Avrika knew something was up when Chana and Saema; Lord Hobber and Lady Protor's bodyguards, were ushered into the room with the rest of them. Even in Callie's home it was generally custom for the bodyguards to wait outside.

Callie's own guards were already in the room and she could feel the tension. They guarded both doors and a few more were spread along the length of the room.

The guests were motioned towards stairs leading to elevated platforms next to the table where ordinary chairs were arranged. Space had even been provided for their bodyguards to eat alongside their charges. Avrika felt sorry that Kalisha and Aishi wouldn't get to partake in the meal, but bodyguard training was important, and while they might not have been the best suited, she heard they were working hard.

Barely a minute after they were seated, Callie gracefully swept into the room and assumed her seat in the enormous chair at the head of the table.

"Lord, Lady, Ambassador, I thank you both for joining me for dinner. I'm sorry about the atmosphere but I'm sure you can understand my precautions."

Debris falling on people was an almost everyday occurrence, and although much more rare on a member of the Ravalda it wasn't hard to imagine. However, there wasn't a person in the room who didn't understand what Callie was really saying.

"You believe someone tried to assassinate you?" Lady Protor was the only one bold enough to say it out loud.

Callie's mantle pulsed grey. "I have no proof but it's awfully convenient. It happened shortly after some of my guards left to escort Mr. Abbeloré back to Inkopolis and while I was distracted talking with Lord Kolia. He himself would have been hit if I hadn't covered him. Fortunately, he's unharmed, so we can relax a little."

Lord Hobber's tentacles curled inwards. "You seem to be… taking it rather casually."

"Well, I knew something like this might happen. Don't worry, I haven't lost my mind. If anything I'm kind of relieved that the first attempt is finally over with and I don't feel so paranoid."

Callie's big smile was a stark contrast to how Avrika felt. Assassinations were not something that were supposed to happen in the domes and while Callie wasn't overtly accusing anyone it would be pretty hard to think of anyone other than the Loyalists who might want Callie dead. What's more, since Callie's programs were already starting to bear fruit and promised to bear far more, she was their best hope for rebirth. Attacking Callie was tantamount to high treason!

Callie switched to an explanation about the table arrangement, how it had been inspired by Octarian furniture made for smaller Octarian species to sit with the more conventional ones. She said that Inklings had a similar problem with the giant and colossal squid varieties of inklings, but in reverse. They could grow as tall as the Octo Samurai bio weapons. Given Callie's own size, they believed it.

Lord Hobber and Lady Protor watched with great anticipation as dinner was served. By now, everyone in the Ravalda had heard of the Octarian restaurant Callie and Marie had started in Inkopolis. Getting the chance to enjoy food that few, if any, had tried since the war was the chance of a lifetime for them, and a vindication of their decision to support peace and Callie.

After Callie led the blessing, everyone dug in, though she warned Lady Protor to eat slowly since her body might not be so used to the food and other Octarians had bad experiences.

The food was amazing, as expected. Avrika was more used to it but she always felt invigorated and almost brought to tears whenever she ate it. Hobber and Protor were just stunned, as if their brains didn't know how to process what it was they were putting in their mouths. Avrika wondered if her first reaction had been something like that.

During dinner, Callie spoke somewhat casually to them rather than talk business, telling them about the Octarian restaurant, how surprisingly popular it had been, and what it had done for the reputation of Octarians in general.

After dinner they were treated to dessert, in this case a circular food called "pie". They were given small portions, warned that it would make them sick if they ate too much of it.

With the meal over, they retired to the parlour with some tea and they finally got down to business.

"I've been over the documents you provided," Protor said, eyes closed as she reviewed her thoughts. "I've also found copies of that very law in our own script. They are old but they appear unchanged. I believe one of my predecessors may have hoped to use this very technicality to our advantage."

"So you think we'll be able to go ahead with this?"

"I believe so, at least technically we should be able to. I just wonder if we have enough… weight behind us to make it happen. We have no influence in the international community at all."

Callie nodded, flashing green. "You're right, we probably don't, but Calachora doesn't have a lot itself at the moment either. Still… I wonder if we could meet some other nations' ambassadors right in Inkopolis. I'm sure some of them would at least be interested in talking to us. Have to think about how to approach them though."

"I wish we had more to trade," Hobber said. "The idea you raised about exporting our salt has an appeal but we would need to package and ship it ourselves and that would take time."

"Yes, it would. I would like to supply small amounts to our Octarian restaurant, at least, just for that extra bit of 'genuine Octarian'."

Callie smiled but Avrika felt a little discouraged. The Octarian nation would never rise from the hole it had literally dug itself into as long as they remained isolated. They needed to spread their international contacts.

"Do you think that other nations would be interested in talking to us?"

"Interested, absolutely. We haven't been seen since a century ago so I'm sure they're curious. As for official talks, probably not with the mess going on between us, Calachora, and the Grand Consortium. About the only nation I can think of we could have a meaningful talk with would be Perlugen. From what I've heard, they've basically been hung out to dry. Even Calachora believes that the Grand Consortium will invade and conquer them once spring comes, late spring at the latest."

Eyes went to the map fixed to the wall. It showed Calachora and the sea between the Perlugen Peninsula to the West with the Grand Consortium to the North and further West, inland.

"It's a grim situation for them," Protor agreed. "I'm sympathetic, but I doubt we could do anything to change their fortunes."

"We couldn't support refugees either," Callie added. "If we had Calachora's help we could get troops over there if we wanted to but…" she pulsed a darker red. "An expedition force for a single operation close by is one thing, helping the jellyfish is a whole other deal. That's a can of worms I don't want to open."

They all nodded emphatically. They'd all thought about it at one point or another, trading the services of their army as a means of generating income, but that just felt like a woeful misuse of their troops, their people. It just wasn't right.

"Does the Consortium not consider us enemies after what we did in Inkopolis?" Protor asked.

"If those were actual Consortium troops, then yes," Callie replied. "But they weren't, they were officially civilians, even if we know they were actually some kind of penal battalion sent to make trouble in Calachora. And now we also know that they were targeting young inklings in order to remove Calachora as a threat, to make them back away from supporting Perlugen."

"Only to find out how weak they were anyway," Hobber muttered. "I wonder how Calachora was able to maintain such an illusion of strength."

"Mostly through the skilled diplomacy of the Monarch." Callie's gaze fell upon a large picture framed on the wall near the map. It showed her, Marie, Three, and Four on a sandy beach overlooking a vast body of water, perhaps the ocean.

"Calachora's merchant fleet and coast guard is where most of its clout comes from. That's usually been enough to discourage most nations. Unfortunately, the Grand Consortium is more of a continental power and while the current administration has always been good at towing the line, they never seem willing to cross it unless it means an easy transition. Add to that all the decades of complacency that they inherited from the previous administration and you have a recipe for disaster."

Avrika leaned forward. It was time to address the whale in the room. "Speaking of which, what is happening in Calachora right now? We know that the secret of our… conflict was revealed to the public and the Assembly."

Callie's expression darkened and her mantle rippled. She stared grimly into her teacup, no doubt thinking of her friends and comrades on the other side.

"I don't know. Things are still up in the air and that's worrying. Marie's doing what she can but she's already pushing things pretty far with the Bastion Guard. If the country goes through a leadership change then who knows what might happen with that."

Proctor's tentacles twisted. "This Patriarch seems to have his hooks deep but in a different way than the Loyalists do here. Here, they get their support from the fact they represent how we've always done things, at least since we ended up in the domes."

Callie nodded. "I don't know all the details, but the Patriarch is an old soldier from the war and Calachora is a nation that respects its veterans. Besides, given the situation the country has found itself in, they feel like warriors like him are what's needed and Monarch Orvenii, while she's been great until now, just isn't able to handle it." She sighed. "Well, she is 120 years old. Maybe she was planning to retire when all this mess started."

Protor grimaced. "It would be unwise to have a change in leadership during such a crisis, typically, but that's what we did and it has worked out for us."

"The situation seems as desperate to them as it did for us," Hobber agreed. "But while we have a tentacle in Calachora, the only thing they have in the domes is you, Lady Cuttlefish."

Callie frowned unhappily. "If only they were willing to trust us. Then again, if they did it openly, the Consortium might come down on us all." She scowled and the magenta in her mantle darkened. "They're building their strength in Inkopolis somewhere and we're still rooting around in the dark trying to find them. They know that, and that's why they can afford to wait."

"Unfortunately, we cannot." Protor jabbed a finger at the map. "If we allow ourselves to become irrelevant again…"

"I won't let that happen," Callie said firmly. "We still have a lot of people in Calachora supporting us, including Marie. She's not going to take things as they are lying down. She's too stubborn for that. Even locked in the Vasilika, she'll find a way. We just have to keep up the pressure and be sure we're ready to pounce on any opportunity she makes."

Hobber sighed. "The longer this takes the stronger the Loyalists will become."

"I have to agree," Avrika said reluctantly. "If they really were behind that collapsing wall, and that didn't work, then they surely have to be planning their next attempt."

"We'll be ready," Callie said. "Cause I'm not giving up until the Octarian people are free again."

—-

Foame stood in formation with the rest of Zeta Company. It was rare that the entire Bastion Guard was formed up together like this. Executrix Scarletteri didn't like to waste time with frivolities or ceremony, she was concerned about training them. Recent events however made this address an inevitability.

Patriarch Keeper's announcement and subsequent arguments had been seen by the entire Guard by now and for Foame, seeing her grandmother get called out as incompetent in the middle of the Assembly like that, it was hard for her to bear. There had, of course, been some mild tension with their Octarian comrades, but it hadn't been too bad. Everyone knew that the ones in Inkopolis were there because they opposed the actions of their former government, but the news that the Octarians were the reason the Great Zapfish had gone missing was a bit of a shock. How could their own government not have realised it? Why had a bunch of teenagers been forced to get it back themselves? Were they about to get answers?

She glanced behind the formation where a set of rolling bleachers had been set up. Members of the Greater Bastion Committee and other guests sat waiting. They probably wanted answers too.

Conversation died down as Kentarch Sungazer appeared, walking along the opposite wall in front of them until she reached the midpoint of their formation and she made a sharp left turn.

"Bastion Guard, Zorostno!"

The entire Guard came to attention in a near perfect movement, their boots making a resounding bang on the concrete that echoed off the walls. She had to admit she got a little thrill out of it. All of them responding as one like that, the implication of power and strength behind that stomp. It made her feel like they were really coming along, somehow.

Scarletteri appeared. She didn't march like Sungazer had, but even her ordinary walking had a crispness to it. She came to a spot next to and just ahead of Sungazer and her heel clacked against the floor.

"Bastion Guard, look your sharpest. Your supreme commander will now address you."

The sounds of sharp intakes of breath filled the cavernous room. The supreme commander? That could only be…

The sounds of the massive door at the end of the building starting to open drew all attention. Foame desperately wanted to look but she adhered to discipline and the painful memory of being struck any time she moved or turned her head while at attention.

The sound eventually stopped and heavy footfalls followed before the door started to close again.

Zeta Company was just to the left of centre in the formation. Although Foame was in the third rank, she had no trouble seeing Marie as she strode past.

Foame was in awe, and not just of her size. Marie seemed to have a strange, ethereal glow to her as she passed, dressed in beautiful, silvery robes, her mantle glossed to a perfect sheen. Although she stubbornly kept her head still, Foame's eyes tracked her across the entire range of her vision.

Marie came to a stop and faced them all. The tension in the room was so thick it felt like being underwater.

"Executrix, get them to relax."

"Yes, Ma'am. Bastion Guard, mena klid!"

Another resounding bang as they all switched to parade rest.

"Vrait ze. No talking."

Foame couldn't imagine anyone being prepared to speak right now. Everyone was too in shock, but at least they were able to move around a little now and nobody would have any trouble seeing Marie.

Marie gave a small bow and then smiled. "It's nice to finally meet all of you. I've heard so much about how hard you've worked to get where you are. I know a lot of people have accused you of just playing soldier, but when you're the thing standing between them and a horde of angry Consortium goons, they'll be saying something different. You've all come a long way in a month's time and you have every right to be proud of yourselves.

Foame recognized this as the softening of barriers before she came down with the hard stuff. It was a tactic a lot of speakers used to seem more approachable and form a kind of connection with their audience before they got into the meat of their speech. Given her fame and the reason many in the guard had joined, Foame doubted she needed to go that far, but Marie clearly disagreed as she continued in this way.

"You should also be proud of the fact that you haven't fallen into disorder as a result of the recent news. You were rational and understood your own situation even if you didn't know the larger one. As a result, instead of panicking you kept at your training, not letting it hinder you, even if you did have burning questions. That's a very mature and hard thing to do and I thank you for having so much trust in us. But, since it's all come out it only seems fair to give you all an explanation, one which you rightly deserve."

Anticipation mixed with the already thick air of tension in the room and Foame's hands clenched. What she was about to hear might either save her grandmother or doom her.

"I was just fourteen when I started fighting the Octarians," Marie began. "Callie and I were both recruited by our grandfather, Captain Craig Cuttlefish. He'd warned people for years that the Octarians would be back, that because of the conditions we imposed on them as part of the treaty that ended the war, and because we failed to deal with the main issue plaguing the Octarian people, a new war was inevitable.

"He chose Callie and I to fight because he knew we were already trained and he couldn't ask anyone else to do this. What he was doing was a rogue operation called the New Squidbeak Splatoon to oppose Octarian incursions into Calachoran territory, so it had to be secret. It was necessary to protect the nation."

She smiled ruefully. "I can tell you it wasn't easy to balance that out with a part-time job and a budding idol career."

Foame couldn't even imagine how difficult that must have been. And the two of them had emerged at the end of it all as the biggest celebrities in the world, literally and figuratively. The feat seemed beyond mortal means.

"Eventually, the Octarians took a break and we were able to focus on our careers. Gramps went back to trying to convince the government of the threat without exposing the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Of course, they didn't listen, so when the Great Zapfish was stolen the first time, he felt it was up to the NSS again. But Callie and I were idols now, too high profile to be agents anymore, so that's when he recruited a bright-eyed girl who'd only just turned fourteen and never even played turf war before to become Agent 3."

She smiled down at the Executrix who seemed to be doing her very best to maintain a straight face. Foame couldn't believe that Scarletteri, a girl the same age as her, had been fighting Octarians before she even played turf war.

"Agent 3's exploits probably need no introduction. I'm sure you've all heard stories, but it is true that her various names struck fear into the hearts of many Octarians, and when she defeated the Octarian dictator, Octavio one on one, she opened a door to freedom for all Octarians, and the Inkantation Callie and I sang paved the road for them.

"Of course, Octarians will not simply abandon their duty and their loved ones and comrades for something they don't really understand. Marina was kind of special in that regard. I think she understood better than the others, and it's thanks to her and Pearl that octolings were so welcomed in Inkopolis when the refugees started to arrive."

Marie went on, explaining Callie getting kidnapped, recruiting Agent 4, who was one of Gamma Company's splatoon commanders. She didn't linger on any topic for long, always maintaining momentum as she continued her explanation of events right up through the peace efforts, the Liberation, to her own grandmother being used as an agent of the Monarch to get information from them.

"So, no doubt the question you're all asking right now is 'why did we not come out and tell everyone the truth when we disbanded the NSS'? Well, it's not easy to give up a secret you've been keeping for so long. Besides, we didn't know what the consequences would be if the secret got out. We're just kids ourselves, after all. Though it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it would discourage peace efforts and drive the Consortium to action. We thought we could leave it all to the government, but it looks like it leaked out anyway."

Marie flashed red. "I don't know how Keeper found out and I don't know what he's trying to gain from it beyond trying to spoil our chances for peace with the Octarians and avoiding a war on two fronts, which I'm sure you've learned by now, is a bad thing. Besides that, he had no right to cast judgement on people he doesn't know, whether that's Octarians or former members of the NSS. I'm sure you've seen for yourselves that your Executrix is quite sane and that the Octarians around you wish no harm to Inkopolis or any of you. They all just want peace so they can live fulfilling lives, the same as the rest of us.

"You all know why you're here, what the Guard fights for. It's certainly not for me or Callie, you fight for the greater good of Calachora. That means peace with the Octarians and security from the Grand Consortium."

"The greater good is often a matter of perspective."

Everyone turned to the other side of the building, near the door Marie had come in. Foame couldn't see who it was that was walking across the room towards them, but Marie and the Executrix certainly did.

"Zorostno!"

They all snapped to attention and out of the corner of her eye, Foame saw Marie kneel, genuflecting before whoever had come, her mantle a humble white.

"Grand Master, you honour us with your presence."

The tension in the room rose to levels Foame thought impossible and everyone's heart cycles sped up. What was the Grand Master of the Hallar doing here?

"It is a pleasure, Marie but I am afraid I am not here for you, nor am I here socially. This is official business."

Foame swallowed hard. Was the Temple of Retribution going to force the Guard to disband as part of its mandate? But wouldn't that violate that sacred charge if it made them vulnerable to the Consortium?

"I am here for you, young army commander."

Foame gasped softly. The Grand Master was here for Executrix Scarletteri?

"Me, Master?"

"Yes. You must have known that, after hearing everything said in the Assembly, we could not leave the issue unattended. If you are in charge here and if you are to influence all these other young minds, then we must see your nature, test your real mettle."

"Grand Master," Marie interrupted. "She is not crazy. She's had a traumatic childhood, she's had to endure a lot of hardships, and Keeper's source is clearly biassed."

"I will determine that for myself, here and now in front of all these witnesses. You, young warrior, will prove to me and to those who follow you, the strength of your character."

Marie's mantle displayed protest but she didn't speak out loud, and the room held its collective breath, awaiting the girl's answer.

She saw Scarletteri stand up. "I accept." Then started shouting orders. "Gamma Company, set up the mats for a bout, just like in training. Everyone else, form up around the mats and sit. Break!"

Gamma company scurried away to retrieve the fighting mats from the storage room while everyone else moved to make space, worried looks on their faces. They weren't exactly sure what, but a lot had to be riding on this match. If Foame didn't know any better, she could have sworn their commander sounded excited.

—-

The Grand Master of the Hallar was only average size for an Inkyar, and Marie guessed him to be in his mid eighties, though he appeared younger than that. Strangely, he lacked the presence one might associate with such an illustrious individual.

He was wearing a traditional fighting gi while Three wore a simple sport top and shorts. Both were wearing fighting gloves. They had their backs to each other as they prepared themselves.

Marie bit her lip as everyone sat in a circle around the square mats, watching anxiously. This wasn't at all what she had bargained for. She was supposed to be on her way back for dinner, not about to watch her little sister thrown against the best warrior in all of Calachora. She knew that the Temple of Retribution wouldn't just ignore what had happened, but surely this was taking things a bit far, especially beating her up in front of the whole Guard.

She glanced at the bleachers where the Committee was sitting. They had been joined by four more since the Grand Master's arrival: Three's parents and two Hallar guarding them. Naturally, they looked worried and held each other's hands tightly. What had the Grand Master told them to get them to agree to something like this? Then again, not many people can say 'no' to the Grand Master of the Hallar.

But what was his objective? Why was he fighting Three like this in front of the Guard? To make an example of her? No, that didn't seem to be what he was going for, and he could test her skill any time. Was there something more he wanted from this? What was it?

Three and the Grand Master faced each other and stepped onto the mat. All conversation among the spectators immediately died.

"I want you to come at me with all you have, young one. Show me all of you that I may see what kind of warrior you truly are."

"I can't go all out against you, Grand Master."

"You needn't fear killing me, child. I've been fighting since before your parents were hatched."

"So did some of the other people I've fought, and some of them I've killed."

Anxiety showed in the mantles of the inkling guard members. Out of context that might have sounded like she was threatening the Grand master, but he just smiled.

"You do not mince words, do you."

"If you wanted to use words you would have sent someone else."

"Indeed, but do not worry about my safety, child. I have the gods' own protection. You cannot kill me here."

"I don't intend to try."

"You need all the help you can get."

"If I could beat you, Grand Master, I would be disappointed."

The Grand Master's expression softened lightly, his smile turning a little cynical yet sympathetic. "I understand. You have dealt with a lot of disappointing adults, haven't you?"

Three merely punched her fists together and got into a fighting stance.

He chuckled. "You're looking forward to this."

Three smiled back. "Who wouldn't love a chance to learn from the Grand Master?"

"Hoh, see this as a lesson do you? Well then, class is now in session." He nodded to one of the Hallar nearby who then rang a bell.

Normally, at the start of a contest, the two fighters would take time sizing each other up and make cautious faints to see how the other reacted, gauging reflexes and reactions, but that was not what happened here.

The instant the bell rang, Three dropped low, her pupils shrinking, her mantle turning a dark red, then closed the distance with her opponent in less than a second. The Grand Master also ran towards her, causing the distance to close even faster, but Three didn't fall into the Grand Master's trap, dodging his counter and unleashing a furious barrage of her own punches and kicks.

Even Marie could barely follow everything happening. The Grand Master expertly deflected and blocked Three's relentless attacks, and although she was clearly pushing him, she couldn't break through his defences, and every time there was an opening, he counterattacked, getting in a jab here and a kick there. After a few minutes, Three had collected a fairly healthy collection of growing bruises.

Marie looked at Four who stood at the edge of the mat, fists white, her mantle full of distress and fury. She probably wasn't used to seeing Three losing a fight. Honestly though, she was holding out better than Marie anticipated.

The Hallar knew all kinds of ancient and forbidden fighting techniques, if he wasn't using those against Three then maybe it would explain why she was lasting so long, but Three was holding back too, she was trying every single trick she knew to try and break through his defences without severely injuring him, despite his insistence that she wouldn't be able to do any real damage to him, a limiting factor she couldn't afford.

At some point in the next few minutes, despite her face being badly bruised, discoloured and swollen, Three managed to hammer home a few blows, catching the Grand Master on the cheek and around to his sides. His arms and legs were also badly bruised from blocking Three's furious blows and he was showing signs of tiring. Inevitably though, Three's battered body could take no more abuse and began to shut down.

Exhaustion and mounting injuries forced Three onto the defensive for the last minute or so as the Grand Master unleashed attacks of his own while she was barely able to strike back. She tried to sweep his legs to try and knock him down, but her only reward was a kick to the face, sending her flying backward to the edge of the mat.

The bell was rung, concluding the match and Four hurried to Three's side. Three managed to stagger to her feet and teeter there, facing the Grand Master.

"U… um not don nyet." Her face was starting to swell up quite badly now, slurring her speech and she spat blood onto the mat.

"You're done, young one. Don't force yourself to fight to the point of collapse or you'll be out for far longer. Remember, you have a responsibility to this army of yours, don't you?"

Three hesitated and looked around a bit before she let her fists fall to her sides and she managed a short bow. "'Fank you, Mafter."

The Grand Master bowed in turn. "You fought well, young one. You'd have fought better if you hadn't held back."

Three averted her gaze. "I coulfn't do Fat. Befies, you fere holding fack againft me too."

He smiled. "Get some rest, child. Have my warriors tend to your wounds."

"We haf our own medifs."

"If you insist."

Three turned and staggered away, Four holding onto her arm. Kifi also went over briefly before returning to the centre of the formation.

"Quiet!" She shouted. "Epsilon Company, double time to the mess hall. Now now now!"

Epsilon Company scrambled to its feet and hurried out the door to dinner.

"Zeta Company, wait ten minutes then follow Epsilon. Everyone else, to the barracks until your turn comes."

As everyone carried out their orders, medics attended Three, pressing cold towels to her battered face. Marie's eyes wandered over to the Grand Master who was being tended to by some of his own medics. She waited until all the trainees had left before she approached him.

"I see you are still sprightly, Grand Master. You're one of the few challenges Three's had in a while. If nothing else, I thank you for giving her a good fight."

He smiled up at her. "I suppose I could say the same. She truly is blessed by the gods to be able to fight like that with just a bit more than two years training."

"And two years of fighting for her life." Marie narrowed her eyes and knelt as she brought her voice down to a whisper. "What were you hoping to learn by doing this, Master?"

"Me? Well, I suppose I learned a little more about the young girl over there. She's very stubborn but not bound by pride, nor does she overestimate her own abilities. That kind of self-awareness is rare, especially in one so young, though it seems to be at the cost of her own self-worth."

Marie consciously kept her mantle from darkening. "She's been through a lot."

"Yes, I imagine the fight was a nice distraction for her. I hope she learned a great deal and that this helped reassure her parents as well."

Marie looked back at Three. Her parents were with her now, even as the medics did their work. The conversation between them seemed serious but not overly confrontational. Well, she supposed that was a positive sign.

The Grand Master groaned a little as he stood up. "I'll definitely be feeling those kicks and punches tomorrow. She shouldn't have tried to get me all at the start, but I suppose when you're facing someone like me you have to try things, even if it seems like a rookie mistake. Trying to overwhelm me before I learned more about her fighting style and tricks wasn't a bad gamble, all things considered."

Marie leaned closer. "Grand Master, if I might speak to you outside for a moment?"

"Oh? More questions? My, you're a curious one, aren't you?"

She smiled but not at all sweetly. "Well, I'm not about to let an opportunity to speak to the Grand Master of the Hallar pass me by, after all."

Marie, her Hallar guards, the Grand Master, and his small retinue followed the trainees' path out and then went around to the side of the building, out of sight, where Marie's coach sat.

Marie let out a deep breath, watching the vapour in the glow of one of the exterior lights.

"Funny place to ask questions, isn't it?"

Marie turned back around and looked down at the old inkyar, dropping all pretence. "Why are you here, Grand Master?"

"Oh? Didn't you ask me that inside?"

"I asked you what you were hoping to learn. I believe you when you say you wanted to help Three's family resolve their issues but that was also a convenient excuse for you to come in without arousing too much suspicion."

The Grand Master laughed. "What's this? You're making me sound like some kind of charlatan."

Marie turned her head towards the bay's shoreline, her eyes tracking the gradual curve of the bay area lights along the shore. "It may have been a while since I've stood on a stage but I got my start in showbusiness and I know a show when I see one. You wanted everyone to see you fight Three and you want word of the fight to spread until it eventually reaches people in the Assembly and government." She glared down at him. "What I want to know is why and what the consequences will be, especially regarding Three."

The two of them stared into each other's eyes. In the background, the sounds of distant ships in the bay blew their horns into the wintery night. Finally, the Grand Master sighed and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"It seems you are more observant than we gave you credit for. Yes, it's true that I was here to make something of a show about it. It's rare I ever fight in front of a real audience like that."

He looked up at the sky, the youthful twinkle in his eyes fading behind the sage-like gaze of an elder. "It's been rather difficult to tell the children from the adults these past few months. The younger generations are having to step up because there is no-one else to do what needs to be done. Too many inklings grew up with things being done for them, and the Assembly, despite knowing the issues we face today were coming, insisted on maintaining the status quo rather than adapting, so new leaders have to rise up."

Marie crossed her arms. "Believe me, I'm aware. That's half the reason they locked us up, to keep us from shaking the boat." She suddenly bowed and added. "I'm grateful for the extra freedom the Ecclesiarchy has given me."

"They are afraid of you, you know?"

Marie's mantle turned yellow. "By 'they' do you mean the government? The Assembly?"

"And many more besides. Word has reached us of what Callie has been doing in the domes, how much she has been inspiring the people, making life better for them, and fixing what was broken."

Marie's mantle displayed derision. "I'd heard they feared us, but I thought they were afraid of us for the public influence we have, that with a few words we could shift public opinion. You're saying the real reason is because they're afraid we'll be better at their jobs than they are?"

"All of the above, really. Some have refused to take you seriously because of how young you are, not believing you know what you are talking about, thus they have been squandering an opportunity for peace. Not without reason, but they have allowed themselves to be ruled by fear. We thought that Callie's appointment as an Octarian noble would mean a true dialogue could begin, but in the month since they've just been given the cold shoulder."

"You don't have to remind me," Marie said sourly. "We did all the work – us and the Octarians, and it's just been wasted."

"It isn't wasted yet. That's something I've seen for myself since I arrived here tonight.

"Through this new Guard and the Greater Bastion you have created, you've been showing everyone your vision of the future, a glimpse of the potential that awaits us, if only we could trust each other."

Marie's brows furrowed deeper, trying to connect what the Grand Master just said to her original question. Then, it hit her.

"The parents. After our conspiracy was exposed in the Assembly they would be having second thoughts. Members of the committee would have too. And then the Assembly and government would have a whole new perspective on what we would end up doing with a whole army after what we did with just the four of us."

The Grand Master smirked. "Everyone thought this Guard of yours was nothing more than a deterrent or a glorified youth group you'd created to earn points with some of the more… neglected parts of Inkopolis. Now they are worried it might be an actual army you're creating."

"It is an actual army. When we find where the Consortium's been hiding, I intend to use it. If people are upset about me using kids, you can ask them, 'what have the adults been doing to solve the situation' and they won't have any real answer. We're just doing what we have to. And that's all Three ever did too." She leaned forward slightly. "I'm sure you've gotten complaints from parents about their children being under the command of a supposed psycho."

"We did," the Grand Master admitted. "And other people were worried that someone as young as her might get delusions of grandeur, becoming a modern warlord."

Marie's ears flattened. "You can't be serious."

"Sadly, I am. From their perspective though, I have just put the young ones back in their place." His smile returned. "So they will be placated for a little while longer."

Marie smiled back. "Leaving us alone for a while, hopefully long enough to do what we need to."

"Yes. So you see, there was no one reason I did what I did. It was a radical move but subtlety has not been much of an inkling trait in recent years. What's more, by pushing her I was able to prove, in my own way, that she is not a psychotic, deranged, murderer. It might seem extreme but I've never fully trusted child psychologists. Does this satisfy your curiosity?"

Marie's smile faded "Except for one thing: why are you so keen on helping us in the first place?"

The Grand Master chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? Because it's the right thing to do." He gave Marie a cryptic smile then left with the rest of his hallar, leaving Marie standing alone in the cold with her guards.

Suspicion rankled Marie's nerves like an almost imperceptible itch. There was more going on here and she was going to find what it was.

She headed back inside the building and found Three still there, talking with her parents. Four was standing off to the side, keeping watch. She looked at Marie with some concern but Marie signaled reassurance to her. There was nothing she needed to worry about.

Three saw her approaching and leapt to her feet, though she teetered slightly.

"Three, relax, and sit back down before you give yourself a concussion."

Purdie firmly forced her daughter back onto the bench and Three relented, hanging her head just a bit.

"I'm going to be heading back to the Vasilika in a bit, but I wanted to extend an invitation to all of you to join me for dinner. And for you, Three, to spend the night. You'd heal much better in the pool. It's a chance for you to spend more time with your parents too and introduce them to your little sister."

Her parents were startled while Three and Four immediately flushed.

"We… hadn't mentioned that yet," Four whispered nervously.

"Well it's about time you did. I think we're all a little tired of secrets."

Three's parents looked at each other, and glanced at their daughter before Purdie said. "We would be happy to join you."

Marie smiled. "I'll phone ahead and let them know. For what it's worth, I'm looking forward to it."

Author's Notes:

It's an odd thing. Sometimes you're waiting so long, expecting bad to happen, and even when it does happen, and even if it really is bad, you still feel a sense of relief. It happens sometimes. Callie wants to help the Octarians but she's running out of things she can do. Where does she go from there? How long before she has to take matters into her own hands? So we finally meet the Grand Master of the Hallar, arguably the best warrior in the nation. How does our Three compare?