Hi, NorthernMage here and welcome to chapter 9 of Silence of Division! This chapter marks the end of a challenge I had with a friend. They said it was impossible to write 3 chapters (6,000 words) in 7 days. Well, that's been beaten! Anyway, I really want to get into this, so here we go!
Lithana: NorthernMage doesn't own Pokemon or FTL.
Chapter 9: As The Sun Rises
Renina's POV
I looked exhaustedly up at the ceiling of the medbay. After N had gotten me free, the medics had been desperate to make sure my body hadn't been overwhelmed with electricity from the handcuffs. When I had nearly fallen to the ground after talking to the Federation, N had called the medbay and got me stuck in the bed I was still in, even now, 3 hours later. Apparently we needed to arrive an hour before the Federation to deactivate the security systems. With a diagnostic needle in my arm, I grabbed my holoplate and started messaging N. Maybe he'd be slightly interesting to talk to.
Renina: I hate you.
N: Why?
Renina: You made me go to the medbay. And I'm bored.
N: Well, I'm kinda busy.
Renina: N
N: Yeah?
Renina: Dammit.
N: What?
Renina: Your name is one letter. So, when someone would usually capitalise a name to express frustration, it just looks like they're saying your name.
N: ...just go to sleep Renina.
Great, so even N was cheesed off with me. I tapped the button that would send a small pulse through the diagnostic needle to send me to sleep, and my vision turned dark.
A woman spoke. 'The Plasma Empire only wants acceptance. We respect the Federation, and simply want-' A dart shot her, and she collapsed. There was uproar, and everyone in the room converged on her. Just as she closed her eyes, she murmured 'No...Renina...N.'
I felt myself being shaken awake.
'Renina, come on, wake up!' Forcing myself up, I saw N was looking really frustrated.
'We're at Atiris?' I asked.
'Yes, now come on!' Pulling the diagnostic needle out of my arm, I noticed N had been really irritated ever since we called the Federation.
'You okay?' I asked. N stopped. 'I'm okay, I guess. You're not nervous or anything about the fact we're basically about to turn the entire Plasma Empire upside down?'
'Not really. It'll be crazy, but it needs to be done.' We went down to the hangar level. Wincing as the beep sounded to warn people that a lift was activating, we slipped off the Captivity. To my amazement, it was nighttime on my homeworld. I guess while I was unconscious while captured my body changed to Iriclul time. I checked my holoplate. 10pm. We hurried along the unlit landing area, into the senate.
It felt eerie, creeping along the hallways of my home. Suddenly, I saw a guard and pulled N back, who had just been about to walk directly into his line of sight. 'And you tell me to be more careful.' I muttered. N shot me a look and we continued heading to the security room. Even though I had put on a brave face before, my heart was pounding. I swallowed and we crept along the darkened hallways.
I sighed with relief as N opened the door to the security room and we found it empty. Suddenly, my holoplate beeped. I pulled it out of my pocket and answered the call. It was from Ariyta.
'Renina and N. Have you disabled the security yet?'
'We're disabling it now.' I assured her, turning off scanners for the senate as I spoke.
'Well, while you're working, do you want to hear what happened to Rynhart?'
'Yes! What happened after we left?'
'She's been cleared for some therapy when all this is over. However, she has to stay out of action until this whole business is resolved.' I smiled.
'Good to hear it. Even though she tried to kill us, I'd never try that on her.' I saw calm in Ariyta's eyes.
'Well, have you deactivated the security yet?'
'Just give me a moment.' I set the holoplate down on the desk and deactivated the heat sensors. I looked to the side and saw N angrily pounding the keyboard.
'He changed the code for the complete shutdown!' he explained. Trying to ignore N's obvious attitude, I started trying.
'N?' I asked, trying to think.
'Yeah?'
'You know how we're one quarter Slug?'
'Yeah, so?'
'Well, I had a dream while I was sleeping in the medbay. It was of a woman who was talking in the Federation Senate. She was going on about the Plasma Empire being accepted, when a dart shot her. Do...do you think that was...' Our mother? I wanted to ask, but there was an iciness about talking about her. It was like something there was wrong, broken.
'Maybe. Slug do have visions, along with their telekinesis and telepathy.' Finally I got the password: DeathToFederation. From that, it was obvious who had set up the security. It gave me a strange happiness to know I had just dismantled something that had most likely taken hours to be created, by someone who had caused me so much pain. Death to your galaxy domination plans more like, I thought as I disabled the last of the security.
N's POV
I watched for anyone who might come into the security room as Renina disabled the security. She had no idea what was making me frustrated, or even annoyed. I sighed to myself.
Renina clearly hadn't thought through what would happen when we got rid of Ghetsis, who ruled the Plasma Empire. Someone would have to step up. And it would most likely be me. I was the eldest, and first in line. Maybe calling in the Federation will change all this, I hoped. Or maybe someone else will step up, Renina maybe? I knew I was kidding myself. Renina's strength was in diplomacy, and making peaceful resolutions.
There was a very good reason why she had never been allowed to command the Captivity. I could do things like that much easier than her, and for those reasons she had left for the Federation University, to get better at what she did best. If only she hadn't. The negotiations would have been over in a couple of weeks if she'd helped.
I forced myself not to think badly of her. It wasn't her fault she wanted to help by becoming better at peacefully negotiating with other races. That was how people got stronger, working on their weaknesses.
'N?' Renina walked out to me.
'The Federation are landing. In maybe half an hour, all this will be over. I can't even imagine what it'll be like. You?' I shook my head.
'Not having to worry about Ghetsis is going to be...weird for a while. I mean, he always creates the problems, and we fix them. It'll be different when one of us makes the mistakes.' Renina nodded.
'N, I think I know what's wrong. You're wondering who's going to rule when Ghetsis is locked up?' I nodded.
'It's going to be me, isn't it?' She reached over to me.
'We'll work something out.' Changing the subject, I asked about her vision.
'So, that was your first vision...ever?' Renina shook her head.
'I had one when I was eleven. I just didn't tell anyone.'
'What was it of?'
Renina was silent for a moment, then said 'I don't remember much of it. There was darkness, then a light lit everything up. There was a burning planet, a building that was falling into a hole and breaking apart as it fell, someone climbing along a vent and aiming a gun out of a hole, someone hurriedly swapping something out of the same gun, a silhouette joining ten others, and then just eyes opening.'
'That sounds pretty intense. Why didn't you tell anyone?'
'Remember, this was back when all the Slug were being thrown out of the galaxy? I wasn't exactly keen to meet the same end.' I almost protested that she wouldn't have, but then imagined Ghetsis' reaction if he ever found out and decided Renina was right. Suddenly, we heard gunfire.
'Sounds like they got inside.' I said, adrenaline shooting through me. Renina turned to me with a terrified expression.
'N,' she asked quietly, 'what if Ghetsis goes out there and tries to defuse the situation?' 'Doubtful. If he's even awake, he'll just ignore-' Loud footsteps were coming closer. We quickly hurried inside the room, and I held my hand over the door lock. 'Can you see who it is?' Renina bent around the now half-closed door for a few moments before springing back, cursing.
'Lock the door, fast!' I locked it and looked to the sixteen-year old.
'Who was it?'
'Who do you think? Ghetsis.' We sat on the floor, around the large power pole in the middle of the small circular room.
'We just have to wait this out.' I said, trying to calm Renina.
'If he doesn't get inside.' she replied, trying not to hyperventilate. Suddenly, there was more gunfire and we heard a familiar voice.
'Surrender! We have surrounded the senate and resistance against the Federation is futile!' Renina opened the door to see Ariyta on the other side. 'Oh, it's you two. Do you want to come and see us put him away?' I looked to Renina.
'You go, I have some things to do.' She made a face, but went.
Renina's POV
As I was walking back from Ghetsis being locked up, which thankfully he was still unconscious during, I saw a ID panel on a cell. I stopped to read it. No way. This isn't even possible... I shot off to find N. No matter what he was doing, he had to see this.
N's POV
'So, your medics are preparing the cure to Kirau Olumi now?'
'Yes, they're making tons of it.'
'N?' I looked to the voice and saw Renina.
'Can I borrow you for a moment?'
'Of course.' I walked away from Margide and the others. 'This had better be good.'
'It is.' Renina assured me before running off. I sighed and followed.
I was confused when she went into the prison section. Hoping we weren't going anywhere near Ghetsis, I followed her, and therefore ran into her. 'Renina, honestly, what could be so important that-'
'Look at the ID panel.' Renina insisted. I read it. Lithana Harmonia, father is Slug, was captured sixteen years ago. Children are R. A. Harmonia and N. A. Harmonia. I froze in shock and turned to Renina.
'Did I just read words that said children are R. A. Harmonia and N. A. Harmonia?' Renina nodded. 'That means...' We looked past the energy bars to see a woman looking at the ground. She had long blonde hair like Renina's and brown eyes. She clearly hadn't been taken care of at all. I had always thought that if she was alive, she'd be cared for, safe and...happy. Renina looked at me and mouthed Together? I nodded, trying to keep my voice from vanishing.
'Mum?' She slowly looked up and saw us. She stared, her face changing from hopeless depression and misery to shock.
Lithana Tariske Harmonia's POV
'Renina?! N?!' I came close to the bars, my hand stretching out to touch the teenagers. Were they really the little toddlers I had left so long ago? The energy bars sparked and shocked me. I whipped my hand away. Cursing, N turned off the bars, Separated my handcuffs and they rushed to me. They hugged me and I could sense they had lost control. I reached out and after touching them, I hugged them madly as well. I could feel the total abandon they had. 'I'm so sorry.' I whispered. 'I should have been there for you.'
'How are you even alive?' Renina asked, softly.
'It was Alantis Moragan, a drug that imitates death. Even I didn't know what was happening until I woke up here. That was when I saw you and N walking away, following Ghetsis after my "funeral".'
'But...I didn't see you at all!' they protested in unison.
'You wouldn't have. I think both of you were too young and hurt to really know what had just happened. Speaking of him, does Ghetsis know you know I'm here?' They exchanged nervous glances, like they had just pulled off a trick on someone.
'Um...'
'Well...'
'What is it?' I asked them.
'He doesn't, but...'
'About eight months ago, I went to the Federation University to learn about alien languages, Galactical diplomacy, that kind of thing.'
'Then, six months ago, Ghetsis sent the fleet to attack Quariane, where the Federation University and capital is.'
'I escaped on a ship called the Fallen Angel and everything was good for two months.'
'Then, Renina caught Kirau Olumi and was caught by a Plasma ship, and was taken to the Captivity, which I was commanding.'
'I was cured of Kirau Olumi and N came to question me about the Fallen Angel, which was carrying vital information to the Federation.'
'I didn't know it was Renina that we had caught.'
'Anyway, he eventually realised it was me and released me. Then the Fallen Angel was caught.'
'The captain threatened to kill me, but Renina saved me.'
'We got back to Atiris, where I unleashed on Ghetsis for doing something that could have killed me and not giving me any warning.'
'Later that day I heard that he was going to kill the crew of the Fallen Angel.'
'There was an attack on the senate and I got crushed under a beam.'
'The crew got loose and kidnapped Renina. By the time I knew, Renina was already unconscious on the Fallen Angel, which was on its way to Iriclul.'
'The captain of the Fallen Angel blamed me for practically everything that happened and used the lever control on my electro-handcuffs.'
'I managed to get Renina released and help for revenge against Ghetsis, who of course started the war.'
'About half an hour ago, they turned up and captured him. Then, as I was walking back from seeing him being locked up, I saw you and went to go get N.'
'Then, I came and saw you. You know the rest.' I closed my eyes for a moment.
'That made my head hurt.'
'Um, shouldn't we like, get you out of this cell? I mean, surely you can't love being here.' I nodded and they helped me up. Upon standing, I wobbled and nearly fell over. Thankfully my children caught me.
'Come on.' N said, steering us out of the prison section.
'Isn't there an empty room now Ghetsis is locked up?'
'Yeah. Do you mind if that's where you can stay until we can get something better?'
'As long as its cleaned out of his things.' They nodded and we passed many people, who stopped and stared. Renina and N shot them looks and they continued on their way. Eventually we arrived at a room.
'Wait here.' they asked before heading inside.
A few minutes later they came back out. 'Hopefully that's better.' Renina said apologetically. 'We didn't want to keep you waiting too long.' I entered, to see that all of the things that belonged to the man who had me shot because I was half Slug had vanished. I lay down. 'I'll go get some food.' Renina said quickly and vanished, leaving N and I alone.
'Do you hate me?' N looked shocked by my question.
'No, of course not! I love you. You're my mother and you're not like Ghetsis, who probably dreams about blowing up planets.'
'Did he manage to get you two to think like that? That everyone beneath you is a pawn?'
'No. We're the only reason the Federation puts up with the Plasma dadada.'
'Dadada?'
'Renina called it that a while back and I kinda like it.' Already I could see that they were loosening all the formality that had been beaten into them. N sat down on the bed, and I could see that even though he was happy, he was worried as well.
'Whats wrong?' I asked, moving my arm around him.
'Its just...what's going to happen now? I don't like all this uncertainty.'
'I'm not like Ghetsis, leaving Renina and you to do everything yourself. I can do things too.' Renina came in.
'Does anyone want to go into my room for this? I passed it on my way here and the sunrise is amazing, maybe even better than the sunsets on Quariane.' We nodded and went into Renina's room.
Renina was right, I thought as I ate, my plate balancing precariously on the railing. This is amazing. The sunrise was even brighter as the blazing sun rose among the buildings. I looked to my left and saw Renina first, then N. He was just eating, while Renina was looking out at the sunrise. I could feel a sense of finality in the room. This was the last day Ghetsis would ever rule the Plasma Empire. Renina and N were sure to have things they wanted to do, make things fairer, but were never allowed to. I reached over to them and they looked to me. 'We're going to make this Empire fair, you hear me? I want it to be accepted as much as you.' They nodded, smiling thoughtfully. 'This Empire is going to be much better from now on. Or, should I say, Plasma dadada?' They laughed.
'You told her!'
'Maybe.'
'N Aleriga Harmonia, I can tell when you've done something!'
'Yeah right! You couldn't tell I was the one who released you from Iriclul!' Renina gave him a look that was a mixture of annoyance and happiness.
'You're insufferable.'
'No,' I told them, 'Ghetsis was insufferable.'
'So are you, Renina.'
'Am not!'
General POV
The sound of laughter and jokes filled the air. Renina and N had a mother, someone like them for once. All could tell that something amazing was about to begin.
And so ends Silence of Division. Now, I can get to work on other fanfics I'm desperate to write. If you want a sequel to Silence of Division, I suggest you tell me so in the reviews section! See you next time!
