I'm writing Varjo from the third perspective. I guess it just fits his character better or something.

Varjo Nayemnik~~

Varjo made to follow Aria out the door, dipping his head respectfully. She'd already made it about halfway down the hall. He needed to make sure the technicians were following the correct protocols--he didn't really trust them to do their job correctly.

"I don't believe I dismissed you."

Nayemnik turned to face Tuuli, clasping his hands behind his back. He stepped closer to Tuuli's holo-desk. "Apologies, sir. I assumed you wanted me to accompany the technician."

"You assumed wrong," Tuuli said in a cold voice. Varjo flinched on the inside, though he kept his composure on the outside. "I have another task I want you to complete."

Varjo watched as Tuuli turned on the holo-desk. He projected an image of a Cien. She was about average height, and had hair the same dark color as Varjo, which was in a long ponytail. She was young, about 25, her dark brown eyes full of light and hope. Her markings glowed faintly purple. Varjo recognized her heart-shaped face far too well.

"Tell me, Nayemnik--who is this?"

Varjo swallowed, trying to hide his growing dread. "Sihi Nayemnik, Master Tuuli."

"And who is Sihi Nayemnik?" Tuuli's eyes glinted, like a tiger's eyes might before it attacks its prey.  Varjo realized this was the same person who had orchestrated the deaths of so many. Just to gain power. And now he was orchestrating the deaths of so many more, to stay in power--and control even non-Council sectors. His voice cracked slightly when he spoke, as he thought of these things.

"My sister, sir."

Tuuli smiled. "Very recently, we discovered she was actually a member of the Order. Did you know about this?"

Varjo's face went expressionless once more. "Of course not, sir. I would have notified you right away." It was a lie. Varjo had known. And he never would have told Tuuli, not in a million light years.

"Good, good," Jainnen Tuuli said. "But we can use this, Nayemnik. I want you to contact your sister, tell her you're joining the Order. You can then act as a spy. Oh, and Nayemnik, there's one last part. I'm sure you would understand."

"What is it, sir?" The growing dread was back.

"I can't have you sympathizing with the enemy. I'm afraid you'll have to kill your sister."

"I understand, sir," Varjo replied. His voice cracked, and it sounded strained. He didn't understand. No, he did understand--but he didn't want to. It was his sister. He cared about her more than anything.

"I knew you would, Nayemnik. And while you're at it..feel free to assassinate their leader. Succeed in that...and perhaps I'll let a few mistakes slide. You are dismissed, Nayemnik."

Varjo dipped his head, then left the room.  He had a way out. He just had to get rid of their leader.

And how hard could that possibly be?

------

So, that's how Varjo will meet Artemis, I guess. Philip might recognise him. 

Oh, and Evergreen--feel free to add another character. 

huh, somehow my last narrative was a double-post. anyhow, my second charrie:

Name: Aashe Va-Loronei (the Loronei family of the Va clan)

Occupation: Signalier-in-training. In her species (see below), signaliers are the few who venture off-planet on a regular basis. Signaliers serve as ambassadors, scouts, and they set up intergalactic trade-routes. When necessary, they are spies. 

Species: M'varra. They're an incredibly complex and tight-knit species, extremely secretive to all who aren't M'varra. They don't side with either the Council or the Order, staying loyal in their own civilizations. They're quite technologically advanced (as in they have their own androids and stuff), and are highly traditional. Though they may seem aloof, the M'varra people are highly musical and artistic, and they have a deep honor code. M'varra are matriarchal and divided into many clans, each lead by a tribe chieftaness. They have high foreheads, sharp cheekbones, unnaturally pale skin. Their eyes are larger than human eyes to take in more light, and they tend to be taller than your average human, with heights around 6-7 feet. Their hair ranges from brown to black, never blond, and they are extremely flexible. They wear loose, draped clothing, often with fringe. M'varra cities and colonies populate the planet Vendira. They do not live on other planets. 

Home Planet: Vendira. M'varra cities on Vendira are built half aboveground and half under. Vendira has a range of climates, like earth, but is mostly temparate.

Abilities: See species. Aashe is highly flexible and can be very stealthy. As a requirement for being a signalier, she has basic coding and tracker skills.

Appearance: See Species description. Aashe has black hair which she wears loose, with one lock beaded and plaited into a tribal braid. She's around 6 feet tall, which is on the short side for her species.

Personality: Brave, practical, determined. Pretty ambitious. Sneaky. She has a mischevious sense of humor. Stubborn and slightly opinionated. Loyal. She loves music in all forms, even (secretly) music of other species.

Gender: Female

Age: 18 in M'varra years, the equivalent of 15 or 16 human years. 

Alliance (None is an option, and this can change throughout the rp): Loyal to her species

Weaknesses: Threats to her clan, family, and home planet. Her stubborness is a bit of a weakness. She is exceedingly loyal, to the point that she will go into danger after a fellow M'varra, even if her sensibility tells her not to. 

Other: Shipping is fine, but she won't be easily receptive at first to anyone who's not M'varra (But then again it would be really interesting hmm...)

I guess she'll meet either the Order or the Council when she's on some signalier patrol or something. 

Aashe ~ 

Be quiet. Be fast. 

Those words are all that are keeping me from falling. We're wedged in a crevice in the ground, descending far below. Thankfully, the rock had traces of iron ore, because the wallgrips we have rely on magnets. 

I scowl up at Iemiel, our signalier-captain. "Got a plan, genius, or are we going to be stuck in a rock crevasse for the rest of our lives?"  

He grunts. "This is flat terrain for about six miles, Aashe. We'd have been spotted by that patrol if we hadn't come down here. I didn't indend for us to be stuck." 

"You never intend for us to be stuck," I mutter, but keep quiet. With every passing moment, our grips loose attraction to the iron in the rock, gradually sliding us downward into the chasm. 

"Shh," hisses Nerila, another signalier in our patrol. At 7.5 feet, she's tall even for an M'varra. "Patrol's coming back." We all flatten ourselves against the rock wall, but the patrol doesn't look down. 

"Clear," Nerila says. I relax slightly. 

"Got it!" Nevar shouts. We all swing our heads round to see that he's managed to fasten one of the grappling hooks on the edge of the abyss. 

"Great, Nevar," Iemiel says, tersely. "Ok, Nerila, Aashe, Bemn," he continues, adressing the rest of our patrol, "Quick. Wall ceremony, remember." 

We all nod obediently. Nerila goes first. She leaps nimbly from ledge to ledge until she reaches Nevar. I watch as she shimmies up the rope like a spider. Bemn does the same, then Nevar, until it's my turn. I turn off the magnetic grips so I'm clinging onto the rock face with my fingertips.

"Go!" Iemiel nudges me. Taking a breath, I follow the path of the others: across the rock, up the rope, until I'm up at the ground level again.

"That," I say once we're all up, "was very close." 

"Rub it in, will you?" Iemiel grunts. "Let's go. It's only two miles until our destination." 

We take off over the dunes.  

~

so I was thinking they (the signaliers) should encounter some of the Order people or something along the way. The planet is not the M'varra's home planet.

want to ship Aashe and Renjiro, by the way? Although their personalities aren't perfectly compatible. It could just possibly maybe work, though...

(also I'm a huge marvel Loki fangirl and Renjiro reminded me of him xD)  

@Evergreen, that all sounds good! I put Aria on the Council ship, but if you wanted her somewhere else, we can have it be a different A.I.

Aigith~

I return to my spacecraft, deep in thought. A mole in the Order... Although this is just a paid job, it seems to have greater significance than the other odd jobs I've taken over the years. The Order of Light is working to a good cause, and they have a good leader.

As I board my craft, I shake off these moral musings. I've got to pick up a patrol of Order fighters and bring them back to the base.

"Fin!" I bark at a member of my crew. He looks up and gives me a quick salute. "Get us ready for takeoff, and have Malave and Kipolo check the engines." He nods and goes to do as I ask. I make my way to the front of the ship and pick up my spear, which I left leaning on the control panel this morning. The weight is familiar and comforting in my hands, the only thing that I have from Luren. I do keep other weapons on my ship, but I prefer my spear. Setting it aside again, I call over Iri, another crew member. She was the first I recruited, and the most loyal.

"How did the Admiral take the news?" she asks.

"All things considered, very well," I reply. "There was more bad news today than ever, it seems. A group of Order fighters were basically massacred, on top of the mole and loss of the spies."

Fin returns to inform me that the engines have been checked and we're ready to go. I take us up and away from the Order base, heading for a small planet called Wen, relatively close to Tsikhe, the location of the Council base. This was a routine pickup, but we'd have to be cautious.

A little while later, the spacecraft passes the checkpoint that doubles as the rendezvous site. We're to circle back around, then send out a pod to collect the fighters. It's a strategy we've perfected over the years, one that allows us to complete our task while arousing virtually no suspicion. I loop around, then count to twenty and send out the pod. It'll be nearly half an hour before the pod returns, so I assign Opharie to watch for trouble while I examine a map we've aqquired of Wen. Although we aren't actually touching down on the planet, I like to become familiar with areas whenever I can, in case of future jobs. Iri joins me, and we ponder over the miniscule details for about ten minutes. Just as we're rolling up the map, my head snaps up as a hear a call from Opharie.

"Aigith! There's a Council ship coming through the checkpoint. It could just be a coincidence, but..."

I hurry over to the window of the craft and see that she's correct. A large ship has docked right beside us, and it doesn't appear to be moving. We've still got quite a bit of time before the pod returns with the fighters, but this looks like it could mean trouble. A lot of it.

"What do you think?" Iri asks. "Should we go?"

"And leave the Order fighters?" I respond.

"We owe them no allegiance."

"The lives of fifteen good soldiers are at stake here," Opharie interjects.

"We'll hold out a while longer," I decide, putting a swift end to any further argument. "But if things get ugly, we'll go, and try to help the fighters another way."

Another ten minutes pass, and the pod doesn't return, nor does the Council ship leave. Sighing worriedly, I stand by the window, looking over at the larger ship. Narrowing my eyes, I look through one of the large windows on the other ship and see a humanoid A.I. staring back at me. It's disconcerting, as though she knows what we're here for. I see her smile an odd smile, and a moment later, I realize that she does know why we're here. The Council ship releases several smaller crafts, heading directly for my ship. I lurch away from the window and toward the control panel, getting us up in the air and away from the checkpoint.

"We have to go!" I call, sounding more panicky than I mean to. "Council crafts after us, they know who we are. Get ready for a chase."

Artemis~

“A new spy?” I questioned, a little surprised.

Captain Arman nodded, handing me the report.

I had just finished a meeting with Strategics and had headed back to my office to finish up signing off on some trade documents. But now I stood in front of my desk as one of my captains handed me a report of a new spy that had signed on. We hadn’t really had a new spy in a while.

“His name is Varjo Naymenik. His sister is currently one of our spies, but she is undercover at the moment so we can’t risk pulling her out to tell her. I know his sister from when I used to head the spy division. She’s very loyal, if that carries at all with him too. However, he’s been listed as a former Council operative.”
At that, I looked up from the report.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Admiral.”

I nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Captain Arman. I’ll discuss this with the Vice Admiral.”

“Very good ma’am.”

Before he had even completely left the office, I was already calling Phillip on the screen.

“Yes, Admiral?”

“I need you to come to my office. We have a possible recruit to discuss.”
“Of course, ma’am.”

The screen switched off, and within a couple minutes the doors to my office slid open and Phillip made his way inside. 

“Ma’am?”

I nodded, handing him the report from the captain. The screen of the report glowed a dim blue as Phillip scrolled through it, a small frown beginning to form on his face.

“With all due respect Admiral, this isn’t a good idea.”
I sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that. You know him from your time at the Council?”
“Know him? No. Know of him, yes. And sometimes I’m afraid the latter is worse.”

I nodded. “Who is he?”
“Well, when I was there he was a rising star in the ranks and Tuuli took a particular interest in him. I wouldn’t be surprised by now if he was one of the closest people to Tuuli, save the members of the actual Council. He’s one of the deadliest Cien I’ve seen in a while. I find it hard to believe he’d give up his job at the Council now.”

“That’s the thing, his sister works for us,” I replied, shifting as Phillip handed me back the report. “She’s an undercover spy at the moment, and one of our most loyal considering her current assignment. Maybe she got to him? And what if he has intel on the Council that we could use? I know this is a risky move, but we could always use another spy, and I believe in second chances. Maybe he finally realised all Tuuli was doing.”
Phillip hesitated, looking skeptical. “Admiral, this is ultimately your choice. We’re allowed to have opposing opinions, and I’ll still support you. However, if you’re going to go through with this, I don’t have to remind you to be careful. I’m sure he’s a very good liar, no matter what side he’s on.”

“Right,” I said with a sigh, setting the report back down on my desk. “He’s scheduled to come in this afternoon. I’d like you to be present for the interview if you can. Commander Jero from the spy division will be leading it.”

Phillip nodded. “Of course, Admiral.”

~
I shifted in my chair and looked out the large window of this particular meeting room. The room was big, with a long table that took up most of the space but there was still a decent amount of space left over. I sat on one side, with Phillip next to me. On my other side, one seat over, sat Commander Jero and his second in command over at spy division, Lieutenant Commander Cayne. Usually the panel consisted of more leadership from the spy division and less overall leadership like Phillip and I, but this was a special case. We needed an empath and the discreet but full consent of Order leadership if someone like Naymenik was going to get in our ranks.

Suddenly, the doors opened and an ensign walked in. She respectfully nodded towards Phillip and I before looking at Commander Jero.
“He’s here, sir.”
Commander Jero nodded. “Thank you, Ensign. Send him in.”
She ushered towards the room as a tall Cien stepped in. 

“Varjo Naymenik, welcome,” Commander Jero began. “Please, have a seat.”
Naymenik cautiously sat across from the commander. He looked around the room, then to the commander and lieutenant, and then finally to Phillip and I. I looked towards Jero but felt Naymenik’s eyes linger a little longer, so I turned to meet his gaze but he was already looking at Jero.

“We’ll begin the questioning process now. Answer each question truthfully, or we will know-”
“How?” he interrupted. 

The Commander paused, and then looked towards Phillip.

Phillip picked it up smoothly. “Normally, we’d have a detector of some sort, but I’ll be able to read if you’re lying or not based on your involuntary emotional responses.”

Naymenik nodded slowly, but didn’t look back to Jero yet. “Have we met?”

“If you don’t mind, we need to get back to the questions,” Commander Jero interceded, looking slightly irritated. He wasn't a big fan of higher ups being present at the interviews he lead, as he didn't like feeling inspected.

“Of course,” Naymenik said. “My apologies.”

The standard set of questions proceeded, most of which didn’t make Phillip shift uncomfortably so I knew that Naymenik was answering truthfully for the most part.

Finally, Commander Jero cleared his throat.

“Okay. Now given the circumstances of your...previous appointment, Vice Admiral Phillip has prepared an additional set of questions for you.”

I looked confused towards Phillip. I didn’t know about any questions, and I certainly was not briefed on them. I could tell he could feel my gaze but he actively chose to ignore it, as he scrolled through his holopad. 

“How many people have you killed under Jainnen Tuuli? Please give me a separate idea for Order members and then innocent civilians.”

My eyes widened, and I looked to Naymenik who had a hard exterior but still looked a little confused.

“I- Well, I’m not sure if I have a specific number, but-”

“You do,” Phillip interrupted. “Everyone remembers.”

Naymenik hesitated. “Personally...thirty Order casualties, five bystanders.”

"And how many hits have you ordered?"

"To be honest, I lost count." 

The room stiffened but Phillip continued.

“Describe your childhood in one word.”

I glanced sharply at Phillip but he held a steady gaze towards Naymenik.  

Naymenik shifted, but met Phillip’s eyes. “No.”

Phillip didn’t sway. “How would you feel if Tuuli killed your sister?”

My hand slammed on the table. “That’s enough!”

Eyes glanced towards me in shock, and Phillip calmly met mine.

I held a steady glare. “Vice Admiral, you are dismissed.”

He nodded, and simply got up and left the room.

I stood up shortly after and followed, telling Jero to proceed with the standard process of documentation for a new spy without us. 

As soon as I exited the meeting room, I marched up to Phillip where he stood there so casually that I wanted to kill him. 

“What were you thinking?” I hissed. “You go behind my back and make these intruding set of questions, and then don’t even brief me on them? Have you gone mad?”

“Admiral, I have no excuse. I knew if I briefed you on them, you would not let them go through. But I had to gauge his genuine emotional reactions by offering a set of questions like that, questions he wouldn't have been able to prepare for. And I think I got something out of it.”
I gritted my teeth, hating myself for being curious. “What?”

“Before you...stopped me, I asked that question about Tuuli killing his sister. I could be wrong, but I feel like it might have something to do with why he’s here.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “How? Sihi Naymenik is undercover. There’s only four people in the whole base who know where she is, and we were in the room with Varjo.”

“I’m not sure,” Phillip responded. “That’s all I got. Just a very distressed response.”
I nodded. “Okay. We’ll keep our eyes on it. And Phillip, if you ever do something like that again, there will be consequences.”

Phillip's eyes flickered, but he bowed his head respectfully. “Of course, Admiral. I’m sorry.”

Making a charrie sheet for Sihi, because I feel like I'll probably end up using her at some point.

Name: Sihi Nayemnik

Occupation: Spy for the Order

Species: Cien

Home Planet: T'idi

Abilities: Very swift and agile, can make markings glow at will, excellent night vision, good hearing. She's also pretty sneaky.

Appearance: About 5'5, so average height. She has long, black hair, which she usually either keeps down or puts into a waist-long ponytail. Her ears are slightly pointed, and she has purple markings that can glow, located around her eyes and on the back of her hands. Her eyes are a very, very dark brown, only a hint lighter than her brother's eyes. Her face is heart-shaped, and she has a small set of scars on her left cheek that have begun to fade with age. 

Personality: Her personality contrasts sharply with her brother's. She's bold, and stubborn, though she also knows when to stop. She likes to laugh, and has a strong moral compass. She's determined, though also sometimes reckless. While still very intelligent, she doesn't have the same cunning as her brother. She's able to come up with practical solutions for most things. Fairly decent at lying, but would much rather fight her way out of situations rather than talk her way through them. Very loyal--possibly too loyal, and fights for what she believes in.

Gender: Female

Age: 24 or 25.

Alliance: Order of Light. She's extremely loyal.

Weaknesses: She can be very set in her ways. She can also be too loyal, sometimes refusing to admit someone she trusts has betrayed her or made a mistake. Not super cunning. She's terrible at leading others, as she isn't great at listening to people or taking other's feelings/opinions into account.

Other: Open for shipping, with either gender. 

wow, this rp is thriving! Sihi and Aashe look like kindred spirits :)

ARIA ~

"Surround them," Aria said into her mouthpiece, typing a quick command into the database. Mentally, she noted that the bounty hunter definitely knew what she was doing -- the ID chip in the spacecraft had been switched out, so that the checkpoint read it as being a KENRUN model. Clever. 

Aria glanced up. To her surprise, a face stared back. In milliseconds, her eye lens snapped a photo, matched it to others...

Aigith Rim.

Aria had been correct. She smiled slightly, making eye contact with the bounty hunter. "Identity confirmed," she said over the intercom. "Close the checkpoint."

Then she realized that the ship's engines were slowly and subtly flaring. She hit the alert, sending out signals at lightning pace. "Close gates at C2 and C5!" 

Too late. Aigith Rim's ship swerved, cutting down and ramming into one of the Council pods. In the corner of her eye, Aria saw a red light flash as her image sensors warned her that the pod was down. Then the ship shot away, into the darkness. In a flash, Aria was on the control board. 

She realized that the ship had been there for a rendezvous. "Our backup spacecraft is hanging around Checkpoint 2. Send them in...and tell them to watch for a landing pod." There was an affirmative bleep from the control panel.

"What now, Aria?" came a voice over the intercom. Aria didn't even bother sending a confirm to the commander. There was no need.

"We give chase."  

~ 

AASHE ~ 

I scan the horizon with a pair of binocs. "Clear."

"Great." Iemiel is distracted, busy scanning a community access chip in the set of tall gates in front of us. A green light flashes as the gates open and we enter.

I know the rest of my species would disapprove, but I can't help but marvel at the sight of the colony. The streets are dusty but colorful and busy, the buildings are mismatched probably because of all the different cultures here. And sure enough, more species than I can count flock the streets. Selieth. Humans. Vendi. Gnax. Androids and countless hybrids. But not one M'varra.

If we were as social as this, would we coexist with other species?

But even as I think this, I and the rest of the signaliers are aloof as we strut down the road. Iemiel seems to be enjoying it. He tilts his head back.  

According to Nerila, our official navigator, this is Colony Eadra, an interspecies settlement known for its wide-ranging spacecraft port. With any luck, we'll be able to hop a ride from the port. 

"Come on," Iemiel says, jerking his head at a building on our right, a tavern recognizable by the sign over its door. "We'll see if we can find someone with a spacecraft here." 

~ 

So I was thinking this would be a good way to introduce other charries? Because they could meet them at the tavern. Maybe they could hire Renjiro and his spacecraft...

@Sybill, hope you don't mind I took a little liberty with Varjo... okay, maybe more than that, but if you're not okay with it, I can edit this scene. 

Ora--

"You there! Sseddin!" I glanced up in shock to hear my name called. It was the mechanical supevisor, who everyone just called Big Boss. I shook the ends of my headscarf off my face and stood at attention.

"You're needed in the upper levels," Big Boss growled. "Some new recruit is having trouble with the cooling systems. He asked for you specifically."

My heart sped up. "M-me? Why?"

Big Boss shrugged, then elaborated gruffly. "His exact words were, 'Get me a Gnax who knows what they're doing.' Stars only know why. You're barely mediocre, but do you see any other Gnax around?" The last words were delivered with a healthy dose of saliva, which I wiped off my face.

"No, ma'am. I'll go right away, ma'am."

"See that you do." With that, the supervisor turned away, leaving me to pack up my tools in contemplation. Why did this mysterious recruit want me?

To my surprise, the 'new recruit' was standing just outside the elevator, wearing a surly frown. My eyes widened.

Varjo Nayemnik. I'd heard my parents speak of his reputation as a warrior. But what was he doing here?

"There's a problem with the cooling systems on the next level. You are the techie, right?" I nodded a quick confirmation, still staring at him in confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?" His eyes looked shifty, uncertain, concerned, and I finally realized that he must have also been here to spy. I dropped my gaze.

"Sorry." He nodded.

"Now, I'll show you right to the malfunctioning cooling box," he continued, pressing the button on the elevator.

The upper hallway was brilliantly lit by almost harsh lighting. Varjo kept his hands in his pockets the entire time, fidgeting. We rounded the corner.

"See that? It won't start," he explained briskly, leaning against the wall. As he did so, his hand slipped out of the pocket and passed behind the box, and I heard a tiny clattering as if something had dropped to the floor. My eyes met his, and he nodded.

This couldn't be a coincidence. It was the oldest spy trick in the book: drop a physical copy of the information and wait for someone to pick it up. The only question was, what was the information?

"Of course, sir. I'll get right to it." I said aloud. I made a show of peering into the crack between the box and the wall, surreptitiously passing my hand in a line along the floor and grabbing the object, then tucking it into my bag. I allowed myself a little smile. The secret-- whatever it was-- was safe. 

Renjiro Mohaka~~

I'd been stuck in Colony Eadra, way out in the edges of the Council's influence, for nearly a month. Eadra was a bustling city made of three districts, named Naksatra, Surya, and Candra. It was located on the planet Ksetra, a rather small planet that was quite easy to forget about. Nothing important here had ever happened, besides the creation of Eadra--one of the few colonies that wasn't ran by the Council. Despite being less technologically advanced, Eadra was a paradise compared to Council colonies.

I was in the Naksatra Tavern, speaking to the owner, a blue-skinned male Selieth named Niru. "Well, well, well, would you look at that?" He remarked, leaning accross the counter and pointing towards the door. A group of five M'varra entered the tavern.

"A group of M'varra, in an interspecies colony? That's not something you see every day," I mused.  

"Wonder why they're here," Niru went back to typing something on his holopad. 

I inspected each of the five M'varra carefully. They seemed curious, almost inquisitive. 

They also seemed to be looking for something.

Niru finished typing whatever it was he was typing. He sent an android to to deal with the customers, then smiled warmly at the M'varra. "What can I do for you?" He asked politely.

"We're looking for someone who has a ship and can pilot us somewhere," one of the M'varra said. My ears flicked upwards. 

"Luckily for you," I said, smiling, "I've got a spaceship, docked in the port. And I can pilot her."

"Excellent. How many units do you want?"

"A fair amount. I'll deal when the specifics once we've finished the journey," I replied smoothly. "Though,I have to admit, I've been wanting to get away from this place for a while. So I might give you a discount for that."

~~~

Long post alert lol I'm sorry ><

Artemis~

I sat at my desk, head back as I massaged my temples. I was having another stress-induced headache and we still had a few hours of work left. 

I was still a little standoffish from the stunt Phillip had pulled earlier but figured I’d have to be patient. We were all on edge and he did what he needed to do to ensure that we wouldn’t have another issue with information being distributed to the wrong places. Although I was slightly suspicious of this Varjo Namenik, we could use his expertise, so we would let him stay on but moniter his activity.

I looked out the window to the heavy traffic. Lights from holographic billboards illuminated the smoke from cars and other buildings. Maybe I’d take a walk through the city later.

Suddenly, Captain Aelani burst in, absolute panic in her eyes. I stood up quickly.

“Admiral, we have an entire transport of fighters under attack!”

“What?” I asked. “Who’s supposed to be picking the transport up?”
“Aigith Rim, ma’am,” she replied, out of breath. “She sent a distress signal. We need you in the command room.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I said, already rapidly making my way out the door, Aelani one step behind.

“How did this happen?” I asked as we neared the command room.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out, Admiral.”
The doors slid open and I noted that Philip was already there. He saw me and walked up.

“I was just briefed. We’re trying to secure communication with Rim’s shuttle now.”

As if on cue, the monitors surrounding the big holoscreen crackled, and suddenly an image of Aigith lit up. 

“Admiral! Order of Light! Can you hear me? Copy!”

“Aigith, we got your distress signal,” I replied. “Pull up your location on your screen com so we can track you and talk with you. What happened?”
“The Council seemed to know where we were ma’am,” she replied, and it sounded like she was running through the ship as several things clattered. “There’s a Council ship that is currently giving chase, and I honestly can’t guarantee if we can get the fighter transport.”

“Okay, we’ve got your location and the transport’s location pulled up,” I said quickly. “You’re not that far away. I’m sending the coordinates now.”
There was a pause before the monitors crackled again. “There’s no guarantee, but I think we can get them.”

Some in the room sighed in relief, but others like Phillip and I remained alert. “Update us as you go.”

“Yes, Admiral. I’m not sure how they found out. I’m so sorry if anything happens to your fighters, but my crew and I are doing the most we can to fix this.”
“Thank you, Aigith. Work quickly and keep us updated.”

There was no response, but I didn't expect one. Aigith was trustworthy and knew what she was doing, so I kept my hopes up heavily for her. 

The monitors crackled again.

“Admiral, they have shot the transport. Repeat, they have shot the transport.”

The room stilled, and I could hear my heart beat. 

“We are currently recovering members. Stand by.”

No one in the room made a sound, and no one dared move. Eyes were glued to the monitors, waiting for Aigith to come back in with what we would assume to be the final report. 

Finally, the monitors came back to life.

“Admiral, we have successfully left the planet’s system and are now on route back to the checkpoint.”
Everyone breathed sighs of relief, a couple of people even laughing and smiling towards each other.

A smile of my own barely crept up, and I nodded. “That’s wonderful news, Aigith. Come back safely.”
“Yes Admiral. But I regret to inform you that we couldn’t get everyone,” Aigith continued.

The slightest smile I had completely disappeared, and the room quieted down. 

“Out of the ten fighters on the transport, we only got seven. I’m very sorry.”
My heart dropped, but I forced a polite smile and nodded. “Thank you for letting me know. Get to the checkpoint safe, and contact us.”

“Yes Admiral.”
The monitors switched off and the screen went back to normal. The room slowly buzzed again as I turned to walk out the door.

“Admiral,” I heard Philip say, and I turned my head slightly but didn’t completely look at him. 

His sympathetic eyes met mine. “We did everything we could.”

I pursed my lips and didn’t reply, giving a curt nod as I walked out of the room. 

Once I completely made my way out, I let out a short breath and began gasping for air, as I nearly fell against the window. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and that horrible sinking feeling remained in my stomach as my chest felt like it had the weight of a building on it. 

“Admiral?”

My head snapped up to see Varjo Namenik staring concerned at my semi collapsed figure.

I straightened up, still struggling to maintain a steady air flow. My heart burned, and I urged for the crystal in my head to give me some strength, any strength.

“Good evening, Namenik," I choked out. I willed my voice to stabilise. "Are you finding everything okay?”

He stepped closer, eyebrows furrowed. “Um, are you okay?”
I took a step away, looking down to focus on a spot so I wouldn’t fall over.

“Fine, thank you. Are you lost?”

“No, not reall-whoa, whoa.”

I found myself being stabilized by Namenik as the floor swirled, but I immediately stepped away, leaning against the window.

I swallowed. “I-I’m sorry, just give me a couple moments.”

Through my cluttered head, I remembered Zendi breathing methods that I had used after my nightmare of Tuuli and I immediately began using them. At first I panicked when they didn’t work right away, but then a couple times through I felt the weight slowly lifting off my chest and my ability to see and breathe improving again. 

I straightened, turning to face Namenik who stared at me, unsure of what to do. I felt the same way. 

“I sincerely apologise you had to see me like that.”
I tried to speak with an unwavering voice, but in all honesty I was embarrassed. The last thing that an Order member needed was seeing their leader like this. Definitely not good for group morale.

But Namenik offered a smile. “It’s okay. I’d rather have a leader who cares than a leader who walks away from bad news unaffected.”

I hesitated. “You worked under Tuuli…” I trailed off. I wasn’t sure to make it a question because I knew that if he quit that high up, then the memories must not be good, and I did not want to make him relive that. I could barely make it through an interaction with Tuuli in a dream, much less interact with him daily.

He nodded, his eyes regretful. “He could kill his own soldiers without blinking an eye.”

I swallowed. I can’t imagine ever being able to do that to the people in your own ranks. I could barely stomach the casualties on our side caused by the Council, much less killing and sacrificing my own people, all for a political agenda. 

“Well, thank you for your help, Namenik, and again I’m sorry about...well whatever that was,” I said, giving a light laugh to mostly make myself feel better.

“Please, call me Varjo,” he said. 

“Okay,” I smiled. “Thank you again...Varjo.”