Notes on Chapter 1:

Firstly, in case you didn't notice, I'm a stickler for details and continuity. As such, on a recent re-read of the books, I discovered that the Council Chairman was named in both books 3 and 4 (in between such being where this story takes place), so I had to demote Bavol to Council archivist. This was edited into the prologue; it doesn't change the story at all, other than changing his title.

Secondly, some people asked me about the summary of "Ardagh Chalice" that Root gives to the Council in the prologue. Yes, there are some details mentioned there that are not yet posted in S'Eleene Paris's story yet. As of this posting, she has mostly finished Chapter 8 of her "Ardagh Chalice", which contains most of what I've mentioned. Should I need to modify anything further for continuity, I will do so. I apologize if anyone got part of her story spoiled by reading my prologue.

Thirdly, I hae added another pairing to the mix: Root/Vinyáya I was debating it for a while with a few scenes that I have planned, and S'Eleene Paris convinced me to go ahead and make it a full-fledged pairing-off. The beginnings of the flirtation can be found in this chapter.

Lastly, I have my entire plot summary finished, so I will be proceeding with the writing in an orderly fashion, excepting holidays (such as last week) where I get busy cooking and spending time with the family. So you can expect regular updates of chapters approximately this length (10 pages when paragraph spaced in OpenOffice). I expect there to be thirteen chapters, plus a prologue and an epilogue. There may be a few more chapters, depending on how long some of the scenes towards the end wind up being.


Chapter 1 – Damage Control

Antechamber near the Council Chambers

"So," Wing Commander Vinyáya said, settling into a comfortable chair, "I assume you know why the Council designated me to handle this situation?"

Commander Root nodded, seating himself across a table from her. "You head up Section Eight."

She smiled back. "Indeed I do, and there is no group of the People better equipped or trained for this sort of predicament. How much do you know about us?"

"Not a lot. I know you're part of the L.E.P., but only just. You handle high-risk and high-security missions. There are rumors about a broader mandate, but I haven't heard anything official."

Vinyáya nodded. "You're quite well-informed, Commander. Indeed, we do have a larger mandate, but since it does not relate to the task at hand, there is no need to get into the details. Suffice it to say that we have the resources and freedom of action necessary for handling situations like this. However, I do not want to exclude the L.E.P. Recon division from this entirely, especially since one of your officers is at the center."

"I appreciate that, Council Member."

"I'm going to ask you a rhetorical question, Commander. What are the two rules that no fairy is allowed to break, even members of the L.E.P.?"

Root blinked. "Using the mesmer or mind-wipe technology on another fairy. As useful as they would be to intelligence-gathering and rehabilitation, they are just too prone to abuse. Are you saying that... ?"

Vinyáya smiled wickedly. "Yes, Commander, I am. Because Section Eight is so close to the Council, in the form of myself, we are allowed to break those restrictions if the Council deems it appropriate. And in this case, I don't see that we have much of a choice, do you?"

Root shook his head. "No, I don't. But still, how are we going to pull something like this off? We don't even know how many people Grub told about this."

Vinyáya pushed a small button on the table. "Well, Commander, as his superior officer, I believe you can arrange for a meeting."

With a quiet knock on the door, a younger elf dressed in formal attire entered the room. "Yes, Council Member?"

"Ah, Qadim, thank you for coming so quickly. Qadim Kiet, Commander Julius Root of the L.E.P. Recon division. Qadim, if you would kindly arrange for transport to Police Plaza for the two of us?"

"Certainly, ma'am," the aide responded, bowing and exiting the room.

Root shifted in his seat. "I think we'll need to bring my technical specialist, Foaly, in on this. Will that be okay?"

"Of course, Commander."

Root smiled. "We'll need to have a chat with Grub, too. Let me take care of that now." He reached down to his belt and detached his field radio, depressing the Talk button.

"Root to base."

"Base here. Go ahead Commander, Root."

"I'm heading back to headquarters. Find Lieutenant Kelp and bring him to my office."

"Aye, Commander. When do you want him to report?"

"I said bring him to my office. Not report."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Aye, Commander, he will be waiting in your office."

"That is all. Root out."

He reattached the radio to his belt and stood. "Let's go."

L.E.P. Headquarters, Police Plaza

A closed fist banged on the door frame. Lieutenant J.G. Grub Kelp sat bolt-upright in his chair, quickly closing the magazine that he was reading. "Wh- what is it?"

A gruff-looking Sergeant stood in the doorway, taking up most of the space. "Root wants ta see you, Grub," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

Grub gulped, stashing the magazine in a drawer, and stood up. His chair banged against the back wall. "Let me just -"

"Now, Grub," the Sergeant grunted. "He sounded pretty mad. Don't keep him waiting."

"Right," Grub agreed. "Bad idea. I'll just head on up there, I think..."


A soft beep came from the doorway.

"Come in."

Commander Root and Wing Commander Vinyáya began to squeeze into the small room.

"Hello, Foaly," Root said, "keeping busy?"

"Always, Julius," the centaur said without turning around. "I'd tell you to pull up a chair, but -"

Vinyáya coughed slightly, and Foaly turned.

"Oh, hello, Council Member Vinyáya," he said, hooves clacking as his hindquarters shifted. "Sorry about the chair joke. What can I do for you two?"

Root stepped completely into the room, and the door closed behind him. "We need to have a private talk, Foaly. Is this room secure?"

"'Is this room secure,' he asks?" Foaly chuckled, pointing to a green light above the door that had gone on when the door closed. "As long as that light is on, Commander, this room is secure against all forms of surveillance that I know of. And I know all of them." He adjusted his tinfoil hat. "So what do you need to talk about?"

"Council Member?" Root prompted.

"Specialist Foaly, we have a rather sensitive problem, and we need your assistance and expertise," Vinyáya elaborated. "It has to do with Captain Short, and her Metamorphosis Ritual."

Foaly nodded. "With Artemis Fowl, yeah. That would raise a few hairs with the conservatives."

Vinyáya chuckled. "It did more than raise hairs. Some of the Council members used some fairly strong language. Unfortunately, they are right about one thing. If word of this gets out, the L.E.P. will appear to be supporting this sort of cross-species mixing with surface-dwellers. Personal views on the matter aside, that would discredit the L.E.P. in the eyes of quite a few of the People, and that's something we simply cannot allow to happen."

Foaly frowned. "I can see how that would be a problem. Listen, I know I'm a civilian, so you can't technically give me an order, but I'm not about to tell anyone about -"

Root cut him off with a wave of his hand. "You're not the problem, Foaly. Grub is."

"Oh... D'Avrit."


Lieutenant Kelp sat in a rusty chair in Commander Root's office. Like most of the things in the office, it was there to be used, not admired. He nervously twiddled his thumbs, trying to figure out what he had done this time to earn the ire of his boss. Admittedly, Commander Rootwas easy to irritate, but this one just felt somehow worse.

He had been waiting for about fifteen minutes, and was starting to get skittish. Normally, when Root wanted to rake him over the coals, he was right there waiting to do the chewing out. For some reason, this time he wasn't, which only made Kelp more nervous.

The door slid open with a soft hiss, and Root stormed in.

Grub gulped. Root was very, very red, but was smiling, which meant that he was looking forward to this. Before the door closed, Foaly trotted into the office as well, heading over to the corner as Root walked around his desk. Finally, a third person walked into the room; a female elf, dressed in a matte black uniform with no adornments or rank insignia. By the way she settled into a chair across from Grub and exchanged a look with Root, he could tell that she was in charge here.

And he was in trouble.

Root lit one of his fungus cigars and pointed at the female. "Lieutenant J.G. Kelp, this is Wing Commander Vinyáya, a Council member and the head of L.E.P. Section Eight. She wants to ask you some questions. I suggest you answer them."

Vinyáya brushed her dark brown hair off of her forehead and looked straight at Grub with a piercing glare.

"Lieutenant Kelp, I want to talk to you about the Ardagh Chalice incident. Specifically, Captain Short's Metamorphosis Ritual. Even more specifically, we need to know who you have told about her choice in partner."

Grub looked around the room frantically. Foaly was staring off into space, not really paying attention. Root was chomping on his cigar and glaring. And Vinyáya was looking very intently at him, waiting for his answer. "I... I told a few of my co-workers about it, just as a kind of 'you're not going to believe this' sort of thing... that's all, really."

Vinyáya blinked slowly. "Go on."

"Look, just a few people, okay? I can make a list if you want..."

Root grunted. "Do that."

"The problem here, Lieutenant Kelp, is that the Council has decided to suppress this information, due to the sensitive nature and the potential for embarrassment on the part of the L.E.P.," Vinyáya explained.

Grub's throat suddenly became very dry. "But that means..."

Root chuckled. "Yes, Grub, it means the Council isn't too happy with you right now. Have that list on my desk by the end of your shift. Oh, and Grub?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Keep your mouth shut. It's not too late for you to go back on Traffic duty. Now get out of here."

Grub made a hasty exit.

Vinyáya smirked. "You enjoyed that, didn't you, Commander?"

Root puffed on his cigar. "Yes, I suppose I did. The humans have a saying: 'loose lips sink ships'. That Lieutenant needs to learn whatever the fairy equivalent is. Maybe a good scare will help the message sink in."

Foaly chimed in. "I don't think that one will ever learn the meaning of restraint. I'm still not sure why you keep him around, Commander."

Root shook his head, chomping on his cigar. "Sometimes I think his brother fudges his performance evals. But Trouble is too good to get rid of. At least one member of that family is competent..."

"Gentlemen," Vinyáya interrupted, "we should head to Section Eight so that we can start planning the operation."

"Of course, Wing Commander," Root replied, standing and stubbing his cigar out.

L.E.P. Transport Vehicle, Haven City

The transport rocked from side to side as the driver dodged flying sprites who were attempting to maneuver above ground-level traffic. Because the transport was large enough to accommodate an entire L.E.P. squad and their equipment, flying sprites were right about at eye level for the driver, who was doing his best to avoid the flying obstacles.

"Ihate this transport," complained Foaly, to no one in particular.

Root chuckled. "It's not our fault you can't use the regular bucket seats in a patrol car, pony-boy."

"Yeah, Commander, but you at least get to sit down. I have to hang on to these bloody straps while --- WOAH!" Foaly swayed off to one side as the transport driver dodged a particularly maneuverable sprite.

Vinyáya could be seen stifling a laugh behind her hand. "Specialist Foaly, I do apologize for this, but it's quite urgent."

"I know Council Member, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Commander, could you at least tell me why I have to get dragged along like this?"

Root shot a glance at Vinyáya, who nodded.

"Foaly, we need your technical expertise on this one. You know the situation, but you don't know all of it. Let's just say that Section Eight can go a bit above and beyond what the L.E.P. is normally allowed to do as far as memory modification. Those people on Grub's list are going to be in for a visit from some experts. And we need your help making sure that it not only goes well, but that nobody remembers anything we don't want them to. This sort of thing is right up your alley, and you're the best their is." A little flattery won't hurt, Root thought.

The centaur brushed his chest hair a bit, preening slightly. "Well," he said, "I suppose I can't argue with that."

Vinyáya smirked. "And our technical specialist is absolutely dying to meet you. He's a big fan of your work."

"Well, now," Foaly said, fairly prancing and suitably mollified. "I'm always eager to meet an admirer."

"Yes, admirer..." Vinyáya seemed to be enjoying a private joke.

"Anyways, Wing Commander, how exactly are we going to pull something like this off?" Root interjected. "There could easily be a dozen people on Grub's list, plus all the people they've blabbed to."

"Well, we do have some advantages. I believe Holly is still being seen at Burdeh Memorial, is she not?"

Root nodded. "Yes, she is. How did you - Oh, that's right, you know Captain Short from her Academy days, don't you?"

"Yes, I was her flight instructor. She was a brash, arrogant, rule-breaker, and probably the officer with the most potential out of her entire class."

"Hasn't changed much, has she?" Root grunted, chewing on his lip, since L.E.P. vehicles were designated as No Smoking.

"No, Commander, she hasn't. But her staying at Burdeh Hospital is no accident."

"How so, Wing Commander? I was under the impression that we chose it for reputation."

Vinyáya smiled. "Of course, Commander Root. But where do you think that impression comes from?" She turned towards the centaur. "Specialist Foaly, you know who Burdeh was, correct?"

"Nan Burdeh. Council Chairman about five hundred years ago, left a sizable chunk of her money to start up the hospital, so they named it after her."

"Your memory does you credit, Specialist. That, at least, is the public story. In truth, she saw from her Council position that there would come times where the L.E.P. would need to use methods more heavy-handed or subtle than standard police practice would allow for. So she created Section Eight to handle the ... situations." Foaly and Root could tell that something was being glossed over here, but dismissed it as unimportant for now.

"Burdeh was a billionaire, and she invested her money wisely. Yes, she provided public funding for the hospital. But she also funded several private research companies and electronics manufacturing plants, as well as magical research institutes and archival libraries. Section Eight has unlimited access to these facilities, which – of course – are the best that there is. And the bulk of her money is invested wisely, with Section Eight operating off of the interest, and therefore receiving a great deal more than its public budget would indicate."

Vinyáya took a deep breath. "Obviously, all of this information is to be treated as highly classified. I trust you both, but I do not believe that any more members of the L.E.P. proper will need to be brought into the loop on this. If that changes, we'll handle it as it comes."

Root and Foaly both nodded.

"Good," Vinyáya smiled. "Now to the task at hand. We need to come up with a way to detain the individuals who know about this situation, and in such a way that a short absence on their part will not be questioned. We do have Burdeh Hospital available; there are enough members of my group on staff there that we can carry out the memory modification phase of the operation there. And before you ask, Commander, no we can't make an exception for Grub and leave him in a holding cell for the rest of his natural life."

Root turned very red, although he didn't seem to be angry. "I didn't -"

"I know, Commander," Vinyáya said, reaching over and patting him on the arm. "I was joking."

Root said nothing, turning redder and chewing on his lip more intently.

"Excuse me, Wing Commander," came a voice from the driver's compartment of the vehicle. "We're there."

"Good," replied Vinyáya, standing up as the transport came to a stop. She opened the sliding panel on the side of the vehicle, revealing a decrepit, abandoned-looking warehouse in a seedy part of Haven City.

"Welcome to Section Eight, gentlemen."

Foaly blinked and snorted as he squeezed out of the vehicle, happy to not be swinging around in traffic. "This must be some kind of joke. It's not my birthday; what are you two up to?"

Root grabbed a cigar off the case on his belt and lit it, inhaling deeply. The artificial breeze wafted the foul-smelling fumes away before the centaur had a chance to complain. "Cool it, pony boy."

Foaly grunted, but didn't respond.

Wing Commander Vinyáya walked over to a large set of double doors, ancient-looking things still on hinges, which were locked with the mechanical sort of device that humans referred to as a padlock. She extracted a key from a pouch on her belt and opened the lock, removing it from the doorway and tossing it to the driver, who had by now exited the vehicle. "Thank you. If you'll lock up when we're inside, you are dismissed."

The driver saluted. "Yes, ma'am."

"Gentlemen, please come in," she said, opening the creaking doors to reveal an unlit hallway, with a rusty metal floor. The walls had been painted at some point, but so much mold had grown on them that it was impossible to tell what color the paint originally was. As the trio entered the hallway, the driver closed the door behind them, and the lock could be heard closing with an ominous click.

Their eyes slowly adjusted to the darkened corridor, which looked even worse than it had initially appeared. Mold was growing on the walls, the floor was rusted, and there was water dripping slowly from parts of the ceiling. The only light was from Root's cigar, which cast a pale, red patch of light barely a few feet down the hall.

Vinyáya pulled a small box from her pouch and flicked it on. Clear white light from a halogen bulb illuminated the corridor ahead of them.

"That just makes it look worse," Foaly said, covering his nostrils. "Can we get on with this, please?"

Vinyáya chuckled. "Right this way, then." She began to walk the three fairies through a series of deserted-looking hallways, past torn-up offices and into the main storage area of the warehouse. It looked completely empty. She confirmed this by sweeping her luma around the room. "This place is perfect. Anyone snooping around would go nuts; there's absolutely nothing to see here. Or so it would appear..."

She walked over to a patch of floor that appeared no different from any of the others and tapped her boot in a particular rhythm. Suddenly, the floor began to lower. Foaly, having the advantage of four legs, barely missed a beat, but Root almost pitched over, and had to be steadied by the Wing Commander.

They were apparently standing on a hydraulic platform that was sinking into the floor. As the platform descended, they could see a brightly-lit corridor appearing below them. Finally, the elevator stopped with a click, and a sterile-looking hallway opened up, leading to a heavily-reinforced door. As the trio walked off the platform, it began to rise back up, out of sight.

Foaly looked around, clearly impressed. Root said nothing, but continued to puff on his cigar. Vinyáya walked up to the door and said in a clear voice, "Authorization Vinyáya, alpha four two gamma. Two guests."

The door opened without a sound, although their ears popped slightly. "Negative pressure," Foaly said. "I like the security already."

Entering the doorway, they could see mirrored one-way glass on either side of them, floor to ceiling. In front of them was a matching sealed door to the one behind them, which closed as soon as all three were inside the room. There were no handles or control panels at all; clearly this was a security intake room.

A recessed speaker crackled to life. "Good afternoon, Wing Commander Vinyáya. Welcome back, and greetings to your guests. Our scans show them to both be L.E.P. officers – Specialist Foaly and Commander Root, correct?"

"Yes, Sergeant, that is affirmative," Vinyáya responded.

"Very good, Wing Commander. If you'll please finish the identification procedure?"

A panel in the wall opened up, revealing a gadget that looked like a pair of binoculars mounted on a post. "Retinal imager," Vinyáya explained, looking directly into the eyepieces. "Also, there are a series of coded blinks used, which are completely unobservable by anyone except the one doing the blinking. Good enough for you, Foaly?"

"Yes, I think that would take care of most impostors," the centaur replied.

"Wing Commander, I'm going to have you to blame for his next budget request," Root complained, chewing on his cigar.

Vinyáya chuckled as the other door opened. "Come in, Gentlemen. We're done with security procedures, and it's time to get down to business here."

Root grunted and stubbed out his cigar, which he had finished. "About time."

They walked down the hallway, which looked as clean as a hospital. It was brushed aluminum and very modern-looking. Nameplates were clearly visible on offices and meeting rooms as they passed. Finally, they reached a name placard reading "Vinyáya". The Wing Commander pressed her thumb to a plate where a handle would normally be. A lock clicked, and the door opened quietly.

The trio entered her office, which was sparsely decorated, with wooden paneling and a fashionable-looking oak desk. As Commander Root sat in one of the available chairs, Foaly took up a spot in the corner, with Vinyáya taking her place behind her desk.

She pressed a button on her intercom. "Sergeant, would you tell Sweet Pea that I'm back, please?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Root blinked. "Sweet Pea?"

"Yes," Vinyáya chuckled, "Sweet Pea. Pixies sometimes choose strange names for themselves, don't they? Foaly, he's the fan of yours that I was telling you about."

"A pixie?" Foaly snorted. "I'm overjoyed."

Suddenly, the office door slid open. A black blur ran into the room.

"welcome back boss lady hope everything went well good to see you hey I finally finished that flashy thingy project I was telling you – OOF"

The blur ran headlong into Foaly in the corner, as it was trying to avoid the chairs to get closer to Wing Commander Vinyáya As it stopped, it became clear that the blur was a very fast-moving (and fast-talking) pixie, barely more than two feet tall. It took a breath, and got right back to talking.

"hello horsie anyways boss lady I finished the project and I hope we can use it and -"

"Yes, Sweet Pea, thank you," Vinyáya interrupted.

Root's eyes were wide open by now, and Foaly's mouth was opening and closing, almost in reverence of the sheer energy displayed by this pixie.

"Sweet Pea, this is Commander Julius Root and Technical Specialist Foaly. I know you've wanted to meet Foaly for a long time, at least. You'll be working with them on our current operation."

"ooh big horsey is Foaly I did not know that hey it's good to meet you I took your idea about time stops and used the same thing to store mesmer energy in batteries and I finally got it working after a few accidents with test subjects having all their neurons scrambled and ..."

Foaly looked over at Root, agape.

"... that was bad and all but we tested it on mostly monkeys so it wasn't really a big deal and all but anyways I thought you would be interested to know ..."

Root threw back his head and laughed. "Foaly, my friend, the best part about this is that you're going to have to work with somebody as annoying as you are."