Ekos 2 - Zuhause

Posted on Monday, 29 March 2021 - 5:13pm by Crewman Leopold Eberhardt & Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt

Mission: Operation: Neu Reich

Constantine looked out at the planet coming into view. It looked Earth like. He had a horrible gut feeling telling him to run. The stories told of the Ekos was enough to make anyone feel the need to make a U-turn. Knowing Earth's history alone, let alone how it was repeating elsewhere, was nauseating.

It was the equivilant of seven in the morning. The Russian flipped his ship so that it had a cloak. Whatever shields it had, were certainly on full. He looked to the door, where behind Leopold and Adrianna were sleeping and he considered not waking them and following his gut to abandon his voyage. He sighed at himself. Adrianna wanted this and he couldn't say no.

"Eberhardt, hey honey, you're home," Constantine yelled. There was no way he'd get up from his seat, just in case and there was no way in hell he was going into a room where his ex and her lover were together... Unless he was a she.

Adrianna stirred from her sleep and reached over for Leopold. "I think that's a cue to get up," she grumbled in her native tongue.

"Can will kill him now?" Leopold inquired. "He's served his purpose" added Leopold teasingly. "I can almost smell home...terrible."

"Don't tempt me," Adrianna groaned, "come on. Sooner we get there, sooner we can leave, in theory." The woman stretched and dragged herself out of bed to get ready, "he's going to need guidance from you so we can get you home."

Leopold rolled out and sighed heavily. "Ugh. Where are my trousers? I took them off when we came in here." Leopold started to fumble around searching. "I cant arrive in my underwear."

Adrianna put on a consertive blouse, a suit jacket and a pair of capri trousers. As she was buttoning up she looked to Leopold, "you're going to be OK, you know."

"I'm with you. I know that I'm going to be okay, Adrianna," he said confidently. "You'll keep me safe and likewise, I'll keep you safe."

Adrianna stepped over and kissed him softly before she finished packing the couple's duffle and arming herself with her family crested dagger at the base of her spine, "no matter what happens, we have each other."

Meanwhile, Constantine was making drop off arrangements and safe passage. He would only drop off. He wasn't about to stay in this hell hole. Shutting off the comms, with an agreement made he shouted to the couple, "up front. We're going in."

Leopold took a deep breath as he finished getting his clothes on. "Guess there is no turning back now," he said looking at Adrianna. "Let's do this. First thing I want to do is check on my sister, make sure she's still safe."

Adrianna nodded. She handed him a small, very inconspicuous phaser. "We'll be OK. Let's go."

"You're right. It's not like people are just going to shoot at us."

Just as they landed and were about to exit, Constantine put a hand on Ade's shoulder. He whispered something to her in Russian and handed her a small cannister. She simply nodded and replied in standard, "thank you but I hope we won't need it."

The doors opened and Ade looked around. It resembled some older Earth architecture, perhaps from the 20th century. "Looks like actual Berlin," she commented to Leopold.

"That's Ekosian mentality for you," Leopold said. "They started changing architecture over the years to fit Earth of that period. Most buildings now look like they belong then."

"Have to admit that it's somewhat beautiful," she replied, "I don't think red and black are really their colour though." She nodded to a Nazi inspired flag, draped over the brickwork, swaying slightly in a cool breeze, "Gawd it feels like winter. Which way to your sister?"

"Many days of my childhood, I wanted to set those flags ablaze," Leopold said sternly. "I want to see the day those flags are gone and we return to the Ekos my ancestors knew."

He stepped forward a bit and got his sense of direction. "That way, but it will take us a few hours by foot. We are better off hitting the main road and flagging down a taxi" he explained. "Yeah, you heard me. A primitive automobile."

Adrianna stepped out and nodded to Constantine in a mutual understanding of 'I'll be fine and thank you'. She looked back to Leopold, "if you want, we can take one home to burn in private." The Italian then looked confused, "like four wheels, drive on the ground kind of vehicle?"

"Yes," replied in response to the vehicle inquiry. "We are warp capable, but shuttlecraft is specifically used by the government, our defense forces, and those working as police. Trust me, you don't want to steal flag and get caught."

"Spoilsport," she muttered before following him. She understood his change in mood. She'd been similar in Italy. It was clear that he had a sense of hatred for this place, but she wasn't sure if there was an element of fear attached to it which was causing him to almost appear sharp. "Let's go."

"To the family home or what's left of it," he agreed. Leopold took the lead and brought them both to the main road where automobiles resembling those from Earth's 1930s to 1950s traversed the roadways. He rolled his eyes prematurely followed by a saluting gesture towards an oncoming taxi. He was successful in hailing it.

The cab pulled over, and Leopold held the door for Adrianna. When the driver of the taxi asked where they were heading, Leopold cleared his throat. "Wir gehen zur Straße mit fünf Stärken," he added.

Adrianna got in without question. Though questions didn't form straight off the bat, her gut told her that she shouldn't let her guard down. The woman felt like she was justifiably nervous. She watched the exchange and then whispered in her native tongue, "you sure we're safe."

"For the time being, yes." He was firm in response, trying to convince her. "They have who they want. Then my sister and I free in order to make us experience sippenhaft."

"Sippenhaft?" she asked, trying to remember that translation. After a moment it clicked, "Oh. But we're going to sort everything, or die trying." She reached out and took his hand as the driver started on the journey.

Leopold kissed her hand. "That is the Baciami family motto is it not?" he said teasingly.

Adrianna smirked, "no, it's 'Baciami o Bacio della morte' but let's hope we don't come to that."

"Let's hope."