Northwest of the seaside town of Obelle, there is a crater. Inside of that crater are the remains of the Divine Past, and those who wish to claim them: On one side, there are the members of the nascent special operations group the Rapid Evening. On the other, GLORY, a special Apostolosian unit which seeks to resurrect the culture’s greatest heroes as supersoldiers. But as everyone on the holy moon of Partizan knows, there are always more than two sides.

This week on PARTIZAN: SHORESIDE RECOVERY - BLACKGLOVES

///Operation Dossier\\\

//Organizations\\

GLORY: With the help of advanced Columnar cloning science, the Glory Project (or simply GLORY), claims to have resurrected (and made immortal) heroes of the nation’s past called Eidolons. On Partizan, they field Kleos, Cassander, Vervain, and the squad’s leader: Apothesa, original Eidolon of construction, military action, and history. Interested in Past’s records chiefly because it might allow them to “better recreate Apostolosian eidolons.”

The Zenith Fund: A public institution of Stel Columnar that incubates, defends, and offers testing for teams pursuing cutting edge projects in a wide range of fields including medicine, environmental science, infrastructure, culture, and emerging military hardware. Aids with major projects across every other Stel, including Apostolos’ Glory Project.

Horizon: In the popular consciousness, Horizon is a radical, anti-Principality terrorist organization. In actuality, they are a radical-reformist group, which seeks to drive out what it perceives as corruption in an empire that ought be pursuing noble (instead of selfish) ends. Rumored to be funded by Stel Kesh’s House Brightline.

//People\\

Dr. Cardiff Reach (he/him): Columnar researcher from the Zenith Fund who has been assigned to Apostolos’ GLORY project. Quad legged, with four spindly metal legs. Wears a lab coat, independently-moving telescoping eyes, etc.

“Saint Dawn” (she/her): Commander of Horizon’s forces on all of Partizan. The pseudonym of Gucci Garantine, who hides her identity with metallic, golden face paint forming a “major sector” geometrical pattern on her face, covering her eyes, forehead, and cheeks.

Figure A (they/them): A synthetic being that once worked inside of the Divine Past, working to make the data the Divine had available to it more understandable by other people.

Kleos (they/them): Soldier of GLORY. Genetic clone of the Apostolosian hero and eidolon of the same name. Skin is an iridescent maroon color. Wears a bright red cloak wrapped around their neck and hanging back like a cape, totally topless otherwise, revealing firm, muscular torso. Khaki fatigue-capris. A spear slung over their back, and a heavy sidearm at their waist.

//Places\\

Barranca: To the north of Obelle lies the Apostolosian province of Barranca, where mediterranian subtropical shores give way to a vast latticework of ravines and crags. There, military bases and civilian settlements sit in the crooks and alcoves, shaded by high canyon walls. Rising above it all is the famed Barranca Loop, a massive suspended cable system that runs up above the atmosphere like a giant bridge, and which allows Apostolos to launch ships and cargo into space. Heavily patrolled and under complete control of Stel Apostolos.

//Things\\

Transgress Oblige: The hollow of Gucci Garantine, and a chief symbol of the terrorist organization Horizon. Whitesmoke color body, with the torso, shoulders, and upper arms covered in a sort of secondary armor layer that is blue with gold flourishes. Carries a bazooka and a pair of beam partizan (with a golden beam blade) which can retract into a beam saber. Below the blue armor layer is a secondary core, made of some sort of rare crystal: When revealed, those that see it are struck by the power and magnificence of humanity itself.

Panther: Clementine’s hollow, an ancient mech piloted by a near mythological hero of a war barely remembered. Medium sized, black, humanoid, angular, and birdlike in some elements of its design. In another life, it could split itself up into independently flying microwings, each of which could serve as a flanking weapon. Its current pilot can not conceive of using it in this way.

Stray Dog: Million’s hollow, a Zenith-A Project Katalepsis prototype model, stolen when she went AWOL from GLORY. Medium-sized and humanoid in base shape, but able to rearrange its body to accommodate the rail gun built into the torso and left arm. Each limb is double jointed with sleek black and silver plating. There is only one glowing eye on the head, which houses the Stray Dog's aiming systems and pilot.

Heads Up: Exeter Leap’s hollow, a re-fitted Emergentec Rapid Response Type III Breaching Ambulance which he has converted for criminal purposes. Large cylindrical legs taper upwards towards the head. Armored fists and a back mounted mortar.

Epoché: The prototype hollow of Kleos, leader of GLORY, developed by the Columnar’s Zenith Fund. Deep brown, triangular head, humanoid machine with gold accents, and a faceplate made of brown stone, and heavy skirt plates to defend its upper legs/lower torso. A long, oval shield built onto it’s left arm, a pair of grappling hook launches on its skirt waste. Wields a guisarme—a spear that has a hook on the reverse side of the blade. There’s a rope inside of it, so it splits and you can spin it around like a ranged weapon.

R.U.N.T. (Robotic Utilities and Navigation Tool): Million’s well-programmed hunter robot.

//Additional Notes\\

The Rapid Evening’s Mission Objectives: Primary: Ensure that Silversky Recovery and Restoration can retrieve key parts of the body of Past, as well as the body of Cymbidium, Past’s elect. Secondary: Produce actionable intel about who killed Cymbidium. Additionally: Recover anything they’ve already stolen from Past.

Rules of Engagement: The deployment of chemical, biological, explosive, and/or poisonous weapons is forbidden. Additionally, kill or capture anyone who has accessed the Divine Past’s memory.

Hosted by Austin Walker ( @austin_walker

Featuring Sylvi Clare ( @captaintrash ), Art Martinez-Tebbel ( @atebbel ), Jack de Quidt ( @notquitereal ), and Keith J Carberry ( @keithjcarberry Produced by Ali Acampora ( @ali_west

Music by Jack de Quidt ( available on bandcamp Text by Austin Walker

Cover Art by Craig Sheldon ( @shoddyrobot