Author's notes: Hey guys got a new chapter for you...unfortunately it is also my shortest chapter so far.

Honestly this probably could have been part of what will be chapter 11 but I have had an account on this site for nearly three months I still can't for the life of me figure out how to do the stupid line break thingy, (if someone is willing to answer my question can you please PM the answer to me?) Seriously, I've been trying to figure out how to do it ever since I first started to post anything and I've even poked around in forums too and still I have no clue.

Anyway rant over. Enjoy!

Chapter 10: Behind Enemy Lines

Walking in the dim of an Octarian base hallway Octarnick glanced up at the distant ceiling where faint beams of sunlight filtered through small cracks in it. Many times in the last several days he had thought about what it must be like to live on the surface like the Inklings do.

The thought, however, would always quickly end by him reminding himself that he was a young Octoling soldier and that the Inklings were his mortal enemies.

"Hey Nicky, are you actually going somewhere or did you forget where you were going again?"

Grinding his teeth to prevent himself from growling at them he turned to fac3 the two female Octolings leaning up against the wall, "As a matter of fact Octavious has requested my presence Octavia and last I check you are supposed to address superiors by their full title."

"Whatever you say...Nicky," the two of them went into a bout of laughter.

Clenching his fist Octarnick mentally imagined himself punching Octavia in the mouth as well as her friend.

"What's the matter Nicky? Forget how to speak?" The other Octoling, Octarla, quipped causing her and Octavia to giggle even more.

"Maybe we should follow him just to make sure he doesn't suddenly get confused on the way there." This comment gets the most laughter from the two of them and causes an echo to ring across the whole area.

Stomping away he could feel his face burning as the sounds of their laughter continued to follow him down the hall.

It wasn't his fault that he had memory problems, or at least as far as Octarnick knew it wasn't. It had started several days ago when he had had some form of accident that ended with him hitting his head hard. No one was willing to tell him what had exactly happened and frankly he wasn't really sure he cared. Aside from the occasional memory blank it didn't seem to have effected him too bad, but those few times the memory blanks had occurred had turned him into a laughingstock in several sections of the Octarian army.

Rubbing the bump on the back of his head where supposedly he had gotten hit he picked up his pace to get to the meeting he was supposed to be at.

Walking into a room full of monitors and various other technology that Octarnick had no idea how to use he swallowed nervously as he stepped up to a desk where a large leather chair was behind it. Its back was facing towards him currently, "S-s-sergent Octarnick fro-"

"I know who you are Sargent! Sit down!"

Promptly he sat on the only other chair available.

"Sargent do you have any idea why I would summon you here?"

"Um, no but I'm sure you have your reasons Sir."

Whipping the chair around Octavious glared at him with his luminous green eyes. "Are you implying that I would bring you here for no good reason?"

"No Sir." Octarnick replied quickly. He brushed his tentacles away from his face and visual enhancing goggles to hide the fact that he was trembling.

"Good," he leaned back into his seat and allowed Octarnick to breathe in a mental sigh of relief, "I need you for a very important mission Sargent."

"W-what could that be Sir?"

Turning back to the monitors Octavious pressed a key on one of the many keyboards there which brought up images of four young Inklings, a royal blue male inkling, a green male Inkling, a dark purple female Inkling, and an orange female Inkling. The last Inkling surprising Octarnick the most since naturally orange colored Inklings had long since become almost a rarity. As far as he knew not many of the orange Inklings still existed nowadays.

"These are the current Squidbeak Splatoon members, the last one having only just recently joined. We also know they have also regained contact with Agent 1."

"I thought a pair of Octolings was sent to go retrieve Agent 1?"

"There was, but they never returned, nor did they report in which strongly implies that Agent 1 must have taken them both out. We don't know her current whereabouts and looking for her will most likely prove useless."

"Than what is my mission Sir if not to look for Agent 1?"

"I need you Sargent to keep an eye on these four," he answered, indicating the four Inklings in the images, "something tells me they might try to complete their failed mission from six days ago and try to get the zapfish. If they do I need you and a squadron to make sure they don't get it. Do I make myself perfectly clear Sargent?"

"Yes Sir, but..."

"But what Sargent?" Octavious asked as he made it clear that he was treading dangerous waters, or rather dangerous ink in their case.

"I was just thinking that without their leader I would think they wouldn't dare to try it right now. From what I've heard in the reports only the one known as Agent 3 had really any knowledge of our current technology and without him they'll be as blind as a cavefish."

"So you don't think they'll try?"

"What? no!" he said quickly as sweat started to form on the back of his neck, "I'm saying that it may be longer before they try again, so we probably got time..." trailing off he nervously adjusted his goggles.

"Are you questioning my authority Sargent?"

"No Sir!" panic started to enter Octarnick's heart.

"Good," he leaned back in his chair again, "I don't need disobedient little Sargents and I'm sure you don't want to disobey me either, do you?"

"No Sir," Octarnick sighed. He was safe from the loss of his rank, at least for now.

"Good, now go!"

Getting up as quickly as he could Octarnick walked away from Octavious and out of the room, not even daring to breathe until he was well down the hallway and out of earshot.

"I can't believe you chose him of all the sargent we have."

Octavious sighed deeply before addressing the new speaker, "I knew you would disagree."

"Of course I do, you know perfectly why I would. He's reckless, jumpy and extremely immature for his age."

"Yes, that's why I asked you to be here when he arrived. So what do think?"

"I think that kid could potentially cause a lot of problems if he finds out what we have been doing. Like a parrot fish if he sees anything he'll squawk."

"And that's why I need you to make sure he doesn't see anything. If he does it is also your duty to make sure his squawking, as you so called it, doesn't escape his beak. am I clear?"

"Perfectly Octavious."