The battle would last only a few more hours before the few remaining Vadamite ships were disabled and their crews captured. By that afternoon, Hypergeneral Aksos and the CJF fleet commander aboard the Besper declared victory over their enemy, officially ending the conflict. The hypergeneral had considered pressing their advantage and leading an assault on Vadam, but the more-measured fleet commander had convinced him otherwise. Vadam was not defenseless, as their large naval fleets had remained within their own territorial waters.
Despite their desire to make haste back to the Peninsula, RED-1 was politely asked to stay aboard the Besper to partake in the evening’s celebrations. They were honored guests seen as heroes of the Battle of Getla Base, as it had already started to be called. Ursun felt uneasy about keeping Prism amongst those who’d only want more answers about his mystical powers. Murmurs of his potential divinity continued to spread amongst those who’d witnessed his spells firsthand.
Fortunately for Prism, only a few survivors from Getla Base had remained that saw him use his powers. The masses who’d arrived later were skeptical of the eyewitness accounts from soldiers who’d dramatically lost their base. The majority of soldiers saw the beams as yet another experimental weapon, and the higher-ups who’d monitored Prism’s actions encouraged the misinformation. The commanders certainly did not want a religious fervor to overtake their forces. They feared losing the discipline of the military and the authority it gave them, such as what happened in Sguvi at the beginning of the Centuries-Long War.
Prism would soon discover the purpose of the Besper’s terraced deck, as there was to be a Victory Concert that night atop the ship. The concert was a tradition of the CJF, since its creation two centuries earlier. The Conjunction Joint Forces saw the value of maintaining the boosted morale of soldiers for as long as possible to mitigate the negative psychological effects of war on them. The Besper’s deck was the venue of the concert, and the terraces were in fact arena-style seating.
Hours before the night’s festivities, RED-1 was given roomy shared quarters deep within the flagship to rest within.
“I just want to go home…” Srell complained.
“We’re leaving right after the concert begins. They just want me to stand alongside the other commanders while Aksos gives a self-important speech.” Ursun said while he leaned on the wooden frame of a rather-large bunk bed built within the wall. “The CJF is lending us a plane. It’ll be prepped and ready to go in a few hours.”
“Well now I know why this place is designed like a fancy cruise ship. I wouldn’t have thought that a flagship would double as an entertainment venue.” Prism said while he looked around at the fancy crystalline fixtures present around the room.
“The CJF have a unique military culture, that’s for sure. They fight like hell, but they also party like debutantes.” Leanna explained with a smile.
“It’s hard to believe that most of these soldiers believe that our team simply jerry-rigged an overload of the border guns.” Lorias said with a sigh.
“It’s good that they’ve downplayed Prism’s role in this. The fewer that know about him, the better.” Ursun said confidently.
“Aksos must still have his concerns, but he’s keeping them to himself for now. I think that he sees more clearly now, in regard to Prism.” Leanna said with a pensive gaze at her alien teammate.
“We can hope so. That man can still make our existence here a living hell if he wants. That’s why I want to get out of here.” Srell reasoned before biting his nails.
“Are the Roses coming back for the Victory Concert?” Prism asked softly, not wanting to irritate Ursun with the mention of their group.
“No, I’m pretty sure they’re still personas non grata. No telling what the hypergeneral might do to his cousin Theda and her ragtag group if he sees them anytime soon.” Leanna surmised.
“A pity. I’m reminded of how much Testa went on about her love for Beiana.” Lorias said sarcastically.
Kurillios had told RED-1 that the Ammophila, the Roses’ stealth ship, had only snuck up on him because he’d been focused entirely on Prism. The wasp-ship may have effective visual camouflage, he’d said, but the Biost could see in far more spectra than the human eye could. Nevertheless, the attack on an Etrysian vessel would be grounds for the nation to arrest Theda’s team. The Roses were accountable to Etrysia’s government, after all. They didn’t have the same sovereignty that the Red Wolves had earned 40 years earlier.
“Is Beiana a good singer?” Prism asked innocently enough. He hadn’t had much exposure to the music of their world, and was eager to hear more of it.
“You’ve probably heard her music played quite loudly in Doctor Liam's medical labs. He's a true BeiBei." Srell said with a roll of his eyes. "Err, a "BeiBei" is a fan of Beiana's." Srell quickly said when he realized Prism wouldn't understand the slang.
"That music was really upbeat and catchy. I expected something more somber for a military concert, like opera, if you have that on Æba." Prism said with a tilt of his head.
“We do. Opera is especially popular amongst the Etrysian noble families.” Leanna said with a glance at Lorias, who was a part of one of those families.
"You aren't the only one that thinks the choice of music is ridiculous. Let's just say your opinions are completely overruled by Beiana's tremendous success throughout the Conjunction." Lorias said to Prism with a smirk after ignoring Leanna’s statement entirely. “I, for one, think that she’s quite marvelous.”
"Heck, she even has a lot of Monarchist fans!" Srell exclaimed loudly.
"She's flying in from her home in Disdüt as we speak.” Leanna said.
“Is it really safe for her to come here so soon after the battle? There could still be enemies waiting to attack this ship.” Prism asked with a frown.
“I have the same concerns. I don’t know what our allies are thinking. I just hope they have adequately secured the area.” Ursun said after slowly shaking his head.
“Losing Beiana would be a big blow to any diplomatic negotiations we’ve been having with the Monarchists. Srell is right; she’s pretty much universally loved across Æba. Not many people have that kind of reach.” Leanna explained to Prism.
Prism was intrigued about the idea of diplomacy between the two warring alliances of Æba. He hadn’t heard much about the peaceful interactions that the Conjunction and Monarchists took part in, but he knew that it was the wrong time to ask about such things. He would want to have that conversation with an expert on the matter, preferably a civilian.
“I hear that she’s coming with an entourage of ace pilots in a few Disdüti Skepa. I doubt that there’s too much that can get past those things.” Lorias smirked and traced the shape of the Skepa aircraft in the air before him.
“What’s so special about those “Skepa”?” Prism asked.
“They can move the air around them using all kinds of technology, without the need for hinges like traditional aircraft.” Leanna’s words didn’t help Prism visualize the craft at all.
“If you think Vadam’s fighsaus are maneuverable and fast, then the Skepa are gonna really impress you, rookie!” Srell said after grabbing Prism, wedging him under Srell’s right arm, and then pulling him close.
“Disdüt might have the most advanced avionics in the Conjunction, which is a real waste considering how rarely they deploy their planes into battle.” Lorias said with a flip of his lengthy golden hair.
As Srell, Lorias, and Leanna returned to the topic of Beiana's impending performance, Prism walked over to Ursun’s side and looked up at him wearily. Ursun saw the trepidation on his small subordinate’s face, and grimaced at how ridiculous he found Prism’s behavior to be. Ursun no longer had any illusions that he was dealing with a naive youth.
He wondered why Prism chose to take on such an unremarkable form. Prism could appear in whatever form he wanted, Ursun thought, and yet Prism chose a form that barely even looked like an adult.
“Perhaps his race matures at a much slower rate than ours.” Leanna had hypothesized when Ursun had broached the topic while Prism was flying to Getla Base with Kurillios.
Ursun sighed and crossed his arms as he reined in his suspicious thoughts. It did him no good to treat Prism like an unknown threat. The alien had spent the last several hours putting himself in great peril to protect RED-1 and its allies, Ursun reminded himself.
“Prism’s appearance and personality is simply a quirk of his. We all have our eccentricities.” Ursun recalled Lorias’ words during that earlier conversation with Leanna.
Prism saw the inner turmoil that Ursun was experiencing, and worried that he was being a bother to his commander. Prism had realized that his team’s doubts about him had bubbled back to the surface since Jaik’s death. They weren’t being obvious about it, but Prism could sense their emotions, even after Ursun had told him to end their telepathic link an hour earlier. Ursun had claimed not to see the utility of the link outside of battle, but it was further proof to Prism that Ursun’s faith in him had wavered yet again.
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“Sir, is Jaik’s body alright? Did the damage to the ship affect the refrigeration device? Sorry, it’s been bothering me; not knowing, that is.” Prism said quietly.
Ursun was a bit taken aback by the question. His eyes grew wide when he looked down at Prism, revealing his surprise. Ursun wondered why he himself had reacted that way over such a harmless enquiry. The commander began to search his feelings, and the answer soon came to him.
“Jaik’s body is fine. The mini-morgue we put it in was unaffected by the Biost attack. It can run on battery power for several days.”
Ursun spoke calmly, but he winced slightly when he referred to Jaik’s body as “it”. Prism picked up on the subtle movement, which confirmed his own assumptions about his team’s state of mind. To Ursun, it was a wake-up call; he was actively grieving the loss of his youngest recruit, and it was coloring his thoughts in ways he hadn’t realized.
“That’s a relief.” Prism replied before taking a few steps away to get some distance from Ursun and the others.
“Hold up.” Ursun said loudly enough to get the attention of the other three within the room.
Prism turned around slowly, fearing some sort of angry outburst. But what Prism saw was a man in pain who was finally letting his walls down.
“Why did Jaik die? What did he do that was so catastrophic to his wellbeing? What role did you play in it?”
Ursun’s questions were tinged with sadness and exasperation. Prism looked at Srell, Lorias, and Leanna behind him, and believed that they were all eager to hear his answers. Prism rubbed his weary face, wiped his tired eyes, and then clenched his jaw. After tapping his fingers on his temple a few times, he steeled himself to deal with the confrontation.
“I…” Prism started to speak after carefully thinking about what he was going to say.
“We’ve already heard his explanation, sir. Must we retread this already? Pack Command is already going to drill all of us on this when we get home. Why can’t we just delay all of this pain until after the concert?” Leanna’s words were like purifying fire in the room that seemed heavy with regret.
“I concur. There’s nothing to gain from this right now.” Lorias said with a simple nod.
Srell looked at everyone and shrugged, not sure of what side to take. Ursun stared angrily at Prism before he turned away and slowly walked out of the room. Prism stood paralyzed by the ordeal. He wasn’t sure if Ursun would ever be on his side again.
“He always takes the deaths of his teammates really hard. It’s a testament to how much he cares about us. It’ll take him some time, but you’ll be back on his good side eventually.” Lorias said calmly.
“He’s dealt with a lot during this mission; we all have.” Leanna said compassionately.
“And what about you guys?” Prism said softly. “Do you blame me for Jaik’s death?”
There was silence in the room for a bit too long. Prism had put everyone back on edge, and they worried that their words would lead to even more disharmony amongst their team.
“If Jaik knew that he could die if he reached out to you, then he made a noble sacrifice to get our greatest asset back. If he didn’t know the danger he was putting himself in, then you have a lot of blame that you need to answer for.”
Srell’s words had both acceptance and anger behind them. The moral scenario that he outlined sounded like one that everyone could agree with, and yet it didn’t sit well with the others. Leanna was the first to realize the logical issue with Srell’s statement.
“We have no way of knowing for sure either way. It’s best to accept Jaik’s actions as a nobl-“ Leanna tried to say.
“He knew that it was dangerous. I’d told him as much back in Battle City. But that didn’t stop him from trying…” Prism said with a quavering voice.
“Sure you did.” Srell said bitterly.
“Jaik told me about the conversation he’d had with Prism. The kid said that there was a faint possibility of him being able to use magic.” Lorias said while painfully gripping Srell’s shoulder. “Jaik knew the risk, but he still wanted to try using magic even before today.”
“Why did he tell you and no one else?” Leanna asked. She believed that Lorias was lying to keep the peace.
“Because Jaik knew that I’d be objective with him. I told him that it wasn’t worth the risk. He was a doctor, our doctor. That made him more valuable than any magic tricks he could manage to do.”
Lorias’ words were convincing, and had the air of truth to them. Srell yelped before Lorias released him. The blonde-haired ranger hadn’t liked his best friend’s rude behavior towards an ally who was grieving just as much as the rest of them.
“There’s no “blame” here. Let it go.” Lorias stated while glancing intently at the room’s sliding blue door.
He was angriest at Ursun and the lack of emotional maturity that their commander had shown. Lorias knew first-hand the damage that a spiteful leader could do to a team.
“I get it. Sorry.” Srell said meekly with a bowed head.
“Let’s lay down for a little while. A nap will do all of us some good.” Leanna said.
After a few hours of unrestful sleep, Prism was awoken by a strong hand shoving hard on his shoulder. Prism groaned and rolled over, but the hand then slapped the back of his bald head. After hearing a few snickers around him, Prism sat up and glowered at his unknown assailant.
“Come on, Magical Boy. It’s time to face the music.” Srell said while smirking.
Prism nodded slowly before lazily getting out of bed. He would sleep the entire trip back to Pack HQ, he thought to himself.
Lorias, Srell, Leanna, and Prism made their way up to the Besper’s deck, taking an elevator to an area close to where the officers would be. They found the deck transformed into a flashy arena with a large stage that was surrounded by jumbo screens. The recessed seating that Prism had seen earlier had extended to become several rows of stadium seating benches. The benches were full of soldiers from across the Etrysian and CJF fleets. The gathered soldiers had been chosen to attend the concert by lottery.
Prism furrowed his brow at how attention-grabbing it all was within the stillness of the night that surrounded the flagship. If any enemy vessels were lying in wait, their weapons surely wouldn’t miss the most obvious target that the Besper had become. Prism hadn’t realized that the airship had flown over a hundred kilometers north, and was safely within eyeshot of the Ruskedan coast.
Prism followed his teammates to a raised booth that was closer to the side of the stage than the stadium seats were. They could see that a few officers were already seated within it. The area along the way was abuzz with loud conversations while instrumental versions of some of Beiana’s most popular songs played from the speakers on the stage.
“This is crazy. So many people have died and this is the first thing your forces do when the fighting ends?” Prism said while pointing his open hands at the crowded scene surrounding them.
Prism hadn't known how visceral his reaction would be upon actually seeing the concert venue. He'd been on many battlefields after the fighting had ended, and he'd seldom seen such a scene of joy and excess.
“Don’t castigate us. We choose to celebrate the lives of the fallen and the victory that their sacrifices secured. That’s our way.” Lorias repudiated.
“Well, I think it’s in poor taste, too. Where I’m from, we mourn the dead, not sing and dance in their midst.” Srell said with crossed arms.
“Ursun feels the same way, and he’s not afraid to let everyone know.” Leanna said while pointing to their commander.
Ursun stood stoically beside the stage as he talked to Hypergeneral Aksos Lymm and General Deriges Maginae away from the crowd. Prism flinched when he saw the senior Etrysian officers who’d tried to have him sedated and captured, just like the Queen’s forces had. Leanna saw Prism’s face contort into an extreme display of hatred as Prism then thought about the role that those men played in Jaik’s death. Prism began to break away from his group and charge towards the trio of commanders several meters away. Leanna grabbed his hand before he could get too far.
“I know how you feel, but this isn’t the time or the place. If you do something stupid here, you’ll lose the trust of the entire Conjunction right after you’ve begun to earn it.” Leanna said intensely into Prism’s ear, not wanting to be overheard by the gathered masses surrounding them.
“I can forgive Kurillios; he’s just some naive boy following orders that he doesn’t fully understand. But those two!? I can’t trust them, let alone forgive them! I thought that I could at least tolerate their presence, but seeing them look so dignified after their blunders almost got everyone killed…it’s too much!”
Prism yelled a bit too loudly, but no one seemed to take notice of him. He self-consciously looked around before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. Leanna was sympathetic to Prism’s feelings. She softened her response when she realized that he’d already begun to calm down. His words made him sound just as naive as he believed Kurillios to be, she thought. She shook her head at the realization that Prism really was quite emotionally immature. It was not merely an act, as Ursun had believed it to be.
“With all that power you possess, you really can’t understand why two men tasked with defending their homeland from an unprecedented force wouldn’t trust a strange, young-looking alien to defeat their enemies? Have you forgotten how you destroyed the border guns, the base’s best line of defense, discounting the fact they were hijacked by nanites? Or how your magic went on to cause a hurricane and earthquakes that nearly destroyed the base? What about how those unnatural disasters stranded the Second Athean Air Fleet in Surmil and the Getla Naval Fleet out at sea? Can you see how those factors might lead the hypergeneral to want to keep you out of the battle at all costs?”
Prism stared blankly at Leanna for a few seconds. He was taken aback by her justification of how he’d been treated, but he could only think of rather weak refutations of her observations. Prism exhaled long and slow again as he put the days events in greater perspective for a moment. He then gently touched Leanna’s hand with the one she wasn’t holding.
“I’m alright now.” He said softly to Leanna.
The concert began a short time later after RED-1 had made it to their assigned seats. Hypergeneral Aksos took to the stage first, accompanied by uproarious applause. He made a moving speech about the tremendous efforts that they’d all taken to stop the three modified Vadamite fleet divisions. He then went on about how the Conjunction would need to be more vigilant than ever before if their enemies continued to be provided with Kingdom technology. After the hypergeneral delivered his initial speech, he called up Deriges, Ursun, and Admiral Enlyd Odan. Hypergeneral Aksos introduced each of them, giving a brief explanation of the role they played in preventing the Vadamite invasion.
Prism paid close attention to Admiral Odan, who looked rather forlorn despite their victory. The admiral wore a dark-gray CJF dress uniform with numerous medals of all shapes and sizes pinned to both sides of his chest. Aksos, Deriges, and Ursun each wore their own dress uniforms, but Admiral Odan's stood out the most.
The average-sized, brown-skinned admiral was the commander of the CJF's Northern Air Fleet, the same fleet that was currently deployed over the Athean Sea. Not only did the graying Admiral call the Besper his secondary home, but he'd designed the flagship as well. At 55, he was the oldest man upon the stage, being five years older than Hypergeneral Aksos and only a few months older than Deriges.
"These men worked with me to protect our sea and city. It is thanks to their leadership that Surmil stands undamaged by the horrific weapons unleashed on the battlefield today." The hypergeneral said proudly.
Cheers began to erupt from the hundreds that stood in front of the stage and that stood up from their stadium seating. The spotlights shined brightly on the three men, who each responded differently to the attention. Deriges smiled and waved to the many soldiers who'd served under his command at Getla Base. Admiral Odan struck quite the contrast as he stood solemnly beside the jovial general with his hands behind his back. Ursun slowly clapped while looking around assiduously at the audience. His thoughts were elsewhere, and his placid face revealed nothing.
Colonel Vey's absence upon that stage bothered Ursun. He'd learned from his conversation with Aksos that Kurillios' clustershot blunder had killed several notable seamen that served within the Getla Fleet. As Vey had given the order to fire the clustershot, the fault was laid primarily on his shoulders. The First Biost Unit's first foray into battle had caused a tragedy that would tarnish their reputation for many months to come.
"We may have lost Getla Base, but it can be rebuilt. What cannot be replaced are the valiant soldiers who died today. Tonight, we celebrate the victory that they gave us!"
The crowd roared again when Aksos raised his arms high and looked upon the audience with a wild look upon his face. After dismissing the other leaders, the hypergeneral told everyone to enjoy themselves before he left the stage himself. Moments later, the stage and the laser lighting that danced over the audience became wilder and more colorful. The audience turned quiet as an ethereal melody began to play.
A thick mist spewed from the edges of the stage until the platform was completely obscured by it. A small figure could soon be made out at the center of the mist as additional layers of instruments were added to the simple melody. Many of the soldiers in the audience began to yell excitedly when they saw the feminine form in the mist. And when Beiana's mellifluous singing voice began to be heard, the crowd barely resisted the urge to scream in unison. As she stepped out of the mist when the song's dreamy introduction ended, the soldiers went wild.
Prism recognized the woman's appearance from a poster he'd seen in Dr. Liam's office, though she’d been younger in that image. Her skin was a deep caramel color, while her lips were as red as sweet apples. She had long, thick pinkish-blonde hair that she wore big and tall atop her head, and the short dress she wore was studded with pink and white diamonds that sparkled in the spotlight. She was a tall, athletic woman with a well-developed body, though her face was so youthful that it made her age hard to ascertain.
Her appearance was utterly captivating and entirely unique. Her movements across the stage were confident and graceful, revealing her wealth of experience. Prism had expected her to act more cutely, but she sang and danced like a grown woman. As the music she sang became faster and more intense, Prism could tell that there was something special about her.
After the first song was done, Beiana introduced herself to the audience and thanked them for their efforts in keeping civilians like her safe. She spoke in a mature, womanly way, though her talking voice was deeper than Prism expected. Ursun approached Prism and the rest of RED-1 during Beiana's speech. He’d briskly forced his way through the crowd surrounding the immediate area around the stage.
"Our ride's ready. You'll have to enjoy the sounds of this concert on our way out of here." Ursun said with a quick side nod towards the lift they'd originally taken up to the deck.
While they all discreetly left the area, Prism glanced up at Beiana while she began her next song. The two of them locked eyes unexpectedly. For a split second, Prism felt the murmurings of another voice in his mind. When Beiana looked away from him, the faint voice went away as well. He shook his head and dismissed the incident, thinking it to be nothing but his own tired brain playing tricks on him.