Chapter 26 – At the End of Battle

Stepping off the repair bay lift, White Glint looks around furiously. "I will kill whoever was idiotically foolish enough to-"

"My lord!" A young voice cries out happily. Turning towards the source, White Glint barely has time to register the small form that collides with her, embracing her fiercely. "I was so worried!" The small person cries. Sighing, White Glint pats the young girl on the head. "At ease Sally. I am well." The young girl nods, her long pink hair tied separately into two pigtails at the back of her head. No more then twelve, the young girl is barely four feet, her flight suit white with blue accents, her flight helmet, conspicuously absent, is also white, bearing a pair of feathery wing ornaments on the side.

"What are you doing here?" White Glint asks Sally, pushing the girl back so that she is arm's length from her. "I left strict instructions for you to remain with the vanguard."

"We came forward when you sounded the retreat my lord." Sally replies. "My lady." White Glint corrects her. "And even when we called forward the vanguard, you were not supposed to move to the front, much less engage the Last Raven." Sally frowns. "But Maryl said that-"

"Maryl?" White Glint demands. "You know you are not supposed to listen to that, that!" Sally cringes fearfully. "But I'm not supposed to disobey a direct order from a superior!" Sally whines fearfully. "You told me so!" White Glint growls slightly under her breath. "I will deal with her later. From now on, you do not follow any orders that miserable-"

"Calling me names?" Maryl asks as she approaches. Glaring at the other woman through her visor, White Glint clenches her jaw in an effort not to explode at the woman. "I thought you were, better, then that." A few inches taller then White Glint, Maryl, third of the four, is a gorgeous woman, with long black hair, soft brown eyes, and a figure that has driven many insane with lust. But behind the warm brown eyes, White Glint knows there is a vicious mind capable and more then willing to do whatever it has to in order to succeed. Currently, Maryl wears the lower half of her green and black flight suit, her upper body covered by a tank-top. Seeing her nipples poking at the fabric, White Glint can tell that she is without a bra, or any sense of decency.

"Only you would have been so stupid!" White Glint accuses. "I did what had to be done." Maryl replies. "What you should have done while you had the chance. Instead, you let that miserable man walk over you, and the Order!"

"As if your idiotic actions fared any better!" White Glint shouts. Letting out a terrified squeak, Sally quickly steps away from her mentor as White Glint takes a step forward, arm raised to slap Maryl.

"Enough!" Aaliyah shouts, coming up behind White Glint and grabbing her wrist. "You are the second: Act like it." Gritting her teeth, White Glint pulls her hand free from Aaliyah's grasp, and steps back from Maryl. "How shameful." Maryl says, a slight smile on her face. "I wouldn't be so quick to judge." Aaliyah tells her, brushing aside a few strands of her brown, shoulder-length bangs from her face. "Your actions nearly cost us the Sky Claw. The matriarch has summoned us. Report to the upper balcony conference room."

A brief look of rage passes over Maryl's face, gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. "As you command." She says coolly before turning and walking towards the Hangar's exit. "As for you." Aaliyah turns her steely blue gaze to White Glint. "The battle has ended." Wordlessly, White Glint removes her helmet, revealing a pretty face framed in long white hair she frees from a large bundle at the nape of her neck, pale light blue eyes, and even paler, ivory white skin. "The Matriarch will not be pleased." Aaliyah continues. "Nor am I: You let your emotions get in the way of your judgment, and it almost cost you your life at the hands of the Outer Heaven Normals. You know better then this White."

White Glint averts her gaze from Aaliyah, partially in shame, and partially in anger. "We'll deal with that later. As for you little one." Sally let's out a small squeak when Aaliyah turns her attention to her. "What were you doing out there? And how did you survive your encounter with the Last Raven?"

"Maryl ordered her move to the front and support me." White Glint tells her. "Against the orders I had left earlier." Aaliyah nods. "I see. And your escape?"

"He, let me go." Sally explains. "He was so in a rush to do something. When I stopped fighting him, he just left." Aaliyah sighs. "So he left you there. Not the greatest of marks to add to your record, but in this case, you survived: Something you wouldn't have done if he had decided to fight to the end." Sally vigorously nods her head in agreement. "You will not engage the Last Raven without White Glint or myself ever again. Understood?"

"Totally!" Sally agrees. "Alright." Aaliyah nods. "The Matriarch awaits." The three make their way towards the hangar exit, Aaliyah in the lead, Sally beside White Glint, taking her right arm. Sighing, White glint debates admonishing the girl for her action, but decides against it. "Are you okay my lord?" Sally asks her. "I am merely tired." She sighs. "And it is my lady, not my lord." Sally giggles at the last part. "You know the only reason she does that is because you react to it." Aaliyah says over her shoulder. White Glint scowls at no one in particular, wishing feverently that the night would end and she would be allowed to go back to her quarters and sleep.

Exiting the hangar, the two make their way to a moderately size room dominated by a large rectangular table. At the other end of the room is a large screen, currently dominated by the order's symbol. "I am, disappointed." The Matriach states once they have entered and the door closes. "With this sunrise, was to come a sweeping victory that would have put our forces on the road to total control of this continent, yet here we stand, licking our wounds in defeat."

"Matriach, I-" White Glint starts t say but is cut off by an angry shout. "Sit and be silent child!" She orders. "All of you!" The three hastily take seats at the table near the screen, White Glint and Sally on one side, Aaliyah on the other.

"The battle has been lost." The Matriarch says. "But the reasons are many, and only a few can be placed at the feet of the Last Raven and his cadre."

"The fact that they were able to withstand a non-stop nighttime assault while vastly outnumbered is quite remarkable." Aaliyah says. "Their defenses, and the organization of their ground forces left them well entrenched. The targeting countermeasures they had also proved to be a deciding factor."

"Without the Sky Claw's weapons, a direct assault was unavoidable." White Glint finishes. "And had it not occurred to you to simply bombard the region with fire until you struck the facility?" The Matriarch asks. "It had." White Glint replies. "But doing so would have put us on the defensive. The attack against the Spirit of Motherwill showed that though their machines are inferior, a small force of Normals, particularly one led by the Last Raven, could have done substantial damage to the Sky Claw. By deploying an assault force, my hope was to keep the Last Raven in check until we could either capture the Mars Base, or disable the jamming equipment preventing the Sky Claw from accurately targeting."

"Yes, that worked quite well." Maryl voice says snidely through the speakers. "Be silent! You Maryl, of all the players in this battle, are the one I am most disappointed in. Your petty need for revenge had nearly cost us the Arms Fort."

"And if she had fired the main guns when she had the chance, we would not be here!" Maryl retaliates. "At least I didn't show cowardice in the face of battle!"

"The risk was not worth the reward!" White Glint counters angrily. "The primary and secondary power grids were damaged: Most of the defensive weaponry was offline and both myself and Aaliyah were near our limits. All signs indicated that firing the main guns could result in further damage to the power grid, which would have resulted in potentially losing all flight capability!"

"On the subject of the main guns." Aaliyah speaks up. "I am curious Maryl, why you fired them at the Last Raven, and not at Mars Base. I checked the data when I got back, and you had optimal firing solutions for both."

"Then you received more complete data." Maryl counters. "The gunners I dealt with told me they no longer had a firing solution on the base."

"I'm quite sure." White Glint says flatly. "Enough." The Matriarch orders them. "This petty rivalry is no longer amusing. I will deal with you Maryl shortly. Not only had you acted foolishly in giving the order to fire, but sending the child to face the Last Raven, particularly one as important as Angel, is beyond reproach. Were there another to take your place, you would be of the four no longer. I will speak with you later."

"Yes Matriarch." Maryl says quietly. "You, White Glint." The Matriarch continues. "Are not without fault in this either. Were it not for the same reason I have just given the third, you would be fourth now." White Glint winces at the Matriarch's words. "Your handling of this situation, and of the Last Raven, has brought into question your judgment. In the last several hours, I have seen a side of you I had thought purged during your training. I am disappointed."

"Yes Matriarch." White Glint says, bowing her head slightly. "I have no excuse for my actions."

"Your punishment will come at a later time." The Matriarch continues. "First, we will see if the prize you had brought back is worth any merit. Until then, you are to take command of the Sky Claw, and Return to the Scissor Forest Facility. There you will moor until repairs are completed. Take this time to reflect upon your mistakes this night. Now go." White Glint nods, and gets to her feet, Sally following her out of the room. "White Glint isn't completely to blame for this loss." Aaliyah says once they are gone. "Mars Base put up a level of resistance not even I had expected, and much of it was not in part of the Last Raven."

"Agreed. These changes the Outer Heaven have been going through are too convenient. I suspect that they have an ally, one with intimate knowledge of our own technology."

"No one here would betray the Order." Aaliyah objects, frowning. "I did not say that this ally came from within our ranks. No, there is something else afoot here. We must proceed cautiously until we can learn more."

"I would like you to return through the gate Matriarch." Aaliyah says. "After tonight, I expect Outer Heaven will want to retaliate, and if they do have knowledge of our inner workings, they may try to attack you directly." There is a long pause before the Matriarch speaks. "Your suggestion is a sensible one my child. I will consider it. However, for the moment, I am needed here. Watch her closely Aaliyah."

"Maryl?" Aaliyah asks, confused. "White Glint." The Matriarch replies. "She hides something from us, something that has brought her to an inner conflict."

"Do you think she might. . ." Aaliyah asks hesitantly. "Her loyalties lie with the Order." The Matriarch assures her. "Though her actions may not be in our best interest." Aaliyah nods. "I understand. I'll talk to her. She's opened up to me in the past. But, what if she really-"

"Should that scenario come to pass, I will pass judgment on her. Until such a time comes, do what you must to ensure that our two pawns remain on the paths set before them."

"As you wish Matriarch."

********

"Are you okay my lord?" Sally asks once they are out of the conference room. "It has been a very difficult operation." White Glint replies. Taking off her gloves, she takes a moment to run a hand through her hair, and let out a deep sigh. "I'll bet." Sally agrees. "That Last Raven guy really kicks butt. He should be on our side."

"Yes, he should." White Glint replies absently. "I am returning to my quarters. Go fetch me a meal."

"Yes my lord!" sally replies enthusiastically, saluting before she turns and runs off. "I must do something about her." White Glint mutters under her breath, shaking her head at the young girl. Quickening her pace, White Glint makes her way to her quarters aboard the Sky Claw. Once there, she contacts the secondary bridge.
"Ma'am!" Lieutenant Baileys greets her when he answer. "Status of the Sky Claw?" White Glint asks as she sits down. "Bad shape, but we should make it back to Scissor Forest by noon tomorrow. We can't risk pushing the engines anymore then that."

"No signs of pursuit or retaliation from EUG forces?"

"We had a few planes buzz us from a distance, but we've managed to get some of the defensive weapons back online. Unless they come at us with a large force I doubt they'll bother us. All Outer Heaven forces have pulled back to their base." There is a brief pause as the lieutenant takes a moment to read something. "Reports from the field indicate that EUG forces have arrived to re-enforce the base and provide relief. Other then that, we're not seeing any kind of activity from Mars Base to indicate what they're up to.."

"What about the splinter force I encounter during my escape? Where they indeed Alliance forces?"

"Still no word back on that on ma'am. But General Batten is also looking into the matter. Initial reports indicate that there no other forces operating in the area besides us."

"Send a message to the General once we reach our destination requesting a meeting."

"Will do ma'am. Oh, I thought you'd also like to know that the captain's going to pull through."

White Glint frowns. "The captain?" She asks. "Yes ma'am. Captain Haldric just got out of surgery. He suffered some internal bleeding and a collapsed lung along with the burns, but the medics say he'll pull through."

"I was not aware he had survived." White glint admits, surprised. "All the better. Every ship needs a captain. Inform me when he awakens. That will be all for now." The lieutenant salutes as White Glint closes the comm. at her end. Sighing, she pillows her head on her arms and closes her eyes, sleep quickly overcoming her.

********

The canteen is empty, a surprising fact given the activity around the base. Sitting alone, Kain nurses a half-finished bottle of beer, staring at the dark glass as though it might somehow hold the secrets to the universe itself. At the otherside of the room, the door slides open silently, Valkyrie poking her head in to look around. Seeing him sitting there, she enters the canteen. "You okay?" She asks when she gets to the table.

Picking up the bottle, Kain finishes off the bottle, and with a bellowing howl of rage, flings the bottle at the wall where it shatters, the pieces dropping to the floor to join the other bottles who have met a similar fate.

"What the hell was she thinking?" Kain roars. "Of all the stupid shit to pull, she just had to go after that damn bitch!" Kain slams his fist against the table angrily. "We'll get her back." Valkyrie tries to assure him. "Don't." Kain warns her, pointing angrily at her. "You know as well as I do, that if Alliance Tactical got a hold of her, she'd be better off dead. AT never followed any of those wartime conventions unless it suited them, and you know it."

"Yeah, I do." Valkyrie admits. "But it's also possible that she's in the hands of the Order. Whatever they're up to, they seem to follow the conventions." Sitting back down, Kain reaches under the table and takes another bottle out of the box by his chair, carefully place out of immediate kicking range Valkyrie notes. "What the hell was she fucking thinking?" Kain asks again. "Probably that she had something to prove." Valkyrie replies. "Like what?" Kain demands angrily.

"You really are an idiot sometimes." Valkyrie tells him, going around the table and taking a seat across from him. "Megan is married to the Last Raven. Even if she doesn't have anything to prove to you, she's still got to prove herself to the rest of the world."

"Bullshit." Kain growls. "There's a lot we haven't told you." Valkyrie continues. "You don't want to know how many death threats and she got in the last two years. The second you two tied the knot, she put a big red target on her chest, and she had to prove to the world that they couldn't mess with her." Kain surges to his feet, and hurls the un-opened bottle against the wall. "Why did you think everyone was hoping you and Diana would become a couple once she got better?" Valkyrie asks quietly.

"Surprised the old man didn't try to get you to fill the slot again." Kain says angrily. "I wanted to." Valkyrie admits quietly, surprising Kain. "For awhile I really did. But then I realized that I'd never be able to be the warlord, and your lover. And I knew you wouldn't like me if I was both either." Wordlessly, Kain sits back down, and runs his hands over his face. "There has to be more to it then that." Kain says after a bit. "Megan may have had an axe to grind, but not even she could have been stupid enough to go after White Glint for that."

Valkyrie shifts uncomfortably at his words. "You know something don't you?" Kain asks, catching the movement. "Not really." Valkyrie replies. "Sumika's trying to track down leads on that Alliance recovery team you ran into, but right now, our best intel says that Megan's on the Sky Claw. Go get some sleep, you've been up more then twenty-four hours already."

"What about the others?" Kain asks. "Jouster's going to be sharing a corner with Midas for a few days. The rookies made it out okay for the most part."

"Thought you were pretty banged up too?" Valkyrie smirks. "Like I got time to lie around right now. Don't worry though, I'm all bandaged up. UEG's move more forces into the area, but it looks like the Sky Claw, that Arms Fort if you hadn't heard, is heading back to Scissor Forest for repairs."

"So that's it?" Kain asks. "We almost get our asses kicked, and they get away with my wife?"

"That's the war we're fighting." Valkyrie tells him, getting to her feet. "Sometimes, it sucks." Valkyrie takes her leave of the canteen. Stepping out into the hallway, she stops when she notices someone standing off to the side. "So you've been keeping him liquored up?" She asks the person. "I thought it would be better then having him roam around making trouble. He was really pissed when he got in." Valkyrie nods. "I always figured you were still hanging around somewhere."

"A mother should always be there for her kids." The woman replies. "And I haven't been just hanging around."

"If the warlord had known-" Valkyrie begins. "It was the warlord who asked me to come back." She cuts in. "But obviously, you don't want to hear about that right now. We'll talk again, if you ever want to." With that, the woman turns and walks down the hallway away from Valkyrie. Watching her go, Valkyrie shakes her head and sighs. "Great. Just what I don't need right now."