"The whole thing was ablaze. A huge inferno raging out of control."
Vis was sitting at the end of the table in the meeting room of Freedom Headquarters, recounting his fiery discovery at the edge of the world. All the way down the line on both sides of the room, the members of the city council listened intrigued, without a breath or whisper. They could all see the change that had come over their usually staunch and level-headed commander; even a seasoned soldier such as himself could sometimes be affected by the terrible things he witnessed in war, especially when they were as unexpected as this. His face was blank and his voice quiet, and he kept his eyes averted from everyone, choosing instead to focus on the edge of the table in front of him.
At the opposite end of the table was Samos, who was both disturbed and fascinated by what Vis was describing. His report certainly provided answers to some biting questions, like why the enemy attacks had come to a halt, but these answers raised only further questions. Their home was burning, but how had this happened? Where were they now?
"We couldn't get near it, and the smoke was too thick and black to see through," continued Vis, his gaze still low, "But it looked like there was something else on the mountain too. That's what was burning. I could see metal supports bolted to the rock, which connected to a much larger structure or piece of machinery. Kind of like our old drilling platform that we've commandeered for work, but much bigger, built all around the mountain like a dish."
A few people around the table took some notes. Samos flicked his eyes sideways, and observed that the person sitting closest to him was making a simple sketch, his own interpretation of what Vis described.
Then Vis raised his head just a little. His eyes were bleary and dark with the accumulated fatigue of many hours of dutiful work. "But we don't know what's down there for sure, hidden in the fire. Or if there's anyone still alive..."
He faded out on these last words, and the room fell very still.
Then Samos nodded, having heard enough. "OK," he said finally. "Thank you, Vis. You and your men have brought back vital intelligence, and I think you have told us all that you can at this point in time. When we are done here, take a day's rest. You've earned it."
Vis nodded in thanks, and slumped further back into his seat, one of the rare times he was ever seen to truly break his usually firm posture. He remained where he was and said nothing more for the duration of the meeting, but he was indeed still listening as Samos continued the discussion with the other councillors present around the table.
"Alright," said the sage, commanding everyone's obedient attention, "It appears that we have a very unexpected and uncertain situation on our hands. Clearly some great catastrophe, be it natural or induced by some other force, has befallen our enemy, but what exactly that was and how it came about, is not yet apparent."
A few tentative voices stirred around the table as guesses were made and discussed, but at this time it made no difference who was right. In the end, the concerns of the council only returned to one thing.
"Does this mean that the war's finally over then?" asked someone, and silence fell again as they awaited Samos's judgement.
"That may be so," the sage answered slowly, grimly, but not without a genuine touch of hope.
This was the conclusion that everyone was thinking but wanted to hear put to words, and when Samos took an intermediate pause to let them settle, the voices began to murmur to one another again. A welcomed wave of lightness and relief began to flow from person to person, a taste of victory, even if it was not the victory they expected to find. At last, the enemy was gone.
"However," Samos resumed ominously, and the voices fell silent once more to listen, "I have a feeling that things might not be as they seem, and we cannot lower our defences yet. For instance, we do not even know if what we have found today really is our enemy's true homeland. All we know is that its co-ordinates match those of where the jet we tracked ended up. It is possible that it might be only an air base."
He made a good point, but the last thing anyone wanted to accept after this was the possibility that their enemy might not yet be vanquished, and was still out there somewhere. People straightened up again, and some spawned new questions.
"But what will we tell the people?" asked someone whose duties strongly concerned public management and communication.
"For the moment, nothing," Samos answered almost at once, which stirred up some murmurs of bemusement, but the sage quickly silenced them. "You know how quick they are to react to such things. Have you forgotten what happened on the day when what was left of our fleet returned?"
Understanding settled, as many in the room remembered looking down on the choked and chaotic streets of that day.
"They are comfortable and protected as they are now, uninformed of these developments," Samos continued, "And they will only put themselves in danger if such news were made known today. They would clamour for answers that we cannot yet give them, and if it turns out that we are wrong, then it may bring much worse consequences. These are very mysterious circumstances. We simply do not know enough at this moment to draw a certain conclusion, even for ourselves, and we must not act rashly, lest we jump to a conclusion that we may later live to regret. Before we can make any major decisions or announcements, we must find out more and try to ascertain, if we can, exactly what we are dealing with here, what has happened to our enemy, and if their threat truly is no more. If some other force was responsible for this, then we must be on our guard and proceed with great caution as we search for the answers."
He closed his eyes for a moment and took another pause, but this time nobody spoke to fill the gap. Samos had spoken wisely, and their minds had suddenly become burdened with yet another undesired possibility, the possibility that there could be something else out there that could just as easily torch their own city as well. Could it be the Metal Heads growing stronger again? After all, the area around that great fire was surrounded by Metal Head waste. Or was it something new and unknown, something even more powerful than any other foe that they had faced? It could even be a trap of some sorts to bait them in, the next item of prey. But they all understood the sage's correct reasoning, that they needed to try and find the answers before they could do anything else.
Samos then stood up and looked down the full length of the table, speaking decisively. "Alright. We must deal with the situation we've been handed. Our next priorities are clear. We need more soldiers to head out there and uncover the evidence. It will undoubtedly be a very dangerous task, but with our newly installed teleporter technology, I hope it shall be swift and precise and result in the loss of no further lives."
He turned to the highest ranking commanders present in the room. "Round up your best men at once, make sure they are fresh, and prepare them to make another reconnaissance expedition to the mountain today. Your objective is to observe the fire and provide us with regular reports on its condition. Explore the surrounding area as well, and continue to look for clues or signs of our enemy. But be diligent, for you will be in their territory now, and who knows what else may be lurking out there."
The commanders all obeyed with a nod.
"And make sure that none of the men under your command go blabbing to civilians about this," Samos continued in strong warning. They nodded again, completely serious, and Samos knew they would not fail him.
"And that goes for everyone," he added, now looking to the councillors on the other side of the table. "This knowledge is strictly classified until we have gathered enough evidence to undoubtedly confirm what we think we know. Does anyone have any questions?"
One high-ranking commander spoke up. "What should we do if we find any survivors?"
It was a difficult question that raised some concern, but Samos was glad that it had been asked. "If they act as they have always done toward us, you know how to defend yourselves. However, it may be certain that they are no longer in any condition to fight. If that is the case, then render what assistance you can."
This controversial decision provoked strange looks from all present, some of surprise, some of scepticism and some of outrage. One particularly aggressive commander rose to his feet. "Help them? After all the death they've caused us?"
A few other voices rose in protest to join him, but Samos rushed to vindicate his words, a response already prepared. He silenced them with a few raps of his walking stick against the table. "If indeed this war is over, then we must not give cause to restart it. There is already so much misunderstanding between us and them, and we should show them that we are not without mercy when we have the upper hand. There is no reason to waste any more lives because of this, but if you do find anyone out there, then let them make the first move, and I trust you to react accordingly. Any objections?"
Not everybody seemed happy about this, but the aggressive commander sat back down and no one spoke out against Samos again as he eyed the room sternly. Though he was not the sole dictating leader of the council, when Samos spoke with the power of authority in this way, nobody dared to question his decisions that were surely backed by years of wisdom.
But that was not the only thing behind it. Samos remembered that this had been Ashelin's conscientious objective if the situation ever arose, and it was one that he agreed with. Even though Ashelin was now missing in action, he would see to it that her desires were acted on, wherever possible.
Finally, he nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Then we all know what we must do. Let us proceed. This meeting is now closed."
People gathered up their papers, closed their folders, got up from their seats, and the room slowly began to empty. Vis was one of the last, shuffling wearily towards the door, and giving Samos a weak nod on his way out. But Samos himself stayed where he was for a while longer, alone. He rested his hands upon the table, closed his eyes again, and his heavy head bowed with fatigue. It had been a very demanding twenty four hours for him, directing this mission and the long night of preparation before. He could feel the tiredness in his old bones, unused to going this long without sleep. But he could not allow himself to take a break just yet. Now that this huge discovery had been revealed, his work was only just beginning...
The Naughty Ottsel was quiet and relaxed, as it usually was at this time of late morning. It was about an hour after opening time, and populated with only a few small groups of dedicated early visitors in far-apart seats. They exchanged light chatter about their lives and future aspirations over their drinks, all unaware of the great discovery that now preoccupied the Freedom League. From her position behind the counter, Azyma watched over the room, content with the unfolding day, and checking there was nothing that needed cleaning up anywhere. All was well, and quite a relaxing difference to last night's busy atmosphere. Behind her, Tess was counting the bottles on the back shelf, making sure that all supplies were in order.
Then the front door swung open lazily, and the room was so at ease that the movement drew Azyma's attention immediately. In walked someone who she hadn't expected to see at this early hour.
"Keira!" she said in a pleasant voice that rose just above the background noise, forming a smile at once. Tess turned around from her cataloguing and also gave a surprised smile.
Keira sauntered over to the counter unhurriedly, and Azyma was quick to notice how lonely she looked, unaccompanied by the usual crowd of mechanics she always brought in with her in the evenings. She also seemed a little aimless and bored, and as she deposited herself on one of the bar stools in front of the counter, she greeted them with an insipid "Hey."
Tess could sense that something wasn't quite right. "What's up, Keira?" she asked. "How come you're here so early?"
"And how come you're on your own?" Azyma asked as well.
Keira puffed out a bored breath that made her lips vibrate together. "Well, they gave me the day off work today."
"That's a good thing, though. Right?" said Azyma, who couldn't quite understand why Keira seemed so down about this.
"Well…" Keira pouted dispiritedly and aimlessly traced her finger around the marks on the counter. "Freedom HQ was all locked up when I arrived this morning. Couldn't get in."
"Oh. How come?" Tess asked curiously.
Keira was silent for a moment, looking deep in thought, then finally she just shrugged. "I don't know, really."
She felt a bit strange and even a little traitorous saying this, for she was revealing far less than she actually knew. She wasn't sure how much of it she was allowed to say or even how much of it was really true; there was too much speculation.
"Well, I'm sure there's a good reason," Tess said sympathetically, drawing her back to the present, "And you have been working real hard, Keira. A break will do you some good, huh? Even you need a weekend."
"I guess," said Keira with a half-hearted smile. Though she would still much rather be working, she supposed she had better make the best of it. What was it she'd thought to herself last night? About not being able to switch off enough? Well, at least she could always find good company and conversation here in the bar.
Then Azyma had a thought. "So... if Freedom HQ's closed up, does that mean you and the others won't be coming here this evening like usual?"
Keira thought about it. That was a good question, but she shrugged again. "I don't know. I haven't seen any of them today yet, and I don't even know where they are right now or what they're doing. They haven't come by here already, have they?"
"No, they haven't," said Tess, while at the same time casting another eye around the room to double-check. There was nobody here but the usual morning regulars, and the large central table that was reserved specially for Keira and her group in the evenings was unoccupied.
"Maybe they've got the day off too?" Azyma suggested, hoping that they might also turn up soon. She briefly fantasised about the possibility of getting to chat with some of them more earnestly while it was quiet here. They always had a positive effect on the whole pub and everybody in it, and she enjoyed serving them. There was a moment's silence as she drifted away deeper into her imagination. She found herself quite curious about Keira's group, and still wished she could be more a part of it, but she didn't quite understand her own feelings enough yet to be able to say exactly why. Was it just the attention she desired? And was it wrong to want such a thing?
"How's the search going, anyway?" Tess asked, breaking Azyma out again.
Again, Keira couldn't answer with certainty. "As far as I know, they're still at it, but nothing new's come in for days. I've not heard of anything, anyway. My father usually passes me the updates, but I've not gotten to speak to him for a few days."
This brought her mood down again a little, imagining the things that she was not being told. Tess frowned as well. Even though she had prepared herself for such an answer, it was still painful to hear that they were no closer to finding Daxter, or Jak, or Ashelin, or anyone else. It was a hard thing to admit, but the longer the days dragged on, the less hopeful she became. She still felt the pain of Daxter's loss, twisting and pulling like a knot inside her chest, and she wasn't sure if it would ever be loosened; it was still too early to tell.
"I'm sorry it's not better news," Keira said, sensing the falling morale that she was responsible for bringing.
"It's OK, Keira," said Tess, bravely swallowing her emotions. "Let's just keep hoping and keep rooting for the Freedom League, huh? I'm sure they're on to something."
Keira nodded with another tiny half-smile, and Azyma also shared in their solidarity.
"Well, as long as you're here," said Tess, trying to move the situation forward, "Can we get you anything?"
Keira accepted the offer and soon she had a glass in her hand. Once she'd had a sip and a little more time had passed, the three of them quickly transitioned into a natural and comfortable state of conversation, which Keira found very pleasant after the rather aimless start to the day. Even though she had seen them every evening this week during her after-work visits with the other mechanics, it felt like it had been a while since she'd had a chance to actually sit down and just have a proper chat with Azyma and Tess like this. The busy evenings usually left them with little opportunity to stop and talk for more than a minute, meanwhile the mechanics themselves often kept Keira preoccupied with talk of work plans and ideas, which her natural interest would not allow her to ignore. Sure, they were very nice and all, but now she found herself wishing to spend more time with someone else instead, and talk about something that wasn't to do with work or engineering. It was quite refreshing, actually, and Tess was right; it was good to take a breather from it all.
They caught up on each other's news and gossip. Tess's life, of course, all revolved around The Naughty Ottsel, and she expressed how pleased she was with the reinvigoration it had found in the wake of this war. The emotional wounds leftover were healing, life and laughter had returned to the bar, and it was once again fast becoming the lively establishment that Daxter had always envisioned it to be. Though there was still a tangible hole in the atmosphere that would usually be filled by his larger-than-life personality, she continued to do an admirable job of running the bar in his absence. The busy evenings were intense, though, nearly sweeping her off her feet. If the bar continued with this level of popularity, she would likely have to start thinking about hiring some more helpers. Azyma was a sorely-needed extra pair of hands, and she made her gratitude clearly known.
Azyma smiled bashfully, touched to hear that she was so valued and appreciated, and she brushed her long black hair back over her ears. Keira studied her briefly, and noticed that the mark on her face was almost healed, now but a faint pink line, hardly noticeable unless the light was shining on her at just the right angle. But she didn't ask about it, seeing no reason to, for after all, she did not know the truth behind what had caused it, and assumed it to be nothing significant.
Though it was not discussed, Azyma was recovering well from her seemingly unprovoked attack in the slums several nights ago. The day after she had confided it to Tess, she informed the first Freedom soldiers she encountered about it, as Tess had encouraged her to. The soldiers took it seriously and promised to look into it for her, much to her gratitude, and that very night, two even escorted her back to her own home under their armed protection, which made her feel very special and cared for.
Since then, the guard had kept their promise, and doubled patrols in the slums night and day, keeping a watchful eye out for any suspicious activity, and she had not been attacked again since. Though they had not yet found any clues as to the identity or current whereabouts of her attacker, both Tess and Azyma were confident that they would eventually track him down. No longer was Azyma afraid to sleep alone in her own bed, and though she always kept her gun within reach, she felt less and less the need to use it. Right now it was stowed safely in her bag in the back room. As the days went by with no further threat, she allowed the memory of it to gradually slip from her waking mind like the healing of the wound on her face. They did not talk about it here at work where she could find other things to focus on, and outwardly Azyma was back to her usual self once more; reserved, but friendly and dedicated to her job.
Keira did not know about any of this, but she kept her own secrets too. While the conversation and positive feeling flowed, her intelligent mind was always ticking in the background, trying to work out exactly what was happening over at Freedom HQ. She'd pondered it all the way here, taking the longer route through the city. What would cause Freedom HQ to shut its doors on her and leave her uninformed like that?
Though she couldn't confirm, she felt certain that it had something to do with the teleporters that she and the other mechanics installed yesterday. That was the only thing, to her knowledge, that had changed, and they'd all been sent home then too. Perhaps the dismissal was still in effect? She was aching to tell Azyma and Tess all about it, but she remembered the orders she and the other mechanics had been issued with yesterday, and forced herself to keep that little bit of information secret. She didn't want to get in trouble with anyone, not after such a great start to her job there, but it still irked her. She hated it when the Freedom League became all secretive like this. Especially now she had a position of work there herself, she expected that she at least might have been informed about any significant developments, at least receive the explanation she felt she was owed after yesterday's important hard work, but it seemed that it was sadly not to be.
Whatever it was, it had to be something big though, because the last time they closed off the building like this was the unfortunate day when what was left of their battle fleet returned. If that was the case, however, this time they'd evidently done a much better job of keeping it a secret, otherwise she expected that the streets would be filled to bursting again. But it was all very quiet outside today, almost as if nearly everything else had shut down too, and it wasn't even a weekend.
Tess's earlier enquiry about the search effort had given her ideas, though. Perhaps something had finally been found, or maybe even someone. Keira toyed with the wishful possibility that maybe even Jak was the reason for it all. Had they finally found him? Would he soon come striding in through the front door right when they were least expecting him? But no, he couldn't be back in the city. Her father wouldn't have kept that hidden from her.
But being with Azyma and Tess right now made her happier. She enjoyed their company, and wished she could have more opportunities to be with them like this. Her feisty, adventurous spirit was starting to well up again, and she spontaneously felt the desire to try something new.
"You know, we should really try and get out together some time," she suggested. "Do something fun."
Both Tess and Azyma were enticed. "That does sound like a nice idea," said Tess. "What sort of thing did you have in mind?"
Keira thought for a moment. "You know, I've always wanted to go visit the old Precursor Mountain Temple outside the city. What do you say? Want to go exploring? There's a forest out there too, apparently. I bet that's worth a visit."
Azyma stopped in the middle of what she was doing, and looked at Keira with a slight expression of fear. "Outside the city? But Keira... uh, isn't it... you know, dangerous out there?"
"Well, maybe not as dangerous anymore as it used to be," said Keira, but she understood Azyma's hesitancy. The long generations of Metal Head siege had conditioned the people of Haven to keep themselves firmly on this side of the city wall, and many ordinary citizens, just like Azyma, had never left the city's boundaries. There was even a time when it was illegal to do so. Though Keira had not been here for as long as everyone else, she was all too aware of the fear the city felt towards the unknown that lay on the other side.
"But what about the Metal Heads?" Azyma persisted.
"I don't think there are actually any out there anymore," Keira said, trying to sound certain but it was only an assumption. "Jak once told me he'd cleared the place out."
Though that was a slight comfort, Azyma still did not look convinced, nor did Tess for that matter, but Keira could read a slight curiosity and interest in both of their eyes, one that she was sure to try and coax out further.
Tess tried to be diplomatic. "It does sound like a nice idea, Keira, and I'd be up for a little look out there at least. But even if it is safe out there, it might be difficult for us to find the time. Running this place every day is a lot of work, and very tiring."
Keira understood perfectly. Tess did work very hard to keep this place running in Daxter's absence, making it her life, pretty much, and she was surprised the ottsel hadn't burned herself out yet. In the busy evenings she looked especially ruffled.
"Come on," Keira said with a sly, coaxing grin. "Even you need a weekend."
A little smirk now came to Tess's face, recognising her own earlier argument that was now used against her. "Well... I have been thinking about working out some new opening times. I'd say I could definitely do with at least one morning off every week. Just to get some me time, you know."
"Go for it," Keira encouraged. Then she looked at Azyma, who was still pursing her lips in thoughtful uncertainty, but unless she was mistaken, she looked like she was slowly coming round as well.
"When were you thinking?" Tess asked further.
"Well, I'm free all day today," said Keira, "And maybe tomorrow too, depending on what happens with work."
Tess looked around the bar, still quiet and sparsely populated. "I'll see what I can do," she said with a promising grin.