Saturn tried his best not to falter under the weight of Cyrus' gaze. He sat still, unnaturally so, as if his body were made of something fragile and the barest movement could shatter it like glass.

The man sat on the opposite end of the table, both elbows resting on top and fingers tightly interlaced. Next to him, Jupiter leaned back in her chair and stared at her nails as if nothing in the world could possibly worry her. Lucky bastard.

"Saturn. Jupiter…" Cyrus spoke up, his voice turning the room colder, "…I've called you here to discuss the results of our respective missions. It's important to know where we stand, and what our objectives are as of now."

Saturn shifted uncomfortably in his seat, fingers anxiously curling into each other. He'd expected a punishment right away, but the boss didn't sound angry. Then again, he never did. Maybe he was saving it for the end of the discussion; the thought of having to wait for it was even more unpleasant.

A loud yawn broke the silence, coming from Jupiter. "I thought you called all commanders; why the hell isn't Charon here?"

"He was only tangentially related to the events we're here to discuss," Cyrus explained. "Additionally, now that both the disruptor and the Berserk project have been tested, he's been tasked with improving them for next step of our plan. As such, he has no time to waste in meetings like this."

"Oh, but I do!?" She threw her hand up, offended. "So I guess my work isn't enough for you!? Yeah, let's see you find someone else with two fucking PHDs who'll agree to–"

"Jupiter."

Cyrus spoke her name like a command, forcing silence into the room. The woman squinted, as if the sound had dug into her chest like a knife, and leaned back into her chair.

It's not like he was jealous, but Saturn definitely wished he had as much of a presence as his boss. To be able to reign in someone as hotheaded as Jupiter by just speaking her name…

"Good. Now…" Cyrus set his eyes on her. "I've been told that you not only failed to retrieve Ditto, but you let Mars escape and also lost many grunts in the process. Is this accurate?"

She crossed her arms and looked to the side. "Y-yeah… why are you even asking if you know already? I fucked up, alright? I don't need to be told that."

"I only needed your confirmation. Is it also true that, while escaping, you took in some of the prison inmates who'd been freed due to the destruction and brought them here?"

There was a sharp inhalation, and Saturn's eyes went wide. "You did what!?"

Jupiter almost jumped out of her seat, looking like a kid who'd been caught with her hand on the cookie jar.

"T-the hell are y'all getting mad at me for!?" Her accent got thicker as her voice wavered. "You're the ones who said we don't have enough people to cover our shifts anymore! I just… I told them that I'd get them out of here if they agreed to work for Team Galactic. I thought… it was a good idea, at the time…"

"A good… a good idea!?" Saturn couldn't help it, he slammed his fist on the table and let the volume of his voice rise. "They're criminals! Don't you think having a bunch of convicts join us would justify what people already think of us!?"

She was about to reply when Cyrus raised a hand and, like before, both of them fell silent.

"Saturn, I believe I warned you about keeping your emotions in check. Please, do not yell."

He leaned back, color rising to his cheeks. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he contain himself all of a sudden? Not only had he been a failure during the mission but now he was acting in a way which surely made the boss even more disappointed in him.

"Firstly, I would like to warn you against casting judgment on those our society consider criminals," said Cyrus. "By that alone, wouldn't you say we're the same as them? The only difference is that we haven't been caught yet."

"But… that depends on the crime, doesn't it?" he argued. "What if they're murderers or... worse?"

"A valid concern. Associating with those kinds of people would only hurt our image. Which is why I already checked on their backgrounds and interviewed them personally."

Jupiter's shoulders dropped, and her eyes widened to the point where she looked like a Magikarp out of the water.

"…I beg your fucking pardon?" she whispered, lips turning pale. "Then why the hell did you need to ask me about it!?"

"Did you really interview all of them?" asked Saturn. "In such a short amount of time?"

Their boss took his time rubbing his eyelids and lightly yawning before giving a reply. The raspiness of his voice and the bags under his eyes told them he hadn't slept during the past few days, as usual.

"I wanted to see if you'd lie to me to save face. If you'd chosen to do so, I would've assigned the appropriate punishment." The woman's face grew pale. "And yes, I talked to all fourteen of them and determined that they're worthy of joining us. I've assigned them ranks and told them what commander's team they would join. I've told Astrea to update the rosters and give them to you as soon as possible."

The casual way in which he mentioned such an important detail was just like him, but it still shocked them. Everyone who'd managed to spend the barest amount of time around the boss could tell he worked harder than anyone else, and still he'd found time to go through such an arduous process without asking anyone else for help.

He really is amazing, Saturn couldn't help but think, a smile forming on his face.

And yet, that smile was lopsided, slightly more crooked than usual. There was a strange anxiety gnawing at his insides. Most of it he'd been carrying with him ever since what had happened with Ursa, but his words brought even more doubt to him. Having new recruits meant putting a lot of time and effort into getting to know them so he could find the best possible way to lead them. But no, that wasn't the source of all of it.

What had the boss meant by assigning rank? There were only three ranks in Team Galactic; grunts, commanders and the boss himself. Why bother specifying when it was clear all of them would become grunts?

You're thinking too hard about this, he told himself. Stop it.

"Yeah, about that." Jupiter kicked back a bit, placing her legs atop the table. "What are w–"

"Please don't put your feet on the table," Saturn pleaded.

She ignored him. "What are we gonna do about those grunts who used to work for Mars? Did you assign them to other teams or what?" She scratched her cheek. "Give them to Saturn, I don't wanna deal with any more trouble."

He fulminated her with his gaze, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Yes, I've been thinking about that for some time now," said Cyrus. "And yesterday I came up with a solution: I've promoted one of our grunts to the rank of commander. She will lead what used to be Mars' team, and will also incorporate many of our new recruits into it."

"R-really!?" Saturn's eyes brightened. "Who is it? Is it someone from my team?"

"You'll know once you read the roster. I'd like to avoid wasting time unnecessarily when there are still matters left to discuss."

From under the table he grabbed a sheet of paper and began reading it:

"Jupiter, the failure of your mission was at the very least eighty percent your fault, though bringing in those new recruits somewhat makes up for it." The woman's lips stretched into a smug smile, which died when Cyrus spoke again. "However, doing so without asking for permission is foolish at best, and harshly punishable at worst. As such, I've decided to go halfway and simply cut your pay for this month. That should be incentive enough to try harder next time."

The face Jupiter made could've been painted and exhibited as a true work of art. She parted her lips and let out a cacophony of half-formed words and sounds, none of which had any meaning besides the ever-growing tone of indignation behind them.

"That's bullshit!" she finally managed to say, her face turning as red as a Scizor's. "Like hell I'm gonna accept that!"

"Jupiter, calm down!" Saturn made an attempt to stand up, but the sheer anger in the woman's eyes discouraged him from getting closer. "You can't talk that way to–"

She slammed her fist on the table. "Shut up! Why should I get my pay cut just for that!?" She turned to look at Cyrus. "You think I fucked up? At least I didn't lose Uxie like a fucking moron!"

As soon as she said that, the room grew silent and cold. Saturn took his hands to his mouth, staring dumbfounded at what Jupiter had just said. How… how dare she…?

Cyrus' gaze veered up, and both commanders went stiff. Air escaped their lungs as if something had sucked it out.

He then blinked, and the feeling disappeared. A sigh escaped his lips. "A fair rebuttal. It's true that, out of everyone here, my failure was by far the most catastrophic."

The atmosphere returned to normal. Cyrus raised his hand slightly and stared at it, eyes dull and distant.

"However, I am already taking steps to fix my mistakes. You, on the other hand, need incentive. If you find my decision unfair, you're free to quit Team Galactic and head out into the world as a wanted woman."

As harsh and -kind of unfair- as Saturn found the boss' attitude to be, he couldn't deny he enjoyed Jupiter finally getting what she deserved. Not that he hated her, far from it, but a bit of payback was nice once in a while.

"Fucking…whatever." Jupiter's cheeks puffed up as she sat back and crossed her arms. "Tch, to be treated like this… I don't fucking deserve it…"

While she continued to mutter to herself, Cyrus grabbed the sheet of paper once more and continued:

"I shall assign the task of locating both Mars and Uxie later, but for now…" He stared at Saturn. "According to this report, you managed to recover Azelf but were not able to apprehend Ursa nor the documents. Is that right?"

Something hard and heavy formed on his stomach. "Y-yes."

"Is Ursa still alive?"

"I… think so. There was Drapion venom in her blood, but Azelf seemed to take care of most of it."

"I see…" There was a small pause. "That's means we still have a chance to find her. Good job, Saturn."

He couldn't have been more shocked if he'd seen the man smile or tell a joke.

"Finding those papers should be our top priority, closely followed by Mars and Rotom," he continued. "As for Mesprit and Uxie, I will take care of that myself once the time comes. I shall assign your tasks soon, but for now I believe we're done. Head off."

"Wh– wha–" It took him a moment to gather his wits. "E-excuse me sir, but… I don't understand. What… what do you mean by good job?"

Cyrus raised his eyebrows questioningly. "It means what it means. You carried your mission more successfully than any of us," he said. "I thought it merited some congratulations. That's all."

"But… I failed half of it," Saturn said, shoulders dropping. "And… and… you said I'd get processed next time I screwed up! I just thought…"

He made a gesture with his hand, words failing him.

"I see… so that's why you've looked so anxious all morning," Cyrus whispered to himself. "To put it bluntly… I was lying."

Saturn made a face like a Meowth grabbed by its tail, half-mumbles escaping his lips. Cyrus sighed, and proceeded to explain:

"You are my right hand, Saturn. I would never risk losing you because of a few mistakes. My threat was meant to motivate you, and scare Jupiter, into working harder. That's all."

Jupiter set her jaw, eyes narrowing in anger.

"Still… I feel like I could've done a lot better," said Saturn, looking down. "I feel like I deserve some sort of punishment."

Cyrus stroked contemplatively. "I see… with that attitude in mind, perhaps a punishment would help. Very well, come here." He stood up from the chair. "I'll make this quick."

Fear spiked inside him as he heard that, but nonetheless he obeyed. Slowly he approached the man, limbs shaking and shoulders stiff. He reached his side, closed his eyes and waited for it.

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And then, without warning, Cyrus reached with his hand toward his face and flicked his ear. Saturn squinted, surprised at first, until the pain flared up and he couldn't help but react.

"A-agh!" He took a step back, "What…?"

"There, I assume that will be punishment enough?"

None of them could reply, too stunned by the ridiculousness of the situation. Cyrus seemed to take this as confirmation, and spoke again.

"Good. Now, please head off. I have a meeting soon and I need to get ready for it."

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

The ride down the elevator was mostly silent, though Saturn couldn't tell whether it was because Jupiter was too angry to speak or simply falling asleep on her feet. Eyelids half-closed, she leaned against the back wall and yawned loudly every few seconds.

"Well… that was a bust," she finally said, voice groggy. "Woke up early for the meeting and this is what I get? No respect, man. No respect at all."

"…It's two in the afternoon."

A movement of her head told him she was either nodding or about to collapse. "Yeah… as I said, early."

His face unconsciously scrunched up as a heavy, acidic smell hit him like a gust of wind. Despite having never tried the substance, he had no problem identifying what it meant.

"Dear god, are you drunk?" His voice went slightly up from surprise. "Did you seriously start drinking right before the meeting?"

She let out a scoff. "Are you kidding me? How much of an idiot do you think I am?" One of her fingers tapped at the side of her forehead. "I drank last night, like I do after every failed mission. Y'know, to cheer myself up."

"You do that after every successful mission as well," he pointed out.

"That's for celebrating," she said. "Anyway, before going to sleep I just hooked an IV to my arm with some saline solution so I wouldn't wake up hung over. Good thing I thought of that, since they only notified me of the meeting a couple hours ago."

"I… what is wrong with you?"

"A good scientist always knows how to save face." She smiled smugly to herself. "Honestly though, I've dealt with worse. This one time I woke up in a trash compactor, hungry and hung over as shit, and I still got to work on time. You just need to be creative."

He made sure to roll his eyes only when she started yawning again. "God only knows how much more productive you'd be if you applied that creativity to your work."

The elevator came to a halt, giving him that awful feeling of his stomach and the rest of his body being pulled different ways. Judging by the way Jupiter placed a hand against her mouth, cheeks turning pale, she probably agreed as well. They stepped out and headed for the cafeteria. Not many grunts were around, but they could hear the yells and murmurs of conversations at the end of the hallway.

"Look… if the boss wants me to work harder then he has to pay me more. That's how it works," Jupiter said once her nausea eased.

"We are technically a non-profit organization," he argued. "He pays you as much as he can. Besides, the honor of working toward the next step of humanity should be reward enough for you."

After every word he spoke Jupiter would mimic a mouth opening and closing with her left hand, while rolling her eyes as obviously as possible.

"Wanna believe the nonsense the boss spews? Be my guest, but don't drag me into it," she said. "Personally I think he's full of shit. Not to mention every single person in this damn building is off their damn rocker."

Saturn's expression was downright rancorous; he was having a hard time not raising his voice as he replied.

"How… how can you be so awful?" He shook his head. "Is there nothing you believe in?"

"I believe that there's a tropical island somewhere with my name in it. And once I get enough money I'll be able to buy it along with its inhabitants and live the rest of my days in disgusting, self-indulgent luxury."

The sheer disgust in his face was hard to hide. Luckily Jupiter didn't seem to notice it, too entranced by her own fantasy. She almost tripped on the steps leading toward the cafeteria once they got there.

The room was –like most of the building– almost entirely painted in grey with a few red banners hanging from the walls, displaying Team Galactic's logo. About forty uni-frame tables were sprinkled in rows, making out most of the right half of the room. At the other side was the thin wall separating them from the kitchen, with a long counter where the food was served.

While there were fewer grunts than usual (had the new recruits not been called to lunch yet?) Saturn couldn't help but smile at the amount of known faces which met his gaze as he looked over the room. The gloomy atmosphere of the past few weeks had been replaced with a more cheery one as almost everyone smiled, yelled or laughed while eating next to their teammates.

"Ugh… these assholes are so loud," complained Jupiter, placing a hand against her head. "I'll just… get a sandwich or something, maybe yell at a couple of people before going to bed. See ya."

She went off without another word. People would cease speaking and stare nervously at the woman as she made her way through the cafeteria. They'd all surely learnt the hard way that you did not bother Jupiter when hung over, especially if you were a mere grunt. Such an act would be akin to suicide.

Saturn shook his head, trying to get the thought off his mind. Slowly, nervously, he took one step into the cafeteria and looked around. Too many people. He wanted to greet everyone he passed and be friendly, but something heavy and oppressive pulled at his stomach, erasing all excitement and appetite he could've had.

What's… going on? he asked himself, frowning. The boss praised me, he said I did a good job. Shouldn't I be happy?

And yet, he couldn't help but feel like he'd failed, somehow. Met– no, Ursa was still out there, and so were the documents the boss so desperately needed. There was no way he could be satisfied with such a lackluster result…

She's alive.

He could've gone after them once Azelf was trapped in the Master Ball. He still had his Crobat with him, and with his speed it would've been a piece of cake to track Ursa. Then all he'd have to do was take the documents from her and…

Leave her to die.

A terrible shiver traveled all throughout his body. No… even if Ursa had betrayed them, she didn't deserve that… did she? She was just confused, that's all. Those meddlesome emotions of her had led her to believe that what they were doing was horrible, but there was still hope for her. After all, Team Galactic's truth was absolute, right? It was… it was the right thing to do…

No one who truly believed in Cyrus' plans would suffer so much making them come to fruition.

Azelf's words rang in his mind, as loud and all-encompassing as he'd heard them that time. Saturn's fingers unconsciously curled into fists. His eyes stung and his chest burned for some reason. And… why was he feeling lightheaded? He felt as if he were a few inches off from his body, he couldn't concentrate on a single thought, couldn't…

"Hey, Sat!"

He was forcibly taken out of his thoughts. It took him a moment to compose himself; to breathe, blink and do those things normal people did when they weren't assaulted by random panic attacks. As he turned toward the voice he saw an arm raised high, attached to someone who was definitely waving at him with a smile on his face. Pictor, one of his grunts. He stood out easily amidst the group of six sitting on that table, due to his short stature and rosy cheeks.

"Yo', come sit with us!" He yelled loud enough for the entire cafeteria to hear.

"Saturn's with us, shithead!" a blonde girl yelled from a nearby table. "Don't go hogging him just 'cause he's popular now!"

"You guys get him all the time!"

"Yeah well maybe there's a reason for that!"

Out of nowhere a piece of bread the size of a fist flied through the air, barely missing a grunt's face and smashing into their plate. The trajectory made it seem like it came from one of the tables reserved for Jupiter's team. A theory which was confirmed as a girl rose from it and started yelling.

"Shut the hell up you blue bastards! We're trying to eat over here!" Her tone was much more aggressive than those around her. "You wanna kiss your leader's ass, do it on your own time!"

"You're just mad 'cause Team Jupiter sucks ass!" Pictor yelled back, earning a few of cheers from his teammates. "Come on guys, let's show'em who owns the place! Team Saturn! Team Saturn! Team Saturn!"

Soon the entire room was nothing but a loud, wall shaking cacophony of screams and cheers. Those from his team hollered while pounding on the table with their fists, while the members of Team Jupiter either tried to drown them out by screaming their team's name harder or simply threw pieces of bread at their opponents.

A smile finally came to Saturn's lips. His friends… his family… it'd been such a long time since he'd seen them cause a ruckus so enthusiastically. He figured he had the boss to thank for that; the speech he gave in Celestic had finally garnered Team Galactic the attention they deserved. Their fight was no longer seemingly in vain; they were at last being taken seriously.

Indeed… it was all because of him…

"All right everyone, settle down!" He forced himself to take a step forward, trying to ignore the thought. "This isn't a competition!"

He shifted awkwardly toward the nearby tables, trying to calm down the ruckus while smiling back to those who greeted him. All around people congratulated him on his successful mission and tried to invite him to their table, but he declined politely, telling them he was feeling quite drained and would prefer to have a peaceful lunch by himself.

He grabbed a tray with steak and mashed potatoes while his gaze moved all throughout the room, looking for a good place to sit. It didn't take him long for something to catch his eye; at the furthermost table on the left there were only two grunts, their bodies almost obscured by the shadow of the pillar next to the wall. They sat in silence, heads and shoulders down. Even from afar, Saturn could feel the gloomy atmosphere they exuded.

Pyxis and Orion barely looked up at him as he sat next to them. Their plates were mostly full. Her fork tinkled against the wood of the table as she moved it anxiously, while the man's gaze was set on a small tablet displaying some words Saturn couldn't quite read.

"G-greetings," he muttered, forming a nervous smile. "Is… everything all right?"

It was the wrong question to ask, that much was made obvious by the look they gave him. He almost stood up and fled right there, but he knew it wasn't the right thing to do.

"No. It's not… it's not freaking all right." Pyxis' face scrunched up, her fork furiously stabbing the pasta in front of her. "What do you want me to say, huh?"

Saturn leaned back. "I… if there's anything I can do…"

"Drop it," she snarled. "If I wanted to talk to you I'd say so. You don't gotta pretend you care."

Orion's arm traveled the length of the table, his hand falling on top of hers. The gesture was quick and almost unconscious, as if he'd done it a million times before.

"Pyx." He spoke her name softly. "He's just trying to help."

And I am so incredibly bad at it, a part of Saturn's mind spoke up. Couldn't really argue with that. Two of his most loyal grunts had recently lost one of their closest friends and he couldn't even console them. What a commander he was.

Pyxis looked to the side, rubbing her eyelids with one of her sleeves. "Y-yeah, I know. I'm sorry." She lost control of her voice for a moment, and when she spoke again there was fire in her words. "It's not your fault, it's… it's her fault. That damn bitch's fault…"

The sudden and unexpected curse made him flinch, though for once he was willing to let it slide. Proper or not, if there was a time to let out curse words it was probably to refer to the person who had killed one of your friends.

"I don't get it, she's just… she's just another stupid trainer," she said. "And now everyone outside is treating her… like a hero or something. If they knew what she did…"

"They'll know soon enough," Saturn assured her. "Now that everyone heard the boss' speech, people are gonna start thinking differently." He tried his best to hide just how unsure of his own words he was. "We'll topple this trainer-centric society and build our new world on top of it, I promise."

Pyxis swallowed down whatever was stuck in her throat, and sent a weak smile his way. A sliver of hope shone in her eyes.

"Speaking of that…"

Orion tapped the screen of the tablet absentmindedly, "I was just reading about it. News about the Celestic attack and the prison break finally started circulating." He slid the device across the table so Saturn could reach it. "The Association held some kinda conference, and the people are not happy."

Curiosity tingling through his skin like electricity, he bent down slightly and started reading the article:

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

The Association's response to Celestic's tragedy: Practical or just insensitive?

Following the horrific events of the past Sunday, all Sinnohans have been wondering what kind of statement the Association would air. It is well known that their response to the Veilstone incident a couple weeks ago has been perceived by the public as lackluster and irresponsible. In the brink of what many assume is a new wave of terrorism, how are our protectors supposed to keep us safe?

Last night, Elite Four member and Association Chief Manager Lucian Dusk agreed to hold a press conference in one of the League buildings residing within the Lily of the Valley island. Both terrorist attacks were discussed at length, and while no detailed explanation of what their plan of action is was given to the public, Lucian assured that every ounce of the Association's power and influence would be used to combat Team Galactic.

'It would be foolish to talk in detail about how we plan to deal with this particular terrorist cell,' the man explained after a question from a reporter. 'After all, what would we gain from telling our enemy the means by which we intend to destroy them? Even then, I can promise the good people of Sinnoh that neither I nor the rest of the League will rest until those criminals are brought to justice.'

One of our reporters asked what would this mean for the League challenge itself. Would the Gym leaders be too busy to accept challengers now? What of the Elite Four and the Champion? This is the reply we got:

'There is no need to suspend the League Challenge nor any kind of trainer activity in the region. While the Gym leaders will help in our investigation, they have been specifically tasked with becoming the protectors of the towns and cities they watch over. Their Gyms will remain open, and while their leaders might be slightly busier than usual, challengers are still welcome. As for the Elite Four, the rarity in which we receive challengers and the short duration of the battles we partake in means it won't be necessary to change our modus operandi.'

To that, someone asked if the Champion herself would be part of this MO as well. Was this unflinching attitude due to her own personal ideas, many of which had been voiced by her during the Festival of Spirit, just before the terrorist attack? What of her stance that all Sinnohans had a responsibility to fight Team Galactic, did that mean there was no point to the Association at all?

'I assure you, the Champion is doing all she can to solve this problem. And in the extremely rare event that a trainer does defeat all four of us, I'm sure she'll be more than delighted to accept a battle from them.' After saying this, he stayed silent for a few seconds before continuing. 'As for your other question, I would appreciate it if you didn't twist the Champion's words. She did not say the citizens themselves should fight Team Galactic, she only spoke of combating their ideology. We will take care of everything else.'

He was then asked if he agreed with the Champion's speech during the festival:

'Whether I agree or not is inconsequential. We live in a land of free thinking. As long as we both try our best to protect our nation, I see no harm in holding dissenting ideologies.'

Our reporter asked if he thought the same of what the leader of Team Galactic had said during his own speech. In that case, what would stop people from believing his statements about the Veilstone attack being pre-arranged by the government?

'It pains me that I even have to take the time to answer such a question. As… let's say bold, as that man's claim was, those with even the barest hints of a working brain will realize that he provided no evidence for such a conspiracy. Moreover, whether any of his criticisms of the Association are accurate or not, his right to voice them disappeared the moment he dared attack innocent civilians. That is all I have to say on the matter.'

Despite further questioning, he refused to comment on topics such as the Champion's current whereabouts or the two young trainers who are rumored to have helped her defeat Team Galactic's leader. Inyssa Dawn and Barry Paladino –both of whom have earned notoriety thanks to their previous fights against the terrorist cell– are currently residing in Celestic's main hospital, recovering from their various wounds. All attempts to interview them have failed due to the boy's parents -Sarah Paladino and Tower Tycoon Palmer- having forbid any reporter from meeting with them.

Much unrest has followed the official press conference. Almost from night to morning, all of Sinnoh seems cut down the middle on this particular issue. Many of those associated with the profession of Pokemon training condemn Team Galactic's actions and ideologies, while a large amount of civilians confess that at least part of what their leader said during his speech rang true.

Indeed, if one were to pay attention to the region's economic growth following the end of the war, it becomes clear what part of the issue is. A massive growth in GDP which goes hand in hand with a decrease in per capita income paints a very vivid picture of the state in which the Association and trainers in general have left the region.

Following the press conference, a few people have–

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

The sound of his Pokétch going off almost made him jump. Startled out of his curiosity regarding the article, Saturn looked down at his wrist and saw the Message button flashing red.

"Ugh… hold on a second."

Huffing in frustration, he pressed the button. The message had been sent by one of his grunts, and it said:

There's a situation in the lounge. There might be trouble. We need your help.

It seemed hazily written, but that wasn't the problem. Alarmed, Saturn stood up and looked toward the hallway at the other side of the room, which led straight to the lounge.

"Sorry, I have to go," he formed an apologetic smile. "We'll talk about that article more later if you want."

And with that he headed off, a strange anxiety gnawing at his senses.