"Are you serious?" Lance said breaking out in laughter having to hold himself from falling over, though he was the only one to do so.

"Lance, cut it out!" Landon shouts out of irritation, annoyed by his brother's laugh; the other members are present in their base of operations. The others did their best to hide their amusement, but none of them could take their commander seriously thanks to the way he treated them. This memory and many more are what he thought about when he remembers the time he took them in and formed the unit. For him, it wasn't as his soldiers or pawns to be exhausted but rather as family. Luke Garston was an orphan who was taken in and turned into a child soldier, fighting his fair share of conflicts during his years of adolescence. In those days, he was treated like the little brother and son to all the other soldiers who left their families back home and as such, was valued and protected at all costs. Those experiences shaped him to become the man he is: Trusting and Compassionate. He believes in all his soldiers and he treats them all like the family he should've had. The image of everyone having a glow in their face, and some laughing with a tad shine were the memories he treasured the most in his long life. Even if he understood that in their eyes, he was a savior to them, in that same sense, they were his reason for continuing to battle. An unreachable dream of retiring with all his soldiers safe and sound was all he wished for along with a world without any war. Here I am, about to live my biggest nightmare…He thought while sitting on a train with his hands pressed against his thighs in deep concentration, reviewing the events that led to this point. His heavy head hazy with harrowing thoughts, he looks above painting his thoughts like a canvas on the ceiling. That memory was one of his favorite of the people he considered to be family, one where there could be laughs and arguments much like any household. A friendly environment that shared a special bond in having something in common to unite them, they all fought with a unique chemistry that not even the New Squidbeak Splatoon possessed. As his eyelids get heavy, he recalls the origins of the Tower Bridge Unit, remembering how it all started. As a journeyman with plenty of experience due to his position, Garston had an affinity for going after people who were considered underdogs. After the throes of war, he visited a garrison where many of the soldiers in the area were still recovering from war. A visit to the medical facilities was his way of atoning for the sins of his superiors who put the soldiers in a predicament where they had to fight for their country-ultimately suffering the worst pain imaginable, and this was his way of showing his appreciation. However, one person caught his eyes among the many wounded. The puddle of blood on the floor and prints all over the white clothes of the caretakers was enough to tell him this was a battle of their own. When he learned that the patient was a soldier of Maya's unit, he became interested in seeing how she would fare and bore witness to who would later become one of his best soldiers. A blood transfusion performed with great haste as she struggled to maintain consciousness, only able to stay awake by willing herself with her anger despite the concentrated pain on her legs. General Garston was enthralled by her resilience in powering through the anguish despite her legs leaking like a broken pipe, though the doctors were doing their hardest to clot it. He'd heard about her heroics, a soldier named Abby who was a rare talent capable of getting a huge promotion, it was unlucky that her life was ruined with her legs missing. For him, he saw her potential not on the battlefield, but in that emergency room where she showcased how strong her will to live powered her on. Weeks pass by before he would formally introduce himself, and offer her a position to join the Tower Bridge Unit. The story of her origin as a member of the unit was much similar to the brothers who returned to a home lost in a war zone; their families, home, everything-gone. When it seemed as though all was lost and despair settled in like a new residence in their life, Luke Garston appeared before them and offered them a chance at a new life; the rest is history. It was Luke Garston who extended a hand to them and gave them an opportunity to live another life and to never forget what was lost. Perhaps his personal favorite among everyone in the unit was the legend of the "Archduke" and his credentials in battle. A soldier known to have a different class of strength, he was successful in resolving several conflicts, but when the war with the octarians hit, a wave of trauma followed that forever shaped his mindset. Duke remembered the scarring reel that replayed in his head everyday following the war, and never again would he allow himself to trust another soul strictly out of fear that he would fail yet another comrade like he did that day where his vulnerability turned to his allies having to sacrifice themselves to make sure he lived. The willingness they showed a haunting action for him, since it was as though they were glad to die if it meant he could live, which he couldn't ever fathom doing for anyone. When Garston approached, he joined only out of the benefit that he would be in a group of other independent talent, so he'd be at ease as their maverick. As Garston recalls them discreetly, he could only shake his head with sorrow for how the mighty had fallen to such a point. More than anything, he wanted answers. Why would his beloved unit who opened up to him about their darkest secrets and insecurities were now working for someone with the intent to lead them astray. Arriving at his destination, he takes his first steps into the land of Squirabia, looking up at the city of Ravia.

In the capital city of Inkopolis, preparations from the shadows are going smoothly. On the outside, it looks like a regular day where cars are held up by the usual traffic and people walk the streets as normal, but the difference between today and others was that the entire city was in on the plan to avoid the dangers of Rapture. Efforts were improved with the addition of the Squid Sisters, who arrived in the capital city to hold a special concert for the entire week with Off the Hook in a huge collaboration special like they did many years ago in hopes to draw more traction into one of the buildings capable of surviving the dangers due to come, trying to get as many off the streets as possible. The only people who were still unaware of the plan were the government officials, and rightfully so. A dark but understanding plot, Cap'n Cuttlefish didn't want any interference from the government, and instead preferred in all the enemies within parliament meet an unfortunate end by being caught in the crossfire. In addition to the Squid Sisters making a return, so did Off the Hook holding a special concert with the Squid Sisters like they did during their special tour many years ago, a blast of nostalgia was sure to attract everyone's attention, including some unwanted visitors. In preparation for the possibility of terrorist attacks, they had many of the Sororia and Yoshikara hired as bodyguards. More than likely, no one would be harmed, but it was a safety measure that needed to be taken. Gathered together to do a quick update on what was going on within the city, the results were positive. Lime started off by doing a recap of the situation before going into plans for how to handle the attack on the capital. The most they knew was that the octarians would have a powerful drill that could destroy a wide radius, likely a possibility that Queen Octavio planned to sink the city and announce the fall of the nation. With that in mind, they wanted to concentrate their efforts on a defense centered around protecting the capital but needed to keep in mind that it was undercover. Thanks to a notification from Agent 8 about her progress in Octaria, they had faith that their comrades underground could pull off their operation to prevent damage, but they still needed a plan for damage control. More than likely there would be damage to the roads and some of the weaker structured buildings, but under no circumstance was the capital to fall. Akane proposed the idea of bringing in weapons from the military and using them intercept, but Verde shot that down with the reasoning that using big military weapons were not a wise decision. The weapons from the Galloways had arrived and they already had enough ammunition to equip the infantry. For the time being, all were on standby. Akane was eager to play her part and did her best to offer any input that could prove helpful, though the others there disagreed with her wild ideas they respected her efforts. They drew up blanks in struggling on what other threats they had to look out for besides the likelihood of an Octarian invasion and an interference by the Tower Bridge Unit. As the unit was mentioned, questioned popped up about the situation in Ravia. They wondered if "Rebirth" was cutting it too close based on the pitch made by Cap'n Cuttlefish. From what they knew, the concerns arose to how they could carry out the plan without being interrupted on their end. From being silenced by censorship to the possibility of the live feed being cut off, they wondered at the possibility that the plan could fail miserably and result in their defeat as well, as both "Rapture" and "Rebirth" went together like the sun and moon. In hopes to stomp away those fears, Lime and Verde reassured them that measures were taken to make sure the plan succeeded, explaining that even Mack Netifla had a card up his sleeve to assure all went well, though he didn't say what. It was fine to be worrisome for what the future entails since they all placed their bets on a lofty gamble, still, it was frightening to know that they were staring at the worst possible mistake with just a single mistake. TO change topics and prevent morale getting lowered, the topic returned to what preventative measures should be taken as well as making possible alternate plans based on the ever changing circumstances that applied to what goes down in Ravia.

That same time in Octaria, Han and the Hayama were granted permission into the Resistance sanctuary after Faye explained the situation to Jonah. At first, he was a little skeptical of the idea in letting someone associated with the enemy into his hideout for the obvious, even now as they entered, something felt off about the environment. From the refugees hiding as the trio were guided by Faye and Sigmund to the children who felt fear in the presence of the ninja, everyone they passed by resented their appearance, not out of disgust, but out of fear. After all, none of them roamed outside the sanctuary except the resistance members, so they had no clue what was going on other than what they were told, and quite frankly they preferred it that way. Faye turns around and looks behind at them and narrows her eyes, carefully inspecting them from a glance. She didn't share the same thoughts as the refugees nor did she outright distrust them, however she was skeptical about their insistence on working alongside Captain Jonah, given their position. She-along with everyone in the resistance-are aware that the ninja were in an alliance with Queen Octavia, which made their appearance all the more suspicious. But when she met them, she didn't sense any hostility or deception from them, which felt strange. When she told Jonah about it, he welcomed the idea despite the possibility that the ninja were spies sent by Candice to infiltrate them and expose them, though it wouldn't be likely based on how willing they were to cast their weapons aside. Her reflection on the matter cut short as Sigmund opens the door, they enter the room with DJ Octavio and Captain Jonah sitting patiently waiting for them wearing an intimidating look as entered. Immediately, the trio of ninja show their respect to DJ Octavio and thank Jonah for inviting them.

"Raise you heads and state your reason." Jonah said; the ninjas knew that they had to be straightforward despite how ludicrous it would sound. And so, they told Jonah everything and waited for his response. He watched them with suspicion and looked over to DJ Octavio, who recognized Han and his apprentices the moment they walked through the door. The two proceeded to whisper between themselves while shielding their conversation with their hands, keeping their gaze on the trio; off to the side on command and ready to spring to action were Faye and Sigmund. After a couple minutes pass, the whisper ends and Jonah locks eyes with Han, "Alright, I'll trust you. However, the moment I suspect you a traitor, I'll spill your guts in the place you stand. As for your apprentices, they'll be tortured to death."

Han nods, "May I propose something else? Rather than you pass judgment, allow us to slit our bellies as punishment. I know it won't serve much purpose to you, but in my customs it is wrong to go back on our word. I know it won't be necessary, but you have my word as a countryman from Ikayumu."

Jonah lifts his sharp gaze and almost cracks a grin, impressed by the will of the ninja. "An honorable one. I can trust you, after all..." He said with an approving look, giving his subordinates the thumbs up. Now that they had the addition of spies to feed them information about the progress of Candice Octavio, the Resistance were ever closer to concluding their preparations. In no time, they could launch an attack that would blind the enemy and halt their efforts.

With the Ravia conference happening tomorrow, Team Ravia gathered together in the middle of the day to go over the plan one final time before the plan commences. Together as a family, Azule and his parents are waiting for the others to arrive, which meant they had some time to kill. Ever since learning how Spyke felt, Azule's usual carefree attitude became nonexistent as he started to look further down the line, thinking more about his health than ever before now that there was someone counting on him to be alive. Without even telling him, Azule realized that Spyke was depending on him to be alive to see the birth of his children like a best friend would be there. A new wave of determination present, Azule started thinking of ways to keep his health at the peak and his life prolonged, seriously considering what Dr. Sinclair said to him prior. Even if he wouldn't see a cure, at the very least he could make a special effort to improve his health. No shortcuts to living a long life. Maya and Julian noticed that something heavy mounted on their son's shoulder and even if he was as loving towards them as if nothing ever happened, they felt a little uncomfortable with intruding in his life after being absent for so long. But with some down time of silence and just the three of them there, it felt a moment that should be wasted staring off into space.

Azule looks over to his parents and adjusts his cap at the brim, "Mom, Dad, could you tell me one of your stories? I heard from Lime and Verde that you did plenty more adventures that you kept hidden, which I think is a little unfair that only they get to hear it." he asked innocently, aware that his parents were fidgeting in trying to get a conversation; his parent's anxiety went away a relieved look forming, and even a little smile appearing on Maya's face.

Julian chuckled raising his finger, happy that he had just the story to tell. Squaring his shoulders prepared to tell the story, he looks to reel his son in and impress him. "Well, there was this one time we scoured the uncharted lands known as-"

"Mom, tell your stories from when you first started this life as an agent." Azule said cheerfully, ignoring his father; Julian's finger slowly lowered as his happy face remained, though the emotion behind it blank.

Maya crosses her arms giggling at Julian's folly and waved for Azule to come over and give her a hug or else she wouldn't tell him. Excited to learn a mementos from her past, Azule rushed over gave her a hug, only to look up at her get a head pat. Maya looks over to Julian, who then nodded for her to continue. "It all started when I left the train and arrived at Inkopolis Plaza…"

For the next hour, Maya humored Azule with stories from her past. It all started with when she first arrived in Inkopolis, and met Cap'n Cuttlefish in an alleyway who tempted her into dropping into a manhole. From rescuing the Great Zapfish and battling DJ Octavio to fighting against some radioactive slime threatening to blow up Inkopolis all while blasting music from Off the Hook. After getting into her memories and relishing those distant days, she looks over to see her son lost looking at her with a blank smile. Julian joked that he broke her with his crazy story, also mentioning there was a sequel. The others arrive a little later and promptly begin the discussion. With the rest of today and part of tomorrow before the conference in the late morning, they had to review the plan and how best to avoid messing up. As planned, Cap'n Cuttlefish and Mack Netifla would attend the conference as representatives of Inkopolis and with Maya and Julian as their special guards. Shiva and Fuchsia would also attend as representatives for Octaria/Octo Valley and would be accompanied by Reluna, Ciri, and Vaairie. Violet and Mario were on sniper duty and would watch the building from opposite points with Mario driving around in the area monitoring the ground level as surveillance. Azule's duty was to sneak into the building monitor activity through the halls while keeping out of security's way. They factored that if an attack were to occur, it would happen from the inside, to which if Azule was roaming the halls he could intercept the attacker before they reached the conference room; a risky gamble but nonetheless a necessary one. Once the conference begins, Shiva and Netifla would take the floor and introduce their cases. First would be Netifla, who would shock the world with what he had to say, and following immediately afterwards to pile on the shock value would Shiva advocating her case for Octaria's inclusion on the surface world, which would go in hand with the policies Netifla would vouch for as well. If no problems occurred, the worst they would face is some social and political backlash from other nations and opposition within their own country. However, should they come under attack, defenses would be taken. Mario assured them that his connections would pull through if anything went wrong, and Violet included that she found the hideout of Kida and the resurrected Black Urchins as well as the Tower Bridge Unit that Verde and Lime mentioned and also brought to their attention that the pair were seen together-likely negotiating. Everyone felt uneasy about them being included in the mix, but the priority was the conference. Azule wondered why Kida would be in Ravia, and when he arrived at the answer being him, he wondered how information about him ever got out. Either way, he didn't have time to think much on that, since his role in this operation as a sentry would be crucial: he couldn't get caught nor could he fail to identify an intruder if there was one. To wrap up the meeting, every received communication devices from Cap'n Cuttlefish and Netifla as well as earpieces that blended in with their complexion to make it easier in bypassing security.

As evening arrives, so too do the rest of the world leaders at the hotel where the conference is to be held. The large crowd from before tripled in size as many came to take pictures and write articles about this historic meeting, which was due to be one of the biggest in years with the main focus on the crisis in Inkopolis and the rise of Cyberterrorism in the far east. A night of future affairs coming to an end, everyone cherishes their final night of peace before hell arrives. Akane, Lime, Verde, the Galloway family, and the rest of the leaders of Team Inkopolis, sit together to have a round of drinks before the big day, promising to come back alive to party until they pass out and exchanging a cup of sake as sign that from this point forward, they are all family working together to protect their country. In Octaria, the resistance members were at their usual posts but were prepared for their major operation at dawn in which Agent 8 and Abraham would infiltrate the palace. Sky and Pastelle were at their respective posts with 6th and 7th Legs and Porter kept watch on the palace to make sure no activity would hinder their infiltration operation. But on the other side, preparation was also moving finely. Candice Octavio received good news regarding her plans to attack the capital, learning that all preparations were completed. Ixia was also at work, finalizing their plans too. Lastly, A powerful alliance is formed between the Tower Bridge Unit and the Black Urchins thanks to an agreement between the leaders, who found that they shared a common interest. Rather than be up to mischief, Kida saw that it was time to get serious and with the help of the Tower Bridge Unit, there is no reason to waste any time.