"Ah they're here!" Ciri's enthusiasm increased tenfold as a trio of individuals arrive at the sanctuary with Reluna, who was responsible for guiding them here. Plenty of the little children who were playing in the other rooms swarmed their guests after having heard wonderful things about them from Princess Shiva, who always made sure to play with them and never allow a dull moment in their young lives, even if they had to live in refuge, she'd make it the most enjoyable as possible; in the eyes of the parents and elders there, they saw potential in Shiva much like a radiant sun shining after a thunderstorm. Several kids especially grab the hands of Sky, recognizing her almost immediately from the description Shiva gave and some kids even hugged her right away, glad that there were inklings like her who would accept them despite the differences; only one problem: they hugged the wrong person, mistaking Pastelle's green for Sky's blue instead. Though Pastelle beamed at the thought that the kids were showing her so much affection, she felt a little annoyance in them calling her Sky in addition to Sky snickering at the children's blunder. After weaving in and out of the packed hallways of what felt like a community in hiding, they arrived at a special room where the 8 legs of the resistance stayed in when business was too serious for even the lower ranks and civilians to listen; also in attendance was DJ Octavio and Princess Shiva herself, who welcomed them with open arms. Jonah and the 8 Legs kept their distance for now since they were basing all their knowledge on the bias of a girl who was madly in love, and a king who'd been influenced by his daughter to accept them. Taking a seat, everyone introduces one another and they begin their talks. Agent 8 explains a summary what their intentions were for their involvement in Octaria, driving home the fact that as a fellow octoling, she felt a sense of responsibility to aid her homeland in any way, but the members of the 8 Legs weren't yet impressed by her selling points with Sigmund bringing out the fact that she deserted her homeland for the chance to live on the surface, which Agent 8 responded that at the time DJ Octavio had been controlling the soldiers-not them acting of their own free will. She escaped with deep regrets for leaving behind her homeland and the friends she had, but she didn't want to remain in captivity any longer. If she never escaped and made the allies she did in Inkopolis, she might've died from the mental strain that most soldiers underwent at the time. DJ Octavio accepts it, also adding his input from those days; Jonah keeps silent as he remembered those days well. An era before the recent great turf wars. It was a time when DJ Octavio had been brainwashing all of the army to follow his command, relying on hypnosis through shades and his wasabi beats, which proved to backfire tremendously. He learned his lesson through those mistakes in his multiple failures with Callie and of losing important soldiers such as Agent 8, now that he knew of what his wife was doing, it felt all the more disturbing that no one in charge of this country learned from their previous failures.
"A sound reason." Veronica said after Agent 8 and DJ Octavio finished speaking, acknowledging her resolve to lend a hand. "However, why should we work alongside them?" her stare turning to Sky and Pastelle who sat beside the octoling agent; "Even if they have good intentions, I don't feel comfortable accepting help from inklings in an operation meant to help octarians."
"I understand how you may feel, but please-they want to help!" Shiva reasoned while holding her hands out.
"I can accept your reluctance to work with us. The thought must be 'why should inklings be involved with octarian business' right? It's true that on the surface, it wouldn't appear that inklings have anything to gain from this, maybe we'd be a hindrance…" Sky looks over to Shiva and smiles; "But a person I truly care about is an octoling and if she's in trouble, I'll be there for her. It doesn't matter if it's underground or in space, I'll help anyone in need!"
Pastelle crosses her arms and gives a nod in agreement-the words taken out of her mouth of what she thought of Fuchsia. Even though they didn't communicate as frequently as they would, her feelings didn't falter-she loved the princess like a sister. The others were speechless, including DJ Octavio, who found the authenticity of her statement so empowering that he forgot she was an inkling. As though she carried the aura of a different being entirely-one of a higher existence, DJ Octavio couldn't help but relish the thought of what life would have been if minds like Sky were around in his younger days. Would there still be conflict and she'd be one of the poor lost souls of war? Or would she have created a great change? For sure, he saw that she commanded the same presence as her mother-the one who ended the wars. Veronica can't help but give a tiny smirk as her reluctance vanquished after hearing Sky's genuine words. For the remaining members of the 8 Legs, they were also convinced aside from Porter, and Sigmund, the only members who still didn't accept their assistance but at least acknowledged their qualifications to be part of the operations.
"I know a liar when I see one." Porter muttered, stepping down from the psychological battle to take a seat, indirectly prompting the others to follow.
"Now that we've settled on that, we can continue to the next phase." Jonah announced, attracting everyone's attention as he takes the floor. Now that they saved all the people and acquired some reassuring assistance, all that was left was the plan to take back the throne. As it stood, they needed to find a way to make the queen surrender, but how? From what Shiva explained, her mother wouldn't be attending the Conference-instead her and her little sister would be attending instead, which meant their mother would likely stay holed up in the palace looking to lead the attack on Inkopolis personally. Even though it was better for her to remain in Octaria with an easier chance to siege, they still had their problems with handling the royal guardsmen and other security measure put in place for her protection. They needed to formulate a plan around how to penetrate their defenses and intercept the mobilized weapons to avoid the impending attack on Inkopolis. Unaware of what exact plans Queen Octavio had in store, the focal point was to establish infiltration routes and learn of her plans to coordinate ahead of time and launch an attack. "It's only my guess, but I reckon she'll be cautious with us around. Either way, we want to prevent her from unleashing a full scale attack. Our allies here just informed us that they are planning an attack around the day of the conference. More than likely, that'll be our window to work with. We need an update on all weapon models, samples on the victims to continue developing the cure, as well as a rough estimation of how much time we have until we can attack."
Pastelle raises her hands "If it's infiltration you want, I can do it. I'm pretty skilled in espionage and melee combat." There's a momentary pause as the resistance members look at one another, more in surprise at how ready the inklings are to get their hands messy but after a few glances they reject the idea-not because of her race but of the location.
"The palace is heavily secured. They'll spot an inkling in a heartbeat." Faye chuckles, taking a liking to Pastelle's naivety.
"Having an inkling perform the task would only hurt us. I appreciate the effort, but sit this one out." Sigmund said, nearly snarling at her; Pastelle narrowed her eyes, and stuck out her tongue, clearly finding fault with Sigmund's attitude.
Hatu lifts a finger and catches everyone's attention. He points to Pastelle and then Sky, "Come with me on Sweeper duty. I'll look after the two of you."
"Sweeper...duty…?"
"Don't worry Pastelle, I'll fill you in on it later." Shiva said, her tone as friendly as ever.
Porter folds his hands, "We 8 Legs cover different regions of Octaria. His majesty can't leave here, and we can't risk the captain getting captured by the enemy. But we can't leave our posts and we're already wanted people-they'll recognize us in a heartbeat…"
"I'll do it." Agent 8 resolved; everyone's surprised by her initiative given her tales from the past. "If we can't send an inkling because it's so obvious, and we can't send one of you capable leaders of the resistance for danger of revealing your identity, I'm the perfect choice. I'm an octoling so I can blend in and they won't recognize me since I haven't been here in decades. Not to mention that I've been inside the palace before. I know my way around."
Sigmund scratches his head, "But you're a legend, someone is bound to recognize you. Maybe the royal guards? They're all powerful warriors and some were old enough to have at least heard of you or even maybe fo-"
"Are you calling me old?" Agent 8 asked in a curious tone, though it didn't match the pitch black aura surrounding her gleaming stare; Sigmund shrinks and backtracks his statement, which impresses Felix and Abraham since they thought Sigmund to be the most fearless among the 8 Legs-Agent 8 had to be on another level.
"I would appreciate if you took this mission Agent 8. You're probably the best out of us to do this anyways."
"Of course."
"That settles it. Agent 8 will infiltrate the palace when the time is right. Porter will keep surveillance of the surrounding vicinity and locate an escape route and be on call with her. Veronica, you'll be on Sweeper duty like Hatu and take in Sky as your partner as well-all four of you are to roam the villages and scavenger for anyone at risk to become fuel as well as answer any of their requests. Denise, work with Felix on the healer tech we discussed prior and Faye and Sigmund, you two will be on guard to make sure no royal guards are in the vicinity. If they are, silence them. The roles I have given you are to be carried out in the next coming days. When we make our ambush after a successful infiltration, we'll need to be together given the might of the royal guards."
A new day arrives in Inkopolis. Like planned, the follow up meeting with the bosses from the previous is scheduled to occur with a few new faces making an appearance this time around-mostly bosses who skipped out the first to let their subordinates attend such as Santiago, who arrived with Mario and Violet. The meeting room felt more clustered than previously as the room soon turned to standing room only far before Cap'n Cuttlefish ever made his arrival on the site with indistinct chatter filling the room like a cocktail in a glass, which happened to be what many of the bosses were drinking. Also together for the meeting as a family are the Royales, who looked a little different as liberation was written on their faces-mostly Maya. Though her stone cold eyes remained the same, her expression looked somewhat lighter as if she discarded a heavy weight from her shoulders-in turn, the others felt liberated to see their mother finally come clean, even if they weren't there to witness in person. Julian looked jovial as he joked around with Verde and Azule off to a side while Lime and Sky had their own talks, even including their mother who felt awkward in talking with Sky after everything. Things were finally healing for the family, as Sky too figured it was time to move on and stop giving her such a hard time; if Azule could do so with his father, then the same applies to her. A new start for them, it felt as though the burned bridges had been restored as Maya and Sky could exchange meaningful smiles with one another again, and Azule and his father could share laughs together-a sight the sibling duo Lime and Verde couldn't help but cherish after the many years they spent wishing for such a holistic image. From now on, they fight together as a family. After half an hour passes of guests patiently waiting for Cap'n Cuttlefish to begin the meeting, finally, the time arrives. Cap'n Cuttlefish welcomes everyone and gets right down to business in preference of satisfying everyone's desire to wrap up this meeting swiftly. He reintroduces the concept of Rapture to the new faces in the audience and highlights who are the parties they would potentially defend against, believing it to possibly be Octaria, the cyber terrorist group Ixia, and foreign adversaries like Mollusca and Squirabia. Several hands raise to the air as bosses have questions that needed answers, which Cap'n Cuttlefish answers readily knowing that after having time to sleep on it, the most interested of clients would want to know more. Question after question gets answered by the elder as the only people at his side are the Royale family since Agents 1 and 2 were to not make an appearance this time, and Agent 8 was to stay in Octaria. With each answer, the conviction of the audience grew like a form of measurement as many started to nod their heads and whisper to one another exchanging opinions in between breaks.
"What else is there?" an outspoken Santiago raised, catching the other's attention as he watches the elder at the front of the room; "Everything you've stated so far appears to be well, but it feels like something is missing. I heard a politician is part of the plan and you intend on having top operatives like Agent 3 and 4 over there serving as protection. What do you plan to do at the conference? You've never elaborated much on that."
With that comment, a discussion sparked as many bosses and leaders whispered and chattered to one another in agreement with the don, wondering what Cap'n Cuttlefish would respond with since he did seemingly withhold information previously; several other bosses come to Santiago's initiative and cite that if they are risking their people and resources for this cause, they deserve to know everything. Santiago smirks with victory, knowing that the Cap'n can't back down from this situation now that several other parties were interested in knowing what he had in the dark. The noise in the room heightens as many start to voice their opinions and concerns, to which Cap'n silences everyone with a sharp glare and ceased his involuntary trembling. "You all seek to know what else I have in store? Well, do you all have the resolve to stick to your confidence if I reveal the second part of my plan?" he said with a taunt, throwing their words back in their face.
"Second Part?" one said with confusion.
"There was more…?" some others muttered in surprise.
Cap'n Cuttlefish nods, looking over to his trusted Agents 3 and 4-who agree that he should go through with it, trusting Agent 8's efforts since she was the one who recommended expanding their forces. Not a soul in this room would dare reveal their intentions as their pride as mobsters and mercenaries, so the only true loss would be them running away once they learned what Rebirth had in store. "You wondered why we are performing this under the nose of the government, well the reason…" he explains in great detail what the plans of Rebirth are: from its connection to Rapture to its effect and what it meant for everyone who participated. "If you're ready to risk everything: your lives and legacy, then please join us. What we are about to do is shed light on the darkest of secrets held by our country as well as expose the secrets of others involved. After this, depending on our success, we'll either be held heroes or national enemies. Luckily, the only ones to truly be at risk is my team and Netifla. Your identities will remain anonymous."
"Wait…"
"What do you mean by that?"
Agent 3 steps up-now that her burdens were lifted her thoughts were as flowing as a river, "We always planned for it to be a small operation from the start, as such we're willing to put our lives on the line. Everyone else may play a part if they want. But failure will rest on our shoulders."
It sinks into the minds of everyone the magnitude of rebirth and why he kept it under wraps so tightly. If they refused to participate, the country-no, continent-will fall into a period of war and chaos. The octarians will invade the capital. Mollusca and Squirabia would likely join once the capital is crippled under siege and the fall of the mightiest powerhouse will usher in a dark era will see all the secrets exposed to light and no justice served. The sum of casualties of Inkopolis would possibly quintuple if no preparations were taken-poor unsuspecting victims soon becoming a statistic at the hands of the enemy. The grand sum of casualties doesn't stop at just lives as the global economy would also take a nosedive. If they accepted this suicidal mission, every soul in the room would be an accomplice to this grand coup d'etat of destroying the atmosphere of the current government to establish a new doctrine, a plan that saw Netifla set up to be the martyr. After a few moments of silence, a general consensus is already reached as many of the bosses nod in understanding and turn their attention to Akane, who already had her mind set. She had one simple demand: if they are victorious, there must be a hefty reward in store for them whether it be money, services, secrets, anything. They will help if it meant something in return by way of the underworld code. Cap'n gives a soft smile, glad to see that though they were all hardened people, they still had a heart deep down. The meeting concludes with everyone being split into different roles and regions to handle, with a grand majority of everyone lending their support to protecting the capital. A few leaders wanted to be in Ravia such as Santiago, who wanted Violet on their team as a sniper per her request. Overall, the first steps of the plan are set into motion.
A phone buzzes next to Fuchsia as she slept like a log, buzzing so powerfully that it shimmies its way to her sleeping head and falls on her-waking her up immediately as the vibration of the phone on her cheeks spooks her awake. She quickly answers the phone once she notices who is awaiting her answer on the other side. "Hello?"
"Hey, Fuchsia…"
"Shiva!" Fuchsia called in a surprise but welcomed tone, sitting up immediately with the biggest grin on her face.
"Whoa there-little sis! Why the reaction?"
"Sorry, I'm just really happy to hear your voice. We haven't talked a lot recently and I guess I kind of missed hearing from you." Fuchsia chuckled, showing some sentiment towards her elder sister.
Shiva just laughed off the comment however, "I know this is sudden, but I need you to here me out, okay?" though her tone was calm, there was a hint of seriousness; something Fuchsia noticed right away but was too happy to put it into words and ask.
"O-okay I'm listening..."
On the other line-Shiva's determination grows as she pieces together her thoughts to convey to her little sister without revealing her intentions entirely, "Do you remember when we were younger? The time we spent plenty of time training in Octo Valley?"
"Of course!" Fuchsia beamed; "I could never forget those days. Apparently that's how I got my athleticism."
"Do you remember what I always told you? In regards to the gauntlets?"
"Yeah, they belong to me or I should only use them when the moment is absolutely right."
"Good."
"Why do you ask?"
"You sound like your heart just sunk!" Shiva laughed.
"No not really-"
"Alright next! The Ravia Conference will be graced by our presence. We'll be attending on mother's behalf."
Fuchsia stopped for a moment and let her sister's words sink in-her eyes widening in disbelief as the realization hit that she'll be attending a major conference that can affect the world. "Wait, we're attending!? This could be a big chance for you to make a change!"
"You think so? I don't know-"
"Of course! You've tried so hard to bring equal rights for our people and it's working. I believe in your resolve and I know that on a big stage, you can bring great change for the better."
Shiva's reduced to silence for a moment as the praise of her little sister stings-the response wasn't what she was expecting, "Honestly, you're too pure for your own good. What am I going to do with you?"
"Dunno." she laughed.
"Well, make sure to get to training and prepare to meet me in Ravia in a couple weeks, okay?"
"Alright. But in exchange you have to tell why I have to do this when we meet. You know how I feel about using combat."
"I Promise."
Shiva hangs up the phone, the color in her cheeks draining as her face falls from the forced smile she kept while trying to be as cheerful as possible. Truth be told, she was petrified by the recent developments. She had all intentions to fight alongside the resistance and her retainers and rub it in her mother's face, but now with the recent decision to send her to the conference, she wondered if it was possible her mother was catching onto her plans and used the conference as an opportunity to get rid of her. Thanks to the information exchange with Agent 8, Shiva knew so much new details that she couldn't help but make wild speculations, devising several scenarios and outcomes that could be reached based off her predictions. The call to Fuchsia? A potential move that could work in her favor but also put her at risk. The sinking feeling that left a hollow feeling in her chest and made her head feel light was the guilt from putting her precious little sister into a dangerous situation, especially when she had no clue of the dangers ahead. At Ravia, she'd have to explain everything in such haste that it might very well cause a rift in their relationship. On the other side, Fuchsia couldn't fall back asleep thanks to the exciting news. She felt a little nervous at the idea of being in the same room with all the world leaders and of what topics would be discussed but she felt calm and positive when her thoughts turned to the progress that could be made by her sister taking action and convincing the world to bring harmony.
In a coffee shop somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Liandt and Garston sit at a booth themed after some retro time period where hot rod cars and greased tentacles were the trend. Their discussion picked up where it left off with Liandt diving into deeper details about his intentions. He was tipped off by an anonymous source that revealed that the Prime Minister elect's death wasn't an accident and in fact a true assassination. Even though he was guarded by members of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, his history indicated that he'd been rumored to have committed many assaults that always got swept under the rug, one in particular related to an orphanage he once oversaw that mysteriously burned down with no survivors, or so they thought.
"Records indicate that he had some sort of connection to the Royale family, specifically the two younger siblings who were left at the orphanage prior to the war. Their parents never returned for them and in turn were left to fend for themselves. I suspect that the youngest Royale is the assassin."
Garston hushes him, looking around in the seemingly empty shop. "I still don't understand how you arrived at such a conclusion, but I guess you have your reasons. Either way, I wanted to raise something with you."
"What?"
"After you left, Verde Royale asked if I was aware that members in my squad were performing illegal activities. I did some digging into it and found that the rumors started around the time you started frequenting visits to my base. So, I have to ask: are you behind this?"
"No. I would never do such a thing. Let me guess, are those rumors targeting specifically the T.B.U?"
Garston nods, "Most of the rumors involve them but there is no evidence and they all pledge their innocence."
"There's your answer. The others are simply jealous is all."
"Doesn't explain why the influx of rumors. They had to have started somewhere."
The politician folds his hands and adjusts his posture to a straightened position, almost raising his chin to look down at the general-suspicion heavy in stare, "You don't believe me?"
Garston is silent as the politician's hardened stare attempts to pierce his defensive approach. "I just don't like the idea of you lying to me and using my squad for your own endeavors. If you are fibbing, now is the time to tell. I'm aware of who you are and your political agenda. I also know that you will stop at nothing to reach your goal." his gaze sharpens; "That includes setting up the very same man you worked so hard to elect to take down so you could rule from the shadows like a puppeteer. There is nothing more enticing for you than to take the power he has during the chaos and possess it yourself-able to hide behind the reasoning that it can't be an inside job since it seems illogical, but indeed, that's the way you're wired. Especially with your views."
Liandt shakes his head, "I admit you're a sharp mind that the armed forces are blessed to have, but you're wrong. Why won't you take my word?"
Garston doesn't answer, preferring to let his silence reign supreme. Of course, the General knew he couldn't outright say his thoughts-making the situation worse. He didn't know why he had a strange feeling-whether keen intuition or years of experience, he felt it to be a terrible mistake to place his trust in this man. Liandt forces a smile to ease the awkwardness of the stunning silence; He felt a sinking feeling in his gut that brought him to a cold sweat at the thought that General Garston unraveled his mind caught wind of his plot. He changes the mood of the air to remove the tension, but by then it was already too late-forced to simply conceal his thoughts and avoid leaking his plans. If Garston found out, he'd surely become a foil to his plans. As the pair wrap up their conversation and Garston prepares to make his leave, Liandt can't help but sport an unconsciously sly grin that widens watching the back of Garston exit the shop. From his perspective, it looked as though there was a target painted nicely for him to stab. Elsewhere hangs a picture of an unsuspecting Azule with his team that was taken during the Spring Invitationals with a huge red circle around his head. A dart hits the picture with the most precise of accuracy, the owner of the dart walking up to the wall where the picture was posted and reclaiming his dart. His face was hidden by a hat, but on it was a pine that read "Archduke" in inklish and he wasn't alone as several others wearing the colors of the Tower Brigade Unit sat around the table behind him. Lance and Landon were the only ones who sat under the light with fierce glares at the wall with his picture hanging, their phones buzzing with a message from Liandt. They sit in preparation to make their strike, but they aren't the only ones with moves made in the dark. Elsewhere, another puppet master is pulling strings within the shadows of Inkopolis...
"So you're finally making your move, huh Maya?" Hanazami said while sitting in the garden; "Your presence is like a sign of disaster when you're serious. If you're calling me about them, that means my hunch was on the mark."
"It's time." Maya spoke with conviction. "Change is coming, and this is the perfect time."
"Where do you want them making touchdown?"
"Inkopolis City. The capital needs to be protected. Naturally, that also means you. I would appreciate if you could pull some strings. This could get hectic if Eight's prediction is on the money."
Hanazami gives a sigh, "When you ended the war, I thought it was over. I know you had a bittersweet feeling about everything that happened, but this time-"
"No regrets. No failures. I won't make the same mistake as last time. I have everything to lose and everything to gain, and I refuse to let anyone stop me from being with my children ever again." Maya said plainly, ignoring her question.
Hanazami smiled at the thought that after all this time-Maya finally grew up, "Motherhood finally kicked in for you. Glad to see you back to your prime, Maya."
"I'm far passed my prime, but I think I've aged like fine wine. I still have some tricks up my sleeve."
"Keep me updated on the situation and I'll get to making a few calls and sending some messages. It might take a bit, but I'll make sure I pull through."
Maya felt relieved, "Greatly appreciated."
After hanging up, Hanazami brings her hand up to her forehead to wipe the cold sweat forming-the horrific thought of what to expect becoming a haunting image. If Maya was making these types of decisions with such a plan on the horizon, Hanazami knew the effects of the previous war were finally showing their colors as all those involved would have to answer. Chaos is approaching, and Inkopolis and maybe all of Inkland, would never be the same after the events come to pass. With the return of Simone and now Maya back to being serious, Hanazami got chills at the thought of the legends from the last great turf war returning to action for one final hurrah, one that might see countless bloodshed and songs of mourning that could last an eternity. The face of Inkopolis is on the verge of a total makeover.
