“WHAT is this ABOUT!?” shouted Raivyn, still holding Lawbine and Vanbrook up in the air, their feet dangling above the muddy lakeshore.

Vanbrook sighed and stared out the ground, unsure of what to say for himself.

“Rai,” said Lawbine, blood dripping from an already-swelling nose. “Is this really the guy you see yourself with?”

She looked between the two of them, and a look of realization turned to disbelief and then rage. Turning bright red, she stabbed a finger at each of them in turn. “This–all this nonsense–has been you two COMPETING FOR ME!? Of all the… Vanbrook, you IDIOT!”

Vanbrook brought his head up and looked her square in the eyes, his face an unspoken apology. He could only hold her gaze a moment before he dropped his head again.

Raivyn remembered suddenly that the three of them weren’t the only ones present. She looked around to see Talon Squad wearing varying degrees of pain on their faces, and some very confused masons and engineers. She let go of the two suitors and they fell to the ground, both slipping and crashing into the mud below. Raivyn stalked off towards the shuttle, no idea where she was heading other than away from everything behind her.

“You’re a real piece of work, Vanbrook,” said Lawbine.

“Shut up,” said Vanbrook in a voice more exhausted than angry.

Reclan came over and helped Vanbrook up off the ground, while Lawbine helped himself up. Vanbrook looked sheepishly at Reclan, who shook her head, a look of disappointment on her face.

“Look, man, one of our guys is dead, and so is one of the locals,” said an engineer to D’Jarric. “Now you guys are fighting… yourselves? Are we building something or what?”

“The project will continue, with or without the Republic,” said Kreel. “Such tragedies as Grool attacks are a part of life. We hold nothing against those who would mourn, but it must not deter moving forward.”

“Well said, Kreel,” said D’Jarric. “I cannot speak for the unruly element of our team, but we will continue to assist.”

“I’m all for helping out but I need to go talk to Raivyn,” said Lawbine.

“No, you do not,” said D’Jarric, turning and facing the gunslinger. The words were not angry, but they brooked no argument.

“I’m good,” said Vanbrook. “I won’t cause any more trouble. And, uh, I’m sorry, Kreel. Didn’t mean to bring my personal issues into your project.”

Kreel nodded her acceptance.

“Oh, so she gets an apology?” asked Lawbine sharply. “I’m the one you hit, remember?”

“You asked for that, Lawbine,” said Vanbrook. “Finally got what you’ve been looking for. Turn out the way you wanted?” He pointed towards the shuttle where Raivyn had hidden herself away. “Now shut up and put your shoulder to the plow. Unless I’m very much mistaken, your mission was to help Talon Squad, not woo Raivyn. The jig is up. Now let’s get to it.”

Lawbine’s face hardened, but he didn’t say a word.

“If that is… all over,” said Kreel, “what I’d like to do is mark out where the ground is firm enough for the warehouses, keeping enou-”

A red beam fell from the sky, striking somewhere to the south. After a pause that seemed to last forever, the sound followed the light and a distant boom echoed around the forest.

“Now what!?” asked Kreel, throwing her hands in the air.

“Astralbians,” spat Vanbrook.

Raivyn ran down out of the shuttle, looking at the group as though asking if they saw it, too. Everyone ran back to the shuttle, and in mere moments they were taking off and heading back to Lakeside.

***

The Silver Star Fleet, a massive military fleet boasting eight ships, sat gleaming in the Depot’s airfield, a crowd gathered in the public viewing area to cheer on their champions. Admiral Drai stood on a platform by Prime Minister Stritka and Grak-Yurp.

“And so,” Drai was saying with an easy, toothy smile on his Dromean face, “thank you all for coming out to see us off. It is an honor to serve this planet and this Republic. We look forward to returning to celebrate our victory.”

Flashbulbs went off and the crowd cheered as Drai walked down from the podium and up into the Pinion, the Silver Star Fleet’s flagship. There was a moment of silence from the crowd as the engines roared to life and the ships began to rise into the air.

“And so,” said Skritka when the ships were far enough away that his voice could be heard over the loudspeakers, “we ask the Progenitor that his Providence might shine upon our sailors as they undertake this great mission. They are prepared to meet the threat so that we may stay safe. Providence shine on them, and Providence shine on us all.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Skritka watched nervously as the fleet rose. Looking across to the press gaggle, he saw Jrenka taking notes. Part of him wanted to run over and tell her to take her kids and husband and go to Kirakna, but he knew she wouldn't go. Hopefully it wouldn't come to an evacuation. Hopefully the shields would hold.

“Providence shine on us all,” he repeated quietly, watching the fleet wink out of view in the upper atmosphere.

***

Talon Squad touched down and were immediately out of the shuttle, running towards the rubble of the Vahsing where it sat smoldering by the Wingspan. The engineers that had come with them to the swampy lake rushed to meet up with their colleagues to help in the search-and-rescue efforts.

Glinya, evidently not aboard at the time of the attack, was frantically searching through the rubble as well, a handful of other survivors with her.

“What’s the latest?” asked Raivyn, jogging up to Dekken where he stood overlooking the wreck.

He sighed. “Not great. Anyone aboard at the time of the attack is likely dead. Sorry it interrupted your work.”

“Oh, it didn’t interrupt much,” said Raivyn sourly.

Dekken’s antennae bent in concern. “Problems with the Shairet?”

“No,” answered Raivyn. “Forget I said anything. What can we do?”

Dekken shook his head, overwhelmed. He was not prepared to deal with all of this. To handle this emergency as Chief Engineer, working under an admiral, he could do. But now everyone was coming to him for everything. Command simply wasn’t part of his skillset.

“Hey!” called one of the searchers. “We got a survivor over here!”

Everyone rushed over to the spot, picking their way across the rubble and moving as quickly as caution allowed.

“Someone’s knocking on this door,” said the searcher. “But it’s locked tight and the keypad’s busted.”

“Let me through,” said Reclan, pulling out her datapad and kneeling by the door, which lay at an odd angle, though it was still in its frame. There was no telling how much of the room behind it was intact.

Running a cable from her datapad to the lock, she tapped away for a few anxious minutes while the pounding continued on the door. Raivyn rapped out a question in standard Republic code, but the survivor didn’t seem to understand it, besides the fact that they started beating on the door more rapidly in response to knowing someone was outside.

The door clicked and Reclan grabbed the handle, jerking on it to no effect.

“We’re unlocked,” she said, “but I can’t get it open.”

“My turn,” said D’Jarric, stepping up to the door.

Reclan and Raivyn stepped aside and let him yank on the door, which popped open with a metallic clang, nearly coming off in D’Jarric’s hand.

A Telton sprang out of the opening, hair disheveled and eyes wild. “Rewna! You’ll pay for this!” He looked around maniacally, grabbing D’Jarric by the shoulders. “It was a great eye blast, was it not!?”

“Riventius!” shouted Glinya, running over to the Telton. “You survived!”

Vanbrook was surprised to realize it was indeed Riventius who had sprang up out of the twisted doorway.

“Yes, I live, and Rewna will regret that it is so!” declared Riventius. “My family’s legacy, destroyed! My people, dead! They will be avenged!”

“Are you hurt, son?” asked Doc.

Riventius looked at him strangely, then patted himself down. “Just some bruising, I think.”

“Then please report to the medical wing of the Shepherd,” said Dekken. “Once you’re cleared you can come back and help us pick through the pieces here.”

The Telton looked taken aback “I need no-”

“To the Shepherd,” said Dekken. “That’s protocol. Please.”

Riventius nodded. “But I will run, to prove my point!”

He took off at full tilt, making it about fifty yards before he stumbled and crashed to the ground. Standing up without glancing back, he continued at a jog, clearly favoring one leg.

Dekken shook his head and turned to the watching crowd. “What are we gawking at? Let’s get back to work.”

***

Rewna stood before the display screen, wondering what was on Lord Wyven’s mind. She wasn't due to report in for a few days, but he'd requested a call and had been keeping her waiting for nearly an hour. He seemed to enjoy the power trip of wasting his subordinates’ time. Rewna was happy to serve him as a general proposition and her loyalty to the Astralbian cause was unquestionable, but there were times she found his approach to be less than desirable. For instance, she was aggravated to be hovering above Gateway, her quarry in reach, and yet not cleared to chase after it.

“Lady Rewna,” said Wyven, appearing on the screen as it rippled to life. “Why am I getting calls from the Republic regarding the destruction of the refugees' ship?”

Rewna stepped back in shock. “I really couldn't say, my Lord.”

“Well, they seem to blame you, and I can see why,” said Wyven. “A great eye bolt fell from the sky and destroyed the ship. I want you back on Astralbia to answer for your actions.”

“But sir,” protested Rewna. “I didn't-”

“You can state your case to me in person, Lady Rewna,” said Wyven sternly. “Guards, place her in her room. If she resists, the dungeon.”

Rewna turned to the guards. One made a move towards her, only to be struck with a bioelectrical mace by the other.

“Go, my Lady!” shouted the second guard. “I'll hold him off.”

Rewna ran out of the door, determined to track down the actual culprit, not be punished for another's crime. Those aboard the star tree knew she was innocent, but that wouldn't stop Wyyen from making an example of her if that was politically expedient.

She ran by a few other guards, but they evidently weren't aware of the situation, their eyes going wide as they stepped aside to let the Lady run by. She didn’t stop running until she got close to the wasp aerie, slowing her walk as she approached. She looked calm and unhurried by the time she reached the airie’s antechamber.

“I’m taking one of the wasps out for a ride,” she said to the guard on duty. She had begun her service in the military as a rider, so the request wasn’t that strange. She hoped.

“Of course, my Lady,” said the guard, stepping aside.

The door slid open slowly, atmosphere draining out of the antechamber as it equalized with the aether-exposed aerie.

“Stop her!” shouted a voice from behind. She slipped through the door and ran to the nearest void wasp, jumping on and slamming her palm onto the creatures back, commanding it to fly via psychic link. The wasp lifted off and she banked hard, diving through the knothole that served as the aerie’s exit.

Shots from thorn guns pepper the knothole and a few shards bounced off the wasp’s hide, but Rewna was unharmed. She quickly buzzed away from the tree, heading for Gateway’s surface. A few lesser eye bolts targeted her as she flew, but they missed.

Back in the star tree’s control room, one of the guards loyal to Wyven spoke with him. “Sir, she’s heading clayside. Do we pursue?”

“No,” said Wyven, waving a hand dismissively. “She’s the Republic’s problem now. I’m not going to let her suck me into a war. Inform our… friends in the Republic that she has gone rogue, then return to Astralbia. Whoever killed the refugees has made pursuing them pointless. We have other concerns.”