Author's Note: First off, I'd like to thank all the people who have read, and reviewed. We've got some new faces! Which is always good to see. Plus, this last chapter garnered more reviews than any previous chapter! Hurray!
Second, I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. I had a plot bunny sneak up behind me, and throw me into a stranglehold! It threatened me and demanded I begin writing it immediately! There was nothing I could do! It wouldn't let me return to From the Ashes until I had written three chapters for it. It was terrifying. I'm lucky to have survived. I'm not sure if I'll ever post it. I'll need to write more of it before I decide. It's certainly nothing I expected I'd write. So, we'll see how it goes, I guess. Alien territory and all that. But rest assured, finishing this story is my top priority. Only two more chapters to go.
(Starts feeling some separation anxiety)
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"In a way, it's better that Boreal is out of the picture. I'm sorry if that sounds insensitive, but he never could see the forest for the trees."
"I know you never cared for him in life, Eider, but the least you could do is not speak ill of him now that he's dead," Sora frowned, taking a sip of her wine.
"You're shaking." He sounded chagrined. "I'm sorry, you're right. I'm not trying to upset you." She set her glass down, folding her hands in her lap to still them, and he continued. "What I'm trying to say is that this has gone on long enough. Emus is in agreement. We need to strike at Cyclonia, itself."
She raised an eyebrow, "Now?"
"As far as I'm concerned, we should have done it months ago, rather than waste time and resources chipping away at the rest of the Empire."
"We gained much in the process."
"Now you sound like Boreal. Have you been out to some of the terras we've won from Cyclonia? Reconstruction is going to be a nightmare for whichever side emerges victorious in this war."
"Are you beginning to doubt our ability to win?" She tried to keep the hope out of her voice.
His face hardened, taking her words as an insult. He drained his own cup, before shaking his head. "It's three against one. We'll win." Setting the cup aside, he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his desk and hanging his head with a sigh.
"Are you well?"
"Just tired."
"Should I leave so that you may retire for the night?"
He raised his head, meeting her gaze with unfocused eyes. "No. No, we need to finish this conversation. Emus expects a consensus to be reached, soon." He sounded out of breath as he spoke, his words slurred. "What do you think? Should…" He paused, putting a hand to his chest. "I'm sorry. I…what do you…."
She flinched as he slumped forward. Standing, she walked around to his side of the desk, checking for a pulse, and finding none. She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He had been a good man, and a good brother, but she had to look out for the best interests of her children.
Shutting the door behind her as she left, she told the guard, "Lord Eider will be working late, and does not wish to be disturbed." The guard nodded, and she walked back to her ship.
As her pilot flew her home to Bluster, she threw both the venom crystal she had smuggled into the Nimbus fortress, and the shielding crystal that had protected her from its effects, into the Wastelands. With the crystal out of range of Eider, his blood chemistry would revert back to normal, leaving no signs that he had been poisoned. When they found his body the next day, all evidence would suggest that he had died of heart failure. No one would be able to prove that his death had been anything more than a terrible tragedy.
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Emus cornered her after the funeral.
"Congratulations," he smirked. She frowned. She had never liked Emus. He was a wiry, rat-faced little man who considered himself far cleverer than he actually was.
"I beg your pardon?"
"First your husband is assassinated by his own guards, and then, little more than a month later, your brother dies of a weak heart. And you get Bluster and Nimbus out of the deal."
"Are you insinuating something, Emus?"
"It's convenient, that's all."
Sora drew herself up indignantly. "Eider's ashes aren't even cold, yet, and you dare to accuse me?" she raged at him. "I loved them!"
Her anger gave him pause, and he ducked his head in appeasement, the weak-willed fool. "Then prove it. Honor their memories by finishing what they started. Marshal your troops. We'll hit Cyclonia with everything we've got!"
She nodded slowly. "It's what they would have wanted," she agreed.
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Deep in the bowels of the Cyclonian citadel, in an unused, unguarded section of the dungeons, a circle of shielding crystals cast an eerie pinkish glow over the three inhabitants of the small, unlocked cell.
Two cages were set across from each other within the circle. One contained a gleep, and the other a tove. The tove growled low in its throat, throwing its small body against the bars as it lunged at the gleep, which huddled as far from the other creature as possible, shivering. In the center of the circle sat a sable crystal, the product of an oblivion and transformation crystal.
Lark sat outside the circle, Lamiya's journal open in front of her. She concentrated, activating the crystal. It began to glow faintly. Pointing her newly rebuilt staff at the tove, she fired. It yelped as the striker blast hit it, and collapsed. As its life drained away, the crystal drew its energy towards it. When the first tendril touched the crystal, there was an unearthly howl. Black sparks of electricity licked across the stream of energy connecting the crystal to the dying tove. When it reached the creature, the tove blinked out of existence, leaving its empty cage behind.
The gleep squeaked and shrank back even further.
Lark slammed the journal shut. Deactivating the crystal, she stepped into the circle and picked it up. "Useless," she muttered. "You're just a glorified oblivion crystal." She pointed it at the gleep, firing. It, too, disappeared.
She'd made no progress in her quest, and it was starting to grate. Perhaps the modifications she needed to make simply could not be done, and she was just wasting her time. Discouraged, she walked back to the upper levels of the fortress.
She was halfway to the crystal lab when the alarm sounded. She ran the rest of the way to the throne room. Once there, she found her grandfather standing in front of the large window, arms crossed casually across his chest, a small smile on his face.
"Our triumph is at hand," he told her, nodding out the window as she came to stand next to him.
Off in the distance, a huge invasion force was approaching the fortress. It was a daunting sight. If she hadn't been aware of the plan, she would have thought it was over for them. It still could be over, if Sora betrayed them. She didn't know how her grandfather could smile, knowing that their survival hinged upon the cooperation of a woman who had so easily changed sides not once, but twice, already.
Cyclonian forces were amassing, holding position as they waited for the invaders to come closer. Once the Triumvirate ships were in range, the Cyclonians opened fire.
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On board the Triumvirate flagship, holding back from the main battle, Sora and Emus stood watching the spectacle playing out before them. Emus' grin grew larger every time he caught sight of a Cyclonian Switchblade being shot down, or a Destroyer taking a serious hit. Sora smiled, for a very different reason.
Bluster's forces were very slowly falling to the back of the invasion force, while Nimbus' were congregating off to the sides, along the outer fringes of the battle. Squall's fighters were being surrounded right under Emus' nose, and he took no notice.
Once her soldiers were in position, she walked over to the helm, and blew the ship's horn. Emus turned to her, frowning in confusion, "What'd you do that for?" Without waiting for her response, he turned back towards the battle in time to see her soldiers turn against his.
Ravess and Snipe entered the bridge, summoned by the call to action. They flanked the door, weapons at the ready, as Emus wheeled on Sora, hatred and rage twisting his features. "I knew you couldn't be trusted!" he spat.
"Surrender, Emus," Sora said calmly. "It's over."
In response, he drew a narrow, archaic dagger from his boot, and let it fly. She heard the twang of Ravess' bow, saw Emus fall as an arrow pierced his heart. But it was too late. The dagger had embedded itself in Sora's throat. She clutched the hilt, staggering back. Snipe caught her, easing her down to the ground, as Ravess grabbed the med kit from the wall and ran over.
She knew it was hopeless. Fire spread through her veins. The blade had been poisoned. Perhaps Emus had been cleverer than she gave him credit for. She tried to speak, but couldn't. Her vision was going black around the edges. She reached out, taking one of their hands in each of hers. She gave a weak squeeze, as if to tell them that everything was going to be okay, that they would do well. And then everything went dark.
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Dark Ace's eyes gleamed as his blade cleaved through the wings of one of the Triumvirate Switchblades, sending the sky ride spiraling. It crashed into the side of the terra, bursting into flame.
He leapt from his Switchblade, onto another, throwing the rider into open air, before aiming the vehicle at another. He jumped back to his own seat as the two Triumvirate Switchblade's collided.
He moved on to his next target. He felt cold, focused. He did not feel the thrill of battle, the bloodthirsty desire to crush an opponent, as he normally did. The outcome was decided. This would be the end of the war. Cyclonia would win. There was no doubt, no sport.
His job was to cut through as many Triumvirate soldiers as he could before the end, to protect Cyclonia from those unlucky few who still believed that they could actually bring the Empire down.
He pulled up alongside a Heli-Blade, taking a stab at its pilot. The young man veered to the side. "Sir! I'm one of Sora's men! We're on the same si-." Dark Ace's blade removed the boy's head, stilling his obnoxious tongue. As far as he was concerned, until the signal was given, they were still enemies. The fool should have been in position, instead of flying out amongst the fray.
He flew on, slicing through the parachute cords of an unseated Triumvirate soldier before taking aim at another.
The sound of a ship's horn cut through the air, sounding loud and clear over the confusion of the battle. He pulled his Switchblade up short, hovering in midair as he watched the Nimbus and Bluster chapters fall upon their Squall brethren like wolves.
The ghost of a smile tugged at his lips for the first time since joining the battle. He hadn't witnessed such a spectacular bloodbath in years.
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Dark Ace marched through the throne room doors, flanked by Ravess and Snipe. He stopped a respectful distance from Master Cyclonis and Lark, bowing, and felt the other two do the same.
"Well?" Master Cyclonis asked, in a tone that suggested he already knew what Dark Ace would say.
"Emus and Sora are dead, Master. There are very few Triumvirate survivors. Their highest ranking officer was quick to offer Squall's surrender."
"Excellent news," Cyclonis said. "Except, of course, for Sora. A grievous loss. I am sorry," he said with all due sympathy, as he met the eye of first Ravess, and then Snipe. They murmured their appreciation of his acknowledgment.
"It throws a bit of a wrench in these proceedings. The treaty was drawn up with the assumption that Sora would govern Bluster," Cyclonis continued. "But now it seems that other arrangements must be made."
Cyclonis paused for only a moment, studying the two young soldiers who stood to either side of Dark Ace. "Ravess, you'll take over Bluster," he dictated. "Snipe, Nimbus. Which leaves only Squall without a governor. Our first order of business, then, is to assign one."