Doyle as a bunch of other soldiers went about their business. "Are we able to transport some more soldiers to the so called 'teleporter tower'?"

"Do we need more?" Kimball asked politely.

"Some were sent on a scouting mission for local wildlife for food. They haven't come back and we just want to send another team out to find them."

"I think that isn't a good idea," Kimble said.

"I agree with Kimble," Doyle said. "How long have they been gone?"

"About two hours after they said they would return," the soldier said.

"Well I don't think that's a cause for concern yet do you Kimberly?"

"No," Kimball said. "I think they probably found something and are trying to carry it home."

"Yeah, you're probably right," the Fed soldier said. "I'll let them know to wait a little longer."

"Speaking of them, has Alicia and Emily deciphered most of the alien language yet?" the fed soldier shook his head.

"Not yet but they are getting close." The two leaders nod and send the Soldier on his way. They continue walking around Armonia. Ever since Jagger, Alicia, Wally, Bryce, Jensen, Palomo, Smith, and Emily got the tower, moral has been high and the Feds and NR. While the tower didn't have a lot of supplies, it had enough for them to try and take over the tower at Charon excavation site. They succeeded in taking out the research complex next to the site. Now all of them were trying their best to decipher them to see if they could help win the war. Maybe even do the impossible and bring the Reds and Blues back to life.

"Do you really think we can bring them back?" Doyle asked. Kimball sighed.

"I don't know," She said. "But sometimes it's better to hope, right?" Hope. It was something everyone was clinging to. After all once you lose hope, what does that leave?

"Well, we're luckily the last tower we captured was practically supply base." Doyle laughed as he said that.

"Yeah, now I won't have to Bitch about resources anymore." The two chuckled.

"Well I mean we will eventually when we run out." The two continued laughing. They both needed this. After being at each other's throats for so long they needed to try and bond, even if it's only temporary. "So we have a teleporter tower that teleports us to another dimension possible, and now we are deciphering another one at the Charon excavation site."

"Pretty much, I just hope it's something useful."

Meanwhile, at the Excavation site:

"Alicia's tower log eight," the Fed soldier said. "I made several observations. One; the tower seems to only protrude from the ground. I am still trying to decipher some of the alien language with Grey's notes but I am still having trouble. Hopefully I will make progress soon. Two; it's nice and sunny out today and I love it! End log."

"You're really picking up on Grey's eccentric traits," Jagger said walking up to her. They go up and hug each other.

"Hey babe," Alicia said. They pull away and continue walking around the site.

"So any luck deciphering this stuff yet?" the writings around the walls in the area were trying to be deciphered by some of the smartest minds on Chorus. Or anyone who could speak alien.

"Nothing yet. But from what Grey deciphered from the dimension tower the word 'key' is being used a lot."

"So is there a key somewhere around here? Perhaps under the welcome mat?" Jagger chuckled at his own joke as Alicia playfully hit him.

"Shut up you dork. Unfortunately no but I can assume that whatever the key is it could unlock all the other towers."

"Jagger! Alicia!" a familiar voice called out. Palomo comes running up to them with Jensen right behind. "You won't believe what we just caught! It's going to feed us for days!"

"What is it?"

"A giant fish!" Jensen said with her lisp. "It was swimming along the shoreline so we decided to see if we could take it." The four soldiers continue along to the shoreline nearby.

"How'd you capture it?" Alicia asked.

"Well first we tried to shoot it."

Line break:

"Die you potentially delicious dinner!" A New Republic soldier by the name of Flats said. He along with Palomo, Jensen, and some feds began shooting the water where the big shadow swam. However the bullets seemed to not effected it at all.

"Maybe we have to stab it?" A fed soldier suggested.

"Please!" Jensen said. "What insane person would try and―"

"FOR THE FOOOOOOOOOOD!" Flats yelled as he jumped into the water with a knife. There was a splash and about fifteen seconds of waiting before Flats popped out from the water. "Well, on bright side he isn't bullet proof and knife proof!" he yelled. "But he doesn't seem to be effected by it!" Flats swam back to the shore. Everyone goes to him to try and plan another way to get the giant fish."

Line break:

"Yikes," Jagger said.

"Yeah didn't work too well," Palomo sighed. "So then we tried using explosives."

Line Break:

Flats brought a crate of explosive to the cliff. "You think this is enough?" he said putting it down.

"Should be," Jensen said. "Let's just hope we don't blow ourselves…" Jensen noticed that Flats had a trail of gunpowder leaking from the crate. "Uhh… Flats." Jensen pointed to the trail of gunpowder that followed Flats but he waved her off.

"Come on what are the chances of someone igniting the gunpowder?" As if on cue the trail had a spark slowly following the gunpowder and the two soldiers panic. "Oh god! Jensen what do we…" Flats looked up to see the female NR soldier gone. He gulped.

An explosion is heard and any nearby soldier looked at it. Only to see a flying NR soldier screaming and on fire. Flats lands in the water and washes up on shore. "Medic…" he mumbled.

Line Break:

Jagger and Alicia cringed at Flats' failure.

"Yeah," Jensen said. "Then we actually tried fishing poles."

Line Break:

"Hey I think I got a bite!" Flats said. he felt a tug on his fishing pole. "Wait, how am I supposed to real it…?" All of a sudden Flats was pulled and began being dragged by the fish. "IIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNN!"

"Welp he's dead," a federation soldier commented.

Line break:

"So if all of those failed how did you get it?" Jagger asked.

"We just used a giant net," Palomo said.

"Why did it take you guys so long to realize that?" Alicia asked.

"We're soldiers of the Reds and Blues," Jagger answered. "I'm pretty sure all of us are stupid to some degree."

"True that!"

All of the soldiers laugh, oblivious to the fact that they were being spied on by two pirate scouts.

Pirate Base:

Felix, Locust, Sharkface, and the commissioner were all standing around, Locust and The commissioner patiently waiting for the status report, Sharkface doing pushups, and Felix twirling a knife in his hand. As of right now they were all at varying degrees of angry. With the Reds and Blues gone, everyone was expecting the Chorus people to be losing this battle and yet they still resist.

Felix was eyeing the commissioner. "You know what," Felix said as he gripped his knife. "I just realized something." He walked up to the commissioner and pointed the blade at him. 'Why do we even need this motherfucker? The agents are gone. He's useless."

"I am here because I can profile soldiers very easily," The commissioner said in his normal calm voice. "Once the report comes in along with the video feed I can profile high ranking soldiers, and then I can find their weaknesses before any of you."

"I doubt it," Felix said. He then points the blade to Sharkface. "And what about you? The agents are gone and out of our hair. Your 'revenge' isn't going to come true." Sharkface gets up and smacks the blade away from him.

"As long as there people that still respects those so called heroes," Sharkface said. "My revenge isn't over."

"Felix, enough," Locust said. "We have men, why does it matter why they are here with us?"

Felix just shrugs and says "Hey I'm just saying, they don't need to stick around. Their personal gains are over with."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that boss," a pirate said walking up to him.

"What do you have?" Locust asked. The pirate handed them a drive. They find the nearest computer to see what the drive had to offer them.

A few minutes later.

"You're sure this is real?" Locust said.

"I was there sir," the priate said. "It's as real as it gets."

"Then I supposed you have a reason to keep us around don't you?" Sharkface said to Felix. Felix growled as Sharkface chuckled.

"I will see what I can learn about the alien language," The commissioner said. With that he walks off with his hands behind his back.

"We need to tell the chairman," Locust told Felix.

"We don't have to tell him dick," Felix said walking away from the computer. Locust followed behind and Sharkface went to the armory to grab a couple of weapons. He figured he might need them soon.

"He needs to know that there is a chance they'll come back."

"Why would he care about chances, Locust?" Felix stopped and faced him. "In case you haven't noticed, our asshole of a boss is more focused on results than he is on chances. So what he doesn't know won't hurt him. 'Kay pumpkin?" Felix said that last part with a tap on Locust's chestplate, which made Locust let out a low growl. "Now then, if you don't mind, I'm going to gather the men and see if we can find this 'key' those idiotic NR and Fed soldiers were talking about.

Felix walks away and Locust has to make a decision. Either follow Felix and look for the key. Contact Hargrove and ask for directions. Or gather soldiers and do his own thing. This wasn't going to get any easier.

In Armonia, one day later:

Doyle and Kimball went to the communications room. It was time for a status report from the NR and Fed soldiers who went to the towers, named Bravo Squad. Kimball sends a call to both towers and sends a message.

"Bravo Squad, come in," Kimball said as she pressed the communicator. "Guys it's time for your report let's go!"

The screen on the right appears. On it is Alicia, Jagger, Palomo, and Jensen. "Bravo Squad B reporting!" Palomo said with a salute. "Lieutenants Palomo and Jensen of the New Republic here."

"Along with Lieutenants Alica and Jagger for the Federation," Jagger said. All of them salute.

"At ease," Doyle said. "We'll wait for Bravo Squad A and then get on with the meeting."

"No need to wait on us!" The cheerful voice of Emily Grey sounded. The left screen appeared with three soldiers. "Dr. Emily Grey from the Federation and lieutenant Wally and Lieutenant Smith from the New Republic here!"

"Where's Bryce?" Alicia asked. The three soldiers look at each other than at the ground.

"That hunting squad we sent out came back with a big beast," Smith said. "Plenty of food. But they didn't suffer casualties."

"Bryce was one of the casualties," Wally said. Everyone has a moment of silence.

"All right," Kimball said. "Let's get the meeting rolling."

"Any further progress?" Doyle asked.

"Well, aside from more mentions of a key over here," Alicia said. "We still haven't found this Tower's function."

"And over here is just more talk of dimensions," Smith said.

"We were able to get a little more detail on the dimension they were trying to reach though," Emily explained.

"What'd you learn?" Doyle asked.

"Oh only some very disturbing things called Grimm." Doyle and Kimball look at each other. Then back at the screen.

"I'm afraid to ask," Kimball sighed. "What are Grimm?"

"Apparently some sort of dark creature," Smith said. "It feeds off of negative emotions."

"Well then…" Doyle moaned out. "That's going to haunt my nightmares."

"I think the aliens got scared of them and decided to trash this tower," Wally said. "Dr. Grey found out they were horrified by what they found and retreated back to our world."

"Do you think they are horrified by the Grimm and that's why they left?" Kimball said.

"It's the only logical explanation I could think of," Dr. Gray said. "My primary concern is this talk about the key. We have no idea what this key is and for some reason it's very important to the activation of these towers."

"Didn't Tucker say his sword was a key of some sort?" Palomo said.

"Come to think of it," Doyle remembered. "I do recall Tucker saying that. SO does this mean we can't use these towers?"

"Now hang on," Alicia objected. "Tucker got his sword on an entirely different planet."

"You think there might be another key on Chorus?" Kimball asked.

"Hey it's a start," Jagger said. "We just need to know if you'll give us a greenlight."

"Of course. But where are you guys going to check out first?" Everyone looks at each other.

"No idea," Smith said. "But, maybe we should look at the other towers."

Doyle hummed. "It is a good start," he said.

"True," Palomo said. "But Tucker said he found his in a dirty warehouse. So really the sword can be anywhere on this planet."

"Well seeing as how the Space pirate own most of this planet," Jagger said. "That's easier said than done. For all we know they found it already."

"We won't know unless we try," Smith said. "I say we find any kind of ruins and search them, from small watchtowers to underground bunkers. It has to be somewhere around here."

"I agree," Dr. Grey said. Everyone else says various forms of yes and turn to Kimball.

"All right," Kimball says. "Bravo Squad, I will send translator and a couple of more soldiers to your locations. You're moving out ASAP. Good luck." The soldiers salute and both moniters turn off. Kimball sighs.

"Well then," Doyle said. "Let's hope we still have good luck in our pocket yes?"

Kimball chuckles. "Yeah, let's hope so."

With Smith, Wally, and DR. Grey. A few hours later:

Wally was driving a Warthog through a forest. Dr. Grey had a computer that she was typing on as she sat in the passenger seat and Smith was on the turret. "Dr. Grey," Wally said as he turned on the curve of the road. "How close are we to the alien ruins?"

"From what I can tell another mile or so," Dr. Grey said. "We should be close by. Let's just hope the pirates haven't been there yet."

"What are the chances that they could be there before us?" Smith said. Wally continued driving down the road. A few minutes passed before they eventually see the ruins. Wally parks the warthog and all three soldiers hop out of the vehicle.

The ruin was a small circular base. "From my studies," Emily said. "While the base seems small right now there appears to be underground passage that has computers and all other sorts of gizmos."

"Shall we?" Wally asked. The other soldiers not and they continue into the base. When they enter the base there is seems to be nothing except the hatch in the middle of the floor. They slowly approach it, with only the open door of the sunlight shining in the room.

Smith walks to the middle of the hatch and then places his fingers around it. He struggles with opening it but opens it with a grunt. Three of them look inside and see a ladder. Wally and Smith back up with their hands in the air. Wally motions to the ladder and speaks.

"Ladies first," he said.

Dr. Gray rolls her eyes and says "Don't mind if I do." She slowly lowers herself into the hatch down the ladder. Wally follows her and then Smith after him. Drops very deep and took them thirty seconds to reach the bottom of the ladder looked left and right. They appear to be in a hallway that curves into a circle. On the side of the circle appears to be doors that lead in the rooms.

"So should we investigate one of the rooms?" Smith asked.

"Sure," Wally said. "After you."

For about thirty minutes or so they continue to look inside all of the doors. Most of the rooms were empty spare for a few boxes or other thrown around objects such as a lamp, bullet casings etc.

However, as they investigated their tenth room they heard a voice. "I'm telling you man it's not here," the voice said.

"Like it or not we have to do this so suck it up," another voice said. The two soldiers and the doctor go on different sides of the door and listen.

"Do you really think they'll be back?" The first voice said. "I mean the grenade that Felix threw at the reds and blues sent them to another dimension. What are the chances of them coming back?"

"I know dude. But even if there's a small chance that they return, we have to make sure they can't." The pirate laughs. "I remember when we actually sent them through the portal. In fact I have one of the grenades from then on me right now."

The three of them looked at each other was shocked in question looks on their faces. They had no idea what he was talking about. They're going to go in and question the two of them, until they heard a creek behind them. They turn around to see another space pirate with the club in his hand. The next thing they knew they felt the pain and darkness.

The three of them woke up with groans. The first thing that they noticed was that their hands were tied behind their backs. They then heard laughing coming from in front of them. They all look up to see a group of five space pirate laughing at them all with various weapons pointed at them.

"Well well well," One of them says. "Look at what we have here."

"Looks like the Republic Federation needs their colored leaders to be successful," Another one said. A third one leans over to his friend.

"Did you mean for it to sound that racist?" he asked. The second pirate thought about and felt a little weird. However, they were oblivious to the fact that Wally and Smith were loosened the ropes behind their backs. Smith was cutting his way through while Wally had skinny enough hands to slip through the rope.

"No I didn't, my bad," he said.

"Enough," the first one said. He took out the orange grenade and tossed it around mockingly. "Well if they want to visit their leaders." He released the pin but kept the button pressed down. "Let them visit them."'

Smith and Wally saw their chance and took it. They yelled and sprinted at the pirates. Smith used his knife to stab one of them in the neck and then shove the now dying pirate into another one. Meanwhile Wally hopped on the soldier with the grenade and began punching him in the face. However the grenade rolled over to Dr. Grey. Two pirate soldiers were next to her.

"Guys!" Dr. Grey said. Everyone looks at her, only to see the grenade take her and the two soldiers next to her and send them to another dimension. Smith and Wally finish off the soldiers and look to where she disappeared.

"Ah shit," They said in unity.

With Emily:

Dr. Grey was screaming as she fell. However she felt a bunch of twigs snapping as she continued to fall. So many that she started to feel herself slowing down. She lands with a thud and groans as she stands up. Then she hears two other screams.

She looks ups and sees the two other pirates falling. However, one was able to land the same way she did. The other however fell on a very sharp tree.

The tree impaled the body and he let out a blood curdling scream as his body slowly fell until it stopped halfway down the tree. His gun falls from his holster and hits the ground. However something caught the trigger causing it to fire. The barrel was pointed to his friend who was just standing up, but the assault rifle kept shooting until it run out of ammo.

The now bullet filled soldier lets out a death rattle. Meanwhile Dr. Grey looked with slight interest. "What a series of unfortunate coincidental events," She hummed to herself. She walks over to the assault rifle and picks it up. Luckily the soldier's magazines fell as well and she grabbed them. She then goes over to the other dead soldier's body, takes his pistol and other ammo.

She looked around and appeared to be in some sort of forest. She looked around for any sign of life and saw smoke quite a few miles away, but still showed signs of life. She decided that was her best bet of finding locals.

She began walking but stopped when she heard a low growl. She turns to her right and sees a black wolf like creature on its hind legs, with a bone mask covering its face.

To be continued.