Jak – The New World

AN: Can't have him, so I'll just daydream…

Chapter 4 – Uncovered Plots

Jak stood there with his hands on his hips watching the shaky princess as she grasped the window sill. Her dress was now smudged with the dirt and grime of her cell and her hair was tangled into a mess. She drew a sharp breath before nearly collapsing again. No she wouldn't do that, she wouldn't show weakness. She forced herself to stand up straight.

'You're too weak, you should rest.'

'No, you have to know!' She answered feeling like her body would give out on her at any moment. 'If my mother has me again in her grasp she could take over Haven City.'

'How?' He answered striding over to her and making her sit on the bed. 'I'm the rightful heir to the city.'

She smiled weakly to him. 'But you are not on the throne. Therefore the next member in line and the closest to the royal blood line is my family, the Til Ecosta's.'

He looked at her carefully. 'And that's you?'

'With out my father here, yes' She answered, 'but you see, I am legally too young to take the throne completely.'

'So? I was supposed to take the throne when I was four.' He said standing up and looking out his tiny window at the new palace. 'Why can't you take it by yourself?'

'I can't. The law specifically states that you must be twenty one before you are a true ruler of any city of the Tiriad!'

'Tiriad? Never heard of it.' He answered.

'Renegade, isn't it?'

'Call me Jak, but only here.'

'Jak, the Tiriad is the circle of the four ruling cities of this world. Satan City, Lotus City, Silver City and Haven City.' She said looking up at him, hoping he would understand. 'I'm nineteen, so I would need a Royal Vizier.'

'Which would be your mother?' He asked leaning back and staring back at her.

'Yes. And if anything happened to me? She would be rightful queen and no one could contest it.' Her hands fell into her lap as if to emphasis her point. 'That's why I can't go back.'

He nodded. 'Rest. I'll be back later.'

With that he left her sitting on her own in the little room. She sighed to herself and played with the little white pearl like pendant around her neck. 'Khana I could really use your help right now…'

The figure wondered through the streets aimlessly. Swaying backwards and forwards, she hiccupped as she stumbled through the dusty streets. Others laughed at her as she walked towards the Rusty Knife.

'Hey!' The bartender yelled at her as she stepped through the double doors, 'Oh, its only you.' He answered closing the door behind her.

'What ever.' She answered walking up the old and rickety stairs that lead to her room. The former leader of Spargus City, or as it was now referred to Satan City by non Waste Landers, Damus had given her this room for saving his butt many years before hand. Not that it helped the poor fella now. Rumor was that he died a dishonorable death. He could fight off thousands of metal heads and he died being crushed beneath a car in a city that no one liked. She opened the door and collapsed on the bed. 'I'm gonna feel that in the morning.'

She stared out over the slums from the little area on the roof. Her dress was filthy and her hair tangled as it blew in the wind. The dreadful smell of rotting food and other things seemed to make her nose twitch, but she still stood there.

The door opened quickly making her spin around and it was Renegade staring at her, for a brief moment relief spread across his face, just before anger swept over it. 'What do you think you're doing out here? Some one could see you!' He growled stalking towards her.

'You don't frighten me so drop the act.' She replied. 'No one can see me any way.'

'Listen sister we saved your tushie so you owe us!' Daxter jumped up crying out. 'So the least you could do is what you're told to do.'

She turned back to the city streets and continued to watch them. 'How do they do it?'

'Do what?' Daxter asked. 'Live in this disgusting place?' He jumped down and sniffed the air reeling back. 'Yuck, Jak? I think the sewer pipe down the road has burst again.'

She shook her head. 'How do they live as if the metal head menace isn't there?'

'They don't.' Jak said standing beside her. 'They know they're there, but there's nothing they can do about it. Instead they just live as best they can, trying to make the most of it. Now come on. Kleiver's men are still out there.' She took a deep breath and followed him back into the building. Jak lead her down the stairs into a large room full of people. One walked forward. 'Jak, the transports ready to take Princess Aerie back.'

'She's not going back.' He answered. 'She's made it clear to me that her safety demands she stay here. Kleiver's attacked her once at the palace, who's to say he won't do it again?'

'Jak, she has to go back, Ashelin's orders…' Torn started.

Jak smiled to the whole group. 'As if I ever followed orders.' The room gave a slight chuckle as he stepped around the table and pointed at the map laid out. 'I want constant surveillance on the Queen and Ashelin. Also Sneak has given us valuable information about the KG's underground base.'

The room quieted when Sneak finished her take of their base. 'I was doing fine, till they stormed the place looking for her.' She snorted pointing at Aerie.

'Hey sneak how'd you get caught? Cant be her fault, you been missing for four months.' Jinx yelled out causing the rest of the room to laugh at her expense.

'If you must know Jinx, I managed to make one of the guards fall for me.' She smiled sweetly. 'And I have every key.' She spun them on her finger turning her back on the group. 'The entire place is rigged into the tunnels and the palace supports. That's how he found her.'

Jak nodded. 'So palace and sewers aren't safe, the northeastern side of the city isn't safe and the stadium has been completely overrun by metal heads. I'd say we are losing…' The room silenced. 'Well almost.'

'Jak, how do you plan to fight the metal heads might I ask?' Aerie finished placing her hands on her hips and looking at the map posted to the wall.'

'Any way necessary.' He said, 'The KG is the biggest threat for the moment and we cant take both enemies head on or we'll lose…' He whispered.

The princess stared at the map ever closer, 'So the area that's blue, that's the territory held by this side? And the Red is Krimzon Guard territory and the green being Metal heads I guess… and are they working together?'

The room was entirely shocked at her statement. 'Yes.' Torn answered. 'How did you know that?'

'Well it's a basic pincer movement, the best way to destroy that attack is to send a unit behind one side and wipe them out…' She finished making movements with her fingers. 'My father was known as the best war tactician in the entire world and you don't think that I have stayed alive this long with luck do you?'

Jak chuckled. 'We have a very smart princess. How do you suggest then princess that we defeat all our enemies, because all our strategies are failing.'

Daxter yawned. 'Boring! Why all this war talk! I just wanna get back to my Naughty Ottsel.' He sniffed.

'Squarrk! You and your stupid bar, all you want to do is perve all day long!' Pecker started hitting the ottsel on the head and causing a fight.

'Ohh you're going down birdy!' Daxter screamed.

'Wrong Yakow-Breath! You are!'

'ENOUGH!' Jak yelled making every one in the room pause including princess Aerie. 'Fighting is not going to get us any where. We need to make a stand against the KG and this is a brainstorming session not a brawl.'

Daxter stood up and threw a quick swipe at Pecker knocking him off the table. 'Yeah Pecker stop it!'

Pecker mumbled to himself. 'Stupid furball…'

'The war councils begun.' Samos said tapping his can on the ground.

Aerie paced around the hallway angry that they had thrown her out of the council. In her pace she nearly stepped on another little ottsel. 'Hey! Sweetie watch where you're walking.' She said jumping out of the way.

'Oh I'm so sorry.' The princess answered kneeling in front of the little ottsel. 'My name is Aerie.'

'Nice to meet you. I'm Tess.' She finished pulling her little shorts up. 'My you're a little dirty aren't you, do you need to freshen up?'

Aerie giggled a little. 'Yes I guess I should, it was the last thing I was thinking about…'

'Follow me!' Tess said leading her through a few corridors. 'This was my old room, if you need some things to change into please help yourself. I don't fit into them any more.' She giggled leaving the princess to do what she needed to.