“I would like an answer please.” Holly’s tone was dangerous, and quiet.

Daniyel slowly got to his feet, then gave a proper bow to her. “I regret to inform you, that she has been captured by the empire, enroute to Spyre.”

Holly’s mouth drew into a thin line.

Eshaan burst out “What?! We have to go rescue her!” Looking around as though he hoped to charge off that instant.

Eideth reached up and grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t be a fool, boy!”

Eshaan spun and grabbed Eideth. “We can’t just stand here! We’ve got to do something!”

Holly said with frozen calm “I think you’d all best come inside. The bugs will eat us alive. And then, yes, I think you’d best explain what’s happened, and we will indeed ‘do something.’”

Lakshmi staggered to her feet, and the group wearily trudged towards the farmhouse. Eshaan ventured “Darshanna, why’s your hair red?”

Lakshmi sighed as though the weight of the world was crushing her.

Holly spoke up first, as the group entered the house. “I think we can wait on that. Why don’t you tell us what happened. In detail.”

The group gathered around the big kitchen table, and Lakshmi told them. She told them everything, even the hard parts.

Eshaan shouted a lot, of course. Even Eideth gave a startled grunt at the revelation that the imperial princess was sitting in a farmhouse in a distant province of the empire. Of all of them, Lakshmi was surprised most by Soriya, who simply reached out and squeezed her hand.

“I can imagine how hard that was.” She said, and looking into her eyes, Lakshmi actually believed her for an instant.

Holly drummed her fingers on the table. “So my daughter is currently in the brig of an imperial airship, and the commander of the fleet didn’t let her go, even when the imperial princess commanded him. That’s… a thorny puzzle.” She said with a tight voice. She sighed and looked into the air for the moment.

“Eshaan, boy. Tell me. Do you think your commander will do anything to her? Is he fool enough to think torture works?”

Eshaan’s fists closed and his knuckles grew white with strain.

Soriya put her hand over his fists. “Calm now. We’re going to rescue her, but we need an answer to the question.”

Eshaan took a deep breath, and let it out, slowly, trembling. “The commander does not believe torture works. He is not above carrying it out however, in order to get the information from someone else.” He gritted his teeth. “And he always makes sure to keep his promises.”

Holly leaned back in her chair. “Then Lily is as safe as she can be in the circumstances.” Her gaze softened and she looked at Lakshmi. “So here’s what we’re going to do. In the morning, you’re going to finish your airship.” She pointed to Lakshmi. “But before that, you’re going to go to bed.”

Lakshmi’s eyes widened and her mouth opened to protest but Holly cut her off. “No buts, no exceptions. You’ve been going full throttle. You’ve drunk at least three healing potions unless I miss my guess and your body is exhausted. You are exhausted, even if you don’t think you are. Engineering done with no sleep is engineering done to fail.” Her gaze sharpened and she looked slowly around the table. “And I intend for you to get my daughter back. Not to have her friends explode in a half right contraption.” She said.

She stood up. “I’ve got a sleeping draught I use. No arguments now. Everyone takes some, and in the morning… we’ll work on our plan.”

Lakshmi wanted to protest, but somehow she found herself laying down on the parlor couch, drinking a potion that tasted like flowers and wine. Daniyel squatted next to her.

“Fear not, princess. I will guard you as you sleep. Mistress Holly means us no harm, and to my shame, speaks wisdom. We will rest here. The Lady Lilyanna needs must wait a little while longer.”

***

The cell door swung open with an ungodly loud hissing creak, which startled me from my uneasy doze. I looked up to see Commander Khine with two of his lackeys in tow. I still felt utterly exhausted, my mana remaining at zero.

The effects of the spellcollar I suppose. I thought tiredly.

“Welcome to my room, Proctor Khine. So good of you to visit me in these humble quarters.” I said, rolling into a sitting position on the edge of the bunk.

“And what can I do for you gentlemen? I’m afraid I have very little in the way of refreshments to offer.”

Commander Khine gave a half smile, half snarl. “Charming, as always, Miss Lilyanna. I had hoped you might present some semblance of reasonableness after a night in the cell, but I see that was a vain hope.”

I looked up at him with a level stare. “If you have questions, lets get them over with. Unless you’re stupid enough to think torture works?” I asked. I couldn’t help it, my voice did quaver as I said. He might be stupid enough to think torture worked. I had thought it worked for a very long time, though perhaps that was the product of a diet of too much television and movies.

Khine raised one eyebrow as though contemplating it. “Torture…” he said, as though tasting the idea. “I have found that torture can be remarkably effective, actually. Oh not on the victim, of course, but if you have someone you wish to talk, and you can grasp someone precious to them… I have found torture to be most efficacious.”

I sagged a little in relief. “Ah. What a great pity then that you have no one who cares for me.”

He knelt down and cupped his hand on my chin, forcing my eyes to look into his. “On the contrary, Miss Lilyanna! Your friends in the church would be most distressed to learn you were in dire straits. And I expect your little pirate rebellion to be within hailing range within a day. Less, if that useless princess is at all effective.”

I frowned at him in confusion. “What?” I couldn’t help it; I knew it was what he was expecting but it was so… so completely baffling and off the wall. The church perhaps, but… pirate rebellion? The church was concerned about me?!

“Tch.” Commander Khine dropped his hand. “Pity. At the end of the day, you have only the same tired tropes.”

That stung. That stung a lot. I’d worked as hard as I could to fight the tropes, I’d saved Breezewood from this monster!

“And what about you?!” I spat angrily at him. “Threatening a girl in chains?! Disobeying the imperial princess’ orders?! I’d say you’re the one following the arrogant evil general overthrowing the empire tropes here!”

Khine spun and backhanded me hard, the force of the blow throwing me against the cell wall. It hurt. A lot. I couldn’t help but cry out, hating the tears of pain that sprang to my eyes.

Khine reached down and gripped my cheeks in a grasp of steel. “Understand this, little rebel. I am loyal to the empire! I have devoted my life to its order! And I am forced to watch a weak fool on his throne piss away its greatness while listening to the whispers of a demented churchman!”

The tears in my eyes blurred his featured, but he seemed serious. He was unquestionably a bad guy, but it seemed he was destined to be just a midboss.

I spoke awkwardly, as his grip pinched my cheeks. “So ask your questions. You have the manners of a boar, but I’m curious to see if I can twist this plot in some new direction.”

It’s already off the rails as far as I can tell. Darsha… no, Lakshmi fled the ship, that much is obvious. But pirates? The church? I need more information. I thought.

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Khine smiled, a cruel cold smile, and released his grip, looking to the side. “You see troopers? A little light goading, and they can’t resist bragging.” He turned back to me. “Let’s start with that secret you kept from me at our first meeting.”

I sighed. Oh dear. So he won’t believe a word I say. How very disappointing. No stops on this train.

“I destroyed my pendant to protect my village from you. I left early, so that I could ensure that I completed that task. And I didn’t know the Cavern of Trials was an ancient relic, so I have no idea what its original purpose was.”

I smiled blandly up at him. I must look a sight; I could feel my eye was already starting to swell shut from the blow. “If you’re willing, I would propose a trade. I would like to know some things you know. Perhaps we can each trade questions?” I was proud of how level I kept my voice.

Khine’s face was contemptuous. “So you have decided to spin spirittales after all.” He leaned closer. “You have no bargaining power here. You cannot summon that force that nearly sank the Leimoniad. And your village was wiped from the map. I would encourage you not to test my patience. You know that I will always keep my promises. And I did promise you I would see what else I could take away from you.”

The burning rage that I’d felt in front of that airship, watching Eshaan bleeding out in the field returned. A ringing filled my ears and from within me I could hear Tower’s voice, asking if I was willing to pay her price in blood. It hit me like a shock of cold water. I could summon Tower. Tower would let me pay with my HP. I have no MP. It might kill me. The wreck almost certainly would. But I could summon Tower. And I am so. Very. Angry.

Something in my gaze must have gotten through to Khine. He abruptly released me, and stood up. “Let us see if another night in the cell will change her mind. Come.” He beckoned to his troopers, and they left the cell, the door clanging behind them. I sagged to the wall, breathing slowly through my bloody nose.

***

Lakshmi had never worked so hard in her life. Even when she’d first built the Pelican, she’d never worked this hard. Sweat streamed down her forehead and into her eyes, as she fastened down yet another bolt on the engine mounts.

The day had started early. She had been sure that she wouldn’t be able to sleep, even with whatever concoction Holly had come up with, but the next thing she knew the sun was shining into the windows, and she felt amazingly awake and energized.

It was a good thing too, because once Eideth woke up she practically dragged Lakshmi out to the workshop. When Holly called a break to bring everyone in for breakfast, she’d been working for hours already.

The breakfast was good. Amazing, really, if she was honest. I guess that’s where Lilyanna learned how to cook. She thought wistfully. I wish my mother had taught me… anything, really. She shook her head and headed back outside with renewed energy.

With all seven of the people gathered at Holly’s house, the wreckage of the nameless fighter craft was rapidly disassembled and ruthlessly plundered for parts, and incorporated in the rapidly growing superstructure of the Sparrowhawk. She’d caused a fair bit of confusion the first time she called the new ship that, apparently she’d forgotten to mention she’d chosen a name to anyone.

“I decided on it a long time ago! Look, I’ve been busy! It’s not my fault!” she protested, when the others queried the sudden naming.

It was a strange experience. Lakshmi had been positive that if she ever revealed who she was, things would turn unworkably weird. While that was true enough for Eshaan, who kept stumbling over his tongue and calling her ‘highness’, unsure if he should kneel or bow, nobody else in the group batted an eyelid. Instead, here she was, perched on top of the Sparrowhawk’s engine cowling, hammering, welding, and bolting pieces into place, sweating buckets and swearing up a storm.

I don’t have to work this hard. A traitorous thought slipped through her mind, only to be ruthlessly quashed. No. I owe Lily. I promised her I wouldn’t be a burden. That thought kept running around inside her head like a refrain.

The only things she’d done that had worked were the engineering parts. I rebuilt the Pelican. I learned how to fly. I took off Soriya’s spellcollar. I repaired the robots at the dig site. I fixed the cargo engines. I disarmed the bombs. I could have taken off Lily’s spell collar if I could just have gotten to her… but the princess part? The thing that was supposed to be the ultimate trump card?

No, worthless. She shook her head viciously. I will not be worthless! I am going to rescue Lilyanna, like a proper captain should. She gritted her teeth and moved to the next item on her checklist.

Holly had proven surprisingly knowledgeable about tinkering, though really, she was a [Tinker], Lakshmi shouldn’t be surprised that she knew at least a little bit of the basics of magitech construction. Soriya knew an awful lot of theory, and not a drop of practical experience. She did make some very interesting suggestions regarding the engines, however… and the parts she’d gotten from the fighter craft made it feasible. As the sun finished setting, Lakshmi climbed down off the hull of the Sparrowhawk, and looked up at the completed hull in pride, wiping her brow one last time.

She was finished. Rough, cobbled together, part wood and part metal, not nearly as professional or sleek as the Pelican had been… but the Sparrowhawk was hers. Every nail, every rivet, every bolt. She had built her from the keel up, and she knew the Sparrowhawk would outperform anything she’d ever flown before.

She has to. She thought grimly. I made a promise.

She turned to face the group. “Right. She’s ready. I can make it to Spyre in 8 hours.” She swallowed. “Hopefully I’ll be back with Lilyanna in no time.”

“You’re not going without me!” Eshaan protested. “Ur. Your highness? Captain? Ma’am?”

Soriya stepped up and nodded. “I’m coming too.”

Holly walked up and patted the side of the ship. “My first time riding in an airship. This will be exciting.” She smiled at the others, then reached into her belt to pull out potions, passing them around to the group.

“This one is special.” She pointed to a vial filled with angry violet liquid. “It’ll keep you awake and alert for 12 hours, but after that, you’ll crash pretty hard.” She turned to Lakshmi. “Now. Let’s go get my daughter back.”

***

I had finally stopped the bleeding by laying flat on the bunk and breathing shallowly. I suppose things could be worse. I thought mildly. I hope that Devdan and Priya got to Spyre safely. I haven’t heard anything. I tossed on the bunk, my mind chewing over possible actions, always coming back to the fact that I couldn’t see a way out of this.

At least I can talk to myself. How about you, otherme? Any thoughts?

Silence and a curious feeling of serenity filled me. Hello? Otherme? Lily? The odd echoing feeling in my own head was the only answer. Come to that… she hasn’t said anything since… we escaped from the cellar. Thinking back on it, I felt a sudden sensation of dizziness. As though I was looking at an event from two different memories… I remembered otherme guiding me… but I also remembered being calm and using my knowledge of the tropes to guide me to the cellar.

I sat up, my eyes wide. I rummaged in my mind, thinking about my childhood, and that strange doubling happened again. I clearly remembered playing on mother’s farm, my first meeting with Soriya when I was 5… and I also remembered growing up on Earth! Both memoires of radically different childhoods were clear in my mind!

Merge. She said we would merge. I remembered otherme’s lecture on the pirate ship. Have I been… Lilyanna this whole time? I never even noticed? It was so strange, like I was myself but also… Lilyanna. Both parts of me felt… real. I thought I should be panicked. Terrified, even.

At the very least I should want to scream and throw things, shouldn’t I?

But all I felt was a confusion. The feeling of two memories that were both me.

“And I can’t even have a proper conversation with myself.” I muttered, kicking the wall of my cell in frustration. “Alright Lily. You got yourself into this situation, now use the tropes to think yourself out of it. You did it before!” I lightly slapped my cheeks, then winced in pain. “Right, torn lip. No genki power.”

Item. The plot says I’m going to be rescued by Eshaan in some daring raid. I felt a shocking gush of mingled affection and annoyance, a perfect swirling blend of old and new me.

Oh. Well… that’s… new. I felt myself blush. It was… disturbingly nice to know Eshaan was coming to rescue me.

Probably with Dar… no, Lakshmi’s airship. I wonder what she named it…? Pelican II? Focus Lilyanna, Focus. The church is looking for me. Khine thinks I’m part of some rebellion, and the church is part of it. Given his propensity, he will show me off, then threaten to hurt me badly unless the church gives him what he wants. Which I… I guess I’ll need to see… A memory of a grand pageant, child me looking up at a passing clergy in some city which mother had taken me to see. I felt a stab deep frustration and faint betrayal. Ok, yep. Church is definitely evil, that hat is super pointy. They’re the church, how can they betray their ideals like that?! I thought with outrage. Plot says church will get ahold of me, and that I should remain intact. Do I go along with this or not?

I felt a brief stab of despair. How could I stop them, I’m just Lilyanna, I don’t even have mana!

I almost slapped my cheeks again, barely stopping myself in time. “No, I’m not ‘just’ Lilyanna. I’m old and new me.” I took a few breaths. “And I could summon tower. Once outside of the airship, that would probably…” I stopped and dropped my face into my palm.

“I’m an idiot. I could summon Forge. Forge could break my spellcollar, and once I have mana, I can heal myself.” I nodded slowly. “Right. Ok, so I could escape. Should I? Eshaan is coming to rescue me…” Another gush of mingled affection and irritation filled me. I took a deep breath. “Focus. Lily, Focus!”

“Why does the church want me? Something bad, yes, but… they’ll posture and threaten like Khine does. They might even pretend to be nice to trick me. That does sound like something the heroine would fall for. And that will tell me a little more. Something I don’t know, yet.” I bit my lip in frustration, and yelped at the sharp pain and taste of blood.

“Ow.” Right. I don’t like this. I… don’t like being the damsel… but… think of it like a superspy film. Get captured so the villain will gloat so you can learn their evil plan. I sighed. “Oh Eshaan… everyone… please hurry!”

There was a sudden change in the pitch of the ship engines, followed by the sound of running feet and clangs of metal from a great distance.

Ah. Spyre. At last. I smiled wistfully. “I’ve always wanted to see the capital, to shop the bazaars. But Soriya was supposed to be there with me.” I sighed, and settled myself to wait for the inevitable prisoner exchange.

I suppose I should be happy. You never get to see what happens to the heroine when she’s kidnapped and shuffled around like a poker chip. And how lucky for me, I’ve seen it three times already!