Chapter 7
With Teana, Vita, Subaru, and Fate captured by the Plumber infantry, the TSAB are getting desperate knowing that they are losing the war. With Clayton announcing a ceasefire due to the capture of one of the captains, the rest of the members of the Riot Force 6 took this time to evacuate the civilians to non-TSAB administrated planets, remembering that the other administrated planets are also at war.
Nanoha and Vivio look out the window depressed since they learned that enemy forces captured Fate.
Leanna meets up with them to try to cheer them up. "Both of you cannot stop thinking about Fate, huh?"
Both remained silent. "Come on you two, I know you are saddened that your friends are captured, but we still got a job to do. Its not like they are going to kill them."
Nanoha and Vivio suddenly turn towards Leanna. "How do you know that?" Nanoha became confused.
"I used to be associated with the Plumbers before deciding to join the TSAB instead. I would never expect the war to happen between us, but for that they need to have a reason. I know well enough that the Plumbers aren't heartless. Whatever enemies they captured, they often show mercy to those that deserve it. If your friends are not found to be criminals, then it's not their lives that you should worry about."
Nanoha and Vivio felt a little better after hearing that their friends will be okay, but Leanna tells them of other possible outcomes.
"However, they better be careful. Though the Plumbers abstain from using torture to get their needed information, your friends might still be subjected to interrogation. If they do not get what they want, they would use other means to get what they need, even though they are not harmful."
Nanoha becomes even more confused than earlier. "My friends won't give in so easily. What makes them think they can get information out of them without harming them?"
"The Plumbers aren't stupid. They tend to play mind games to trick them to reveal the information or using different types of neuroimaging to look at what is inside their mind through a projection based on the images inside their head. After that, they would be sent to a POW camp and those mentally affected will be given help there. That is all I know."
Nanoha could not believe that the Plumbers would show this much mercy to their enemies, but still worries whether her friends are going to be subjected to this kind of interrogation.
"Are you sure that this is what the Plumbers do to their prisoners Leanna?"
"That is what I saw during my time there. It is possible that there might be more to it than just that, but for now your friends should remain unharmed at this time. Come on we still got to get the civilians out." Leanna left to help the others with the evacuation.
Nanoha, realizing that the HQ still needs her, sends Vivio to Lutecia, who offered Vivio shelter some time during the latest battle in a heavily guarded safe house, but Vivio chose to stick with Nanoha, not wanting to see her go after hearing that Fate was captured.
"Vivio, I am sorry, but it is for the best." Nanoha sadly walks away after giving Vivio to Lutecia's family in the safe house.
"No Nanoha mama, I don't want to see you go like Fate mama!" Vivio struggles to reach Nanoha.
"Stay Vivio, I nearly lost you once and I don't want it to happen again. I promise you that Fate mama and I will come back okay? Just wait here."
As Nanoha heads back to HQ, she fears that she would not be able to keep her promise to Vivio as she has promised her before that she would be protected from Jail Scaglietti only for her to be captured later by his forces.
As soon as she is back, the Signum immediately tells Nanoha that they are receiving a message from the Plumbers. When they reach Hayate with the rest of the surviving TSAB infantry the screen turns on and Clayton Calaway appears on the screen attempting to speak.
"This is Clayton Calaway of the Plumber infantry. I am sure you are wondering why we suddenly stopped attacking and what is going to happen to the prisoners we have captured. I will tell you all of this, but before so let me tell you that we are not here to invade Mid-Childa. This is retaliation for the attack you placed on us several months ago. All we want from you to end this war is for you to accept our terms and I promise you we will leave Mid-Childa alone after all of this is over."
Everyone anxiously watched as they hope that Clayton will give them the information that they want to hear.
"This is the same reason for the ceasefire. We want to make sure that with all of you subdued, we could make room for negotiations. As for the prisoners, they will all be sent to POW camps across the galaxy for the remainder of the war. We will promise their release once we reach a settlement so think about it."
Contact information was given on screen after the message was over.
Hayate as well as the rest of the TSAB infantry acted confused at the message, particularly about the attack that he claimed they did to a Plumber base.
"What was he talking about earlier? I don't remember authorizing an attack on them months ago. We haven't had a conflict since the JS Incident last year." Hayate looks through her files to see if such an attack was commenced by them, but found none.
"I didn't know about the attack either, but it appears that we will have to reason with them if we want to prevent further blood shed. I'm going to the Infinity Library with Signum to ask if such an attack really did take place. I am counting on Shario to take care of the negotiations. Can you come with us Hayate?"
"We will contact the Plumbers for answers as well as a possible settlement. Please come back soon." Shario then leaves with Griffith to begin negotiations.
"Will do." Nanoha, Leanna, Hayate, and Signum then flew off.
Meanwhile, Fate is starting to wake up in a Plumber medical facility only to see herself in a hospital gown, her left arm bandaged and wearing black unrestrained cuffs on her wrists. Although she can move around the facility, the cuffs prevent her from using her powers.
"Hey, what are you doing up?" One of the doctors yelled as she saw Fate heading out the door.
Other doctors soon pursue Fate as she runs. When she heads outside she is shocked to find out that their base was formerly the area of the Coastal Airport 8.
"What is this?" Fate immediately comes back to her senses as she continues to run to avoid capture.
As soon as she passes the tank, Clayton ambushed her from behind and pinned her.
"I knew you are going to do something this stupid." Clayton calls John and Chris to restrain her.
"Let me go!" Fate struggles trying to get free, but the Plumbers overmatched her.
"Relax. We have no intention of harming you, we just want to talk."
Fate soon ceases struggling. "What is going to happen to my friends?"
"Don't worry, they are all safe and unharmed. Just bear with me alright?"
Fate reluctantly agrees for the sake of her friends, knowing that they are in Plumber custody.
Fate was sent to an interrogation room where she had a proper meal of chicken teriyaki over rice with mixed vegetables with a cup of water next to it.
As soon as she was done eating, several Plumber workers collects her plate and cup as Clayton comes in and sits down across from her.
"I suppose we got off from the wrong foot so lets start over. My name is Clayton Calaway, the captain of the Plumber infantry. If you have any questions I will answer them, but first you have to answer my questions, understand?"
Fate remains silent as she looks down. Clayton realizes that she is still upset over her capture so he lets her ask her questions first.
"Why did you attack us? Why did you start this war?" Fate immediately responded.
Clayton becomes astonished. "Don't act like you don't know. The war was started because the TSAB attacked our base on Earth. Over 4,000 lives were lost as a result."
"But I don't remember someone authorizing an attack like that. Earth is the former home of some of us and we still have families there. It just doesn't make sense why we would attack it suddenly."
"Are you implying that I am lying?" Clayton becomes agitated.
"No, but I do know that we are not suppose to intentionally cause conflict unless we ourselves are provoked."
"The Plumbers were never associated with the TSAB. There was no reason for us to attack you."
"And there was no reason for us to attack you, yet you blame us for causing this war!" Fate protested.
Clayton, now frustrated, decides to show her a recording of the attack on TV. "You don't believe me? Then watch this."
On the screen shows the Plumber base in Death Valley, California being attacked by TSAB ships as explosions soon appears happening all over the place. In one point of the video, a small female student of the Plumbers' Academy was caught in one of the explosion resulting in her head being decapacitated. In the aftermath of the attack, many dead bodies were seen on the floor as well as limbs separated from some of the main bodies lying in different areas.
As soon as the video was finished, Fate covers almost her entire face, except her eyes, with her hands traumatized by what she saw.
"Impossible. How could the TSAB do such a thing?"
"Wait, you honestly had no idea of the attack?" Clayton soon feels sympathetic toward Fate.
"Never. I have been working with the TSAB for 10 years. I would never imagine them to ever do something like this. Why now? It just doesn't make sense." Tears soon start to fall from Fate's eyes.
"Could you please leave me alone for a while?"
"I guess you need some time to adjust to this. Alright, but I'll be back." Clayton leaves the room out of respect although Michael and John watches Fate from the other room, confused by what has transpired.
"Do you think this war was a mistake?" John asked.
"No idea yet, until we learn more about what really is going on right now we will have to stay back right now."
As Clayton waits outside of the room, Jen tells him that he has a phone call waiting for him. Clayton picks up the phone.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Hello onii-chan, how are you doing?"
Clayton becomes excited after hearing the girl's voice. "Oh hello Alicia, I am doing find thank you."
"Did you find Fate nee-chan yet onii-chan?"
"I have just like I promised Alicia although this isn't the way I would prefer to meet her, but she isn't in the mood at this moment so I cannot to tell her about you yet."
"Okay. Bye onii-chan! I hope you make it back safe and sound."
"Bye Alicia." Clayton hangs up the phone and went to get some iced tea for Fate.
When Clayton goes back to the room, Fate is still in deep thought, but appears to have calmed down.
Clayton hands her the iced tea. "If the TSAB isn't responsible for the attack, I plan to get to the bottom of this to see who is. Since you are my only lead, are you willing to help me in this investigation?"
"I don't want any more people getting hurt, but how do I know I can trust you?" Fate took a sip of her tea.
"This room is actually filled with lie detectors. For instance I am an 8 foot dragon." As Clayton sits back, alarms could be heard, but only in the room.
Fate becomes confused. "Wait, how can it tell when a person is lying?"
"The room is filled with technology that monitors and detects changes in brain waves and gestures that determines whether the people are lying or not. We figured that it is the most humane method to obtain information rather than mentally scarring someone. So will you help?"
"Very well, but only if it can help end the war."
"I am hopeful for that as well."
As Clayton and Fate are about to get off their seat, one of the code breakers barges into the room. "Captain, its not the TSAB who are responsible for the attack! The base of the attack was caused by another individual."
Clayton confronts the code breaker. "Wait, how do you know?"
"Several of our more recent prisoners back on Earth finally confessed as more are being interrogated. Turns out not all the prisoners we have are part of the TSAB infantry; they just disguise themselves as them to remain hidden. They plan to put the TSAB to blame so they could weaken and take over the bureau."
Fate becomes a little irritated. "Who is the individual responsible for this?"
"A guy named Jail Scaglietti."
Fate becomes horrified hearing that name. "No, it can be. We had him locked up, how could he escape?"
"You tell me. You know more about the individual than we do." Clayton protested.
"Let me go. I have to warn everyone that a dangerous madman has escaped and was the one who caused this war."
Clayton unlocked her cuffs. "Let me go to. Me, Michael, Jen, and John will follow. Our lieutenant already got his hands full in Cranagan. The Plumbers also have to know."
Clayton had a Plumber ship set up as they get on and immediately gets the ship moving to the TSAB HQ.
As they flew Clayton walks towards Fate. "Fate, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Do you know someone by the name of Alicia Testarossa?"
Fate soon finds herself shocked in disbelief. "How do you know her?"
"I am currently raising someone by that name. If you want me to explain it, I'll be more than happy to though it might sound unbelievable."
"The fact that she is alive sounds unbelievable, but since you know her name I would like to hear the rest."
"Very well, but in return you tell me who this Jail Scaglietti guy is."
"Okay. We need to capture him anyway."
As Leanna flies to the library, she secretly took out a communicator to make contact with someone. Jail Scaglietti shows up onscreen.
"Everything going according to plan Scaglietti?"
"But of course. The TSAB and the Plumbers have no idea what is going to come. Soon enough, their power will become ours for the taking."
"Hurry it up, I didn't help break you out for nothing." Leanna smiles sinisterly as they continue flying.