"You can’t just change one letter of your name and call it a fake identity!” Vomero shouted in exasperation.

It had been a week of playing the waiting game, and tensions were getting high. Currently, Vomero was working on fake identities for everyone, since we couldn’t use our actual identities to leave the planet once we handled the situation with Owen. It was a tricky process because New Horizon’s verification protocols were very thorough.

That was all on Vomero. Our part seemed simple enough: come up with a name you could remember and a backstory you could pass off easily. Some of us were having an easier time of it than others.

“Ryuu Swiftfeet changes three letters,” Ryuuk said. “Besides, you said it needs to be somethin’ we can remember. If you go changin’ it to somethin’ else entirely, how am I gon’ pull that off?”

“Well it’s better than his first effort,” Matthew chimed in from where he was making a sandwich in the breakroom area.

In his first attempt at creating a fake name, Ryuuk had simply removed the second ‘u’ from his name. He also insisted on making his new backstory the exact same backstory of the character he played in Gunslinger. It had taken thirty minutes to convince him that a guy named Ryuk Swiftfoot, who was a famous sharpshooter from a town called Gunslinger on a planet called Fable, might tip some people off to who he really is, or bring Marshall’s people down on him at the very least.

Cash and I sat chewing on our own lunch as we watched the ridiculous exchange between Ryuuk and Vomero. Our backstories and identities had been easy to fabricate. In fact, we both already had numerous alter egos we chose to go by from time to time. It was an occupational trait.

Vomero likewise had numerous established aliases he could lean on, and Dick wasn’t even using his actual name. Not that anyone thought he’d have trouble fooling the authorities into thinking he was someone else.

That left Ryuuk and Matthew. While the former had been driving Vomero up a wall all day with his impractical nonsense, Matthew had been taking time to think up a plausible backstory and name.

Eventually, Ryuuk and Vomero took their discussion to the converted office Vomero had dubbed “the control room.” It was where he had established a sophisticated surveillance setup of all communications coming into and out of Koraf’s home and office.

“Is there any update from Dick?” Cash asked. We were going over the reconnaissance the team had gathered this past week. Somehow everyone had designated us the plan makers by default.

“He’s getting really good at opening doors,” I said, sardonically. “That’s about the only update he’s been able to give me, lately.”

Dick had disguised himself as a Malunite and charmed his way into a valet job at the ritzy hotel across from Koraf’s tower. The position let him keep a close eye on the comings and goings and spot anything suspicious. We were counting on his ability to sense Owen, but that would require proximity.

“Also, he says he’s starting to realize you got ripped off on our vehicle purchase,” I added. “Apparently, he could get us a ‘way sexier’ ride for the price we paid.”

“Yeah, well, discretion comes with a hefty price tag,” Cash replied. “And we don’t need to be riding around in the flashiest luxury vehicle in town.”

“Everyone’s getting a little impatient,” I said. “It’s just his way of occupying his mind while we wait.”

“How long do you think it will take Owen to make his move?” Cash wondered.

“To me, it seems like Owen isn’t who we’re waiting on,” I answered. “From what Vomero and Ryuuk have been able to uncover, Koraf took possession of the Diadem and has been keeping it close for the time being. There’s been some communication implying that he’ll eventually have to surrender it over to the city-state's government for security and research.”

“We’ve been inside that building,” Cash commented. “Security was tight even before they had a priceless treasure to secure. I imagine it’s tied down too tight for even Owen to infiltrate.”

“Yes,” I said. “The crux of any plan Owen might be hatching is the new security protocols they put in thanks to that shapeshifter business with Rin. According to some purchase orders Vomero uncovered, plus visual confirmation from Dick, they installed a DNA scanner. Nobody comes in or out of the building without going through one, not even the staff.”

Cash nodded understandingly. Owen had an advantage that he could look and sound like anybody, but one of the weaknesses of a mimic versus a changeling was that the illusion was all cosmetic. DNA remained unchanged. It seemed Koraf had done his homework.

“Dick said it looked like the staff was scarce,” Cash said. “One of the other workers at the hotel mentioned that he had a friend who worked in the tower, but they were sent home for the foreseeable future with paid time off.”

“That’s generous of Koraf,” I said,” but then again, he doesn’t want any disgruntled out of work, unpaid employees giving Owen an opportunity inside.”

“Yeah, but they can’t maintain this for long,” Cash said, “which brings us around to what you’re talking about, this looming deadline to hand over the Diadem to a more secure government facility.”

“That facility will almost certainly be the Office of Technological Advancement,” I said, and Cash raised a brow. This was news he hadn’t heard before. “I did some digging of my own with a couple contacts I made.”

Cash looked skeptical, so I assured him I’d been discreet.

“The OTA is responsible for research and development of the highest caliber, not just in this city-state, but across all of the Commonwealth’s city states,” I explained. “They maintain a branch in most major cities, each of which is considered the most highly secured facility in any area it inhabits. Obviously, they prioritize security to keep the emerging tech from being leaked into the wider cosmos.”

“And that’s where Koraf will eventually deliver the Diadem? Where is the one located here in New Horizon City?”

“That’s the kicker,” I said. “Technically, it’s not in New Horizon City proper. It’s built inside a small floating chunk of the island about five miles off the southern coast. The only way in is by flying transport, and nobody approaches the island without clearance before they’re either intercepted or shot from the sky completely.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Cash let out a low, appreciative whistle.

“You know, our lives would be a lot different right now if the security on Veridi’s royal palace was half as good,” he said. “I suppose this is why Koraf’s had to drag his feet to transport the Diadem. It’s not a simple walk over to another mid-city building. Hell, he probably had to get clearance himself just to transport it there.”

I nodded in agreement.

“Even if he didn’t need approval, planning to move the Diadem that far without the proper set-up would be easy pickings for Owen. Koraf is smart enough to know that.”

“So, if he can’t go inside Koraf’s tower to get it, Owen has to play a waiting game of his own,” Cash said. “He has to make his move when the Diadem is in transition. If he misses that opportunity, the only way the Syreni get the crown back is to wage a full-scale conflict.”

“And so, we wait. All of us are waiting on Koraf to move the crown,” I concluded.

Cash stared thoughtfully at me for a moment while he chewed his food.

“Something’s bothering you,” he stated. “I can tell. What’s on your mind?”

Cash had developed an uncanny knack for sensing my mood. We had spent a lot of time cooped up in close proximity this past week. Hell, I guess we had been doing that since we met. The effect of being in so many traumatic events back-to-back was that it gave us a sense of camaraderie surpassing what would be expected from our short time together.

Looking around the room, I noticed everyone had vacated the area; even Matthew had wandered off to work on his fake identity. Turning to Cash, shrugged as I sighed wearily.

“I guess its just my own version of stir crazy,” I said. “There have been things, little things that have been itching at the back of my brain. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I just feel like there’s something I’m missing.”

I shook my head in a futile attempt to push those thoughts aside.

“Like I said, it’s probably just inactivity playing mind games with me.”

Cash leaned back in his chair and examined the ceiling for a long moment before shaking his head.

“No, you’re right,” he said. “Something does feel off. We both have that survival instinct, and mine is also telling me we’ve missed something. Maybe it’s not something we overlooked, but there’s pieces of the puzzle we don’t have, yet.”

I sighed heavily, leaning my forehead into my palm, which was propped up on the table.

“As much as I feel the need for revenge, I don’t want any more of us to die for it,” I said. “Gramps wouldn’t want that, either. We all had the opportunity to walk away clean. Are we making the right choice?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cash said. “The ball is rolling, and there’s no stopping it. There’s no way we convince Ryuuk or Vomero to walk away right now. If we walk, they’d just do it on their own. All we can do at this point is try to find that missing piece before it turns into a problem. Otherwise, we’ll just have to be prepared to deal with whatever shitstorm we can’t see headed our way.”

“And how do we go about that?” I wondered, lost in contemplation.

After a long moment, Cash spoke again.

“Well if it’s something we don’t know about, we just keep our ears open and hope we either happen upon it or can deal with it when it comes,” he said. “Nothing we can do about that.”

“But if it’s something we’re missing?” I asked.

“Then we have to look in every crevice we might have overlooked,” he said, “any unfinished business, loose threads, skeletons in the closet...”

I was quiet for a long time. My mind turned over the events of the past month or so since we crash landed on Kalo-Mahoi.

“Something....” I started to say but shook my head instead, “never mind.”

“What is it, Skye?” Cash probed. “Even if it’s nothing, it’s worth considering.”

“You remember when we got here, I was trying so hard to figure out who sabotaged our ship,” I said.

“Oh, I definitely remember,” he chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “You pulled a gun on me.”

“Yeah, well, I kind of dropped it at some point. Things got hectic with Owen’s group, then there was fleeing and hiding and kidnappings, etc. When we sold the transport, I went through all the bags trying to see if maybe whoever set us up had died in the conflict and left us holding the bag.”

“You didn’t find anything?”

“No. I mean, I guess a big holo-sign saying, ‘It was me the whole time’, was too much to ask for, but really there was nothing out of the ordinary.”

“So, how do you think it’s connected to our situation now?”

“I keep having these dreams,” I said. “They’re like memories from my past but goes all shitty at the end. This last one...it’s like my subconscious is trying to remind me that I’m forgetting something, or overlooking it. But as much as I dwell on it, I can’t seem to pin it down.”

We sat in contemplative silence for a while, mulling things through. Before we could continue our line of conversation, Vomero came in.

“I think I’ve got something,” he said.

“About Owen?” Cash asked.

“No, about my fluffy kitty, Snookem’s,” he said sarcastically. “Of course about Owen, what the hell else have we been waiting on?”

Cash just rolled his eyes, no longer letting Vomero bait him with snarky comments.

“You were saying?” I prompted.

“They’ve been waiting on an armored transport from another city state to arrive,” Vomero said. “There was a communication confirming arrival date.”

“Which is when?” I asked.

“Two days from now,” he said. “That doesn’t give us a lot of time to set up, but then again it won’t give Owen time, either. He’ll be scrambling.”

“He already is,” Dick said, coming in through the door just in time to catch the last part of Vomero’s statement. “I don’t know what you guys were talking about, but whatever Owen has planned is probably happening soon. I spotted him scouting the main thoroughfare near the tower with what looked like one of his cronies.”

“You spotted him?” I asked incredulously.

“Well more accurately, I sensed him, then noticed some random human guy pretending to read a printed out newsblast at the corner café.”

“Who reads print these days?” Vomero said. “It’s such as waste, plus it’s bad for the environment.”

“Exactly,” Dick said. “Next time I looked, the man is gone, and another is conversing with two other guys down the street but holding the same newsblast.”

“That definitely sounds like our guy,” I said, turning to Vomero. “He must have gotten wind of the same info you did.”

We filled Dick in on Vomero’s news.

“Where is Ryuuk?” I asked. “Wasn’t he with you, Vomero?”

Vomero shrugged.

“He’s back on the rooftop. He practically sleeps up there.”

Ryuuk had spent more time in the past week staking out Koraf’s place from a rooftop three blocks away than he had at the hideout. Every time we tried to get him to take a break, he refused.

“Well, now that we know when we need to be ready, we need everyone back here to figure out exactly what our best route would be for intercepting Owen on his heist,” Cash said. “We only have two days to figure it out, and staking out the tower won’t really be necessary until the day of anymore.”

“Agreed,” I said.

“So, are we just going to follow Owen and grab him after the job or what?” Vomero asked.

“No,” Dick said. “There’s no way that works. Owen can disappear too easily. The only way we know we can pin him down is if he has no choice but to stay the course. That will only happen during the actual heist.”

Cash nodded.

“Yeah, I’m afraid we’re going to have to take care of Owen right under Koraf’s nose, somehow avoiding getting caught ourselves or giving away our presence to Owen himself. Then, once he’s taken care of, we’ll hop a transport with our fake identities without anyone being the wiser.”

The four of us stared silently at each other for a moment.

“Well, at least you guys went with the easy plan,” Dick said ironically. “I’d have really hated it if you came up with something hard.”