"Incoming!" Maria screams.

Gong unslings his shield and hunkers down behind it, pulling the Magister down with him; Danny sprints across the throne room, bundling Sally to the floor; Rob, Maria, and Xander throw themselves flat; the guards form a phalanx in front of them, shields raised.

The rocket strikes a balcony pillar, detonating on impact.

The shockwave of the explosion briefly deafens everyone in the throne room. Chunks of masonry and clouds of dust fly into the room; if they weren't deafened by the detonation, they'd be deafened by the clang of marble on metal.

As quickly as it started, it's over; as the dust settles, Gong and the Scarves rise to survey the damage. The balcony is a mess of shattered marble, a few of the guards have been taken out, and while Sally is conscious, Danny is not; there's an alarming rich red stain in his blond hair.

Maria is the first to notice. "Danny?" she whimpers, fearing the worst.

Gong is next to spot the injured Scarf. "Someone get that badger to the infirmary immediately!"

Two of the remaining guards make straight for Danny, beating Rob and Xander, and carry him off to the infirmary. A third helps Sally follow; she holds her left leg in the air, clearly unwilling to put any weight on it.

"Will he be OK?" Maria asks, close to tears.

"We have some of the finest medical facilities in the Three Kingdoms," the Magister assures.

"Everyone clear the room!" Gong commands. "Your Excellency, you must proceed to the safe room; as for you Scarves, you can-"

"Be Gong's lieutenants while repelling the Jade Alliance," the Magister interrupts.

"Your Excellency!" Gong protests.

"You have not met the Jade Alliance, they have," the Magister explains. "Use their wisdom and insight to repel the Alliance from my city," he commands; without waiting for a reply, the Magister departs for the safe room.

Gong sighs in exasperation. "As you wish. Scarves, with me."

A few minutes later, deep within the Royal Palace, Gong, Rob, Maria, and Xander assemble in the War Room.

"Tell me everything you know about the Jade Alliance," Gong demands.

"And that is everything we know," Rob finishes several minutes later.

Gong takes a few moments to digest the intelligence; before long, he makes a command decision. "I know the Magister wants you to fight by my side, but I also know my forces won't take commands from Red Scarves, no matter how noble your intentions may be. Besides, we need reinforcements, and we can't risk launching any aircraft; if they can fire a rocket at the throne room, they can shoot down an airship. Therefore, you three will use your training to escape the city and contact Team Lilac; we'd phone them, but the lines have been taken out. Once contact has been established, you will then proceed to Shang Mu, where you will persuade, cajole, even bribe that fool of a mayor into sending his army and air fleet."

"Yes sir!" Maria and Xander salute.

"I want to stay and fight," Rob declares.

"Your skills are best suited to the mission I have set you," Gong counters.

"Maria and Xander are more than capable of completing that mission without my help," Rob insists.

"I have chosen the mission best suited to-" the General starts.

"With all due respect general, you can shove your mission where the sun doesn't shine. Captain Aquila Kawaguchi has, in the last few months, enslaved me and my friends, left us on a spaceship to die, kidnapped my girlfriend, and now he's attacking my home city," Rob explains. "I will stay and fight. And there is nothing you can say to make me do otherwise."

Gong pauses for a moment. "Very well. But you will obey my direct orders only."

"I'm better flying solo, and you know it," Rob states factually.

"Fine," Gong relents. "We're wasting too much time anyway. Do what you must." He then turns to Maria and Xander. "This is breaking the promise I made to them, but the situation demands it; here are directions to Lilac's treehouse." Taking up a notebook and pen he scribbles for a few moments; he then tears out the page and hands it to Maria, who takes it and pockets it. "Memorise them, then destroy them; they value their privacy, and I will not be responsible for them losing that. Now go."

With a sloppy salute, Maria and Xander begin their mission.