Artemis~

Soon, I heard the sound of footsteps behind me diminish, and I turned around to see the back of Varjo's head through the window on the blast door. 

I stopped, which caused Phillip to stop, and he looked at me in question.

"Admiral?"

I shook my head, waving him along. "Go without me. I'll meet you at the command room."

There was hesitation in his face, but he gave a nod. "Yes ma'am."

As soon as Phillip walked off, I inched closer to the door, hearing muffled sounds of what sounded like an argument behind it.

When I finally walked through, Ora looked up at me in surprise.

I turned to Varjo. "You coming?"

He nodded, and we were halfway out the door when Ora spoke up.

"I can't quit now."

Varjo stopped. "Yes, you're in over your head."

Ora's eyes shot to me. "Are you going to send me back to Tuuli?"

My stare hardened. "What's going to happen to you hasn't been decided yet. Quite frankly, we have other more pressing issues than making sure a Council spy is comfortable."

She opened her mouth to say something, but chose not to and looked down. But when she looked up again, her eyes were filled with anger. 

"Imprison me for as long as you want, I'll never talk. I choose to represent the Council because I believe in the change they can bring, and it's my honour and my parents' honour help them. I'm not too worried anyway, they'll probably come for me soon."

Varjo tilted his head. "Will they?"

Deep down, all of us knew that they wouldn't. Why would they care about a young Gnax who was in way too deep? If they came for her, it wouldn't be a rescue mission. She was now a liability, and they wouldn't mind if the Order did their job for them.  

Ora paused, knowing she really couldn't respond to that, but ultimately whispered, "you'll see," before walking to the back of her cell.

I glanced at Varjo and nodded towards the door. "Let's go."

~

We made our way to the command room, and through those doors I lead Varjo to the back, where another set of doors led into a big conference room. Except this room didn't have any windows, and it looked more like a bunker with screens all over the walls and a large table that could fit the entirety of leadership. We called it the War Room, and we hadn't had to use it in a while. 

"Admiral," a captian said, and everyone in the room stood up.

I waved them off, and they sat down when I found my seat at the end of the table. Varjo sat in the row of chairs slightly behind me. I nodded at Phillip, who sat a few seats down.

"First order of business," a captain said, standing up to control the screen. A large picture of Tambour's system showed up, with barely a Tambour left. My eyes averted. "We've sent aid to Tambour, but there's not much we can do with how fast the radiation is spreading. The blast radius was bigger than other times Tuuli has destroyed planets, as we now know, and the radiation is spreading much faster." A short video played, demonstrating the spread of the explosion across the planet. "Tuuli wiped out Tambour's government and most, if not all, of Tambour's elders. We're scouring temples planet-wide to see if we can find them, but as of now Tambour has little to no leadership." The screen switched to pictures, mostly for documentation, of the Order helping people out of the cities. Buildings shown were crumbling, and the air looked thick with smoke. "We've been evacuating cities, but everyone that we moved to the med camps on planet Tsuquoa...have died. From the raditation."

The captain's eyes then darted to me before training back on the screen, which switched to a set of statistics. When I read them, my heart dropped. 

She cleared her throat. "Tambour has now been classified as a Class H planet, meaning it's generally uninhabitable. However, in a mere matter of days, the chances of it becoming a Class Y planet, with toxic air and extreme temperatures, is ninety-eight percent. Progression of this kind usually takes centuries, but now it's uncontrollable and doesn't take long to be completely destructive. If we don't get those people out now, we never can again."

I felt a few eyes on me, and I looked up at the captain. "Proceed."

"The Zendi have been listed as an endangered race, and we're afraid they're not the first. If Tuuli has a weapon with this capability, and he's used it before, then the chances of other planets being destroyed are increased. We need to evacuate who we can off of Tambour and then figure out how to destroy that weapon."

"I don't even think Tambour is a priority at the moment," a commander sitting a few seats down announced. At this, a couple people shifted uncomfortably and I saw Phillip twitch slightly. "What's the point of moving people who are going to die anyway off planet? We need to channel our resources into stopping that weapon."

"Why should we even destroy the weapon?" another captain asked. "If we get a hold of it, we can see the type of tech that Tuuli is developing and use it against him."

"It's not the tech that's too advanced," Varjo's voice interjected. Unfriendly eyes looked towards him. "It's a matter of using the tech unethically. Tuuli could always destroy a lot with a little. The tech may even be older. But one thing's for sure, you shouldn't use the tech against Tuuli, because then you're no better than the Council."

The captain who made the suggestion sighed. "I never said-"

"I think," Phillip interrupted. "We need to get the remaining Zendi off Tambour. And then we can plan for taking down whatever it is that Tuuli's created. What's happened on that planet is an emergency, and it currently takes precedent over stopping Tuuli's weapon, which will take much more planning. Admiral?"

Suddenly every head turned to me, and I blinked. To be honest, my eyes had still been fixed on the stats up on the screen. In my head, I was trying to work out a way to help the other Zendi, but I kept on meeting a dead end. "Yes, um...tell me captain, which parts of the planet have you evacuated?"

"All the major cities, ma'am," she responded. "The population of Tambour isn't big to start, so it didn't take a lot. If we look at the numbers, we got almost everyone out, but...no one survived after being exposed to the radiation. It took a mere number of days for it to take it's toll." 

"So even if we got them off Tambour, they'd die."

"Not necessarily, Admiral," she replied, pulling up a visual of Tambour on screen. "Since the bigger cities are mostly clumped together, and Tuuli detonated the weapon there, they have been the most affected. But there are still areas on the far side of the planet that haven't been exposed to as much radiation." The less affected part of the planet was highlighted. "If we can get the Zendi on that side of the planet to leave, then there's a chance that they'll survive."

I narrowed my eyes. "Wait, zoom in."

She complied, and I leaned forward. Even though I hadn't been on Tambour in a long while, I recognised that part of the planet all too well. I sighed. "There are habitants there. Mostly elders in temples and the Zendian Elite. They're extremely stubborn about leaving."

That was the part of the planet where I had trained my whole life, and the part of the planet where they purged Zendi's emotions when they were of age. The Zendian Elite were what I would have become. A group of younger, stronger, and more powerful Zendi that learned how to draw some sort of power from their crystals while defending Tambour. Yeah, some defence they'd been. Both the Elite and the elders thought their fates were tied to the planet's, so if the planet went down, then so would they. 

"So they won't leave even if we give them the chance?" the captain asked.

"Not if you go down there," I replied. I looked at the rest of the room. "But they might just listen to me." 

Varjo Nayemnik~~

"Not if you go down there. But they might just listen to me," the Admiral said. 

There was several angry responses.

"You can't go down there, Admiral!" One captain shouted. "You've already put yourself in enough danger."

"The last time you tried to lead a mission," Another grumbled quietly, "It didn't go very well."

"Admiral, please. We can't risk losing you to the radiation," A commander pleaded. "Think this through." 

Varjo watched, mildly interested. Despite the other officials reluctance, he was fairly certain they all were aware there wasn't much of a choice if they wanted to save the Zendi.  

The Admiral raised a hand to silence them. "We all agree that saving the Zendi is our priority, right?" She waited for everyone in the room to murmur words of agreement. "Then we also agree that we must do anything in our power to make sure that happens. If it means I have to sacrifice myself, then so be it. I will not allow Tuuli to cause the extinction of an entire species. And anyways, my soldiers have already been risking their lives to evacuate the Zendi. It's time I did my part."

"I wouldn't suggest going alone," Varjo added, met almost instantly by a plethora of angry glares. "It's quite possible Tuuli is expecting you to go down there. I'm almost certain he'll find some way to lay a trap for you."

"Exactly why you shouldn't go," A captain muttered. 

"We could use the Silver Guard," A commander suggested. 

"We shouldn't risk any more valuable lives to the radiation," Phillip reminded them. "And besides, I think the Guard have done enough as is. We need someone...expendable, who we can still trust, and who's well-trained."

There was a pause in the room, before Varjo spoke up again.

"I know none of you will like it, but...I could go," Varjo suggested. As he expected, there were many angry protests.

"Oh, right, because you're trustworthy," A captain said with a short.

"Are you even trained for the job? You were just a guard," A commander said.

"I wasn't just a guard," Varjo explained. "I was also a mercenary and assassin, one of the best in the Council. Believe me, I have the training."

"We still can't trust you. How do you know you're not going to attack the Admiral?"

"I understand your mistrust," Varjo began. "But don't be ridiculous. I have no reason to finish the Admiral any more--I'm obviously not going back to the Council. And besides, its not like you have many options."

~~~ 

Aigith~

Everything's a blur when we arrive back at the order base. The Silver Guard herds us off the ship, and we're instantly swarmed by Order medics. After I'm checked out and declared alright, I walk away from the crowd and chaos to a little ways away, where I see my own crew waiting.

I walk over to them, and I'm surrounded once more, all of them wanting to make sure I'm alright. I shake them off, assuring them that I am.

"What happened?" Iri asks. "How many did you lose?"

I sigh. "Out of those who went into the base, four of us came out, and something... something awful happened on Tambour."

"We heard one of the mechanics was detained!" Opharie says, and I nod, glad to hear the news.

"Excellent- she was the mole we discovered." I close my eyes, suddenly exhausted.

"Let's head inside," Iri says, noticing. "We'll get you some food and rest."

We make our way to the rooms the Order has assigned us, and I spend the next chunk of time eating and recounting everything that happened on Tsikhe. It's painful to remember.

Some time later, I leave the room, needing to stretch my legs and take some time to think. I walk through the base, and pause as I pass the command room. The door is ajar, and there are voices, some agitated, soming from inside. I move closer to listen.

"...my soldiers have already been risking their livesto evacuate the Zendi. It's time I did my part." My mouth opens in surprise. It's Admiral Zygo, talking about leading another mission?

More discussion among the captains, then, "I know none of you will like it, but... I could go." Varjo, of course. There's arguing, and several of the captains make excellent points on why Varjo shouldn't accompany the Admiral, but I know she won't listen to any of them. She trusts Varjo, despite his past, which, I must say, is one of the reasons I admire her.

I place my hand on the door, forgetting for a split second that it's open, and nearly fall into the room as it swings in. All eyes turn, and I freeze, my face turning red.

"Aigith," says the Admiral without pause. "I'm leading a mission with Varjo to evacuate the remaining Zendi."

"Ah... I heard," I say lamely.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but would you be willing to provide transportation to Tambour?"

My embarrassment fading, I nod. "I'd be glad to, Admiral."

~~~

Sorry if this is too controlling, would it be alright if Aigith flies them in?

I'm personally fine if Aigith goes.

Jainnen Tuuli~~

I rewatched the footage we'd gotten from the cameras in the office. As I had unfortunately expected, Nayemnik proved to be disloyal. He'd even destroyed the android, thinking it was me.

How foolish and naive of him.

"How disappointing," I remarked. "I expected him to betray me...but I thought he'd do a better job of it."

"Perhaps the Zendi's foolishness has worn off on him," Besach suggested.  

"Perhaps," I agreed.

"Do you know where they might go to next?" Besach asked.

"Almost certainly Tambour, but I'm also certain they'll be expecting us to be there," I said. "Which we will be, but I only want stealth spacecraft there. I want to wait till they're off the planet, with any surviving Zendi onboard their ship--and then we'll strike."

"Your plan seems...quite wise, as always, but I do have one question."

"Which is?"

"Well...why? Won't the radiation get the Zendi for us?"

"Don't be a fool, Besach. We both know they're going to take all measures to keep the Admiral safe. It's possible she won't even land on the planet, and if she does, she'll have plenty of protective equipment and a horde of doctors ready to cure any radiation sickness," I explain. "Besides, that could take too long. This will make sure she's gone very quickly."

"Understood," Besach said. "Have we heard if the Gnax's attempt to assassinate the Vice Admiral was successful?"

"We haven't heard anything from her for several days, which is rather out-of-character for her. It's likely she's been imprisoned," I reply. "I wouldn't bother worrying about her. She's loyal enough to not tell them anything, and I'm sure the Order hates her enough to deal with her for us. It's possible she's already used her pill."

"Hmm. In that case, would you like to deal with the Vice Admiral in a.. different way?" 

I turned to Besach, who had a mischievous glint in his four eyes. "I can already tell you've come up with a plan. Enlighten me."

"Remember the files Varjo sent?"

"Of course."

"Well, I took a look at the Vice Admiral's files the other day. Apparently, he has a wife and son," Besach said, in a tone far too cheerful for what he was implying.

"And?"

"Well, I guess Nayemnik had enough of a heart to protect innocent lives--he didn't send their location. Or maybe it was just secret. But even though we don't know exactly where they are...We know their full names, and there's not many places safe enough for the family of an Order member to hide. We should be able to find them and bring them into custody quickly," Besach continued. "After that...well, they will make an excellent bartering chip, won't they? We could even ask for the Admiral's life, if we aren't able to take her out at Tambour."

~~

Is this okay? We can ignore this if it's not. 

Ora--

The throbbing pain in my neck had settled to a slow burn, but Nayemnik's betrayal still stung. How could he do this? To his leader, to his fellow spy? His moral compass must have drifted too far. I was bewildered and hurt. Tuuli had given him a career, and an important duty. He should have been honored! That selfish, rotten, double-crossing...

"You're in over your head."

His words echoed around the damp cell. If I was too deeply entrenched in the Council, what did that make him? Tuuli's lapdog, personal guard, turned enemy? For that matter, what was I now? A prisoner, just a prisoner. Too weak to be rescued, too strong to be kept alive. I knew it would be a bad move for Tuuli to send fighters in for me, but... I couldn't help grasping a thread of hope.

He had saved my parents. Before the civil war on Agraxan, they had been enemies of the government. Days away from being captured and killed.

But Jainnen Tuuli had saved them. Arranged for a transport off Agraxan, found them a new life on Mars. Without him, I would never have been born. Moreover, he had the courage to work for the greater good. He wasn't afraid to sacrifice a few soldiers to further his goals. And he was the winning side. The side of right. Of justice. 

So maybe he would come save me a second time.

Or maybe not. Maybe I could break out. My claws had been useful in hand-to-hand combat before, and it was possible the guards would underestimate me, because of my size. I could do it. This was what I was trained to do! Escape, return, report back. I would be hailed as a hero.

I slumped against the back wall, already planning. 

Artemis~
We finally decided that it would be a very small team consisting of only myself, Varjo, Aigith and a couple of fighters in the transport. Once we were in suits that would protect us from the radiation, Varjo and I stepped inside the transport where Aigith and the two others were preparing. 

“Once you get near the planet, get who you can and get out. This has to be discreet, and time is of the essence,” Phillip said, walking up to us. We nodded and he got out a bag. “Your radiation masks are inside. Put them on before you exit the transport but don’t take them off until you’re back and decontaminated.”
We took one each, making sure they fit and worked. Phillip looked at me, patting me on the shoulder. 

“Good luck, Admiral.”

~
When we neared Tambour, I couldn't even look at it. Varjo was standing, and when he saw my reaction he put a comforting hand on my shoulder. Even he could barely look at the planet. Everyone was uncomfortable with what Tuuli had done, and they were all secretly scared he’d do the same to their planets.

When we finally entered Tambour’s atmosphere, I stood up and stifled a gasp. Looking out the window, the blue sky had turned a deep, dusty red and many of the trees were bare. The cities looked completely abandoned, the buildings and streets crumbling. No one said anything, because no one could. How could anyone say anything when they’ve seen something like this?
As we neared the far side of the planet, we could see that the radiation hadn’t spread all the way there yet. The trees gradually got greener and the sky wasn’t as dark. Even the air seemed cleaner. But the toxicity still seemed to be brewing like a storm and ready to spread fast.

Soon, I saw the tall peak of one of the stone temples in the distance, and I directed Aigith to find somewhere near it. She smoothly landed the transport in an emptier area in the trees, well concealed but only a short distance from the temple.

“By the looks of it, they’ve stopped Elite training and they’re all convening in the temples,” I said, getting my mask ready. “They always go there first during emergencies. Let’s get this done as quickly as possible. Let me do the talking.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and once we had our masks situated, Aigith opened the blast doors.

I looked to Varjo. “I hope this works.”
~
Once we trekked through the trees, the extremely large temple came into sight. It was nothing new to me, but it was always a wonder in my eyes. I had grown up going here and training right outside, hoping one day I’d master my crystal and purge all emotion. But now, a vast shadow seemed to loom over the temple, a signal of impending doom that would destroy our history and our past way of life. 

“Wow,” Aigith said with a gasp, and I gave a smile.
“Gets me every time too.”

I then exhaled slowly and stepped inside, the team trailing behind me. Our steps echoed down the large stone room, where in the distance I saw a group of Zendi all floating above ground, presumably meditating.

I walked towards them, and one of them seemed to come out of it, looking at me. Alarm spiked in my chest as I surveyed who was there. There had to be only ten Zendi. I thought there would be more. Where was everyone else?
“Artemis,” I heard a soft voice gasp. 

I looked towards a pillar where the voice came from, and almost jumped when I saw Zentiri step out.

At the sound of her voice, the others came out of meditating and slowly touched the ground, standing.

I looked towards her. “You need to get out.” I glanced at the other Zendi, who now murmured about my presence. “All of you.”

Suddenly the ground shook, and I almost fell as everyone around me tried to stabilise.

Aigith looked panicked. “What’s happening?”
“This part of the planet is already beginning to destabalise,” Varjo replied, looking at me. “If we’re going to get them out, we’ve got to do it now.”

I turned to the Zendi, who looked confused but not entirely frantic. 

I focused on Zentiri. “We need to go now. Please.”

She went to stand next to the Zendi. “We’ve already completed our vows. Our fate is now completely tied to this planet.”
I frowned. “What about the others? The Elite? They should be here, shouldn’t they?”
“They disobeyed the elders and went into the city to help. They’re gone.”

I sighed in frustration. “You do realise that all of you are going to die if you don’t come with us right now?”

A pillar in the distance suddenly came crashing down, and parts of the ceiling began to crumble. Some of the elders jumped slightly, but they maintained their position. Some even went back into meditation, which certainly didn’t help my rising anger and panic.

I look at Zentiri. “Please, we can figure out where to settle all of you after. Come with us now, or it’ll be too late.”
Another part of the ceiling crashed, this time closer to us, and I could feel the ceiling right above us begin to crack and spray some dust.

Varjo pulled my arm. “Artemis.”

But I didn’t look back at him. Instead, my eyes were trained on Zentiri’s, my desperation growing.

“Mother. Please.”

This made her tilt her head as tears began to well in her eyes. “Artemis, I can’t. My place is not outside my home.”
“It can be!” I yelled, as a column came crashing down, nearly falling on a couple Zendi. I could feel Varjo trying to pull me away. The ceiling was going to cave. “Please!”

The look she gave me hurt. It hurt a lot. “I can’t, I’m sorry. I lo-”
Before she could finish, the stone ceiling came crashing down on them. At that moment, I froze. It seemed so unreal, and happened too fast for my brain to process. She was right there. They were all just there. And now they weren’t.
I tried to go towards the rubble, but Varjo grabbed my shoulders.
“Artemis, if we don’t leave now, we’ll die too. Now come on.”

I could barely move, still staring at the pile of stone that now settled where the rest of my kind had stood. How could this happen?

“Admiral,” I heard Aigith’s voice come through. “We need to go.”
I finally nodded, trying to refocus, letting Varjo take my hand as we ran through the temple, staying alert in case of falling debris. I let go when we reached the exit, but we didn’t stop until we got on the transport. 

Aigith got us in the air almost immediately, and once we left the planet’s system everyone sat down. But I still stood, taking one last look at Tambour. My home was now gone, and I was the only one left. 

The rest of the ride back to the Order was completely silent, but I could feel the anger begin to rise in me. I now had no more room for sorrow, and welcomed the feeling of revenge much to the protest of the Zendi side in me. I was angrier than I had ever been before. And now it was time to grow up and use it.

Tuuli would pay.

Artemis~
I could practically hear all of us furiously working through what to do in our heads.

But we didn’t have much time, so I shifted over to Aigith. 

“How much more does the transport’s fuel cell have?” I asked, my eyes never leaving the Council ships that were now just hovering there, unmoving.

She nervously glanced at a gauge. “At least three hours if we don’t go anywhere, and if we try to move we’ve got less than an hour.”

Since there was no one back at the larger Order ship that we took, it gave me some relief. But now that meant that we were the only Order people stuck in enemy territory, and making a distress call was not an option. Unless....

I looked at Aigith. “Do you have any friends out here?”
She considered the question before firmly shaking her head. “No. I know some people in the next system over but they’re not too happy with me because I won a race, winning one of their speed pods. Besides, they would never come over here, everyone knows that this is Council territory.”

“We can pay them,” I responded, and she perked up. “I’ve got at least five hundred credits ready to transfer. Obviously don’t talk them up to that amount too much if you can help it, but if not...they’re ready to be used.”
“Order money?” she asked, skeptical.

I nodded, and she tilted her head.

“They don’t want to risk being flagged.”

“Then just tell them it’s Varjo’s,” I shrugged, to which Varjo almost protested. “They don’t know him, and they won’t know the difference.”
Aigith hesitated, but after glancing at the still unmoving Council ships one more time, she nodded. “Okay. Lemme just get on a secure channel.”

After switching channels on the ship’s communicator, she cleared her throat.

“Benzin Four, this is Alpha Luren, over.”

When there was no response, she tensed slightly but tried again.
“I repeat, Benzin Four, this is Alpha Luren. Over.”

Seconds turned into a minute, and her hands slammed on the console in frustration.. “I’m sorry Admiral, I-”
Suddenly the com crackled. “Alpha Luren, this is Benzin Four. This better be about you returning that speed pod. Over.”

Aigith laughed out loud, and I let a smile creep up myself.
She leaned into the com. “Benzin Four, we have five hundred credits for the fastest ship that can answer to our SOS. You in?”
The com crackled again. “What’s the catch?”
Aigith smiled. “I said it had to be fast, didn’t I? I’m in trouble with a couple Council patrols and I’m only on a transport ship. I need you to bring a fast ship over here and beam us up quickly so we can get out of this system. After, dump us off on whatever planet you want, you’ll still get the money.”
I gave Aigith a look on the last part, but she shrugged. I guess this was the way to talk to other mercenaries. Money was the great persuader.

There was a pause on the other side of the com before it came to life. “ETA two minutes.”

“Copy that,” Aigith said with a grin.

Aigith~

"ETA two minutes."

"Copy that," I say, and relief blossoms in me. It had been a long shot, but help's on the way.

"I'm glad we can do something to catch Tuuli off-guard," one of the fighters remarks, and the Admiral nods. I can tell the loss of her planet has taken a large toll on her, and for the second time.

A few minutes later, Varjo points to a quickly growing dot in the distance. "The ship," he says. Then he adds, grudgingly, "You pulled through, Aigith."

I nod, watching nervously as the ship nears us. There's no reaction from the Council ships- I guess the idea of us having a way out of here hasn't occurred to them. A moment later, the new ship beams us up, and we're out.

We disembark the transport, and I lead the way to the front of the new ship. We're already speeding away from Tambour, and from the Council ships. I know they won't be able to follow.

When I reach the control panel, the captain of the ship turns around and punches me in the arm. I shove her back, and we both grin.

"Aigith," she says, gripping my shoulder. "Here I am, getting you out of trouble again."

"Ennin," I greet. "Long time, no see. I'm surprised you showed up."

"For five hundred credits? You couldn't keep me away. Say, where'd you get that much money? A job?"

I shake my head, and sling my arm around Varjo, who looks like he wants to stab me. "Nah, it's his money. Really, you got him out of a tight scrape, I was just along for the ride."

"A tight scrape indeed," Ennin says with a whistle. "How'd you get yourselves in trouble with the Council?"

I look back at Admiral Zygo, not wanting to reveal who she is, or that we're with the Order. Ennin would most likely understand that she could get a lot more than five hundred credits for the Order of Light's leader, and she had no loyalty to the organization.

I shrug. "You know me, always in trouble with someone."

"True. Now, if I heard correctly, I can dump you anywhere and still get the money?"

"Well, yes, but I'd consider it a favor if you'd bring us at least somewhere close to where we're going."

Ennin barks out a laugh. "Come on, Aigith, you know I don't do favors. What's in it for me?"

I sigh. I knew that would be her answer, but it couldn't hurt to try. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this."

A few hours and the loss of one speed pod later, we're back at the Order base. I'd traded back the pod I'd one for Ennin to drop us off just a system over from the base, and from there Admiral Zygo had called an Order ship to come pick us up.

In the Command room, Varjo gives the brief on what happened on Tambour. The Admiral isn't present- I don't think she could face hearing it again. However, after the brief, she enters the room, taking her position at the front. For a moment, everyone is silent.

It's too quiet for my liking, so I lift my head and ask, "What now?"

~~~~~~

Let's keep this going!