Part 3

"Come on, let's go." said Savyna, back in Alfard.
"Go? Where? The Imperial Fortress?" asked Kalas.
"Of course. We still need to find Lyude and Xella."
"What makes you think they're still there? What if they died or got captured and taken to Mira or something?"
"I think the empire will be too busy repairing the damage than looking for suspects. Besides, it's been two days since the explosion and we've had no word from them. I should hope you're at least somewhat concerned."
"... No, not really."

---

The Goldoba flew at a steady rate in the skies somewhere between Annuenue and the Taintclouds, just floating along with nowhere to go besides the empire, but such things could be procastinated.
Folon, who had given himself one too many energy injections, lay on his back across a long seat, babbling to Vallye, who had come with the crew on their last mission.
"So then I was like: 'Yo, don't you be given me that ox tongue.' But really, ain't them clouds in Diadem wacked?"
Vallye felt that if she had to hear Folon say one more thing that she would slam her head on the metal wall. "Hey, could someone give the crackhead here something else to entertain himself with?" she demanded in an annoyed tone.
"Yes, someone, give the crackhead some mirrage weed!" concurred Folon.
"Oh, just ignore him." said Giacomo, who was sitting on the other side of Vallye.
"It's hard to ignore someone who is laying down uncomfortably close to you." Vallye mumbled. She'd have said more, but the ringtone of a cellphone went off (It had a tune similar to that of the battle theme).
"Ah, I think that's mine," said Vallye, "Darn it, Folon, get your head off me!" she added, knocking him to the floor. She then unleashed her cell phone magnus and answered it, putting her feet up on the ship's controls casually.
"Hello? ...Yes, this is Vallye. ...Hmm? Why didn't you guys go after them? I mean, that was two days ago! You must've lost them by now! ...Ok, fine. By the way, was my brother with them? ...No no, not Skeed, the pansy. ...No, not Geldoblame! I'm not even related to him!" she said to the soldier in Alfard on the other line.
"Wehehe, look, Vallye is talking to herself!" Folon said from the floor. Vallye kicked him in the gut to silence him.
"Ok, we'll be there moment-" Vallye began to continue, when she accidentally kicked a lever on the controls, plunging the ship into a death dive.
"Gaaahhh!" Vallye shreiked.
"Woooaaah!" shouted Giacomo.
"Aaaaah!" Amye yelled.
"Wheeee!" Folon exclaimed.

---

Kalas and friends made it back to the Imperial Fortress just in time. That is, just in time to see Xella beating Fadroh with her staff.
"Woah, Xella, what gives?" Gibari asked.
"Clearly she was attacking him because he's a threat to us." Savyna said.
"Threat? Oh, he was just in the way of that Chronos Blow magnus that got stuck in the pipe." Xella replied innocently.
"... I think my neck is broken..." Fadroh moaned.
"Silence!" Xella shot, hitting him again.
". . ." remarked the rest of the party.

---

After a few hours of flight, Lyude felt warm air from the outside. He figured that now would be a good time to risk questioning his brother.
"Excuse me, Skeed... May I ask where we are headed?"
"I suppose so. We're going to a secretive area of the Lava Caves."
"Hmm? What's there?"
"Weapons. Amazing guns. I believe they are called Ultima Rifles. Very high-caliber. Made of the best material that can only be found in the caves..."
"So what do you need me for?"
"Well, the men who posses these guns will never give them to an officer who is siding with the empire. I want you to go and get two of them."
"Two?"
"Yes. One for me, and one for you."
Lyude was shocked by Skeed's reply. "What? You mean..."
"Oh, it would not be fair for me to take all the goods, correct? Besides, you wouldn't be able to trust me with such a rifle unless you had one yourself."
Lyude had to agree with that."That's true..." And this is comming from someone who forced me to eat candy? Unusual... he thought.

Meanwhile, on the Goldoba:
"Gwwaaaaahhh!"

Giacomo made his way over to the controls of the ship as it descended faster and faster, and pulled back the lever that had been moved, causing the Goldoba to straighten it's flight just as it made contact with the muddy earth of a rainforest in Annuenue. It slid over the ground a little until it finally hit a cluster of mossy trees. Upon impact, the front of the ship dented and a window smashed. Mud also clogged up the cannons on one side.

"Ungh... Sorry about that, Giacomo." Vallye said. She then realized that her phone was still on and the soldier at the fortress had not hung up. "Uh... We'll... be there... momentarily... I guess." she said, then hung up and put the phone into its respective magnus.
"Daaaaamn, can we do that again?" Folon asked, staggering up.
"Ugh, Can I throw him into the Taintclouds?"
"No, we need him for the time being." said Giacomo as they exited the battleship.
Ayme walked outside and streatched. "It looks like we're in Annuenue..." she said.
"No, we're in the Ice Lands." Vallye said sarcasticly.
"I didn't know the Ice Lands had so much plant stuff!" Folon said.
Amye hit him over the head with her gun.
"Come on, let's look for a nearby town. We can attack it for no good reason and get what we need to fix the ship." said Giacomo.
"Wait, I have a question..." said Vallye.
"What?"
"There's four of us now, and only three of us can fight at a time. So which of us are you going to take with you?"
"Hmm... I haven't given that much thought," said Giacomo. "let's see..."