A/N: So, um hey guys. What's this? Well funny you should ask, because really it's nothing. Just randomness that my keyboard vomited up, like, I dunno, months, maybe over a year ago. I never did anything with it. In fact, I pretty much forgot about it. Then, more recently, like two months or sumthing, I rediscovered it. There was this chapter and a chapter two. And I started reading, and I was like hey, this ain't half bad, but then I realized I never finished the second chapter and I was like "Absdsb,jvdbn,js THERE'S NO END?" (which is probably how everyone might, kinda, feel about 53 and LLC hehehe, uh, um, yeah). And you know, even after that event, even after I went to add some more to that second chapter, I still never did finish. So why even post this? Compnesation, I guess, for all the waiting you guys are doing. I was never even going to post this 2 shot at all, but then I was like, "it's dece, why leave it to rot on my comp when it could be someone's internet spam and a time-eater?" So here you go. More unfinished sthuff.

The Master was in a foul mood.

I knew that almost immediately. I knew before I saw the guards running from the Throne Room after I was summoned. I knew before I overheard the soldiers gossiping at breakfast. Last night I caught word that she had just arrived back from some classified mission- how the mission had gone was not privy to anyone except to the soldiers who had been apart of it and the Master herself. But from what I did hear from the squad, even they were not aware of what the Master's original plan had been. They had only shown up when ordered to attack the Storm Hawks using some cloaking crystals.

And from the lack celebration, and glum appearances of the soldiers, I knew that, unfortunately, the prepubescents daring to call themselves Storm Hawks¸ had not been killed.

They`ve only been around a couple months and already they`ve managed to cause so many problems….without a terra to protect they can go wherever they please….my own mood shifted as I thought of the unruly teens, and more specifically of their Skyknight Aerrow. I readied for bed and laid down thinking of how quickly they had become a thorn in Cyclonia`s side. And I went to sleep thinking, "the mission failed". And I woke up thinking, "She's going to be in a bad mood."

And she was.

It had a way of filling the room. Irate displeasure sunk into the walls and rolled across the stone floor in angry waves. I could taste copper in the air, a metallic after tone left from God knows what experiment gone wrong. I could feel the electricity- her anger disturbing the crystal energy balances- crawl over my skin and tingle just below the range of my hearing. The floor was also singed.

She was usually distant and cold, careful to keep emotions in check. Even her punishments were delivered with a distinct separation, never allowing herself to be controlled by any of her own particular feelings. You had disappointed her, she was displeased, punishment was a natural consequence. Occasionally though, a bumble, an act of extreme stupidity would be made and you would catch the fire starting in her eyes. No, not fire. The Master`s rage did not make me think of a wild, consuming but undirected fire. It was lightning. Precise and random. Quick and deadly.

But it was different that day.

It was not her usual irked displeasure. But nor was it the sudden flash of electricity inspired by a servant's great mistake.

It seemed a bit of both flame and lightening.

The floor seemed to have definitely seen both.

"You called?" I asked making my presence known to her if she was not already aware of it.

She turned around too fast.

"The SkyKnights have caused too many problems for far too long." She said, her voice taking on the raspy double edge it did sometimes for some unknown reason.

I held back a reply of 'Obviously' but she did not give me the chance to speak anyway.

"I want to finish them off."

Again, I wondered where she was going with this. The Skyknights were not a new problem.

"Terra Saharr."

Even if the eerie double edge to her voice had not been so prominent I would have twitched inwardly anyways. My reply came out more thickly hesitant than I was comfortable with.

"Terra… Saharr?" I asked.

"Yes." she hissed angrily turning back to her Storm Engine behind her. It had long been repaired since the Storm Hawks destroyed it (again, the children had caused so much damage). "You mentioned the SkyKnight races they hold every so many years?"

I faintly recalled having done so. I was…familiar with Terra Saharr. When the races were being held was secret information passed between the Knights. It was not very much a public event- the crowds drawn would be huge and announcing to the rest of the Atmos that the SkyKnights would not be at their terra is a terribly foolhardy thing to do. But I knew about the races. Of course, I did not know when but I did know about them. I mentioned to my Master that it would be wise to seek this information. We could target several terras and wait for their heroes to abandon them and then attack. It would prove many great acquirements for Cyclonia. But the time of the races remained elusive and so it had not been further discussed.

"Yes?" I asked, wondering if her anger had now driven her to take on the large scale operation.

"Were going to attack them."

The shock must have shown on my face. "W-what?" I said flabbergasted. "Attack the races? All the Skyknights at once? That's-" I stopped myself before I could say 'Stupid or foolish or suicidal'. Insulting her when she was clearly not in the least of good moods- that was without a doubt stupid, foolish and suicidal. But the idea was incredulous. Even if the last mission had gone to so poorly- I didn't think the Master would lose her head like this and make such a rash decision.

"Don't jump to conclusions Dark Ace." She threatened turning back to me. Her eyes, a light violet colour, made me think of poisonous flowers, like nightshades or belladonnas. "Yes we will be attacking all the Skyknights at once - but first we incapacitate them. Listen closely."

She closed her eyes oddly and there was a sudden tiredness to her, but it was quickly wiped away when she opened her eyes as she continued to explained her plan.

It was perverse and brilliant. Simply waiting out on Terra Saharr for the race to begin was tricky- keeping hidden for so long would put us at jeopardy. If we were discovered the races may not take place at all. The only way in was to enter.

It would be complicated. Staging an insurrection in which one of our conquered terras liberates itself. Having this fake squadron then register with the SkyKnight council. Then…waiting.

After the squadron was given the date of the races they would leave the terra and I would join them. Our forces would be mounted near by terra Saharr at the ready. The next part to render the squadrons as incapable of defending themselves as possible. Sabotage etc. It would be my job to take the place as the SkyKnight and take out the other riders during the races. After all, a squadron without a Skyknight is severely weakened.

The plan made me disturbingly nostalgic- excited in a twisted way. I knew Saharr, and I knew what it was like to pretend to be part of a squadron. I could have laughed at the irony that was there. I could have thrown up at that irony too. But I'm a warrior, so I went with the humour in the situation and chuckled darkly.

When the universe screws with you- laugh because it means you've finally got its attention and are enough of a pain in the ass to turn it against you.

That's a pretty good accomplishment in my books.

Hyperbole aside, the plan had huge significance if it were successful. Instead of perhaps conquering one or two separate terras in the absences of their squadrons, we would remove the defences of the entire Atmos, getting rid of most, if not all, the SkyKnights.

Despite its complications, the prospect of returning to Saharr and racing the other Knights- it was a challenge that made my hands tingle.

She set up a time to go over details and smooth all the wrinkles out of the mission plan.

"Go," she ordered me at the end and I could see the tiredness returning. I wondered if she had slept since her return or had she spent all night torturing the chamber and devising her plan? "Set up your ranks and start looking over some candidates who'll be able to pull of acting like a squadron."

"It will be done." I said bowing and turning around to leave.

"And one thing more Dark Ace." She called, her voice, lilting and back to its cool sharpness.

I stopped and looked back at her but she was facing her machine again.

"Yes?" I asked.

Her reply was all of her second tone, the grating dark edge.

"Make sure you get them all."

I didn't really need to be told.

"Of course Master." I assured her and turned away again. I was almost to the door when she spoke once more.

"Except…"

I looked back. I could not see her face but I noticed her hands paused over the controls of the Storm Engine. She seemed to hesitate over whatever she had been thinking, debating on a private matter.

"…Except for one." She said at last. "The girl. The Storm Hawks' navigator. If she should be found- I want her captured not killed. I don't care if she's harmed, just as long as she's breathing."

I tried to recall the girl she was speaking of. As far as I knew there was only one girl with the Storm Hawks now. The crystal mage apparently too, easy enough to discern from the others.

"She," the Master continued, malice laced in her words, "will have a special punishment."

I thought of the timid dark skinned girl. She was not a fighter clearly and had never caused me any particular trouble. Yet she had attracted the Master's attention and I almost pitied her for such a fate.

"As you command." I replied. Finally, I made my way to the exit. The aura in the room had changed since I'd entered. The violent anger that filled it had been drained. The anger itself now was not gone but it was controlled. She would channel it carefully- more lightening again and less flame. Her revenge would exacted carefully and intensely.

I once again noticed on my way out the scorch marks on the floor, the black ash, the holes in the walls, the deep scratches. I wondered what had happened in the mission to make the Master lose her temper like this. I thought again of the little girl travelling with the Storm Hawks and imagined that she must have been primarily responsible for the Master's foul mood. She had the queen of Cyclonia's attention now- and I hoped for her sake that she knew better than to laugh in her face.

I almost stopped at the threshold, wondering if my good nature with the Master would allow me to question why the girl was of such importance.

But I knew better than to ask.