Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC

Caltha - Bunker
- James -

James spotted the approaching figures as well when Rise suddenly jumped up and grabbed his hand.

He stood up as well and shook his head, not quite agreeing with Keynes' sentiment. “Not every day can be the same. Some days are just worth celebrating more than others,” he said. “Such as this one.”

When Jax and Lisa approached he pulled Lisa into a hug, giving Jax a chance to reconnect with Alina first.

“You had us worried, Lisa,” he said to her and smirked. “I’m glad you’re okay. When will you running off to do something ever not result in a disaster?”

“Does your sister know you’re okay?”

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Palace - Prison
- Ehlana -

Well something was certainly going on. Ehlana kept looking around the buildings, surprised that they took the risk of walking her from the hangar to the palace. Fortunately for them, the tiredness had begun to set in and she couldn’t honestly judge if she had enough strength left to escape.

She walked into her prison cell and turned around, watching as Lisa and Jax walked away when the latter turned back for a moment. However, his words were met with silence. There was nothing she could say, no reassurances she could give him.

When the door finally closed, Ehlana sunk down on the bed, feeling exhaustion wash over her. So much had happened the last two days with so little sleep. Her stomach growled and she frowned, recalling the last time she had eaten.

With a sigh, she kicked her boots off. The seawater hadn’t done them any good. In fact everything was sticky and salty. What she wouldn’t give for a shower right now.

As she lay on the bed, her thoughts kept drifting off and eventually she fell asleep.

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- Arya -

Arya’s expression went from surprise to shock in the matter of seconds when Raidon told her what happened.

In the end she felt relieved. Relieved that everything had ended well and that they were all safe and sound.

There was no use worrying about it now. She settled back in her chair with a light smile.

“Thank you for telling me nonetheless,” she finally said. “You’re right. I would have worried…far too much probably. If anyone could have brought them back, it’s you and I’m glad you’re all safe now.”

She hesitated for a few seconds, knowing this wasn’t the perfect moment to let him know. Then again, there would never be a perfect moment for this. “Also, there is one more thing…it’s going to be babies. We’re having twins.”

Arya watched his reaction, biting her lip worriedly.

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Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

Lorrin, who had followed the exchange quietly, nodded when Maxim addressed him. He helped Belo up and brought him to the medical bay. “How are you feeling?” he asked him, slightly wary of the other agent. He seemed less approachable than Kurik and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of him.

Meanwhile Kurik had followed Maxim out the room, quietly relieved that so far his lies seemed to be holding up, at least with Farrington and his men. Of course Maxim was another story. While he thought about how to best answer Maxim’s request for the truth, his eyes drifted around the room. During the events from two years ago, he had seen his fair share of dead bodies, so the sight didn’t bother him.

Suddenly, his eyes recognized something. Someone.

He stepped over to take a closer look, but froze mid-step. That ginger hair. Even though his face was soiled with blood and dirt it was unmistakable. Garrett. The young, cheerful soldier who had first introduced him to everyone. He felt helpless.

Kurik balled his fists and turned back around to Maxim. “I didn’t think even more people needed to die pointlessly,” he said calmly and explained what had happened. “I let him get away. He didn’t leak the location of the base and neither did the prisoner. So they shouldn’t have to die for that either.”

“None of these people should have died,” he continued and gestured around. “And I can’t help but feel responsible, after all I was supposed to help secure this base.”

Kurik looked at Maxim. “Will you tell me the truth? Was this part of your plan?”

Caltha - Bunker
Luke Jaron

Luke could not help, but smiled. "That's a quite an adventure." Then again, the fact that Lenka had spent long time with Marcus some how made him feel uneasy... no, more like, uncomfortable.

Luke was not so sure why such emotion was swiring inside him, and it made him more uncomfortable when Marcus was casually grinning and looking Lenka for affirmation.

Perhaps, they really had fun... Perhaps, both of them had mutual feelings for each other.

Luke shook his head, he was here to make friends and Marcus did not sound like a bad person at all. Besides, if Marcus liked Lenka, why should he interfere and why should he feel uncomfortable?

Luke was not Marcus' love rival,'Wait... Love rival?' thought Luke and shook his head, feeling little embarrased by such thought. Luke glanced at Lenka, but cast his eyes down. Sighing soundlessly, 'Right... I am not even a good candidate for that...' Luke shook his head, and just smiled.

Just then, Jax and Lisa finally joined them. He was not so sure how he should react to that. Well there was only one thing he could do. He smiled at their reunion.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

In Car, Driving Far from Old Guard's HQ
Nadenka Orlov

"Feeling better?" Nadenka asked as she conineously drove the car. After Alexei telling about his origin and what they had been doing in Kaddath, and what have had happened so far, Nadenka was able to understand some what he was going through.

A conflict with his heart would probably be greater than ever, and Nadenka was not so sure how she could help him with that. Then again, she did have that phase, too.

"So, what now?" Said Nadenka, "Are you going to sit out? Or are you going to do something about it?" Nadenka was not so sure why she asked that question, but perhaps, she felt the need someone had to push him.

Even though, in her heart, she hoped Alexei would say he would sit this one out... But, knowing how him being similar to her late lover, part of her heart whispered to her that he would not sit this out...

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Peterney - Old Guard HQ
Belobog Volkov

"I can walk..." Said Belobog as he regained his conciousness and as he was able to stand. Belobog, however, nodded to Lorrin as he walked towards the medical bay. "Thank you." Said Belobog, and he continued to walk towards the medical bay by his own.

Sure, Nadenka did a good job on him, but it was not something he could not take. It was something else that drained Belobog's strength. Belobog thought that he had forgotten that he had a heart, but this incident reminded him that he still had one. It pained his heart...

It has been long time he felt this way, but he was feeling it again. Belobog bite his lips, was not really sure where his anger should now be directed to.

Aegis

- Lisa -

"Good question." Lisa muttered as she gave James a squeeze. "It seems like something awful does happen every time I leave the reservation."

And then her brain caught up to his other question. "Wait. Did someone tell my sister that I wasn't okay?" She looked in Rise's direction, the panic evident on her face. "Please tell me that you guys didn't tell her anything. She doesn't need that kind of stress, and I'm fine."

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- Keynes -

"You're both sights for sore eyes." Keynes grumbled as he swiveled in his chair to get a better look at Lisa and Jax. It was good to see them again, especially since Alina had barely been keeping it together up till now.

He shook his head at Lisa's words. "We left it up to Raidon to tell her if he wanted to. My bet is on her being none the wiser. That doesn't mean you shouldn't give her a call though."

"I'll do that after we eat. The last meal I had was breakfast, yesterday."

Keynes chuckled at that and motioned to the spread on the table. "Well, help yourselves."

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- Alina -

Relief and irritation fought a battle in her mind as Alina staggered out of her chair and stumbled into Jax's open arms. A weak punch took him in the gut, and she sniffed, trying not to get tears on his shoulder. "You've got some groveling to do, mister. How did you, the chief of police, let a compromising device get smuggled onto your personal airship? I should have you sent back to the academy for re-training."

She hiccuped and sniffed again, raising watery eyes to look into his. "I couldn't sleep last night, and not because of all the paperwork on my desk this time. Don't scare me like that, Jax."

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- Marcus -

"I'd say they could tell you more about adventures than we could." Marcus responded to Luke, waving in the direction of Jax and Lisa. "But I wouldn't trade my experiences so far. I bet, for the most part, they'd say the same."

"You gonna grill them on their trip?" He asked, shooting Lenka a grin. "I bet your curiosity is just dying to be let off the chains."

Taking another bite of his dinner, he observed the scene from a distance. "And for the record, your brother has a surprising amount of game for a nerd." He gestured towards James and Lisa's embrace just as the two of them broke apart, and Lisa practically tackled Rise.

Caltha - Grey Estate

- Raidon -

Raidon felt the tension ease from his body at the sight of Arya's smile. It was a relief to know that she understood his actions.

But then, a change came over her expression, and Raidon knotted his eyebrows. What could be the matter then?

“Also, there is one more thing…it’s going to be babies. We’re having twins.”

Raidon stared blankly at Arya. Babies? TWINS?

How could this be happening? He struggled with the idea of dealing with one child, but two? At the same time?

Raidon forced his mouth to work, though no sound seemed to come out for a few seconds "I..."

He swallowed, his mouth dry. His lips struggled into a smile. "I... I think that's great. Twins..."

Twins. Twins.

"Are... you going to be okay?" he asked. "It won't be too much strain on you?"

He'd seen pregnant women before, and he didn't know how they managed to fit one child inside themselves, much less two.

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Caltha - Bunker

- Rise -

Rise sighed and shook her had at Lisa. "When are you going to stop taking off on us like that?"

She didn't have much time to conjure a stern expression before Lisa practically bowled into her. Rise broke into a laugh and hugged her back, relief flooding her body as she was able to finally, truly, appreciate that they were back and okay.

"Come on, sit down and eat," she told Lisa, leading her over to a chair and heaping food onto a plate for her.

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- Jax -

Jax took Alina's punch in stride and smiled as he squeezed her impossibly tight in his arms. A laugh rumbled through his chest as she lectured him, but he knew it wasn't personal.

But then she sniffed and turned those tear-stained eyes toward him, and his expression softened.

"I'm sorry," he said gently, brushing her tears away. "I'm supposed to make life easier on you, not harder."

He kissed her forehead and pulled her close again, just enjoying the feeling of her warmth and steady heartbeat.

"It's going to be okay. I'm here now," he assured her.

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Outside Peterny

- Alexei -

Alexei did not look at Nadenka as he contemplated her question. What could he do now? Maxim and the Old Guard would continue on with their plan without him. He couldn't make it back to Arusia. And what kind of life could he pursue in Kaddath?

"I don't know," he admitted. It wasn't in his nature to just sit around, but he was used to being a soldier with a clear goal and directive handed to him. Now he was the commander of his own life, and he wasn't sure how to handle that.

"The first thing is to get into Peterny without being detected," he said. "We'll figure things out from there."

He could sense Nadenka's eyes return to the road, and he stole a glance at her. Everything was so sudden he hadn't had much time to really think about it. The time spent on the trip from Ergo, the time in the dungeon, now fugitives together... where did all that leave them anyway? Even now that he had time to think about it, he still wasn't sure.

[OOC: I think I'll leave this here for now, if that's okay with you, Nex.]

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Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

I let him get away.

Maxim sighed. Well, he'd expected as much. Well, hopefully, it wouldn't matter in the long run. Maybe Alexei would still have his uses in the future, once the Old Guard had outlived theirs.

He'd also expected Kurik to be upset by the deaths caused by the attack. It was in his nature, part of the reason why Maxim admired him so much. But now, faced with that, he felt a slight trepidation. What of Kurik didn't approve of his actions? What if he ended up despising Maxim, even disavowing him?

"No, they shouldn't have," Maxim said softly. "But sadly, war is never free of cost. It's not your fault though. You did everything you could have. Everything I'd hoped you would."

Kurik's eyes were on him now, and he felt the weight of their gaze.

"Yes," he admitted. "I planned it. An unprovoked attack on the Old Guard was the best way to discredit the Army. But Alina Grey would never make such a move, and the Old Guard's outrage needed to be genuine. So I leaked the location to the Army outpost in Peterny, using Alina Grey's recorded voice profile to order the attack."

And it really had gone off perfectly too. It was always so enjoyable when things went exactly as he anticipated.

"The Army prisoner was the natural scapegoat the minute Alexei and Belo brought her here," he sighed. "But I didn't plan for Alexei to implicate himself that way. It was unfortunate, but playing into the story was the only real option to deflect away from what really happened."

Caltha - Bunker
- James -

James shook his head. “I don’t think anyone here told her and if Raidon is calling her, I’m sure he’ll assure her that everyone is okay,” he reassured Lisa and sat back down.

A glance at Jax and Alina told him that it was probably best to give them another moment.

So he returned his attention back to his dinner.

------------------

- Lenka -

Lenka was watching the re-union between Alina and Jax and couldn’t help but feel emotional. Scenes like this hit her right in the heart and she could emphasize so much with Alina. Maybe she wasn’t so bad. After all she’d been under a lot of stress.

Marcus voice called her back into the present.

“You’re right,” Lenka agreed. “I really, really want to know what happened. But I feel after what they’ve been through, it might be better to at least let them eat first. People, especially men, tend to get a bit grumpy when they are hungry,” she replied and grinned.

“Huh?” Lenka looked over to James and Lisa and she giggled. “If you mean he is a big old softie, then yes, you’re right.”

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- Arya -

She could see the surprise and struggle on his face. When he finally spoke, Arya could tell that it was mostly for her benefit and that he was still working through the news.

She smiled softly. “I think so too. I’m very excited.” Even through the com, the light blushing of her cheeks and the sparkle of her eyes could be seen.

“I’m going to be okay,” she reassured him. “It will be alright.”

“I love you, Samael,” Arya said and blew him a kiss.

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Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

For a few seconds, Kurik simply stared at Maxim, trying to comprehend what the other man had just told him.

Oh the implications. Who knows what could’ve happened if the Old Guard had found out. Reliving the moments from before with this new knowledge in mind, he could feel his heart racing. Kurik ran his hands through his hair and exhaled audibly.

“You leaked this?” he asked in a whisper, still sounding incredulous. He paced up and down in front of Maxim, visible upset. Surprisingly enough what stirred him up emotionally was not the fact that Maxim was behind all this, but the fact that he had taken such a huge risk.

“You know what could’ve happened to you if they had found out? What the Army would’ve done with you? Or Farrington?” Maybe it was a good thing he only found out after the fact, otherwise his worry for Maxim and his high risk play would’ve made it hard to concentrate on his tasks here.

He knew they were at war and that war always came with casualties. That he still felt upset about the deaths of all the soldiers didn’t change the fact that he knew it was a necessary evil if they wanted to achieve their goals. But that Maxim would take such a risk…

“Geez,” Kurik shook his head. “I still can’t believe that worked.”

“What is the next step?”

Aegis

- Alina -

"I wish I could believe that..." Alina sniffed, burrowing deeper into Jax's embrace as if seeking any warmth he could provide her. "But I've not had a day this bad since the last administration ousted me as a traitor." She could barely choke out the words. The whole situation felt far too similar, and although losing her position with the administration wouldn't be the end of the world, it certainly wouldn't bode well for the general public. They were still fragile after Adalia's reign, and with the indecision regarding the strain silencing issue, the whole government felt like a ticking time bomb.

"Sit down though." She pulled him towards the table. "You probably haven't eaten in ages, and the least I can do is let Rise feed you." Even so, after depositing Jax into a chair, she sat on his knee instead of getting back into her own. "What would you like?" Alina asked, gesturing to the table.

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- Marcus -

"Can't argue with that logic." Marcus grinned, reaching for another piece of chicken. "We do tend to think with our stomachs sometimes, but I'd say you're not exactly immune to that either."

He chuckled at her description of James. "A big old softie, huh?" Marcus glanced in his direction, considering her words. She would be the person to know, but he hadn't seemed that soft during their earlier discussion. That would have to be a problem for a different time though. "Do you call him that to his face?"

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- Lisa -

"Thanks." Lisa said, giving Rise a smile. Her stomach chose that moment to rumble. Loudly. "I am a little bit hungry." She muttered, pouring butter onto a steamed onion.

After practically inhaling it, she moved onto the chicken. It was probably a comical site to anyone paying attention. Rise just kept piling food onto her plate, but with all the energy she'd burned in the last day, Lisa kept it from stacking up in the slightest.

After several minutes, she leaned back with a groan. "Mercy, you food slinging fiend. If I eat any more, I'll pop."

Caltha - Bunker
- Rise -

Rise laughed at Lisa's protests and relented in trying to feed her more, but she still wagged a finger at her.

"This wouldn't happen if you kept running off on your own," she scolded. "Honestly, I think we're going to need to start keeping you on a leash. And to think, you almost died a lonely old maid. After this is over, I'm definitely going to have to hook you up."

She stopped herself from saying the next thing that came to mind. I should have worked to get you and Alex closer. She thought they would have been good for each other. And maybe, just maybe, if she had then Alex would be here right now.

No, no sense in getting worked up about that. They just got Lisa and Jax back. This was the time to appreciate that and not start looking to the next thing to worry about.

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- Jax -

Jax squeezed Alina a lighter tighter and tried to smile.

"Well, that just means that tomorrow has to get a little better, right?"

He let Alina guide him to the table and take a seat on his knee. He almost forgot about everyone else around the table as Alina began to serve him. It was just the two of them right now, and he wasn't taking a moment together like this for granted ever again.

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- Arya -

Raidon could feel some of his worry and tension ease at the sight of Arya's gentle smile, the light blush of her cheeks, and the sparkle in her eyes.

"Yes," he murmured. "I know it will."

He didn't know how, but he believed in Arya, and Arya believed in him. For now, that would have to be enough to go on.

"I love you too," he whispered, smiling. They ended the call, and Raidon stood in the shadow of the hangar for a few minutes longer, trying to hold onto that image to get though what came next.

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Peterny - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

Maxim knew Kurik would have his reservations about the actions and risks he had taken to accomplish this, but he hadn't expected so much worry to be focused directly on him. He ducked his head slightly and smiled.

"No rewards without risks," he said. "And you sound surprised. My plans usually do work, you know."

Kurik was interested in their future plans, and Maxim felt guilty at once more needing to withhold some information. Kurik was, unfortunately, too good at heart to do what needed to be done. But then, Maxim wouldn't be going to such lengths if he weren't.

"The Old Guard will make their speech in the morning to discredit Alina Grey further," he said. "I expect, at the least, that they should suspend her powers temporarily to investigate. That will be our opening to finally make our move in."

He walked past Kurik to leave, but stopped to put a hand on his shoulder. "Just continue doing what you're doing. You just being who you are is vital. Leave the plans to me. I'll try not to be too reckless."

He smiled and left Kurik alone with the bodies and his thoughts.

Caltha - Bunker
- Lenka -

“No, you’re probably right. I know I tend to get a bit irritated when I don’t get enough food,“ Lenka admitted. Sometimes she did run out of energy fast. And being hungry could dampen her mood considerably at times.

“Of course,” Lenka replied to Marcus’ other question with a grin. “He’s my brother. I call whatever I want.” She looked over to James who was re-filling his plate. They did have a lot of good memories together.

James looked up and caught Lenka’s look. He smiled at her before continuing to eat.

Lenka turned back to Marcus, her expression soft. “I know we haven’t exactly demonstrated the best sibling relationship since this adventure started, but we really do get along well.” She smiled, “Guess I’m very lucky in that regard.”

“Did you have someone like that at the orphanage?”

Aegis

- Marcus -

Marcus considered Lenka's response for a moment. While it was true that she and James hadn't exactly been on the best of terms for the last few days, the two of them did still seem to have a silent respect of one another.

"No, I can see it." He said, leaning back into his chair. "The two of you are definitely your own people, but there's love there." With a sigh, he turned a thoughtful gaze in her direction.

"I've been that person a lot, but I've never had anyone like that in my life. No complaints though. Life without a safety net can be a real rush sometimes. Plus, I'll never have to worry about any harassment coming from my siblings if I ever bring a girl home." Marcus raised his eyebrows twice in an exaggerated gesture, making it obvious that he was joking.

Ergo Research

- Kokonoe -

Kokonoe sighed and rubbed at her temples. Getting all the Redcape victims stabilized and transferred to Ergo had been troublesome enough, but studying the virus and its effects was a whole layer of trouble.

"We're lucky only a few people were infected," she muttered to herself. "This could have wound up a nightmare plague."

It certainly hadn't done much to ease the tensions between the Strain Registration resistors and the Anti-Strain faction. That Lev character was getting even more impassioned in his speeches, and it seemed like-

A message came through her com. Puzzled, Kokonoe searched for the message and the intended recipients. All members of the Grand Council, it seemed, but the sender wasn't affiliated with the government.

Kokonoe scrolled down, then froze.

"No..."

(OOC: No, you're not imagining things. I cut this from an earlier post, since it made more sense to put it here)

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?

In the darkness, he sat. His drummed his fingers on the table beside him, the only noise in the dead silence.

Well... not the only noise.

He drummed his fingers more loudly. He'd done what was necessary. They'd have to do something now. And then, this could all be over.

People he knew were going to be hurt by this. His fingers stopped, his nails digging into the wood. But it was the only way. There was no other way.

A soft, derisive laugh came from his left. No, it had always been there. He'd just failed to drown it out.


"They'll be coming. They'll realize the truth. And then..."

"Shut up."

He didn't look at the mocking specter. He never did.

Lev stood up from the table and wandered out of the room. The hallway was pitch black, but he didn't need to see to know where he was going. He knew this place like the back of his hand, the one place he thought might quiet the grating laugh and vanish the foul specter.

He was wrong.

Peterny - Old Guard HQ
- Maxim -

Maxim watched as Farrington and his staff rushed to prepare for Ariana Adalia's speech condemning Alina Grey's supposed actions against them.

Just as he'd predicted.

He glanced to his right and saw Kurik approaching. He smiled and looked back toward the podium as Ariana Adalia got into place before the cameras.

"Good morning," he said to Kurik. "I'll say one thing for Ariana. She's quite the young orator."

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Caltha - Bunker
- Rise -

Rise wiped a lock of hair away from her forehead as she flipped the last pancake in the hot pan. The breakfast crowd would be upon her shortly, but she was just about done.

"Rise and shine!" she called out, sliding the pancake onto the platter and carrying it over to the table.

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Caltha - Grand Council Chamber
- Serena -

The Grand Council Chamber seemed large and more imposing in the emptiness and silence. Serena sat in her chair, lost deep in thought.

She was treading on thin ice, on uncharted territory here today. What she did would have repercussions she couldn't easily take back.

Something had to be done though. She wouldn't let Kaddath fall a second time. Not as long as she could still do something.

Caltha - Bunker
- James -

James was on his way from the gym back to their room when he heard Rise’s call for breakfast. He quickly slipped into the kitchen.

For once, he had decided to get up early and get a quick workout in. Yesterday had shown him, that he needed to catch up.

He looked sweaty, his hair damp and his t-shirt dark from sweat from an extensive running session. One look at Rise told him that she was not impressed when he walked up to her and threatened a hug.

“Good morning,” he said and mockingly drew closer until she raised the spatula in a threat. James laughed and backed off. As if he would ever do this.

“I love you too,” he said and stole a quick kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be right out, but I should probably take a quick shower.”

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- Lenka -

Lenka stepped out of the shower. She’s gotten up early to have the shower room to herself. After all she didn’t want a repeat of what happened with Luke.

She got dressed and then worked on her wet hair. When it was open her hair was long, reaching almost all the way to her waist. And just as James’ hair, it had stayed blond as she grew older.

For a second she thought about letting it dry on the air, but that would be too risky, she didn’t want to get sick. With a sigh she picked up the hair dryer and went to work. It felt like it took forever.

When she was done, she made her way to the kitchen. A delicious smell was already wafting through the hallway.

In the kitchen she saw Rise and James, joking around, with the latter on his way to the shower.

“The smell is incredible, Rise,” she commented and went over to make herself a cup of tea. Hopefully everybody would get here fast. Her stomach growled.

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Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

“Good morning,” Kurik replied and stepped closer. He still looked a little beaten up. On purpose, he had refused to see a medic after his encounter with Alexei. This would help sell his position much better.

He watched for a few seconds the bustle in the room.

“I find it fascinating,” Kurik agreed. “At that age…I certainly had other things on my mind. It is easy to forget how young she is.”

Even though he didn’t really want to, he still stepped closer and cleared his throat. When he had Ariana’s and Farrington’s attention, he spoke.

“Is there anything I can assist you with, Milady?” he asked with a soft voice and perfectly polite.

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Palace - Prison
- Ehlana -

Ehlana was rudely awken when the lights suddenly turned on. She covered her eyes, wondering for a second where she was. When was the last time she’d been tired enough to allow herself to crash in foreign surroundings?

The memories came back quickly and she sat up. Her clothes still smelt like saltwater, her hair was sticky, but at least her boots had dried. When Ehlana put them on, she noticed a tray someone had put in her cell.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be some kind of porridge, that was still steaming warm. It didn’t look very appetizing, but if you thought about it, neither did Arusian food. Having not eaten anything yesterday and very little the day before, she decided looks didn’t matter. It was good that her expectations weren’t too high as the taste was mediocre at best.

While eating, she noticed that her hands still had light a shade of red. Sun burned. Her neck too, judging by how sensitive the skin felt.

When she was finished, she could feel her energy return. Ehlana sat on the bed, but soon became restless and started pacing up and down.

Grey Family Estate

- Alina -

"Oh God. Make the pounding stop." Alina tried, rather unsuccessfully, to burrow deeper into the warm wall of muscle beneath her. To say she had a headache was the understatement of the century. Why in the world had she thought alcohol would help anything?

With a groan, she rolled off of Jax's chest and fumbled on the nightstand for her communicator. She knew it was only buzzing gently, but the repetative sound made her feel like there was a beehive inside her brain. Finally finding the offensive device, she glanced at the screen, and then tossed it across the room, into the pile of clothes by the door.

"Screw government. I just want to sleep in for a change." She grumbled through gritted teeth, but now that she was awake, going back to sleep wouldn't be possible.

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Aegis

- Marcus -

Wheezing under the load that Keynes had piled on top of him, Marcus pressed his arms upwards again. "57... 58..." He didn't know why he was bothering to count. Maybe it gave him some illusion of control as the older man stood by the bench, holding more weights, which would inevitable make their way onto the steel bar that Marcus was pumping up and down.

"You're still not really trying." Keynes barked, gesturing for Marcus to seat the bar in its resting position. With a groan, he dropped it into the cradle, and Keynes made short work of adding not only the weights he'd been holding, but an additional two on either side.

"You're kidding, right?" Marcus huffed, letting his head fall back against the pads on the bench. "What makes you think I can lift that?"

A slight chuckle answered him right before Keynes slapped his stomach, making Marcus jump. "That's what you've said the last two times I've put extra weights on, and you don't look any worse for wear now." The older man crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at Marcus in a way that made him feel like Keynes could see right through him. "They told me you beat back the Redcape on your own. It took a level seven containment chamber to keep that thing restrained."

Marcus blinked, not sure how to answer that. "Now, you tell me, where is all that strength now?"

"I..." Marcus swallowed the words, not sure if allowing them into the air would be safe.

"You what?" Keynes grumbled. "I'm listening, but if you're not feeling like sharing, I'll just keep making you lift more until your arms fall off."

"How much is on the bench right now, anyway?" Marcus shot back, looking for any way out of this discussion.

"Let me worry about how much. You just keep lifting it until you can't anymore." Keynes flashed a predatory grin as he tapped the bar. "Breather's over, princess. Either start talking or get back to lifting."

----------------------------------------------------------

- Keynes -

As Marcus shifted the bar into the air again, Keynes considered the kid's words. Something was definitely wrong about this whole thing. Only a day ago, Marcus hadn't even been able to lift half of the weight currently on the bench. That meant his strength level was psychological to some degree. The fact that he chose to keep lifting instead of talking also said a lot about his mental condition.

Keynes had no doubt that Marcus was suppressing something. Probably something unpleasant, but any member of his team needed to be counted on. If this kid was going to be considered for field work, which was bound to happen sooner, rather than later, whatever his mental block was would have to get knocked down.

Maybe Lisa could help him work out his issues, but she had been passed out since right after dinner last night. Apparently, being shipwrecked took a lot out of a person. Who knew?

Caltha - Bunker
- Rise -

Rise smiled, her cheek tingling, as James backed away and headed for his shower, glad he hadn't forced her hand in using that spatula. Cause she totally would have.

Lenka came in after him, inhaling the smell of breakfast deeply before complementing it. Rise beamed and smoothed her hair back as she surveyed the table.

"Thanks," she said. "I wish you could have tried Jane's cooking. I learned everything I know from her."

She wondered if Jax and Alina would join them again, but that seemed unlikely since they'd gone back to Alina's family estate. That just left Lisa, Luke, Will, and Keynes then.

Striding over to the doorway, Rise called down the hallway, "Whoever wants to eat better get a move on!!"

----------------------------------------------------------

Caltha - Grey Family Estate
- Jax -

Jax groaned and opened one bleary eye to look at Alina.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep. He pulled Alina closer and nuzzled his chin into the crook of her neck. He hadn't felt this exhausted in a while and wanted to just sleep through he whole day. Maybe several days.

Still, something was nagging at the back of his mind. Something important...

----------------------------------------------------------

Caltha - Palace Prison
- Raidon -

Raidon strode into the palace prison, sweeping the room with his eyes. They only kept very high-profile prisoners at the palace itself, which wasn't a long list, so it only took a moment to spot Ehlana. He approached the cell she was in and surveyed her.

"You're looking..." Well, certainly not better, as she looked more bedraggled than ever. "Stronger."

Her attitude hadn't seemed to improve much either, which was unfortunate. It wouldn't stop them from getting what they needed from her, but it would make it more difficult.

"The Grand Council is meeting today," he told her. "They don't know you're here in the capital, yet. I intend to reveal as much during the meeting. I expect they'll want to talk to you immediately. Try to be cooperative. It's in your best interest."

----------------------------------------------------------

Caltha - Council Chamber
- Kokonoe -

"Dammit."

Kokonoe slammed her communicator shut. Alina wasn't answering, and neither was Jax. Why was everyone such a pain in her ass? Didn't they know they were about to get a payload of crap on their heads?

Kokonoe looked into the Council Chamber, where most of the council had already arrived and begun to take seats. The mood was ominous, and all the talking done in whispers and murmurs. Serena alone said nothing, but stared into space, deep in thought.

----------------------------------------------------------

Peterny - Old Guard HQ
- Maxim -

Maxim looked at Kurik, then nodded. "Yes, it is."

With the proper training, she probably would have all the traits of a strong leader by the time she was old enough. All the superficial traits, anyway.

“Is there anything I can assist you with, Milady?” Kurik asked beside him.

Ariana and Farrington looked around.

"The man who couldn't capture one traitor?" Farrington snorted. "I doubt it."

He turned away, but Ariana kept studying Kurik.

"Actually, yes, there is."

Farrington and Maxim looked at her in surprise.

"If I'm going to talk about what Alina Grey did wrong," she said. "Then I should talk about what our honest, loyal soldiers did right. Maybe, it will encourage other Kaddathians to see that they're on the wrong side."

Maxim smiled and inclined his head. "A very wise decision, My Lady."

As Ariana gave orders to have some of the notable defenders from the skirmish yesterday brought up, Maxim waved Kurik forward with a smile. "Your public awaits you."

Caltha - Bunker
- James & Lenka -

James quickly grabbed a new set of clothes and headed for the shower. On the way, he passed the gym and saw Keynes and Marcus still busy working out.

“Rise made breakfast,” he called in. “And she’s getting impatient. Just a heads up.”

Not waiting for their response, he went into the shower. It didn’t take him very long, but it felt good to pull on a clean shirt.

------

„Yeah, I head Jane was a great cook and a great person,“ Lenka replied softly. “But of course your cooking is much better. Then again, my opinion could be biased, because that’s what James keeps telling me.”

She took her cup of tea and sat down at the table.

“I wish they would hurry up,” Lenka complained. “I’m starving.”

Just then James came back into the kitchen, his hair still wet, but at least freshly showered.

“At least now you smell better,” Lenka commented and grinned at him. James grinned back.

He walked over to Rise. “Have you heard from Jax or Alina?” he asked.

-------------------------------

Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

Kurik kept his expression in check at Farrington’s jab on his failure. He expected that.

His attention stayed on Ariana who graciously agreed to let him help much to everyone’s surprise.

When Maxim waved him forward, Kurik couldn’t help but look a little skeptical. This was not what he had in mind.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked quietly. “Everybody thinks I’m dead. I’m not sure it’s wise that I appear in a nationwide broadcast…”

-------------------------------

Palace - Prison
- Ehlana -

Ehlana stopped her pacing when someone approached her cell. It was Raidon.

She crossed her arms and stepped up to the bars. The raised eyebrows showed her skepticism. “I look like crap,” she said. “And we both know that.”

She let out an exasperated sigh when Raidon reminded her to be cooperative. He didn’t use the same words Jax used last night, but the message was clear.

“I know, I know,” Ehlana said, casting her grey eyes down. “Tell them everything I know and be nice to them.” It wasn’t clear whether that’s what she intended to do or not.

In all honesty, she wasn’t quite sure about it herself. She felt like she owed it to Jax and Lisa, but at the same time, she didn’t care for the Grand Council. Maybe if they offered her a good deal…but at the same time that didn’t seem likely. But what incentive did she have to help this foreign country if that meant she would be locked up for the rest of her life?

Caltha - Bunker
Luke Jaron

Luke was not so sure. Was he really part of this? Luke could only smile, and just see the happiness around everyone.

When everything was over, when all returned to warm arms of their loved ones. Luke took the lift and looked at his own communication device.

As Luke came outside, he stretched his arms. His golden eyes looking at the moon; strangely, the moon looked warmer and kinder.

For the first time in Luke's life, the moon did not looked so lonely, and with the stars at her side, she looked like she had made new friends, too. Luke grinned, "I guess, I am not the only one who made new friends, hey?" Said Luke.

Luke looked at his phone, he sighed. He took a deep breath and he finally made a call. Luke could not believe when the other side picked up the phone. He could not believe that the other end picked so quick as well.

"You lucky cat, where are you?" Said the familiar voice, Luke bite his lips, trying his best to calm down trembling lips. "What is this? Are you giving me silence treatment cause I was knocked out cold?" The voice urged Luke, Luke gave chuckles. "Fool, I left a note so that you could call me. Have your beauty sleep made you dumber?" Mark, who was really at the end of the other line, he laughed out loud. Luke could hear Mark's girl friend asking for who it was from and Mark answering her that it was from his ballsy friend.

Luke shook his head, not so sure where Mark got this weird idea of calling him 'ballsy' nor he really understood that. Even then, it was really good to hear that Mark was doing all good.

"Good to hear that you are doing okay." Said Luke. Mark, calming down his chuckle, he said to Luke."Yeah, my girl told me what you did. Thanks."

Luke shrugged, even though Mark would not see him as it was only in voice communication. "Well, you know, I would even go to the end of the world if I need to save your butt." Said Luke, "It's natural." Then a warm voice came from the other side as well. "Well, like you did for me, I would do that for you too. Said Mark.

Luke smiled, however, he knew he had to stop Mark from here. Now, Mark needed to step out from this. "I know, but right now, you got to get better." Said Luke. "Besides, this time, I am not alone. So don't worry about it." Mark then he gave out a sigh. "Luke, just don't devalue yourself too much, yeah? Just like everyone else,
your happiness is important, too." Luke smiled, "Don't worry about me, just get yourself better so I can kick you in sparring session properly." Mark chuckled and they finally said their good byes.

Luke starred at the communication device, giving it a blank look. Then he looked up, and smiled gently. He turned his back and he took the lift, to be back with his new friends.

The next morning, Luke quietly sneak out and took the lift to the outside. He sat down on the tree where he had brave conversation with Lenka.

He sat down meditatively, closing his eyes. He then remembered the one that he had fought before. The bear man who was a hard opponent. At that time, Luke was hot-headed and was trying to fight with his murderous intent.

This time he took the different approach; this time, Luke was calmer and instead of just fighting with sheer force, he fought it back with proper understanding of the situation.

When the shadow-boxing ended, Luke curled his lips. The opponent was definitely beatable, but Luke doubted that it would always go that way and besides, Luke was sure that the man did not fight with everything he had. The man was surprised as much as Luke was.

Luke leaned on the tree, for some reason, he did not really felt hungry. He was feeling content. Perhaps, he had became little more stronger than his past...

Did I? Luke wondered, the image of his old-self faintly stood in front of him. Looking at him with unexplained hatred. Instead of being surprise by it, Luke smiled. "I will find out soon enough." Said Luke.

Then the image of his old-self buzzed out as warm breeze met him and Luke stretched his arms again to the clear sky, taking the lift to the bunker again.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Peterny - Old Guard HQ
Belobog Volkov, "Belo"

Belobog was not so sure who had leaked the information, nor he had any idea where to start to look for it. However, at the moment, how Old Guard's were being busy with their planning and such, Belobog was not going to be a dead weight to them.

Furthermore, Belobog was not going to bring any more dishonor to his country. Whatever blood that needed to be spilled, he was ready to do so. There was going to be no hesitation, and any warmth in his blood felt dried up.

He was loyal to Arusia, and that mattered to him even more now as he was the last standing agent. Finding the framer was going to be hard, but if the leaker was trying to put Arusians in bad light, Belobog was not going to allow that any longer.

Belobog clenched his fists, "For Arusia." Said Belobog firmly, in whisper.

Grey Family Estate

- Alina -

She sighed as Jax pulled her closer, alowing herself to be warmed by his body heat for a few seconds. "I've got to go. Serena has apparently called a meeting, and considering the events of yesterday, I doubt my skipping it would go over very well."

Alina pinched right below his rib cage to make him let go, and she rolled out of bed, stretching her arms over her head. "Geez, but I know better than to drink that much. Even the little light coming through the curtains is doing a number on my vision, and I feel like I've been sucking on cotton balls."

Still grumbling to herself, she made her way towards the bathroom for a quick shower. "Just get some rest. You can meet me for lunch after the meeting is over with." Alina called over her shoulder.

--------------------------------------------

Aegis

- Marcus -

"Guess that means it's time to call it?" Marcus gave Keynes a hopeful look from his prone position on the bench.

The older man rolled his eyes and pointed at the bar. "When you lift that with one arm, you can go to eat." His expression was smug. Too smug.

Marcus glanced at either end of the bar, counting the number of metal disks on it. Surely he wasn't serious, right? And surely Marcus himself wasn't seriously considering that as an option? Right? He'd barely been able to lift the bar after the second time Keynes had added more weight, and this was the fourth round of additions after that.

But that smug look grated at him.

Okay, old man. Challenge accepted.

Before he could think better of it, Marcus put his right hand in the center of the bar and pushed upwards. "Tarukaja." He muttered the word like a curse, but the weight shifted upwards, lifting ever so slowly from its cradle.

As he rested it back in place, Marcus glanced in Keynes' direction, but instead of seeing the surprise he suspected was on his own face, Marcus was once again greeted with that same smug grin. Had the old man known he could do that when he said it?

--------------------------------------------

- Keynes -

"Okay. I think you've earned your meal." Keynes took a step back and offered a hand to help Marcus up from the bench. The poor kid looked awestruck, and maybe a little terrified. Considering Keynes was feeling a bit of both as well, that seemed warranted.

After he pulled Marcus to his feet and gave him a single pat on the back, Keynes pushed him in the direction of the locker rooms. "Go wash up, and think about what just happened here. Next time I hear you complain about a little bit of weight, I want you to remember this."

A glance at his communicator told Keynes that he'd need to eat on the run, but that didn't stop him from making his way to the kitchen, where he could snag a muffin for the elevator ride up.

Caltha - Bunker
- Rise -

Rise smiled fondly and smoothed her hair back. "Yeah," she said quietly. "She was."

James came back in, and she gave him a tight hug. "No, I haven't heard from them. I'm betting they'll be sleeping in late."

She wouldn't blame them, after all they'd been through. She'd probably have to go take a tray to Lisa at some point.

Keynes bustled in like a whirlwind, looking for something to eat. Rise frowned and loaded a few things in a paper towel for him.

"Council meeting or something?" she asked.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caltha - Palace Prison
- Raidon -

Raidon gave the tiniest snort and nodded.

"Yes," he murmured. "You do."

It was clear that Ehlana still had not determined whether she was going to play ball with them or not. Maybe she wouldn't know right until the moment she stood in front of the Council.

"I'll send someone for you when it's time," he said. "They'll escort you to the chamber, and you'll tell them everything you know."

He gave her a long, searching look, wondering how this would play out. All he could do was wait and see. Giving her a nod, Raidon left the room and headed for the Council chamber. When he arrived, Kokonoe was waiting outside.

"I've been trying to reach Alina," Kokonoe hissed. "Does she know?"

Raidon frowned. "About what? We've had a lot on our hands."

Kokonoe snarled and ran a hand through her hair. "Not you too. Does anyone read their messages anymore?"

She held up her com, and Raidon stared at it before checking his own.

"God..."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caltha - Grey Family Estate
- Jax -

Jax groaned as he forced himself out of bed. He rubbed the heel of his hand across his eye and yawned.

"No," he sighed. "I should be there. Raidon plans to spring our captive on the Council. He thinks we might have a leak and wants to gauge their reaction to her... and the fact that we're alive."

He stretched and searched for a spare police chief's uniform. He glanced around, but couldn't find his com anywhere. He might have lost it in the crash. He'd probably have to put in a request for a replacement right away.

"We should probably get going," Jax said, giving Alina a kiss.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peterny - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

Maxim smiled and shook his head. "I think it's very wise. It's time for Lazarus to come forth."

Kurik and the others that had been summoned took their places up behind the podium.

"Are we ready?" Ariana asked.

Farrington, whose lips were drawn tight, gave a sharp nod. Maxim glanced over at him, feeling quite satisfied that everything was falling neatly in place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peterny - Cellar
- Alexei -

Alexei awoke at the sounds of activity in the store above them. He and the other agents were trained to be unnaturally light sleepers, but even if they hadn't, it was pretty unlikely the noise above wouldn't have woken him.

He looked around the cellar that he and Nadenka had broken into during the night. It wasn't ideal, but it was all they could manage at the moment. The real question was what to do next.

Nadenka was still sleeping peacefully. Alexei gazed at her, thinking.

"Bet you never thought about properly falling in love or some sort..."

The words came back to him clearly in her voice. No, he hadn't thought about it. But it was getting harder not to. He shouldn't have talked to her, gotten to know her. That wasn't his job. He'd even gone back for her instead of just saving himself.

And now, here he was. And it all came back to her.

Her smile. Her tear-streaked face. The lilt of Russian on her tongue. The way she seemed to actually care about him.

"What are we doing here, Nadenka?" he murmured, more to himself than her, running a hand across his scalp.

Peterny - Cellar
Nadenka Orlov

Nadenka blinked, she was not so sure if it was real. The man who stood there and smiling in front of her was her late lover. 'Am I dead?' Nadenka asked, the man smiled and answered. 'No.' then Nadenka could feel her trembling as she ask him. 'Then why am I here with you?' The man gave a soft chuckle, 'Why, isn't it obvious? I am here to say good-bye, doc.' Nadenka shook her head. 'No. I don't want to say good-bye!' Nadenka could feel her tears crawling out from her eyes. It was slow at first, and then it quickly turned into a stream. The man, however, looked unaffected. 'I know, that's why I came here to say good-bye. Live, and be happy for my sake. I love you.' then the man disappeared...

Nadenka opened her eyes, she was not able to recollect what she was dreaming about, but her heart felt somewhat lighter.

However, at the same time, her heart ached. No, it was definitely not a physical ache, but a pain that was not like any other. She rose gently, then she gazed at Alexei. She gave him a gentle smile as her eyes met his.

"Still thinking about what to do next?" She asked him, she came close to him and sat next to him. "Perhaps, instead of trying to do something right now, you should rest, gather your thoughts, and ask what you really want to do." She gazed at him, then she smiled weakly. "You know, I had someone I really cared about, and that person had clear idea of what he should do. But, he never had clear idea of what he wanted. Just like you, he lived by order and he... died for it." Her eyes cast down, gave out short sigh. "I don't know what's really going through your head... But..." She looked at Alexei, "I will wait for you, and be with you." Then she smiled playfully. "For now that is."

Caltha - Bunker
Luke Jaron

As Luke was not really felt hungry, he had decided to visit the gym area; perhaps, the image of his old-self made him lose his appetite after all.

Then the image of his old-self grinning which had made stopped Luke's footstep. Luke quickly turned, clenching his fist in the air. "Oh, no, you won't!" Said Luke, changing the direction to the kitchen. "Not going to let you win!"

Luke quickly walked to the kitchen and entered, and his nose caught the smell of good food. It looked like he was going to get his appetite back in no time.

"Morning!" Said Luke as he entered, grinning.

Caltha - Bunker
- James & Lenka -

James returned the hug and only reluctantly let Rise go when Keynes came into the kitchen. He looked like he was in a hurry. Council meeting as Rise guessed. Alina and Jax would probably have to attend too. Well it couldn’t be helped. Hopefully they would find some time to catch up soon.

A few moments later, Luke walked in, grinning and in a good mood.

“Good morning,” James replied. “What I wanted to ask…did you ever check up on Mark? Did he wake up?”

Lenka quietly watched. She was feeling impatient or rather hungry. Why couldn’t some people just hurry up?

“I wish Marcus would hurry up,” she grumbled. “I guess Lisa is still sleeping?”

Mentioning Lisa re-awoke her curiosity about what exactly happened with the transport ship. Maybe this morning she would get a chance to ask her.

----------------------------------

Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

Kurik swallowed and nodded. He didn’t feel comfortable with this. Then again what were the chances, anyone would actually recognise him? It had been over 2 years. Surely their attention would be fixed on Ariana.

He stepped up to the podium and took his place behind Ariana.

----------------------------------

Palace - Prison
- Ehlana - 43C6DB

Ehlana simply nodded. It looked like she would have to be patient. Not her strong suit.

When Raidon disappeared from view, she moved from back from the bars and retuned to her pacing.

Aegis

- Keynes -

"I rather doubt that either Alina or Jax will be sleeping too late." Keynes said as he snagged a muffin from the table. He nodded at her question while he chewed the first bite and simultaneously poured himself a cup of coffee. "Yeah, the Council is up in arms after yesterday's events, and I suspect this morning will show us what kind of fallout we're dealing with for the foreseeable future."

He wasn't quite sure what kind of fallout that would be exactly, but it would certainly be a nightmare to deal with one way or another. "Anyway, go ahead and get everyone moving after breakfast. It'll be good for them to stretch their muscles." Taking a long sip of coffee, Keynes picked up his muffin again and pointed to the door. "I've gotta run."

"Marcus is probably in the showers. I've been working him since I got up this morning and found him already in the gym. No idea how long he was there before I came in."

"Let Lisa sleep if she needs to. From what I gathered, she was burning the candle at both ends for the last couple of days, and she's never been much of a morning person anyway."

On that note, Keynes ducked out of the room, making his way towards the elevator.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Grey Family Estate

- Alina -

"Fair enough." Alina sighed as she pulled her clothes on and belted her rapier around her waist. She didn't always carry it these days, but today already felt like it would be an uphill battle, and having it there might just keep her sane.

"I'm also curious to see what they make of your prisoner, but my main concern is tracking down who ordered an attack on a base of operations that we didn't even know existed." Something about the entire situation still didn't sit right with her. Farrington could be a zealot for his cause, but he didn't just sacrifice his followers wholesale. Something else had to be at play here, and the fact that she couldn't put her finger on it was beginning to annoy her.

Caltha - Bunker
- Rise -

Rise sighed as Keynes ducked out of the kitchen. It seemed their group get-together time was over already.

"All right, we might as well get started," she said, directing everyone there to the table. "I'm going to drop off a plate for Lisa and be back."

Rise served Lisa a decent portion, remembering not to overload after Lisa's protests the night before, and left the kitchen. When she reached Lisa's room, she gave a tentative knock and put her ear to the door.

"Lisa?" she said quietly. "I brought you some breakfast. I can just... leave it, if you're not ready."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Caltha - Grand Council Chamber
- Raidon -

Raidon stared at the empty High General's chair, his stomach twisting into a knot. Being late to a council meeting was the last thing Alina needed right now.

Serena closed her eyes for a moment, as though steeling herself, then opened them. "I guess we'll get started," she said. "I believe you all know why we're here. There have been a number of escalating events in the last several days that warrant our attention, culminating in a disturbing message I believe most of you received last night. All of these need to be reviewed, one by one, in detail, to determine one thing - the purpose for this meeting."

She paused, then fixed a steely gaze on the rest of the room.

"A vote of no-confidence in High General Grey."

There was thick silence in the room as glances were exchanged.

"The first-"

Before Serena could finish, the monitors in the room came on. Ariana Adalia stared down at all of them.

"People of Kaddath," she said, holding her head high. "I come before you because a terrible travesty has occurred in this country, and because you deserve the truth."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Caltha - Grand Council Chamber
- Jax -

Jax and Alina made their way through the palace, her words rattling through his brain.

Alina had filled him in on what he'd missed all the time he'd been away, but with how exhausted he'd been, he hadn't been able to consider all the implications and ramifications properly.

"Alina, who else would have gained something from ordering that attack?" he asked. "And what would they gain?"

The obvious answer to the second part was to take out the Old Guard. But was there a less obvious answer? Was it not to take out the Old Guard, but to benefit them? According to Alina, though, Adalia and Farrington seemed just as surprised and alarmed as she was.

There was something else going on here, something deeper.

"Could there be-"

Jax stopped short at the sound of a voice coming over the com system in the Grand Council Chamber. He exchanged a look with Alina, allowing her to take the lead as they entered the room.

The council was all assembled, staring transfixed at the screen. So... that was Ariana Adalia then.

"Yesterday, an unprovoked attack was made against the Old Guard headquarters by the Grand Army of Kaddath. While I and my associates were in negotiations with the High General for a peaceable transfer of power, she orchestrated an attack our men behind our backs to undermine our position and strong-arm us into surrender. Many brave and women, who joined us to uphold their hope in a return to a strong, united Kaddath, died defending their beliefs and fellow soldiers."

Ariana's gaze narrowed, her eyes hardening.

"They died because Alina Grey would resort to anything to hold onto her power."

Jax balled his hands into fists. When would this stop? When would people stop attacking Alina? It was just wrong. Just.. wrong.

"It was only by the bravery of soldiers like this that we were able to fend off this assault," Ariana went on, the camera panning out to show several soldiers lined up behind her. She began to list out their names as the camera focused on each of them. "...Lorin. And Kurik Akatsuki. All of them severed ties to the Grand Army because they believe in us. I am here to tell you that I will not let their faith in me be in vain. The Old Guard refuses to negotiate any further, as long as Alina Grey remain High General. I hope that someday soon the Grand Council will see Alina Grey for the corrupt, amoral tyrant that she is and hold her responsible for her actions. And once she is deposed, I will be happy to resume negotiations for a strong, prosperous, and free Kaddath."

With that, her transmission ended. The moment it did, all eyes in the room turned toward Alina - some with sympathy, some with concern, and some with hostility.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Peterny - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

When Ariana's broadcast ended, Farrington gave a slow clap, and the rest of those gathered followed suit.

"Excellent," Farrington said. "The Grand Council won't be able to ignore that. Alina Grey's name is slowly becoming poison. And when she's gone, no one will there will be strong enough to oppose us."

Ariana grinned, then turned to the soldiers behind her and gave them a nod to dismiss them. When Kurik had rejoined Maxim, the scientist gave him a warm smile.

"Has anyone told you you're very photogenic?" he asked teasingly. It was true, though. Despite the discomfort Maxim knew he felt, Kurik presented himself very well before the camera. That would be important in the future.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Peterny - Cellar
- Alexei -

Alexei pondered Nadenka's words and stared off into a corner of the storeroom.

What he wanted to do...

He thought of Arusia. Of his team. Of Belo and Ehlana.

Ehlana... what had happened to her? Was she still alive somewhere?

She'd been discarded by Arusia, just like him. But maybe there was still a chance he could find her and rescue her. Kurik and Belo had put themselves on the line to save him. He could do that for her.

"I want to find out what happened to Ehlana, my teammate," he said. "I want to do something to help her."

Peterney - Old Guard HQ
- Kurik -

Kurik cringed slightly when Ariana actually called all of them out by name. He caught Lorin’s eye and gave a slight shrug.

“People think I’m dead,” he explained in a whisper when the broadcast had ended. “I’m just not sure if it’s a good idea to tell them, that I’m still alive.”

Lorin nodded. “Too late now,” he commented. “I know,” he simply replied before returning to Maxim’s side.

“Thank you,” he said in response to the compliment, not sure what to make of it. “I never considered good looks my main quality,” he replied with a grin.

“I wonder how the Council will respond,” he mused. “If they will really remove Commander Grey from power…”