"You're going to be out of range soon," Yuan said to the holographic projection. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest with his feet propped up on his cherry oak desk.
"I know that." Kratos murmured, terse as always. He too crossed his arms, ready for a potential argument with his longtime friend. They had spent the last two years working together on exsphere collection and removal from both the worlds of Aselia and Derris-Kharlan; bridges that had been burned were now mended between the two Angels. Although things could never be the same, their friendship was closer than it ever had been; they were like brothers, though neither would admit it.
"How long until you finish the exsphere collection and removal from Derris-Kharlan?" Yuan asked.
"It could take a few more weeks. At most a month."
"That's too long. By that time, Derris-Kharlan will have floated out of orbit and you won't be able to get back." Yuan glared at the holographic image of the Angel.
"Will you miss me?" Kratos smirked.
"No." Yuan got up and began to pace behind his desk, avoiding eye contact with the seraphim. "How many left?"
"Still a few hundred to dispose of." He shrugged.
"You can't program one of the machines up there to automate the process?" There was an edge to his tone.
"Yuan, we wanted to be sure that we would get rid of the exspheres once and for all. Do you want me to leave the rest of them to be discovered and possibly used by someone else?"
"Who's going to find them? Who is going to land on that floating rock of ice?" He said, his increasing irritation becoming apparent.
Kratos' face was impassive, but he sensed it. Something was off. "Yuan, what's going on? We knew there would be a chance I wouldn't make it back."
"What about Lloyd? Don't you have a duty to be his father now?" He snapped. Damned he be if he gave in first.
"Yuan," Kratos said sternly, sending the half elf a warning glance. He knew that Yuan wasn't trying to hurt him, but it hurt all the same. He missed his son, and wasn't sure if things could ever be…normal between them.
Yuan stopped pacing behind his desk, but refused to meet his friend's eyes, opting to look at the carpeted floor. "The anti-elven groups. They're growing in fast numbers all around Sylvarant."
"That's to be expected with the upcoming vote. But I thought you said they were harmless. Just a few angry individuals."
"It's more than that. Humans mobilizing like this? When was the last time that happened? Over 3000 years ago, just before the Great Kharlan War. It means they're fanatics, who will stop at nothing to accomplish their goal. It's going to set back any progress that we've made over the past two years."
"Yuan-"
"I don't have much of a reach in those communities. It's not like infiltrating Cruxius. I can't get into their network as easily as I thought I could. My own operatives are few in number since the World Regeneration. The whole point of splitting the worlds was to keep war from killing the Great Kharlan Tree and sucking dry the mana of the world. Now that we are back together, war could become a reality once more."
Kratos contemplated Yuan's reaction. It wasn't anger, it was...fear. But fear of what? He hadn't seen Yuan like this in a long time, not since Martel died. "There was always a chance for that. We knew that. It doesn't mean it's going to happen."
"I WILL NOT SEE US REPEAT HISTORY AGAIN!" Yuan slammed down his fist onto the desk. Dammit.
Silence. It blanketed the conversation, coating it with a sense of dread. But now Kratos knew what was at the heart of the problem. Quietly, he asked, "Have you spoken with Martel?" He referred to the summon spirit of the new World Tree.
"No."
"When was the last time you visited her?"
"I haven't."
"You haven't visited the tree at all since the World Regeneration?"
"...No."
"You can't avoid her forever."
Yuan began to reply, but the image of Kratos disappeared. "Kratos?" He reached for the intercom on his desk. "Rayna. There is something wrong with—"
An image appeared, replacing where Kratos was standing. Yuan went still as the feed began to play. He found himself face to face with an image of a half-elven woman. Her hands were handcuffed in front of her, her shoulders slumped forward, her head hanging, silver bangs covering her face. There was a rip in the sleeve of her white overcoat, which had become gray and brown with dirt stains.
"Tell them who you are." A voice bellowed from off screen.
The half elf lifted her head. A purple bruise had blossomed on her left cheek. Her lip was split on the right, dried blood closing over the wound. There was a touch of fear in her eyes. Yuan saw it for a split second. Then it was gone. In its place was rage. In a flat voice, Raine said, "My name is Raine Sage. I am the Chair of the Convention of Sylvarant."
A large, dark man walked on screen behind her. "Sylvarant. Today, your leaders are voting to give half elves equal rights as you. Is that what you want? Do you want those murderers to be able to go unpunished for their crimes against your friends, your families?" He grabbed Raine's hair and forced her to look up. Her eyes clamped shut and she bit her lip, forcing herself not to scream from the pain.
"Convention of Sylvarant! Hear my words: if you want this half elf, or any others to live, you will not vote yes today. Half elves do not deserve to join our society! They deserve to be punished for their sins, treated like the vermin they are!" He let go of Raine, and she fell forward. Shiro began: "As you-"
"WE DO NOT NEGOTATE WITH TERRORISTS," Raine got up on her knees and shouted. "DO NOT LISTEN—" But before she could say anything more, Shiro slapped her across the face, and the feed cut out.
The image of Kratos reappeared in front of Yuan. Both stared at each other in silence, stunned by what they had witnessed. Yuan was the first to speak. "This is exactly what I was talking about! How soon can you get down here?"
Staying on Derris-Kharlan was no longer an option; lives were at risk. A friend could die. Exspheres could wait. "Two hours."
"I'll be there in an hour." Yuan clicked off the line without waiting for a response. He clenched his fists in his hands. He would not let the world backpedal, not after Martel's sacrifice. "Rayna!"
A young half-elven woman ran into the office, her red hair streaming behind her, note pad in hand. She looked at Yuan with her blue eyes and said, "Yes, sir?"
"Ready my reihard. I need to fly now."
"Yes, sir. Where will you be heading?"
"To Arkylia. And send out a comm to all operatives that we are on high alert. Get a recording of whatever the hell that was just now and send it to all of them to watch. Tell them to be ready for my word. And tell Agent Four to get in touch with me immediately."