Building our own ark ship somewhere on Darkside wouldn’t be an option even if it weren’t too cold to live there without the Imaia’s resources. Even the Kysuuri abandoned their lands.

C. 6 days, 28 hours since the assassination of rebel leadership

Estingai couldn't help but grin as she stumbled, lowering herself into the crag that disguised Wolfden's main entrance. She nearly fell on her face but at least she was in the shade.

Despite the cool wind that had whipped by her as she sped across Atonga's rocky wasteland thanks to the bike Siluumwe thankfully hadn't scuttled, Lightside's relentless, red sun had baked her the whole way. The full, heavy armor Estingai wore over her lightly-armored uniform had only magnified the heat.

But I made it. I finally made it.

"Identify yourself!"

Estingai pushed herself off the wall, straightening and rolling her shoulders. She blinked exhausted eyes and found two guards before her, still mostly concealed in the darkness of the cave mouth. Both wore unmarked masks, so she couldn't tell who they were. Estingai only saw the muzzles of their rifles because she knew where to look.

She frowned, taking a step forward. "Stand down. It's—"

Estingai blinked, ears ringing at the shot. The bullet had gone past her, into the stone—a warning shot—but Estingai knew her ears would take a bit to recover. Healing georaurals could help with that.

"Identify yourself. No more warnings."

Estingai frowned under her mask. Why—?

Oh, right.

She glanced down to make sure the shadows would cover her, then reached up and pulled off the Lightforged mask she'd worn for convenience. Her own hung at her belt.

"Stand down," she said again, running a gloved hand through her hair—she winced at how matted and sweaty it was. "It's me."

Both lowered their rifles and one stepped forward, removing his mask.

"Estingai?" A young Natari man with black, hooked spots on his jaw and forehead said, "We thought—where did you get—?"

Djamaia. That means Obisan is the other one.

They usually kept guards partnered with the same teams.

That means it’s still Auroraday, and early.

Estingai probably would have known that if she'd just thought for a moment, but she was so tired and frazzled that even her timesense was a bit off.

"Obisan, take the speeder and hide it," she ordered "Djamaia, go get Koruuksi and Uuchantuu, and Marjatla and Aaden. Have them meet me in the command room with some water. And have someone tell Siluumwe I'm safe."

Both hesitated for a moment, then leapt into action.

Estingai leaned against the rock wall for a moment, taking off her glove to stick her pinky in her ear. It wouldn't stop the ringing, but it would make her feel better about it.

Taking a deep breath, Estingai started forward, only for the soreness and fatigue in her body to come to the forefront. She winced, but kept going. As tempting as it would be to find somewhere to lie down, she had work to do.

Less than an hour later. Estingai sat on a stool in her pants and undershirt, sipping from a water bottle that Koruuksi had chilled for her. He'd also changed the bandages on her thigh and strapped a healing georaural to her. They had a few that would dull the pain as well, but Estingai had never liked using those. Pain was just a signal that she was pushing too hard or that something was wrong.

She took another sip.

Darkness, that feels good.

Estingai closed her eyes for a moment to savor the icy sensation of the water sliding down to her stomach, then opened her eyes and studied the room's other occupants.

The base was still on partial lockdown and she'd just finished telling them what had happened. They were still processing. So was she.

The Lightforged's armor lay in a pile behind her along with her jacket and mask. The others had kept glancing at it as Estingai spoke. Koruuksi had been unusually quiet as she'd relayed the events of her trip to Ghostmine, expression growing darker and darker with every word.

"They’re really all dead?" Marjatla asked, voice small.

Estingai took another sip of water, then nodded. "I didn't search the whole base but the Lightforged seem like the type to be thorough."

The four of them nodded.

"What do we do now, then?" Marjatla asked.

Estingai didn’t answer immediately. She’d had a long time to think about this on the way back from Ghostmine, despite her fatigue. She just needed to find the right words.

“I have a plan, but I can’t be the one that leads us. My leadership just caused the deaths of four of our best. Of one of my best friends."

Darkness… Kozasana…

Estingai took a deep breath, teeth clenched to keep a sob from slipping out.

She'd felt so certain on the way back, but now…

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Estingai looked to Koruuksi and saw Svemakuu. She looked to Uuchantuu and saw Alasia. Another friend she'd lost in what seemed like a different lifetime. Another friend she'd been unable to protect.

She was the only other real friend I had beside Svemakuu that wasn't family or someone I fought alongside.

And she needed to make losing them matter.

Drawing in another deep breath, Estingai straightened her back, and looked around at the room's occupants.

"Before the Deathknight came," Estingai said, forcing out the words, "the faction heads agreed to work together. To be part of the Remnant. What remained of the Union and the other forces that fought the Imaia."

She let those words hang for a moment, meeting the eyes of each of her companions before she continued.

"Svemakuu had a plan. One that would require all of our factions working together to get off this dying rock. We initially thought the Imaia believed we were no longer a threat, but… that obviously wasn't true. Still, I think it can work."

Estingai turned to Aaden and Marjatla. They’d worked with Raima far more closely than Estingai or Svemakuu had when it came to running Frozen Phantom. Yet, Estingai and her husband were Knights. That had made most people put them above Aaden and Marjatla in the chain of command.

Apparently they thought that way, too.

Estingai couldn’t do that.

“That’s why I can’t be in charge. We need to win over the other factions for this to work. Make them more than allies. I’m not good with people. You two are. In addition to your other skills. I can be a weapon you point, but I can’t be responsible for others. I can’t screw this up.”

Silence hung in the room.

“What about the Imaia?" Koruuksi asked.

Estingai took a deep breath, considering how much she should share with anyone other than Koruuksi and Uuchantuu. She trusted Marjatla and Aaden, but there was still something different about trusting them versus trusting family.

"For now, we ignore them. We keep watch, and we'll need to raid a few of their supply shipments for Svemakuu's plan, and to have something to bargain with if the other factions are difficult, but we don't antagonize them for now."

She waited for objections, but none came.

Estingai pulled the siphoning georaural from her pocket and held it out, turning it over for them to see the biogems and wiring.

"We'll also want to do our best to make some of these and distribute them to the best Auroramancers in each faction. It drains auroralight, and is the only reason I made it out of Nightstone's base alive. These can give us an edge against any Lightforged they send, though that's part of why I don’t want to antagonize them."

She handed it to Uuchantuu, who started looking it over.

"It's pretty simple, but powerful. I can provide an extra set of hands if you need."

Uuchantuu nodded, a bit of a smile pulling at her lips. "I don't know how much I can do now, but if we get some supplies from the Imaia, it shouldn't be a problem.

"I'll have Naruuna help you out," Koruuksi said.

Estingai looked to him, noticing that Uuchantuu was giving him a curious look as well.

Why do I know that name?

"She keeps to herself," Koruuksi elaborated, "She's quiet, but helps look over our infrastructure and ships. She likes georaurals and history, and not much else."

Estingai nodded. She'd probably seen the name on a roster or spoken with the woman in passing a few times while inspecting or helping with the maintenance.

Svemakuu had probably mentioned her at some point as well. He’d known the names and faces of all eleven-hundred and sixty-four people in Frozen Phantom.

Marjatla spoke up, then, and the discussion turned to a detailed evaluation of their current resources and what specific resources they would need both to continue operating, and to help win over the other factions to their cause. Estingai tried to keep herself engaged, but she kept glancing toward Uuchantuu and Koruuksi. She wanted to tell them what the Lightforged said, what she saw during her fight with the Deathknight, even though she didn't want to believe it. She felt like even talking about that might help with the dark pit inside her. Might help her feel like she wasn't just ignoring those she'd failed. Each time, it took a near-physical effort to shove the thoughts from her mind. She would tell them later. She would mourn later.

I need to make sure we have the time and security to do even that.

Then things turned to which leaders might be amenable to working together, and which would need to be won over. Uuchantuu surprised Estingai with how much she knew about that, while Koruuksi remained quiet through that part of the discussion.

It seemed that while Stormswind and Icevein would be willing to work with them—a surprise, given Tepjo's attitude during their meeting—Last Shadow and Ironpeak would need more work. The latter two were also the most important to Svemakuu's plan. While Stormswind and Icevein would provide them with more mundane tech that didn't need auroralight to run, and lowlight farms and gardens for food and medicinal herbs, Ironpeak had the most soldiers and workers, and Last Shadow had the most aerial fighters and largest caverns—key to Svemakuu's plan for salvaging and rebuilding a Draakon-class cruiser as their way off Efruumani.

The discussion ended with Marjatla and Aaden walking off to start the cleanup of Nightstone's base, and review strategies for approaching the other leaders—the two that seemed willing to meet with them, at least—leaving Estingai alone with Koruuksi and Uuchantuu.

Finally.

Despite that, they stood in silence for a moment. Estingai found she didn't know where to start.

"I need your help."

Koruuksi and Uuchantuu blinked at her, straightening.

"I need you to lead a team," she told Uuchantuu. “Marjatla and Aaden are incredible at organization and logistics and seeing to everyone’s needs, but they’re not warriors. Not like us. We can't have any mistakes when raiding the Imaia supply trains.”

Estingai glanced down at her bandaged thigh, still throbbing, and sighed. "I'm in no shape to lead those teams. The best I can do is stay here and glare at the other faction leaders when Marjatla and Aaden meet with them. Kozasana is gone, too, otherwise…" She shook her head. "I'll get you a list of names. They'll be good people, so you'll just have to keep them together and working as a team."

Uuchantuu was biting her lip. She studied Estingai for a moment, then glanced to Koruuksi.

"He's usually better at that sort of thing," she said. "I'll be on the team, but—"

"I need him for something else," Estingai said, looking to her brother. He met her gaze, expression dark, arms folded over his chest. "Something you're even better at, though I know I shouldn't be asking it of you."

Koruuksi studied her, then sighed. "There's a spy. Isn't there?"

Estingai nodded. She was reasonably sure it wasn’t Marjatla or Aaden, but…

“Unless the Lightforged was lying, and our intel says they can't. It’s not just that, though. I need you to go to Last Shadow and do whatever it takes to get them on our side. I have a feeling the spy is there, since they were the most hostile, and they're the most important for us to see Svemakuu's plan through. You have some friends there, right?”

Estingai winced at the tightness in Koruuksi's jaw. The pain in his eyes. Koruuksi had spent enough time among Bonde’s people to grow close to a few members of the radicalized group. A few had made it out when the faction had cannibalized itself after Koruuksi’s manipulations had come to fruition, but most hadn’t. Estingai knew

Koruuksi felt responsible for those deaths.

He probably feels responsible for all of them.

Estingai waited for him to object.

"I'll do it," he said, barely above a whisper.

Before Estingai could thank him, he stalked out the door.

Estingai looked after him for a moment, then to Uuchantuu. The worry for her friend was plain on the young woman's face.

"I'll talk to him," she said, walking over and resting a hand on Estingai's arm. "Just give me the list of names and any details for the raid when you can. And get some rest."

“Tell him Marjatla will need to go over what information he can share with Mahele.”

Uuchantuu nodded, then jogged off after Koruuksi, leaving her alone with the pile of Lightforged armor.

Drawing in a deep breath, Estingai forced herself upright, then strode out the door after Marjatla and Aaden, greynodes brightened. Despite her recent bouts of claustrophobia, a shower and a day of sleep sounded wonderful.

Time for that later. I need to keep moving.