Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks or any of its characters. I do, however, own my own characters and plots.

Chapter 37

Perhaps I ought to start from the beginning, but not so far back. You know how Oasium was invaded by Cyclonians in the Crimson Rain —that's what my people called that time. It was in that battle that my father, Blaed, died losing. I was six-years-old when the Oasium Project started...

As I had mentioned before, Karbus —my stepfather— killed a Cyclonian scientist on the field. There were five of them together; two scientists and three Talons. When he killed the scientist, the three soldiers tried to condemn him... but before my stepfather was killed, he took them down with him. The remaining scientist escaped, and it was only a matter of time before reports returned to their threshold. Oasium prepared for the worst, for their last stand. Before Karbus left, he left his legacy behind; a batch of eggs he produced with my mother. Deep in my memory, I remember promising my mother that I would protect the eggs, but she only shook her head, speechless. She was not only mourning the death of one husband, but two.

I remembered the fear I felt as I watched my village sharpen their weapons, both biological and handmade. Males and females alike took up arms, while mothers of younger children stayed in their homes and comforted the young ones. It was decided that they would escape into the desert and find a series of catacombs to hide in long enough for my uncle and his underlings to claim them. My mother put me among these numbers, but to my dismay she decided to send me alone. She wasn't coming with me. She told me it was to treat the wounded... I begged her and begged her to come with me, but all she said was that she wanted me safe, that she didn't want to lose me. But what about me losing her?She assured me everything would be alright and back to normal soon enough. I should have known not to believe her.

Before I left, she showed me where all the eggs of the village were going to be stored. Moss coated the walls of many cells, dividing each family's nest like protective havens. I remember our nest being the closest to the entrance. It was there that I last saw my mother.

After that, everything was a horrifying blur; the Cyclonians ambushed our group as we fled. They came too soon. I only barely escaped, and I was so frightened... a frightened, stupid child. I left everyone behind and raced back to find my mother. We had made it a long way into the desert, avoiding the sandwurms, all for nothing. It took just as long to get back, and I don't know how I evaded the Cyclonian's eyes or sandwurm's ears, but I did. When I returned at last, it wasn't a scene a child was meant to see.

It was... too much. Consuming fire. Blood. Bodies. Scales and bones...

My mother was nowhere in sight, which in hindsight may have been for the best. To see her mangled corpse somewhere would be catastrophic... but child-me was hopeful. In desperation, I ran to the cave where the eggs were hidden, hoping to find my mother there. She wasn't... there were only more Raptors I knew, lifeless. I found that the cave had collapsed into itself, scorch-marks blemishing the broken stone from detonations. The eggs inside had to be crushed... and if they weren't, no one would be able to reach them. If they hatched, they would be without warmth, without air, without food or water... they had no chance.

I thought I lost everything, but I noticed that some ways from the mouth of the cave, an egg was tangled in the roots of a bush. I didn't know if it was from my nest, and I wasn't sure if the nestling inside was the one fated to survive the crystal's poison, but I couldn't risk leaving it if it really could survive it. And besides, it was all I had left...

With the egg in my arms, I went to escape, but... as you already know, I was captured. The both of us...

It was a girl. My sister hatched while I was being experimented on, but she didn't share the same fate I had. The Dead Queen took her as her own. She mothered her, and you can very well guess that her type of mothering didn't advertise any virtue. I don't believe that the Dead Queen actually loved her like a daughter... but my sister believed it. I knew that she was from my nest then, because she looked so alike to our mother... there was no denying it. But did she know I was her sister at that point? I remember her watching me very closely when I was brought before her surrogate mother on occasion. My imprisonment and her paradise lasted for three years.

It really did seem that my sister loved her life. She looked happy, with a mother, with a home. I didn't know that she tried to help me, and all I thought was that her world fell apart when mine started to spin back on its axis.

At the time of my rescue, I was being relocated to a clinic outside of Cyclonia's borders but under its rule. Why? When I nearly ripped Luchas' insides out, I was close to breaking out into freedom before being sedated and dragged back down. I was eleven-years-old then. The Cyclonians feared, as I grew older still, that I would eventually break out and actually hurt the populace, so they moved me. The Dead Queen and my sister were also coming along, since it was on the most impressive Cyclonian carrier at the time.

Well, sometime between the two locations, a group of Sky Knights targeted and infiltrated the carrier. They were called the Boreas Wolves, a squadron that followed the previous Storm Hawks with a loyalty so strong that they even followed them to their death. When I learned they had died in that final battle, I regretted never thanking them properly.

But I digress; the Boreas Wolves didn't know what they would find when they attacked. I had heard the sirens blaring, but I didn't respond. One of the Sky Knights had burst into the room where I was held, and... I don't know... perhaps I was a terrible, pitiful sight, so much of one that the young woman overlooked the fact I was a Raptor. She freed me and took me into her arms. She smelled of timber and fallen leaves... that's what I remembered most. At the time, my spirit was nearly broken, and anyone was just someone who wanted to abuse me. I didn't care who had me. I didn't tell them that the other Raptor child on board was my sister, but they took her with us anyway. The former Cyclonis was forced to retreat when her beloved carrier was shot down for good, but she swore a vengeance so foul I wouldn't be able to repeat it in fear of demons overhearing and answering the call.

My rescue did nothing to restore my faith in humanity. As far as I was concerned, I was only cargo being shipped off for some other use. There was no room for compassion or empathy. I couldn't trust anyone, let alone my saviours, and I left them while they slept. Whatever happened to Farida did not cross my mind in this sordid reality... That's why I had a terrible fright and anger-fit when a pirate came out of nowhere and 'kidnapped' me right off that nameless Terra.

That was my uncle. You know him as Captain Scabulous. The letter he sent me on Atmosia smelled of murky sky-mist and cloud-krill, a scent that I was accustomed to.

Things were just going from worst to absolutely hellish. I didn't know who he was, and he didn't explain once that he knew my parents. I didn't remember him, but apparently he first saw me when I was just a hatchling. You'd think he would fill in a father's role to pay homage to his dead friends, but he was rough and harsh. He made me work to the bone on his ship, the Blood Crow, as if I didn't have dignity issues already. Eyeball, his first-shipmate, pitied me and tried to help me out on occasions, but Scabulous would punish him. I would skip meals and disappear into my little dungeon of a room to avoid seeing the captain's face. He had both eyes back then... both piercing and ridiculing. I had wondered why he never hit me... when I thought he would, he always stopped when the damage was done and walked away. I guess the venom of his words was hurtful enough.

After a year or so of withstanding his abuse, I started fighting back. Standing up for myself. Sometimes I would lose the arguments. He was sly, sharp with his tongue; he would ask me questions I didn't have the heart to answer. They were often the same...: Just what exactly do you have to live for now? Do you even have the right to live?He always waited for me, watching me, until I would finally stump him in some way. Eventually, I built up the nerve to say everything that was on my mind, everything, and my emotion was anger, not sadness. If you say to me one more time I don't have the right to live, I will rip out your heart! I am a weapon, after all!

Those words were pretty much my personal motto for the following years. A rather dismal thing for someone my age to say, but frankly I didn't feel like a child anymore. If I wanted something done, I had to do it myself. For a while, Scabulous treated me the same, but as time passed the cruelty lost its edge. I still hated him, but at least it wasn't a helpless hate. Sure, if I got too out of hand he would discipline me with some unpleasant job to do, but otherwise he put up with my rebellious transformation. He smiled more often, too, when he looked at me. It was very small, so small that I would ignore it. He watched as I grew on his ship among pirates, and soon, you could say that I became a pirate myself.

This, to me, was a simple life. A life where I only needed to know the best way to outwit Scabs and vent out my inherited and acquired aggression. Even to this day it was a normal part of my life, even though it's not conventionally normal, or healthy for that matter. It was simple.

A few years passed and I was becoming a young Raptoress. My hatred for Scabulous turned into something more like a competitive companionship, where I wanted to prove to be better than him. Who cursed the worst, who sang the loudest, who intimidated the strongest... my roars and hisses usually won that one. We'd even get into brawls with each other, and it was here that I learned that I could activate my blood and use my Claws. I learned much about fighting from him. After all these contests though, we always ended up laughing, the both of us. We joked together, partied together (which, by the way, started my passion for drinking) and even went on raids together. I grew used to his roughness, and I even enjoyed his company. However, I was never quite... happy. My laughter was bitter, finding fun in others' misfortunes and defeats. The alcohol only took hold of my mind for a few blissful hours, then abandoned me to face life again. The people I thieved...

When there was a ship to be plundered, I would join the pirates. The treasures we hauled in didn't interest me. As far as I was concerned, the one thing I wanted stolen were the crew and their lives. We stole them away from their loved ones, and I found dark pleasure in that, such that I rue to this day. I personally wasn't the one carrying the death sentences, but I cannot escape responsibility. No one would survive the attack, so no one could tell the tale of the strange Raptor aboard the Murk Raiders' ships.

Then everything changed. I lead this excavation. We found and pillaged a small ship wandering around the edges of Terra Deep. But the crew... it was a father, a mother, and their daughter. A plain fisherman's family. The girl was so small... I was seventeen, and I had reached my full height, so she was incredibly fragile in comparison. I saw the fear in her eyes and on her face, and I saw... me. One of our crewmates had tore her away from her parents, and the way she screamed took hold of my cold, desensitized heart and tightened, suffocating me. It's because of people like you that they suffer,it accused me.

Me? I...

You've become just like those who stole everything from you!

The pirate who held the child still clutched at the collar of her dress, and I ripped her from his grip. Her eyes had shut so tightly when I approached... when she was free, she immediately stumbled to her mother, crying very loudly. The father glared at me in spite of what I had done. I turned my back on them and shouted at the pirates, telling them to flee with me. I told them to drop everything, to just go. We stole nothing.

I had expected Scabulous to be furious with me, but he wasn't. He left me alone to think to myself, to figure out what I was feeling. My heart started to hurt again, after all the years I had trained to numb it. I didn't want to be a pirate, a thief, a murderer. That's not what my mother wanted me to be, either. A wave a regret and sorrow consumed me, and for days I wouldn't eat or sleep. But she's dead!, I had thought to myself. What could she do about what I have become? She had to go off and die on me, leave me behind.I hated everyone, and I didn't want to see any of them, but it was the love and support of another person that I needed most. Thankfully, Scabulous didn't give up on me. As much as I threatened to gouge one of his eyes out, he still stayed close-by. He showed me small tidbits of kindness, efforts to cheer me up. They were so subtle that at first I overlooked them for what they were.

Once, after one of his ventures to Sky's End, Scabulous returned with almost half his face ripped off. His left eye was gone... you could say my threats were jinxed. The dragon there heard my threats and decided to grant my wish. No one on the ship knew how to help him. When I looked at him, slowly losing strength and his grip on reality around him, I felt very deep feelings I hadn't felt in a long time. Compassion, empathy. I went to his side and cared for him for as long as needed. He asked me why I spent so much of my energy to help him, and I simply replied that I had to repay him for everything he had done for me. The first years of savagery meant nothing, and the following years when I didn't feel real love for him... that didn't matter either. He needed my help.

He had laughed. It was a soft sound, one that I hadn't ever heard him utter. It was then that he told me how much I was like my mother.

My eyes widened when he told me what I didn't know. That he met and was nursed by my mother once long ago, and that he grew to be such good friends with her and my father that an alliance was formed between Raptor and Raider. He was the one supposed to rescue the women and children at the purging of Oasium, but by the time they got there, everyone was dead. He learned Raptor children from Oasium were alive when the Boreas Wolves made a huge show of destroying Cyclonia's best ship, and he immediately set off to take me away.

The thing that I, deep down, wanted to hear most was the reason why he treated me so badly. For once, I saw his expression break, and it proved that even a pirate could feel remorse, given the proper reason. He couldn't look at me with his remaining eye.

I already knew I was a pathetic thing when I boarded theBlood Crow.He told me that he thought I wouldn't recover in a good way, so he decided to form me into something easy —angry, violent and strong. It was already in my blood, so why not fuel that fire? He said I had every reason to be like that, and those qualities weren't uncommon on a pirate ship. He thought he succeeded, but he admitted that the image made him regret taking control over me. He, too, knew that it wasn't what my mother would've wanted.

It was a deed he felt he could never redeem, and what he did to me was unforgivable by nature, but I had chosen to forgive him anyway. There was some merit in it... I recognized that the world was dark, and only I could overcome that darkness and ensure my place in the world. My dignity had been tarnished, but thanks to him, I restored it. If I wasn't abducted by him, I would never have grown the way I did, and I obviously wouldn't have become who I am today. And for that, I was grateful to Scabulous, my one and only uncle.

When Scabulous was back on his feet again, I made my decision to go out and seek the Sky Knights and my sister. How long had it been? Around six years. I wondered if they thought I was dead. Scabulous was solemn during my last days on his ship, and I felt deep down that I would miss him terribly. But he respected my wishes, and he dropped me off on Terra Atmosia in the cover of night, telling me to go to the Sky Knight Council to find what I sought.

They apprehended me before I even walked through the door of the elaborate building. Humans swarmed at me like the Cyclonians had back home. It took my whole willpower to remain still as they surrounded me. They looked with disgust at my right hand and immediately had both hands bound. When they saw me, the Council's eyes grew large like pirate doubloons, and they muttered a name amongst themselves.Farida.I had not once heard of that name, so I didn't know they were talking about my sister. The Council called for Mr. Ion, the one in charge in the Chancellor's absence. The Chancellor was meeting with the other Terras, in this time of war and change.

I told them who I was and why I was there. I demanded to know where the Boreas Wolves and my sister were. Mr. Ion told me that the Alliance —all of the Sky Knights combined, apparently— had disembarked to take down the former Cyclonis and her Empire. I would have to wait until their return. That made me very impatient, but the idea of Cyclonis being defeated once and for all was exciting, so I was willing to wait. As for the "other beast who looked like me", as Ion put it, she was in safe-keeping. Mr. Ion and I were on bad terms from the beginning.

So, my sister was on Atmosia, too. I wouldn't have to hunt anywhere further. I insisted to be brought to her, or her to me, but they wouldn't listen to me. I was an alien on their Terra, and a Raptor no less. Repton and his men were fighting against their efforts, and they wouldn't trust me at all in case I was associated with them. They even put me under the custody of Enforcers... they wouldn't believe me when I said I didn't come from Bogaton. How was I supposed to answer them when they asked where I'd been all that time? Living among Murk Raiders? That would be all the more reason to keep me contained. Even when the first Storm Hawks fell and the Sky Knight Alliance was broken, they still kept me captive. At least they were hospitable about it... the worst thing I had to do was keep my mind in check.

When he returned, the Chancellor was the first one to come before me with the intention of letting me go, despite Ion and the Council's warnings. I was... reluctant to tell him more about myself and my life to him, but if it meant progress in my favour, I would do it. Plus, he was a gentle, kind man. He didn't treat me as if I didn't belong. He was ten years younger then, so his hair was only starting to grey. His eyes were soft, too. That's not to say they weren't guarded, but that didn't mean they were hatefully so. Since the Alliance had fallen and the Boreas Wolves were dead... my sister was all that mattered. I asked him to bring me to her, and he obeyed. At first I thought it was a trap. After what life had shown me, I didn't want to trust anyone else, let alone a human. Yes, when I walked into the building my sister was held in, I very well believed it was a trap.

It was just a newborn back then, the medical institute. You wouldn't even be able to call it that. There were no such things as Sectors yet; just one floor and a basement level. We got inside, and I just had to catch a glimpse of white robes before I nearly snapped. That horrible door in my mind, the one that helped lock up the pain... it opened a tiny bit before I pushed it shut. All the same, some memories seeped through their exit anxiously, relishing the chance to torture me and rip my rationality from me. I would have run away from there or lash out at a nearby doctor if the Chancellor hadn't taken hold of my hand delicately. My right hand, to be precise. His smile was comforting as he lead me forward, soothing me with reassuring words. He talked to me as if I were a child... Maybe I still was.

The Chancellor and I started to form a bond. I don't know how it happened, but it just became stronger the more I went to speak with him. We made very good friends, he being a more fatherly-figure. I had heard that his granddaughter had died around my age from sickness, so maybe he saw a little of her in me? I wasn't sure. He was protective of me, even when I was old enough to protect myself. When any other Atmosian scorned me or picked a fight with me, the Chancellor stepped in the crossfire. It was because of him that no mishaps about my heritage ever happened again. The heart which I fashioned to bar people from entering gave him passage. It was because of him that I realized there were more benevolent, caring people who looked out for one another. Scabulous could be like that, but not so selflessly. I was able to trust the doctors years later, enough to let them test on my blood in hopes of helping other people. The Chancellor told me that no one would ever take advantage of me again, and I believed him. He earned my affectionate title of 'Tatu'.

I already told you how we arranged jobs, at least for Farida. As for my job, I started off small. Since I didn't like staying in one place for too long, I decided to become a messenger on Atmosia. I would carry notes and letters from place to place on that Terra, sometimes even acting orally, provided the person trusted me with the message. I earned a lot for that, enough to sustain life until Tatu welcomed me into his home. But even that wasn't enough for me... being landlocked held no true freedom.

I worked like that for a few years, and before I knew it, I was twenty-four. I once took some time off and visited Scabs and the others to take my mind off things, such as Farida, work, the past... Scabs was good at keeping me occupied enough. His face looked better, and the massive scar on his face kind of suited him; in my opinion, it gave him more character, but that's beside the point. We had a great reunion in Terra Deep, and we feasted and drank and danced... late in the night, when the last of the pirates beside us dropped in a dazed stupor, Scabulous lead me to the treasure trove where they usually stuffed all their spoils. I was familiar with this place since I once hauled in some of its contents, but there was something different.

That's where I was acquainted with Cloud Nine.I had seen the parts before, useless pieces at the time... but this was the first time I saw them assembled. My uncle said it belonged to me. He told me it was a request from my parents long before the Crimson Rain ever started. The Murk Raider had its creation started when he felt compelled to honour his dead friends' wishes. There she stood before me... it was like having my parents' memory materialized. I remember having searched and touched every inch of her, getting to know her, becoming one with her. As funny and weird as that may sound, it was an intimate moment. I had no experience at all flying something like her, and I doubted I would be any good, but I was going to try. After all, she was the key to my long-time yearning of getting off the ground.

When I returned to Atmosia, my job went through an upgrade. Tatu was reluctant at first, and he didn't trust Scabulous or the reliability of Cloud Nine, but he soon gave in to my will. I would travel the skies and turn into a messenger bird... a bird to surpass the rest. Unlike them, I would be uncatchable. I already used disguises, but none of them had a name until then... Maia, the Mail-Carrier of Atmos. I was but a small seed, but when word of my persona whispered on the wind, the enemies of Atmos pursued me to catch me like all the birds they'd taken.

And I evaded them... each... time. Dark Ace, Ravess, Snipe, Repton... they couldn't touch me. The thrill of the chase made my spirit soar with excitement, and it was a life like this that could help me bury my history... At least for the time being. The amount of short-term happiness helped lock up the darkness, and I started suppressing my anger in hopes that it would never define me.

You see, there was this one time, when I was caught in a storm with Cyclonians on my tail, and... oh, wait. You joined me around that time, didn't you? You know what happened from then on. I hope you're still awake! I know it was a long story, but I warned you beforehand. And a little background is always helpful...

I lay back in my hammock, my left hand behind my head and my right on my stomach. My Claws were doing much better, hardly dirtying the bandages I bound it with. They were still tender, so I felt I still had to limit their use and wear a sling during my time in Terra Deep. My other wounds were almost completely sealed, and the stitches in my shoulder would have to be removed very soon. At least for those I didn't have to wear any gauze anymore. Sometimes it was hard to believe my body was able to sustain the trauma it could and knit itself together so quickly. I didn't break any bones when I fell a couple Sectors in a fallen elevator, after all.

I scratched my abdomen absent-mindedly with my Claws when I noticed the curtain behind my head stir. I didn't look up to who had entered my room, as I merely noted the additional light that entered and exited my room at the will of the curtain door.

"Still awake, luv?"

I smiled a little. "Yes, sir."

I sensed Scabulous make his way over to the porthole, through which the light from the lanterns outside entered. "Ye won't catch any shut-eye if ye keep yer window uncovered." He proceeded in swinging the dark wooden lid around, leaving a crack for some light to keep the room dim. I heard him pull out the chair by my desk and he sat down.

"I find it hard to sleep nowadays," I replied. I stretched up my right arm in front of me, reaching for the ceiling too far away. "The window makes no difference."

"I hope that yer at least tryin'."

The smile that remained on my face became forced. "Yes, Scabs."

There was a silence that fell between us, but Scabulous did not depart. He let out a sigh and I heard his mechanical arm shift. It was late in the night and I thought he would have taken it off at this point. It gave him some discomfort after long periods of time. He would never admit it though, the stubborn old skoat.

I moved my Claws delicately as I still reached in front of me, exercising them a little. "Have you given my request any more thought?"

"I 'ave. A few o' the Depth Charges can be hollowed out 'n' fitted into the cannons. The troublesome bit of yer request is cuttin' into our rations."

"I will compensate you with every coin I've got," I assured him. "And you won't be under siege once Farida and I leave."

"I feel yer puttin' yer 'eart too far out there, lass." I sat up and manoeuvred my body weight carefully, swinging my legs over the side of my hammock and giving my uncle my full regard. All the light from the crack in the porthole collected at the desk at which he sat, casting his undamaged features in shadow. The light caressed his scarred eye and glinted off of his prosthetic arm. I knew where he was coming from, but I shook my head.

"I can't turn my back on my kin. If there's something I can do about their starvation then I will pull all the strings I can reach. It would mean the world to me if you helped me with this."

"Ye haven't even met the rest of 'em Raptors. Just because they be yer kin doesn't mean they deserve yer kindness. Think about yerself for once."

"Believe me, I am," I told him, chuckling. "It's taking a while, but I am. All the same, I can't put everything else on hold. Time keeps going, and I have to keep up with it."

Scabulous said nothing to that and merely hummed to himself. After a moment, he shook his head, laughing.

"This is a fine spot ye've found yerself in, eh?"

I had to share in his bitter mirth. "Hounded by Cyclonia and scorned by Atmosia. It's says a lot when the only place my sister and I call home is the tiny sliver between the realms."

"Ye will always find a home in Terra Deep, luv."

I smiled warmly at my uncle. "Thanks Scabs... but you and I both know it won't end very well if we stay here. Home is where we can stop running..."

Scabulous turned his face to the window, making his entire visage visible. He had closed his eye in contemplation. I continued.

"We don't have a lot of options. Be it Terra Tranqua or Terra Gruesomus, Farida and I will not find the chance to settle anywhere as long as Cyclonis pursues us. I will not subject you to what's in store, so I'm taking all the necessary steps in our disappearance."

"That is why ye contacted the Storm 'Awks."

I nodded. "Piper has agreed to help me. It will take time for the rest of the team to agree... they've only met my persona. In the meantime, I wish to take care of some unfinished business."

"Such as yer trips to Cyclonia, I know." He opened his eye and fixed me with it. "But Bogaton?"

"As I said, I cannot turn my back on them. While Farida and I may find a better chance of home in the Farside of Atmos, I can't just leave Bogaton in the dust without doing something."

"You owe them nothin'."

"Please, Scabs. If you want to refuse my request you only need say so."

That silenced him and he stopped questioning my reasoning. He sighed through his nose and leaned forward on his knees, folding his hand and mechanical claws between them.

"I will do as ye ask. Just promise me ye won't put so much faith in Repton, of all people."

It was funny to me how Scabulous, whom Tatu had voiced so much displeasure and disapproval of, was now parroting him about Repton. It seemed the Lord of Bogaton was at the bottom of the tier, so low that even Murk Raiders viewed him scathingly. I felt that I knew him a lot better than that, but I appreciated my uncle's concern. When I didn't say anything, Scabulous took his leave. He stood up, wandered over to me, and then placed his hand on my left shoulder.

"Get some sleep now. Yer startin' to give me shivers by how pale ye've gotten."

I inclined my face and let out a soft laugh. I reached up with my left hand and squeezed his before he retreated and left the room. After a few moments, I leaned back down into the hammock and proceeded at staring at the ceiling some more, lost in my thoughts.

There was lot to be done before I left with my sister. I needed to make things right with the people I was leaving behind. It would be preferable if the Storm Hawks answered my call soon, as I didn't want Scabulous forced to defend himself and his crew any longer. After we left Terra Deep, it would be made known to the world that the sisters were no longer there. The danger unfortunately would then transfer to the Storm Hawks if Cyclonia found out, but I was touched that Piper was willing to undertake it. She was working on convincing the others of my virtue, and hopefully they too would be able to tolerate us. It would have been for a short time anyway; depending how Cyclonia responded, Farida and I would react accordingly and leave once more.

I was ready for my next visit to Cyclonia -to repay a debt-, but I felt that it could wait until after my business with Bogaton. Not only did I wish to help out its current state, but I wanted to see it... with my own eyes.

"Boss!"

Repton was in the middle of a meeting. In his presence stood two hand-selected Raptors and the Terradon who escaped from the base. It ended up being Oppinsaur, the leader of the group. Repton had heard someone calling his attention, but he ignored it in favour of pressing matters. He directed his attention to the two Raptors, who were in charge of two different operations.

"A good portion of the people have been relocated, Repton," one of them said. "A select few are still reluctant. These are among the Raptors who doubt your leadership."

"Of course they are. They're told it's for their own safety and yet they continue to defy me." Repton shook his head. "Keep persisting. I want the entire north side vacant, it's the toughest ground we've got on the Terra. It'll be easier for everyone if we move their homes where they won't get in our way or get damaged."

"Yes, sir."

Repton turned to the other Raptor. He heard "Boss!" again, this time nearer. "Has the food from yesterday been divided?"

"Divided and distributed." A look a doubt inched onto the Raptor's face and Repton addressed it sternly.

"What is it?" When the Raptor's lips pressed tightly together, it clicked in Repton's mind what it could have been that bothered the subordinate. "The food didn't need to be checked out for poison."

"But they came with the mark of Murk Raiders..."

In the early hours of the morning before, Raptors were woken by cannon-fire and the tremor of shells striking the earth. Thinking they were under attack, they almost initiated defensive measures. Instead, whatever ship shot those canons disappeared without so much as a warcry. It was revealed that a selection of five large Depth Charges had been shot into their territory, void of any explosive crystals. The energy from Bogaton's blasters did nothing to them as they plummeted into the village's courtyard. Upon investigation, the shells were discovered to have hatches on them, and when pried open, they were filled with food, packaged solidly to withstand the landing. A minor skirmish among the citizens was deflected and the food was secured for proper distribution. Repton however did not order an inspection on the food and commanded the distribution to occur as soon as possible. He knew where the food had come from and who had sent it his way. He was somewhat irritated that Nakoto would go to such lengths and deem Bogaton a Terra in need of almsgiving... but he was partly grateful. The food was very much needed, as Bogaton's stores were nearly nonexistent. He was simply discomfited he didn't find a letter in the supplies.

"Boss!"

Repton's lip curled as he saw Leugey enter the hall, trotting with bated breath. "I commend your keen observation, but the packages we received came from a trusted source," he told the underling. He nodded to both soldiers and they stood erect, fingers at their temples in salute. "Keep an eye on things in the village, and be sure to assist those that still need relocating."

"Yes, sir!"

Leugey finally managed to arrive at Repton's side just as the other two Raptors had left. He took several moments to catch his breath in pathetic gasps, and when he began to speak, Repton slapped him across the face with his tail. The younger Raptor winced, and the Terradon remaining watched the exchange with his hands folded in front of him.

"Whatever it is you want can wait," Repton growled. "I have business with Oppinsaur."

"But- Repton, we-"

Repton gave him a hard look, and Leugey immediately backed down, a look of hurt washing over his face. He took a step back and directed his eyes to the ground, fidgeting. Repton brought his gaze back to the Terradon, his expression not elevating from sombreness.

"We noticed that your base was in complete shambles except for one area that the beast could not reach," Repton began. "It's barred with an indestructible door. What's inside?"

Oppinsaur hesitated. "Nothing of importance... t-that is, nothing we built. It's just the archive library."

Repton's brow twitched. "How do you open the door?"

"So that you can destroy it? I'm afraid I cannot yield." Oppinsaur's posture straightened and the scientist attempted a dominant pose. It was not very convincing to the Raptor King. "That library has centuries of Bogaton's history."

"And anything before that?"

Oppinsaur seemed taken aback, which immediately shattered his firm facade. "What was that?"

"Repton-"

"Leugey, what did I say?" Repton rounded on the younger brother with bared teeth, who shrank in turn. With great effort, Repton calmed his contorted features and faced Oppinsaur with only a ghost of his aggravation.

"I have an interest in the archives of Bogaton. Given your current situation, you're not really in any position to deny me. All of your brothers have fled and you're in Raptor territory."

Oppinsaur's frown deepened, but a look of shocked intrigue washed over it when Repton continued;

"Despite your position, I'm willing to offer you a deal instead. In exchange for the archives, I will allow you and the rest of the Terradons safe haven here... free of harassment for weaponry or allegiance."

Oppinsaur blinked at Repton's proposition, his hand reaching up to rub his thorny jaw. "You've never shown this much interest in the archives before..."

Repton could not decide which was more irritating, Oppinsaur's comment or Leugey's incessant restlessness. Leugey could honestly not sit still. Having endured enough, Repton turned his attention to his brother and snarled.

"Alright, speak! What could possibly be more important?"

At the climax of his built-up tension, Leugey blurted out: "You got a letter!"

Repton stared at him in crazed bewilderment. "Are you serious...? This is why you're going mental? Well, where the hell is it?"

"She won't give it to anyone but you," Leugey responded. The older brother watched him, demanding an explanation, but the lumbering Raptor turned on his heel and fled back the way he came. Annoyed, Repton followed his trail and barked to Oppinsaur over his shoulder;

"I'll give you some time to consider my proposal. I expect to hear from you before sunset."

The King of Rogues found his brother at one of the balconies on the second story. The bumbling Raptor looked back at him expectantly and then back over the railing. Repton was close to just beating Leugey senseless until he himself reached the railing. He followed his gaze and he fell into a momentary state of stupefaction. Multiple guards had their spears pointed at the visitor, who sat upon what appeared to be an Atmosian Skimmer. She had brought it to a sharp halt, having swung her ride ninety degrees during her full stop, and she looked totally at ease being surrounded by Raptors. She looked up at him and waved with her fingers. She looked exactly as she did the day he lost the Condor.

"Yo!" Maia chirped up to him. "Long time no see!"

End of Chapter

A/N:Ehehehe. Storm Awks.

Shoot, what's gonna happen next? Whatta cliffhangerrrrrrr. After this one, there's one chapter scheduled for next week, and then it's up in the air when the next one will be. It's planned out, but I require a bit of "researching" to make sure I get behaviours and environments accurately (aka I'm gonna start rewatching Season 2 of Storm Hawks).

In the mean time, review me your thoughts, share with your buddies, catch any errors! It may motivate me to get going faster. I hope you have a good day too c:

~Vix