"Princess…" She murmured, rounding a sharp curve in the castle. She brought up the com channels in an effort to locate where she might be. All she heard was the screaming of a certain count, "Count Saazbaum!?" He was probably battling that orange kataphrakt! And if memory serves...where the orange kataphrakt was Princess Asseylum was bound to be as well!
She slid around the corner to see the orange kataphrakt with it's arm raised, ready to smash what remained of the Dioscuria. Abject fear and panic flashed through her mind. Upon instinct she acted. At the same time as they all went tumbling into the audience chamber the lights went out. The impact jarred her bones, her head slammed against the back of the seat. For a moment all went black.
Slaine awoke within seconds after impact. A splitting headache pounding behind her temples. Ignoring the pain she hopped out of the Tharsis. She knew she should probably check on the Count but...what about the orange kataphrakt? She couldn't help but be worried about them. As she glanced around the darkness she tried to find where either Count Saazbaum or The Orange Kataphrakt could be.
"Milord…" She muttered, surveying the rubble. Suddenly she heard a voice behind her.
"Inaho!" That was….that was, "Are you alright, Inaho?"
"Princess Asseylum…" Slaine gasped, feeling tears of relief form in her eyes. She heard a weak voice mumble a reply as she turned around.
"Inaho! Thank goodness…" The princess was leaning into the main compartment of the Orange Kataphrakt, "I have shut down the Landing Castle's Aldnoah drive. The operation was a success. Now, we should escape, too."
"Princess Asseylum!" Slaine called out. Asseylum turned around and gasped, tears filling her eyes as well.
"Slaine...you're okay!" Both girls embraced each other before breaking apart, "How did you get here?"
"I...I was already in the castle and…" Slaine shook her head and pointed to the orange kataphrakt, "What about them? Are they okay?" "Oh!" Asseylum ducked down to peer into the compartment, "Inaho...do you need help getting out?" Slaine looked inside the kataphrakt as well, just to see what the pilot looked like. Despite the fact that he was hanging upside down and one of his eyes was closed, she couldn't help but think that he was at least a little bit cute. But only a little bit! Inaho mumbled something too low for her to hear but Asseylum appeared to be able to hear him perfectly fine, "Slaine, can you help me?"
"Y-yes, Your Highness." She nodded. As she reached inside to unclasp the harness a shot rang out. She heard Asseylum cry out and the thud of a body to the floor. Slaine twisted around, gasping when she saw the princess slumped on the ground. So much blood….
She drew out her pistol and faced where the shots had come from.
"Count Saazbaum!" She cried.
"Guess the daughter saved me too. Thank you, Slaine." Saazbaum smirked as he lowered his pistol. For some reason Slaine felt no fear as she pointed her gun at the count.
"Don't thank me yet." She growled, "Do you know what you've just done?" Without waiting for an answer she fired twice. The first bullet entered his skull, killing him instantly. The second bullet bounced off the wall and flew somewhere harmless. As Slaine turned from the lifeless body of the count she heard again the thud of a body to the floor. She saw Inaho sprawled out on the ground trying to crawl towards Princess Asseylum. She knelt down and extended her hand, "You needn't crawl like that, Orange."
"Bat…" Inaho smiled dryly, letting her help him over to Princess Asseylum. They knelt by her motionless body, with the kataphrakt pilot putting a finger on her throat to feel for a pulse, "Good news, she isn't dead yet."
"Thank goodness!" Slaine nearly cried from relief. Her princess would be okay!
"We need to get her to the Deucalion." Inaho began struggling to get up, holding one of Princess Asseylum's arms.
"The Deucalion?" Slaine stood as well, holding the royal's other arm, "What is that?"
"Our ship. We have a doctor on board that'll be able to help her." He nodded as they stumbled past the doorway and into the hallway. Once out there they ran into two other Terran kataphrakt pilots.
"Inaho!? What happened to Her Highness!?" The older one that looked like an older version of Inaho gasped at the sight of them. She seemed to completely ignore the fact that Slaine was there as she took the limp princess from them.
"Count Saazbaum shot her. He was a traitor to the crown and I...I…" Slaine stuttered on her words as the two newcomers eyed her with surprise and alarm.
"Bat, here, saved my life. Twice now actually." Inaho put a hand on her shoulder. Instantly she felt her face heat up.
"N-n-no time to talk about that we have to save Princess Asseylum!" Slaine cried. Without another word they took off.
The foursome ran through the hallways of the now deactivated Landing Castle towards the Deucalion. Fear and worry permeated the air around them, all directed towards Princess Asseylum. She was running out of time and they all knew it.
"There!" The other kataphrakt pilot, Inko, pointed at the huge gash in the Landing Castle that the Deucalion.
"That's a...big ship." Slaine breathed. Sure she'd seen it rise from Tanegashima but up close it was even bigger than she expected. They entered the ship without seeing much of anybody. Slaine found that odd but was thankful that she didn't have to face any soldiers just yet.
"We have to find Dr. Yagari, quickly." Yuki glanced back an Inaho and Slaine with fear filled eyes, "Nao, contact the bridge and tell them to send him down to the med bay if he's not already there."
"Rodger." Inaho picked up a small walky-talky on the shoulder off his uniform and began to talk into it, "Control this is Inaho Kaizuka. We need Dr. Yagari down here immediately. Princess Asseylum has been critically injured." There was a crackle of static, a garbled voice, "I'm sorry could you repeat that?"
"I asked...what's the….tent...injuries?" An authoritative female voice made it's way through.
"I believe she's asking for the extent of Her Highness's injuries." Slaine piped up, immediately regretting it when all eyes landed on her again.
"Gunshot wounds to the chest and head. She appears to be unconscious." Inaho reported. Yuki laid the princess down on the floor of the hallway, using her knees as a pillow. Slaine nervously knelt down next to her as Inaho continued talking with the voice.
"So...you saved my brother's life, huh?" Yuki asked suddenly.
"I...I..guess I did." Slaine knew her face must've been as red as the surface of Vers, "Orange...or..uh...Inaho...is your brother?"
"Yes." Yuki smiled softly at her, "What's your name?"
"S-Slaine Troyard." She swallowed the lump in her throat as she answered.
"Slaine...that's a pretty name." Inaho's voice startled her into shrieking and falling onto her back. He blinked down at her with a slightly surprised look on his face before extending his hand towards her, "I'm sorry that must've surprised you."
"I...uh...yeah." Hesitantly she took his hand, letting him draw her to her feet, "Thanks?"
"You're welcome." He shrugged. Slaine's head swam, the recent events catching up with her. Her legs gave out from under her. She would've tumbled to the ground if not for Inaho catching her and holding her close to his chest. If her face could've turned redder it would've.
"S-sorry.." She didn't know why she was apologizing. A part of her guessed it was from the years spent under the scrutinous eye of Count Cruhteo.
"Don't be. You look exhausted." Yuki sighed, running her hands absentmindedly through Princess Asseylum's hair. Well, she was right she WAS rather tired. Until now there had been so much adrenaline in her system that she didn't have time to register her fatigue. However, now that the excitement had dimmed it was taking it's toll. Her eyes began to droop despite her need to stay awake to ensure Asseylum's safety.
"But I...need to...Princess Asseylum…" She rubbed at her eyes, willing herself to stay awake.
"She'll be fine once Dr. Yagari get's here." Inaho tightened his grip on her as he slid down to the floor, "I'll wake you once she's out of danger."
"Oh..okay…" Slaine's eyes finally fell shut, succumbing to her desire to sleep.
As she drifted into darkness she couldn't help but feel that everything was going to be okay….and that Inaho made a really comfy pillow.