wrote chapter 3

public/content/story/chapter_03.md

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+Chapter 3: Unexpected Visitors
+===
+
+With a grunt, Ada shoved the last panel back into place, and the Mecha Tower groaned. It wasn't aware, and likely never would be at this distance, but this strange hodge-podge of parts that passed as an anti-mecha battery could still make disturbing noises. And when it was cold, Ada could swear the individual parts were shivering.
+
+Still, there was no time to study it anymore, it had to serve it's primary purpose, and soon - the annoying alarm blaring through the hideout was more than enough of a reminder.
+
+"ETA is 10 minutes" came the voice over the intercom. "All non-essential personel have been secured and evacuated. Prepare the docking precedure for the sky whale!" Docking? It needs to fight, she thought to herself. Or at least serve as a distraction for the last evacuees to slip away.
+
+Slipping down a series of ladders, she found herself above the hanger that the runaways had called home for so long. This would likely be the last time she got a good look at it. Moments later, she was face to face with that bastard sky whale, clearly stressed by the alarm. Clinging to it's side was an unfamiliar Mecha, a wasp drone.
+
+"What's the big idea, admiral?" Ada demanded, as she found her way to the entry hatch on the starboard side. "I thought you'd be waiting outside for our visitors?"
+
+"Take the kid, girl." Admiral Grace, curt as always. "I don't want her getting caught in the middle of this."
+
+A young girl, clearly excited by the prospect of combat, appeared from behind Grace. This must be "Donna", that just "joined" their ranks.
+
+"I can help! I can make the whale stronger!" The girl was even more irritating in person.
+
+"Don't you dare. You're getting on the last evac Mecha and going with Ada there. She's my best technician, and she'll watch you for now." Donna's expresson sunk.
+
+"I can help! Just watch!"
+
+"NO!" Ada and Grace screamed at once, but it was too late. The whale thrashed, breaking it's moorings, and knocking the women to the ground. It pulled backwards, access hatch still hanging open, and damaged the side of the hanger as it fled out into the Siberian wilderness.
+
+As the alarm ceased, and the dust settled, the three pulled themselves up out of the dirt. Ada could see on Donna's face a look of surprise and regret, and on Grace's a look of barely contained rage.
+
+"Two for two." Grace whispered between her teeth. "Get in the evac Mecha, now."
+
+A small Skipper Mecha, now the last mecha available to them, pulled along side the three. A white-faced driver held open the entry hatch as the three squeezed into the compartment, before wordlessly vacating the his seat for Grace. Grace's anger manifested itself in a sudden burst of speed, which pushed the three passengers into their seats.
+
+The small wheeled Mecha sped away from the damaged hangar, along a bumpy and undefined path. The wild sky whale could be seen in the distance, thrashing about - there was no chance they could catch it, and no time to either.
+
+---
+
+They travelled in silence, Ada and the unnamed technitian not even looking at Donna. After an unbarable amount of time, Donna finally asked the question that was boiling inside of her.
+
+"What... what do you mean by two for two?"
+
+She honestly didn't expect an answer from the admiral, she just had to let the question out, before falling back into silence.
+
+"She means you fucked up twice." The answer came from the woman Ada. Donna still didn't understand, but couldn't vocalise it. She didn't have to, as Ada continued.
+
+"You brought the Central Empire down on our heads, and you lost our strongest asset, the whale."
+
+"Central..." Ada cut her off.
+
+"The Central Empire is looking for you, and your... ability. They won't give up until they have you back in their claws. They always harass us, but we've always been able to rely on the barriers to protect us. Not this time. They'll go as deep as they can to get you back."
+
+Donna's heart sunk into her stomach. She hadn't thought this far ahead.
+
+"Let me spell it out to you, little girl," Ada brought her eyes to face Donna's directly. "We just lost our home, and it's all your fault."
+
+"Ma'am!" The unnamed technitian spoke finally.
+
+Ada leaned back in her seat, satisfied that her message had hit home.
+
+Donna looked away, trying to hide the tears welling in her eyes.
+
+---
+
+The lumbering Mecha lurched to a stop. Bear's gut tightened. The sky whale was travelling *away* from the hangar and, from this distance, seemed to have it's entry hatch open.
+
+Something had happened.