Emmet's brother had kept to himself ever since he arrived from the Imperial Army. No one really bugged him, but the soldiers were naturally curious about him, especially Skyla and Grimsley who often asked him a subtle personal question here and there. So far, the brothers had not had the chance to talk about what's happened to them over the two years that passed, but that time would come. They already had a task on their hands, and Emmet wanted to impress both his superior officer and older brother by completing it astoundingly.
Colress sent them out first thing in the morning. He wanted Ingo to get a feel for his new Zoid and role as quickly as possible, and he thought it best for Emmet to accompany him. What they had to do was simple: investigate a nearby ruin for a rare substance that had been discovered there. It turns out Colress had heard from other researchers that Zoid Magnite had been found in ruins that once were part of Imperial territory. They lay outside the nation's boundaries now, so anyone could enter for exploration. What he wanted with this element was a mystery, since he didn't appear to have any use for it beyond studying it. Still, it was a chance for Ingo and Emmet to be together and maybe catch up a little.
The early afternoon sun was bright, but the Zoids' specially coated canopies reduced the amount of glare that came in, so the pilots would not have to worry about becoming blinded. The pair walked along side by side, Emmet keeping an eye on his brother to see how he was doing. They departed not long ago, and their progress was steady, but they still did not have the ruins in their sights.
As was his style, Ingo kept himself silent as he focused on piloting. His Saber Tiger, so far not giving him any trouble, felt like the previous Tiger he had piloted in the Empire. The controls were all the same as well. He also refrained from modifying it in any way, so it still looked exactly like Emmet's.
"It was exciting to watch you climb into the cockpit," Emmet had pointed out. The incessant quiet annoyed him and he really wanted to have a conversation with his less talkative brother.
"Mm, I suppose. It didn't feel at all special, if I'm honest."
"Maybe it was exciting for me," Emmet replied, "since I've never seen you in a Zoid before."
"I could say the same about you." There was the slightest hint of friendly sarcasm in that sentence. Ingo couldn't help but act like a smart aleck toward his brother once in a while. It felt strange, then, to be able to speak without watching his tongue. He was so used to making sure his conduct was appropriate while in the military that he nearly forgot what it was like to say something without thinking about it first. Being around his brother made Ingo feel truly free, to truly be himself.
"Yeah, right!" Emmet laughed, not at all bothered by Ingo's witty observation. "But, come on, you have to have noticed something about that Saber Tiger."
Ingo couldn't understand what Emmet was trying to get at. To him, a Zoid was a Zoid the same way the handgun he carried was only a handgun. What exactly was unique about it? "Why are you insisting on this? I already told you, Emmet. The Zoid feels fine to me."
"No, no, I mean can't you tell it apart from your first Saber Tiger at all?"
No response came from Ingo, only silence that was shared between the two. Emmet was rather surprised that his twin could not find anything distinctive about the Zoid he was piloting, unlike Emmet who could sense differences easily. Perhaps, with Ingo, he just needed more time before he could feel anything. It's true that he only had a few hours with his Zoid, so he could not make a fair assessment.
Not hearing a thing from Ingo, Emmet began to explain. "It's just that I could feel like my Zoid had a personality all its own right when I got into the cockpit. I guess you need more time before you can feel anything from yours."
"Emmet, I've never felt anything like that with any Zoid I've piloted," Ingo said, very matter-of-factly.
That came as a shock to Emmet more than anything else. He gaped and stared at the Saber Tiger beside him as if he was staring right at Ingo. It was so hard for him to believe what he had just heard— no, he couldn't believe it, and he refused to.
"Um, why haven't you?" he wondered, sounding uneasy as he wasn't sure what he'd hear next.
Ingo was puzzled, and it was apparent in his speech when he asked in return, "Why should I? Actually, why do you feel like your Zoid is… a living individual?"
"Maybe because it is one?" Emmet answered, the words he spoke being the obvious truth to him. That's where both brothers differed. While one believed in the sentience of Zoids, the other did not. Emmet really had no idea that his brother thought in such a way, and he found it hard to swallow. A part of him wanted to convince him otherwise, and another felt that leaving his brother with his own opinions was the right thing to do.
Emmet decided it best to lead the conversation to a peaceful end and did so without another word coming out of either of them. The afternoon and their trek drew on, fruitless, until a dark mass slowly crept into their field of vision far in the distance.
"Hey, do you see what I see?" the younger of the two asked for confirmation. His older sibling merely grunted in response, but it was the confirmation he wanted. "It looks like Colress wasn't kidding."
"The Commander, you mean?"
"Yeah, of course the Commander. What's with you?"
"I'm sorry, I must've forgotten. I'm not used to using first names, after all." Ingo was apologetic in tone and hoped he wouldn't slip up like that in the future. He was so sure he had remembered everyone else's names, too.
The pair informed Colress of their progress and was instructed to proceed into the ruins carefully. As a scientist, he wished to leave what remained of the structure intact for any possible study he, or other scientific groups, might want to conduct in the future.
The ruins sprawled out wide, scattered and broken. This was a much larger structure than Ingo and Emmet had imagined. Some of it ran beneath the surface, but most of it was above ground, eroded. It looked as though this was once a dwelling for an important family, or some sort of government building; some parts of the ruin were still standing and Emmet could note some pillars and columns still keeping their walls and ceilings up after so many years. There looked like there had once been an enormous chamber in the center of the ruins and it led deeper inside. The Zoid Magnite could possibly be within the crumbling room.
Emmet figured that he could fit his Zoid in it, and he boldly tried much to Ingo's discouragement. Oddly enough, there was enough space for the Saber Tiger, and according to Emmet's discovery there was much more room once he cleared a passage.
"Enough for mine as well?" Ingo asked reluctantly, already knowing the answer.
"Yup. Definitely. This room must have been made for Zoids, no doubt about it."
The confidence that flowed from Emmet's words over the radio made Ingo feel as though his brother was too cocky for his own good, but he could not think that Emmet was somehow mistaken and giving inaccurate information. Cautiously, Ingo's Saber Tiger followed Emmet's trail into the ruin. The light that poured in from the broken roof dimmed increasingly with each step he took, until he was completely enclosed from all sides except his back and front. There was no turning space, so if he encountered a problem he'd need to back his Zoid up rather than turn and run. He kept Colress' instructions in mind and knew the ruins had to be left virtually untouched.
At the end of the passageway, he was met by his brother who was patiently waiting for him. Ingo took a good look around the room and agreed with Emmet that it must have been used to house Zoids in the past. The sheer size of the room was mind-boggling, and the fact that it was in decent condition for being considered a ruin was also surprising.
The twins made their way deeper into the structure, careful to not brush against or step on anything. It was then that Emmet remembered his short conversation with Ingo and felt the urge to continue with it, but as luck would have it, his brother interrupted his thoughts.
"I know this might sound odd," he said, "but doesn't it feel like someone has been here?"
"Huh? Well, probably," Emmet answered, somewhat distracted.
"Recently, I mean. I even see some tracks in the dirt."
Emmet peered ahead, narrowing his eyes but not noticing anything of the sort. Even the magnification screen aboard his Zoid could not help. "I see nothing."
"I certainly do, and perhaps whoever came here was in search of Zoid Magnite, as we are," Ingo added, absolutely convinced. In order to be an Imperial soldier, he needed to learn to identify the many different tracks left by Zoids, especially those used by the Republican military. Needless to say this knowledge came in handy, and he was putting it to use in this very situation.
"Also, I can safely say that these are likely to belong to a Rev Raptor, or maybe a Gun Sniper, but the probability of the latter wandering so close to Imperial territory is low."
"You sound a lot like Colress," teased Emmet, not apparently taking the whole thing seriously, but he was aware of his brother's powers of observation and thought it was best to proceed with caution. "Okay, I'll take your word for it. So you think there might not be any more Zoid Magnite?"
Ingo wasn't sure of the answer, but he suggested to keep that possibility in mind. No need to get their hopes up, after all. Rather than continuing to wonder, they started off again, further into the ruin to find out whether or not they could complete their mission successfully.
The large room stretched out very far, and seemed to sink steadily as they went on. The desert had consumed much of what was visible of the ruins, but there was no telling what lay beneath the sand. The darkness deepened, and the two pilots had to tread more carefully than before. The light that beamed out from their Zoids' optics illuminated a bit of the path ahead, but everything outside of that beam was dark — unknown and potentially dangerous.
The quiet that surrounded them was equally unnerving; not even the sound of the desert winds reached their ears. The only sounds they could hear, but were by now too used to them to notice, were the heavy, dull steps their Zoids took.
"Ingo, it's getting darker and harder to move around in here," Emmet pointed out. "I think we'll have to go on foot the rest of the way."
The older sibling agreed. "You might be right. I wouldn't know how far we should go on our own, however."
A pause in the shared dialogue meant that Emmet was thinking the same thing, not knowing what to say to his brother. He wasn't sure either, especially since he had never set foot in these ruins in his life. It was very clear to them both, though, that they could not go much farther on account of the darkness of their environment. The flashlights they carried would not do them very good in the pitch black.
"We should tell Colress abo—" Emmet was interrupted mid-sentence by a chilling cry. He was unsure if it really came from within the ruin, but Ingo confirmed he had heard it as well, asking what in the world that could have been.
Instinctively, Emmet and Ingo readied their weapons for whatever might come their way. Ingo was right, they were not alone. But whatever had made that sound must have been in some sort of distress.
"Let's check it out!" Emmet announced as he moved ahead, half cautious and half urgent. Before him a flash caught his eye, and the moment he shifted his gaze to observe it, a projectile impacted the dirt only feet away from him. His Zoid lurched back and it was then that he saw a Rev Raptor fast approaching, its blades out, ready for combat.
"Emmet!" Ingo called. "There's a person down there!" He shone the Zoid's optic lights right on the sighted individual, and he could see them much clearer.
From what he could gather, it was a girl, and she appeared to be terrified. She stood scared between the Saber Tigers and the Rev Raptor, and Ingo could only guess that she was running away from the attacker. The Rev Raptor took aim at her, and it was then that Ingo's instincts took over. He leaped forward and had the Saber Tiger crouch over her to shield her from the incoming shot, but as the Rev Raptor fired, it was taken down by Emmet. A lucky break, although the Raptor's round grazed Ingo's Zoid lightly.
"Ingo, are you okay?!" Emmet's voice was riddled with concern even though he knew his brother had not taken serious damage.
"I'm fine," the other responded quickly before opening the canopy and rushing out of his Zoid. Thanks to the optic lights produced by Emmet's Saber Tiger, Ingo could get a better look at the stranger and evaluate her condition. She didn't appear to have any sort of injuries but was visibly very scared. "We're going to help you. Are you all right?"
"There's no time! They're after me!" she frantically said, getting up and already taking cover behind the Saber Tiger's leg. She was too anxious to get a hold of, but alerted Ingo of the danger that emerged from the shadows with a yelp, and right when Emmet caught sight of it as well.
A pair of Rev Raptors came in running, but Emmet swiftly shot them down before they could unleash their own firepower. His radar had detected others nearby, converging on their location.
"We've got company!" Emmet announced, urging Ingo to hurry so they could leave before worse came to worst.
The older sibling took the stranger's arm and lead her to his Saber Tiger's cockpit. "Come on, get in."
"What?!" She glanced at the lack of space, then back at Ingo, shaking her head. "You're kidding! There's only one seat!"
"That doesn't matter!" Ingo barked back, insisting that she follow him. He grabbed her hand firmly as he began to climb into the cockpit, helping her scale the Zoid's face despite her reluctance. He took his seat and pleaded with her to hurry, but she was confused and uncooperative.
"You want me to sit on you?! But you won't be able to see where you're going! I can't—"
A projectile raced right at them and impacted the Saber Tiger's shoulder, nearly sending the girl off the Zoid. Ingo managed to grab a hold of her before she fell, and without further argument he forcibly stuffed her into the cockpit with him and shut the canopy. Emmet opened fire on the attackers that came forth, having a harder time neutralizing them as they came in larger numbers.
"Emmet, I'm ready," Ingo said as coolly as he could. "Cease fire and retreat!"
"You go on ahead, I'll cover you!"
Emmet had been doing a good job of keeping the Rev Raptors busy while Ingo used that opportunity to escape, but more and more Rev Raptors poured in and Emmet could no longer use up what remained of his ammunition. Furthermore, the ruin was a terrible place for physical combat. Ingo headed out through the compressing passage with Emmet not far behind. He could not get a good look of what was in front of him since the girl was blocking much of the view, even as hunched over and contorted as she was.
The Saber Tigers cleared the passage and continued on far beyond the ruins. The harsh sunlight did not bother them at all; they were focused on getting as far away from the ruins as possible. It then dawned on Emmet that they were not being pursued. He stopped and looked back, seeing nothing but desert. It was odd. He was sure they would give chase.
"Ingo, I think they've stayed behind."
"Why wouldn't they come after us?"
Emmet shrugged. "They could've been sleepers. They usually stay in the area they're supposed to protect. We're well out of their territory now."
Ingo wasn't convinced of that. In fact, he believed that the Zoids were piloted by humans, and their reason for being at the ruins quite possibly could have been a bad one. After all, they tried to chase someone out and even attempted to kill her. Ingo had slowed only a little, focused on getting the girl to safety and not wanting to give trouble a chance to catch up to them. Emmet was further behind them, apparently now matching Ingo's speed and keeping his distance.
"I really have to thank you for saving me back there…" the girl sighed, a little uneasy, but genuinely thankful. "If you hadn't come along when you did, I would've been done for!"
"You didn't expect us to leave you there, did you?" Ingo asked her, but both knew the answer to that question.
"At first I thought you had shown up to surround me… I guess I was wrong." She smiled, in part out of amusement at her own foolish thinking. Although she could not turn to face him, Ingo could sense she was smiling by the happiness in her voice.
"By the way, who are you two?" she asked suddenly, realizing she had no clue who her saviors were. "I'm Iris."
"My name is Ingo—"
"And I'm Emmet!" the younger brother blurted over the radio. "It's nice to meet you, Iris," he added cheerily.
Emmet's lack of respect was irritating, to say the least, but Ingo minded it not and decided to leave him be. In any other situation, he might've reprimanded his sibling for not waiting his turn to speak. "He's my brother," he said rather calmly. "We're both in the Guardian Force."
Iris grew astounded to hear that, knowing full-well that the Guardian Force was usually preoccupied handling more pressing situations. It was a brilliant stroke of luck, and she didn't second-guess it.
"Actually, I'm only temporarily with them," Ingo clarified before he got ahead of himself. "In reality I belong to the Imperial Army, but for the time being I'll have nothing to do with it until I return."
"They let you go just like that?" Iris wondered, not familiar with military operations. She wasn't too interested in what he was saying, and she then remembered that they were on a course to somewhere. "Where are we going anyway?"
"We're headed back to base," answered Emmet, intentionally interrupting his talkative brother. "You can tell us what you were doing in those ruins once we get there, and our commander can— hey, wait… The Commander!"
"We ought to let him know about this small development," Ingo suggested, not as worked up about it as Emmet was.
"Y-yeah, we should. I'll take care of it."
The small group made good progress as it returned to base, with the Rev Raptors nowhere to be seen, or any other Zoids for that matter. Emmet had delivered the news to his commanding officer, who understood their situation even though he sounded disappointed over the radio. He agreed to let Iris come to their base while they figured out how to get her home. In only a few short hours, the building was in sight and Iris was relieved to finally see some civilization.
The Saber Tigers were allowed entry into the hangar, and as soon as the canopy on Ingo's Tiger opened up, the ached girl leaped out and scurried down the face of the Zoid. She didn't even take a moment to observe her surroundings; the first thing she did was stretch her compressed muscles out, and she gave a great sigh as relief washed over her. Only then did she start to look around, impressed by the number of Zoids her vision was met with. "Wow, there are a lot of Zoids here!"
"Iris!" Emmet called to her as he stepped by her. "We better get you to the Commander. He'll want to meet you. Besides, I'm sure if anyone knows how to get you back home, it's him."
They left the hangar, with Ingo bringing up the rear, and ventured into the lobby of the main building where Colress and the other two pilots of the division were waiting.
"Colress, this is the girl we found," Emmet explained, motioning to her. "Her name is Iris."
"Hi," she greeted, although a little uneasy with facing a commander. She did her best to stay calm and be as friendly as she could.
"Well," he observed, "it looks like you've had a bit of excitement. Are you well?"
She nodded, very sure of herself. "I'm just fine, thank you. And speaking of thanks, I really have to thank your officers for rescuing me back there!" She turned to face them and bowed her head out of respect. "I know I thanked you before but I can't thank you enough! You're my heroes!"
"Come on, we couldn't leave you there," Emmet said bashfully. His cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink at her flattering words. "Besides, as members of the Guardian Force, it's our duty to lend a hand to those who need it."
"And you were so brave!" Iris was gushing, playing back the event and beginning to admire the twins so much more.
"Um, Iris," Colress coughed, feeling like the odd man out, "I'd like you to tell me everything. Also, I really do recommend you see our physician just so he can assure that you're in good health."
"But I really do feel fine," she insisted, facing him once again. Apparently the commander wasn't as intimidating as she had first thought. In fact, he appeared to be very nice, and genuinely concerned for her well-being.
"Very well. By the way, I'd like you to meet our two other officers." Colress first gestured at the woman beside him: "This is Skyla, and this—" he then gestured at the man to his other side "—is Grimsley. Along with myself, and Ingo and Emmet, we form the Fox Hunt division of the Guardian Force."
Iris smiled at the other two adults and happily replied, "It's really great to meet you!"
Skyla nodded and was the first to speak up. "Same here. I promise that, even though we're all adults, we're not going to bore you. Especially Grimsley. He's the childish one."
"Speak for yourself," he retorted casually, smiling reassuringly at Iris. "In any case, she's right about us. Don't feel out of place because you're the only kid here."
Iris felt very comfortable, and as if she were in the company of friends. They acted very honestly and said very genuine things. They all seemed extraordinarily nice, which is something she'd never expect from a military institution. Usually she could sense dishonesty right away but there was none of that as far as these five people were concerned.
"That's so nice of you all!" Iris chirped, bowing her head out of appreciation and respect. "You really don't have to do this for me, but thank you so much!"
"Now," said Colress, "I can't guarantee that you'll be entertained, but we'll all do our best to keep you company while you're here. And while I'm on the subject, you should tell us everything you can so we'll be able help you in the best way possible."
"Oh, right." Iris had almost forgotten what she'd been through, but the event was still fresh in her memory and she replayed it for the Commander as best as she could remember. "Well, about a day ago I was with a friend and we were out in the desert in pretty rough weather. I remember he told me that we should stay at our campsite and let the winds die out before we went off exploring, which is what we wanted to do that day. But I didn't listen to him and wandered off right into a sandstorm when he wasn't with me… It's my fault that I ended up hiding in some ruins and then got chased by those Rev Raptors." She paused for a quick break, guilt-ridden and feeling awfully brainless.
"And this friend of yours hasn't come looking for you?" Emmet asked.
"I'm sure he is right now! I just wandered too far and he probably hasn't looked in the ruins yet… He's probably worried sick and it's all because I was too stubborn to listen to him."
"Hey, I'm sure you'll see him again," Emmet commented as he rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Leave it to us to get you two back together."
"It would help if you described him for us," Colress added.
Of course. She should have thought of that earlier. The girl nodded and eagerly started to list as many characteristics as she could. "He's got short, dark hair and his eyes are gray; he likes to wear a blue jacket and a red cap on his head. He pilots a Command Wolf — a blue one, and his name is Lucas."
Grimsley apparently wanted the responsibility of locating this boy himself since he was in charge of patrols. He told Iris that he'd definitely find him before anyone else did, and even though that was exaggeration, she took his word for it and thanked him for doing the extra work. Of course, everyone on the division would chip in to find her friend.
It suddenly dawned on the girl that she had gone nearly a day without eating, and only now she was feeling it. This came to everybody's attention when her stomach made a most peculiar sound. It was embarrassing for her, but she realized that what she needed at the moment was food and probably a bed to rest on.
"I had a pack of supplies with me and some food while I was hiding in the ruins," she explained, "but when I was being chased I dropped it since I started to panic…"
The Commander pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose and coyly asked her, "You didn't, by any chance, happen to have Zoid Magnite among your things?"
"Zoid Magnite?" Iris tilted her head, confused. "What's that?"
"Never mind him," Skyla said, waving off the Commander. "He whines when he doesn't get what he wants."
"It is odd, though, that the Rev Raptors we encountered didn't follow us after we left the ruins," Ingo added, only now speaking up as the topic seemed to switch to one more suspicious. "I don't believe they were sleepers, either. My guess is that they were looking for the exact same thing we were."
"That could be true, Corporal," replied Colress, even though it was still unclear to him why anyone would secretly comb the desert for such an element. "But you're only speculating, and we don't really know if the Empire had left sleepers in that area and then merely forgot about them."
Iris wanted to know what exactly they were trying to get at, and what Zoid Magnite was. From the sounds of it, it was important, and Ingo and Emmet had gone to the ruins originally to look for it. "If it helps, I remember I was about to walk into this really big chamber that didn't look like it was in very bad shape," she informed, "and as soon as I set foot there I heard a screech and before I could make it out, this Rev Raptor rushed at me from inside the room and I started to run from there."
"That was just today, right?" Colress wondered.
"Yeah. I mean, I had been in the ruin for a while with nothing happening but as soon as I went in there it's like I set something off."
"It sounds a lot like a sleeper trap to me, sir," Grimsley remarked, sounding serious right when he needed to be.
"If it was, they were set to protect that room, or something in it." Although Colress did not have all the pieces of the puzzle, things were slowly beginning to become clear. "It's very likely that the Zoid Magnite we were looking for must still be in that room."
"Or something much more valuable," Emmet concluded.
"Precisely."
Ingo wasn't so sure of this and wanted to defend his view of the situation. "Sleeper Zoids attack all at once. Isn't it the least bit curious that only one went after Iris, and then another, followed by more in increasing numbers?"
"It's hard to determine whether or not they were piloted by humans," Emmet added, "although… Ingo did mention that he noticed tracks recently left by a Rev Raptor as we entered the ruin. The sleeper trap couldn't have been set off repeatedly over the course of a week or so. What are the odds of someone entering the exact same structure only to activate the trap and be sent packing? It's possible someone has orders to investigate those ruins and not let anybody interfere."
"If that's the case then it's very suspicious. It almost sounds unethical, since they'd feel they have to chase off anybody who would, effectively, 'get in the way,'" Colress concluded. "That seems highly unlikely, however; those ruins have been explored by other groups in the past and they have not found anything worth all of that safeguarding. I highly doubt Zoid Magnite would be that valuable to anyone else other than the scientific community, if Zoid Magnite is what they're after, anyway."
"So if those Zoids were sleepers, they were just put there not long ago for no apparent reason?"
"And why would the Empire set a sleeper trap in an area that no longer belongs to them? They have no authority."
Both were very good points made by the twins, but Colress couldn't continue debating the issue as he had other, more pressing things to deal with. There wasn't much he could do about it, anyway, seeing as how it appeared to be a problem concerning the Empire. Colress would alert the proper officials about the incident and request a solution that would allow for future exploration of the ruins. Despite everything, he still desired a sample of Zoid Magnite, and he was sure he'd find it there.
Colress moved away from the subject and focused on the division's young visitor, who he had forgotten for a slight moment was quite hungry. The first thing he did was escort her, along with his four soldiers, to the mess hall where she could fill her empty tank. Luckily for the newcomer, the room was empty, as lunch had been had earlier, so Iris could eat peacefully.
Before the commander could get to explaining things to Iris, a communications operator of the division's approached him and notified him of an urgent message from the Guardian Force's highest ranking officers. They apparently wished to speak to Colress right away, and they did not give any of the details to the operator. Clearly he was not expecting that, but he excused himself and made haste as he breezed into the command center to speak to the surely waiting officials.
The rest of the adults were naturally intrigued, but they stayed with Iris as not to isolate her in her new environment. They speculated about what needed Colress' immediate attention, but the four of them mutually agreed that it could not be anything good. After all, good things never required an instant reaction.
Iris ignored her hunger, not wanting to put herself before the responsibilities of the crew. Plus, she was as curious as the soldiers that surrounded her, and so waited patiently yet eagerly to hear what Colress might come back with. The conversation didn't seem to take so long, as he soon returned within a few minutes with a calm air about him. He explained to everyone that the news he received was nothing to be anxious about.
"Admiral Clair spoke with me personally," he informed. "It seems the Emperor has suddenly passed, and his grandson is on his way here as we speak to be escorted to the Imperial capital city."
"Really?!" Emmet's response showed no signs of sympathy for the death of the Emperor, but he wasn't very surprised by that fact. It was obvious that the monarch was getting on in years and was recently diagnosed with an illness. The chance to meet his grandson, the crown prince, was much more exciting to Emmet.
The Commander shot him a glare, which was enough to correct Emmet's behavior. "Yes. Really. His coronation will take place some days from now, so the sooner we get him to the capital the better off we'll all be."
"You can count on us to get the job done, sir," Skyla assured so confidently.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that…" Colress was hesitant to elaborate, but with his soldiers patiently awaiting his explanation, he rushed his next string of words right out. "I've already decided that I want Emmet and his brother to take care of this."
The young woman was troubled with his reasoning and, impatiently, retorted, "But, Commander, didn't they just get back from a mission you already assigned them?!"
"That's true," he answered, "but that was more of an errand. Besides, I believe this would be the perfect opportunity for our new recruit to demonstrate how he would handle such a situation."
"And Emmet?"
"It's best if he helps his own brother, at least at first. I'm positive that Emmet knows how to deal with him better than the rest of us."
There was no sense in arguing; Colress had made up his mind, and his decisions were seldom changed. Skyla accepted the answer, as if she had a choice. Grimsley offered her a comforting pat on the shoulder, as if to say he too was disappointed.
Ingo was very gracious for being given a task of such importance. Even though he had doubts about his ability as a pilot, he knew he would do everything in his power to get the job done smoothly. He could only hope that nothing would go wrong. As eager as he was to prove his worth, however, he was noticeably bothered by the developments. Having come from the Empire, he was more aware of the Emperor's condition than anyone from the other territories. From what he knew, the Emperor was not ill enough to die, nor was he so very old. The news didn't sit well with Ingo at all and he dared to voice his concern.
Before the subject was put aside, Ingo bravely spoke up: "Commander, if I may speak freely, I have to admit that I'm bothered by the news of the Emperor's death. Not personally, but rather I feel it begs analysis."
"What are you implying, Corporal?"
"I'm not sure, exactly. I might not be trying to imply anything at all. But I do know that he wasn't given a serious diagnosis, and he certainly wasn't on his last legs."
"These things happen," Colress replied coolly. "People all over the world die for no apparent reason. It's a fact of life and we all have to accept it. Don't be troubled by it, Corporal. The Emperor is at rest now. Think of it that way." He smiled to offer encouragement, guessing that Ingo was thinking so dubiously only because he was stunned by the report.
There was nothing more to be discussed, and Colress would be sure to go over the details of the assignment with the twins later on. It was time to forget about duty and focus on the immediate issue, and that was the girl standing among the adults, who was so far listening quietly to their deliberations. Colress promised that she would be fed, and he wasted no time getting right to it. Suddenly he, Skyla, and Grimsley lavished attention on her as they whisked her away to silence her groaning stomach.
Ingo and Emmet would have tagged along, but the eldest of the two stayed behind, deeply pensive and requesting Emmet to stay right where he was. It was obvious that, even though Colress tried to make it all sound completely natural, there was something about the death of the Emperor that did not feel right in Ingo's heart. He knew that he could confide in only Emmet about his feelings, but that would in no way erase the doubts he had.
"Emmet, do you believe what's happened is justifiable?"
The younger twin thought for a moment, but shortly after nodded and replied, "I don't see why it shouldn't be. The Emperor was at the age when that sort of thing is more likely to happen."
"Maybe…" Ingo brightened somewhat, but was still not convinced. There was no point in him worrying about something that was out of his hands, and he knew it was best to forget and move on. "Perhaps Colress is right. I'm putting too much thought into this."
"You're just overreacting. You'll get over it once we help the prince get to Guygalos." As frank as Emmet was, Ingo believed he spoke the truth. He and the rest of the world would indeed feel much more relieved once the next ruler of the Empire was inducted.
The siblings exchanged content smiles with one another, both seemingly at the same level of comfort with the situation. They gave the subject not a single thought more and went off side by side to join Iris, who was no doubt having a feast. In less than a week the entire division would have to be on its best behavior as it welcomed the arrival of the crown prince of the Empire.
