Hello again everyone, and welcome to 2018! Being Australian, I've already celebrated New Years Eve, but to anyone else who hasn't: I hope you have fun!

RECAP:
- Elizabeta has told Matthew about Alfred. The group of rebels, along with their prisoners, are close to Nyma
- Feliciano and Lovino got to know Vash a little better
- Arthur's pirate crew, and the remaining bounty hunters, are planning to hire someone to get them to the rebels

I am actually very proud of this chapter guys! I wrote it in a single day, but I think it turned out well.

NEW CHARACTERS!
Louis = Luxembourg
Vladimir Popescu = Romania
Cera Bannion = Ancient Celtic Empire (yes really)
Kabeeta Tripathi = Nepal
Kristian Alekseev = Bulgaria

And, just in case anyone forgot
Nelia Domingo = Peru

Resistance Headquarters,
Draak-Zafi Forra, Nyma,
28th Fybwari

Kari almost cried when the familiar, flat-topped appearance of Draak-Zafi's dragon trees came into view. It had been weeks since their mission to rescue Elizabeta had begun, and finally, blessedly, it had come to an end. Conversations about what to do with their interesting prisoners had plagued them for days, and Matthew, despite being their leader, had done nothing to help, constantly looking lost in thought. Kari hadn't asked what was on his mind. She understood from the deep, melancholic look in his eyes that he was likely thinking about his past. Kari herself normally looked like that whenever her thoughts turned towards Fynkn, and the home and family that she had lost there.

After a great deal of arguing and stress on her own behalf, as well as that of the others, they had decided to just bring them to their base. Yao would be able to reason with the situation far better than any of them anyway, and ransoming them off would only be beneficial to them. The Resistance was always happy to receive funds. Just from glancing around the cabin, Kari could tell she wasn't the only one glad to be returning home. Matthew was smiling, for the first time in days, and Elizabeta was actually pressed up against the glass, drinking in the sight of the scalding hot desert she had once complained about so frequently.

Carlotta stumbled into the cockpit and strapped herself in as they began to descend. She had been responsible for blindfolding, gagging and tying up their prisoners more securely. The freedom which they had been given recently definitely wouldn't go over well with their superiors. Just imagining the sort of lecture they would receive from Vice General Papadopoulos made her ears hurt. The hull of the ship rattled as the ground approached sharply. Had anyone but Abel been piloting the ship, Kari may have been concerned, but she had seen him pull off tight spins and turns in X and Y-wing fighters, along with LWF Volants, which were notoriously hard-to-handle ships. Considering he could handle ships like those with style and poise, she trusted him to land their light-weight starship without turning them into an inferno.

It had shocked her, honestly, when she had checked her Cell only to find that they had departed on this mission over a month ago. Time really flies when you're saving your friend from a group of pirates, kidnapping criminals and generally trying and failing to stay under the radar. She had been away from their base in Draak-Zafi for a lot longer, but something about this mission had dug down to her core. There was a lingering sense of urgency inside her which told her that returning now was a good thing. She didn't know what had sparked the sensation – which had been present since they'd reentered the Hyfta System – but she trusted her instincts and intuition more than almost anything, save maybe Yao and her mother.

Abel seemed to be having the time of his life entering the runway on such a steep decline; his face had lit up with joy, and he was shifting the controls, pressing buttons and flicking switches faster than she could comprehend. Despite being his sister, Bella had not inherited the same love of flight, and was gripping the arms of her chair with white knuckles, eyes blown wide with alarm. Matthew seemed to read her mind and looked over towards her, bursting out in laughter when he spotted her expression. It was a testament to how frightened the girl was that she didn't even raise her hand to flip him off; she settled instead for a vicious glare sent in his direction. Swallowing his giggles, Matthew turned back to the console, which he was helping Abel operate. He may have only been a trainee pilot, but Matt had a skill and calmness about him which suggested that he would soon be amazing at all things aviation.

The scorching cement was under their plane's landing gear just a few moments later, and Kari looked up through the windows to see a crowd of people approaching the ship as they shuddered to a stop. Bella breathed a sigh of relief so loud it was borderline insulting, and Matthew laughed again at her facial expression, which she was now confident enough to respond to with a one-finger salute, before she clambered out of her seat and made for the door. Kari was soon following, unbuckling her safety belt with unusually clumsy fingers. Abel began to shut down the ship's systems, as they had completed their flight. Considering how battered their ship had become during the past four weeks, it would be spending a fair amount of time in the repairs sector.

A crowd of people, growing larger with every moment, had gathered a safe distance from the ship, the bottom of which Kari could now see was smoking faintly (no doubt from their high-speed landing). She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt. They were home, finally, and with Elizabeta in tow. Not only had they succeeded, they had all come back alive, which was almost unheard of nowadays. She could see multiple people who she knew. Nelia had spotted her through the window and was waving excitedly. Romeo Bianchi, standing near her, quickly began to do the same.

Bella had managed to shove the door open and stagger out, blinking in the harsh, bright sunlight which greeted them. Kari heard a loud whoop of joy, before a boy with curly ash-brown hair had launched himself at Bella and started hugging her around the waist. She smiled. Louis, Abel and Bella's youngest brother, was only 14, and thus considered far too young to ever go on dangerous missions with his older siblings. It got to him a fair amount, as Kari understood it. She herself remembered when she'd been too young to go anywhere, and the endless frustration that was brought with it. How many times had she watched older, more experienced friends wave in farewell and board ships, never to return? Louis waved at her as well, grinning widely.

She waved back, eyes scanning the crowd, who were now pressing in on them, bursting with questions. Two in particular were being circulated a lot: "Did they succeed? Did they get Liz back?" Kari grinned as she heard a muffled shout from inside the ship, and stood aside as Elizabeta stumbled out, greeted by more than 50 people yelling in delight and relief. She grinned, looking happy despite her worn-out appearance, and immediately set to hugging everyone she could reach. When Abel clambered out of the ship after her, he was subjected to the same treatment as Bella by his little brother. He just grinned, ruffling up Louis' already wild hair.

There was a small commotion in the crowd as someone moved through. Yao emerged after a moment, dressed as he always was; green double-breasted jacket with a high collar, thick black gloves, dark pants and thick-soled boots. The smile on his face was small, but genuine, and Kari grinned when she approached him. He surveyed the group's smiling, happy faces, and turned to face her.

"I presume, judging by how excited you all are, that you were not only successful, but with no casualties?"

She nodded. "We got a few injuries on the way," Kari said, knowing that Yao had already spotted her bandaged arm, "but we all came back alive."

"I suppose that's the best we can ask for in times like these?" he said, tilting his head a little.

She nodded, then remained stoic for only a moment longer, before she gave in and hugged him. It was almost instinctual, and Yao always felt so familial and caring that she felt like she was embracing her own father again. He reciprocated her hug, to her inner delight, and as she went to pull away, she heard the words he muttered in her ear.

"After you've been debriefed, bring Matthew and Elizabeta with you to see me. A lot has happened while you've been gone." He smiled calmly when they separated, as though he had never spoken. She blinked, but returned it, mind racing as she processed the almost grave tone he had used. What had happened? They had only been gone for a month. Looking around, she could see no visible, physical difference, at least not on the airfield. The people around them were familiar, and there didn't seem to be any underlying tone of fear or tension in their faces. Whatever it was, it wasn't being widely broadcast by Yao and other Resistance officials.

The matter of what Yao had to tell her, Matt and Liz had to wait, however, as Carlotta emerged from the ship, telling everyone to clear a path.

"Anyone here who can handle a rowdy captive, I could really use some help right now!" she shouted. Nelia, upon hearing the pronouncement, darted forwards, trailed by Vladimir Popescu – a bomb and detonation expert, and the terrifying Incandan commander Cera Bannion. The four clambered up into the ship. Yao raised an eyebrow at this, turning to Kari for elaboration.

"We got some prisoners." She said simply. "And we didn't really know what to do with them." Yao nodded, and helped to clear a path through the crowd. A moment later, Matthew emerged, leading the prisoner they had nicknamed 'Ghoul'. The albino had been markedly less trouble after their run-in with the Garvich on Galee, ceasing his habit of biting at them when they were trying to adjust his bonds or give him food, and thus Matthew didn't seem very concerned about him running off. His grip on the bounty hunter's arm was gentle but firm. That, she could tell even from this distance.

Following them out was Vladimir, who was pulling along their only female captive. They'd nicknamed her Eslin, but eventually gave in and used her real name; Tori. She didn't seem to be struggling much either, though she certainly didn't seem happy about being tugged along by a stranger. Cera had Roderich, who Kari had turned to calling by his actual name only because he at least had some goddamn manners about him. The dark-haired man was fairly docile, stumbling a little for the blindfold over his face, but otherwise managing to keep himself upright rather well. They would need to get a medic to look at his head. Kari and Matthew's combined medical knowledge had helped them deduce that he had a concussion at least, but they were far from trained doctors, and a pirate he may be, but they still didn't want his death on their hands if his injury was far more serious than it seemed.

Nelia had been given the fiery Pyndaphian man to handle, which was a sensible choice in Kari's opinion. He had already proved himself as the most capable of the four during the fight on Galee, managing to take down two grown Garvich even when he himself was badly injured. Nelia herself was one of the few people that consistently beat Kari in hand-to-hand combat, and was the best trainer (and one of the best fighters) that the rebels had to offer. If anyone could keep the sly blonde under control, it was her.

Yao scrutinised them for a moment, before barking out a command for them to be taken to the cell blocks and contained until they could find further use of them. The four holding them nodded, and Yao smiled at Matthew, congratulating him on the successful mission as he passed. He grinned, shouting a 'thanks!' over his shoulder as they went by. He gestured to the five of them who still stood there.

"You know the drill. Take the ship in for repairs, then it's to debriefing for you lot." He said. Abel groaned, but nodded, and Bella smacked her older brother's arm, rolling her eyes as she did so, before moving to speak with the mechanics who had already assembled around the ship to survey the damage. Yao said nothing more to Kari, marching off across the sun-scorched tarmac without so much as a backwards glance. She could feel her stomach turning over. He had something important to tell her, Matthew and Elizabeta. Whatever it was, though, it could wait. Ignoring the burning curiosity which had surged up inside her, she turned her back to the Yanish man, and began helping direct the ship into a hangar.

Walking while blindfolded was never an easy task, but it was much less so when the ground they were walking on was so damn uneven. At first, they had been led across a surface that was flat and straight (a runway, likely, considering how much jolting the ship had done before they were rudely yanked from the room they had been kept in). It hadn't been that bad, especially given that Gilbert was being led along by Matthew. He could only tell initially that it was Alfred's doppelganger who was leading him from the smell. Ground coffee, leather, machine oil and peppermint; he had recognised the smell from Galee, when the rebel had been comforting him after the Garvich attack. It had only been the gentle hold on his arm, and the small warnings and directions being murmured into his ear which had confirmed his suspicion.

Though he could hear Feliks and Tori stumbling and cursing behind him, Matthew was being courteous enough to warn him of steps, dips and other obstacles in his path. Evidently the other rebels leading his friends weren't so kind. He knew that they weren't their captors from their voices; heavy accents and unfamiliar slang had met his ears when they had released them to drag them from the ship. Given that they had been bound more tightly, and blindfolded, they were likely in some sort of base or outpost, the location and layout of which the rebels didn't want them to know. Gilbert couldn't blame them, but it was still annoying not being able to see. At least, if the heat around him was anything to go on, they were on some sort of hot or desert planet. Gilbert's eyes were sensitive at the best of times; maybe being blindfolded was better than being blinded by a massive sun or two.

After maybe 10 minutes of walking and stumbling over what Gilbert would have sworn were tree roots had he not known better (they felt much too large to be such), he felt the heat on the back of his neck disappear, and a coolness surround him; they were inside some sort of building. The blindfold was removed from his eyes by gentle hands, and he blinked when he found himself face to face with Matthew, who was frowning in concern. He felt his cheeks redden when he noticed that the rebel's eyes were violet. Not a dark, almost menacing shade like Ivan's, but a light, soft colour, like the wisteria flowers which used to grow near his house on Incanda. Thankfully, the flush on his cheeks was mistaken for heat, as Matthew turned to one of the other rebels, a tall, strong-looking woman of maybe 35, and asked if she could bring them some water. She nodded, leaving a now unbound Roderich and marching out of the building they were in.

As he forced his mind away from kickass doppelgangers and wisteria flowers, Gilbert noticed the building they were in. The walls were made of dark grey cement, worn smooth by what seemed to be water. It had a low ceiling, though not so low that anyone present had to stoop, and was only about 30 metres long. There was a wide, door-less opening on either side, through which Gilbert could see little from the intense sun-glare outside. Dotted along the walls, at maybe 6-metre intervals, were barred doors, leading into small rooms with no windows. His stomach dropped. They were in a prison. A small prison, to be certain, but a prison nonetheless. For days and days, he, Roderich, Tori and Feliks had debated over what the rebels would do with them. Apparently, a sort of waiting game was in order.

Not even a moment after this thought crossed his mind, he felt his handcuffs being removed, and the other bonds keeping him contained loosened, before he was escorted (read: shoved) into the cell, with the other three tumbling after him. The door shut with an ominous clanging noise behind them, and they whirled around as Matthew leaned forward, hands resting on the bars, eyes skimming over them. He sighed.

"I know that you technically haven't done anything wrong, or, at least, nothing to really harm the resistance, and that you were all just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but we still have to hold you captive." Feliks groaned but didn't argue at all, letting himself slump down the wall until he was seated on the ground. He may have been the strongest fighter in their small band, but he was still recovering. Roderich nodded, looking like there was a sour taste in his mouth. Tori crossed her arms but looked resigned to their fate; she had lost a lot of her hostility for them after hearing a bit more about why they wanted Elizabeta back, and how they had defended them on Galee.

Gilbert made eye contact with Matthew, forcing him to hold it. Unlike the other times this had happened (like on Galee), Matthew was now the first to look away. He cleared his throat and continued. "I have a strong suspicion that the higher ups will post a bail for you. If your friends really want you back, they just have to pay and we'll release you. Considering that the lot of you are pirates and bounty hunters, I doubt any price that they give will break the bank for your friends." His gaze turned towards Feliks and Roderich. "I'll have a medic sent in to look over you two and make sure none of your injuries are serious. I have some medical skill, but don't trust me to make accurate diagnoses."

He straightened up, pulling his arms off the bars as the tall woman re-entered with a wooden jug and some cups, which she shoved through the slot in the door meant for food. Matthew looked them over once more, and Gilbert would have sworn that he hesitated for a moment before nodding and following the woman outside.

Tori sighed, scooping up the cups, filling each with water from the jug before handing one to each of them. Feliks accepted his with murmured thanks, glaring at the ground. Gilbert sighed, joining him on the floor. Roderich and Tori followed suit within seconds. There was silence for several minutes, before Tori spoke up, sounding oddly shaky.

"Do you think they'll actually come for us?"

Feliks looked over at her. She had set her cup on the floor, and was wringing her hands worriedly, bottom lip trembling almost imperceptibly. He scooted over, wrapping his arm around her.

"They will. Matthias has a lot more savings than you think." It was only from years of friendship and mild rivalry that Gilbert spotted the flash of doubt in Feliks' eyes.

"Even if they don't," Roderich said, "Arthur would likely give them a loan of some sort." Tori looked up.

"How are you so sure that Kirkland will come for you?" she asked, relaxing a little into Feliks' arm. Roderich shrugged.

"I'm useful enough to him that he would pay for me." He said. "Nothing more, nothing less. I won't pretend that we're amazing friends, but I am useful to him." He looked down. "Hopefully, I'm useful enough to justify whatever bail the rebels set on our heads." Tori nodded, leaning her head on Feliks' shoulder and closing her eyes, fatigue overtaking her.

"Wake me if they bring food." She mumbled. Gilbert grinned. Even though she had displayed some rare insecurity and fear, she at least still her priorities solidly in place. He leaned back, staring at the stone ceiling. This wasn't going to be pleasant, that he could already tell, but it was survivable. And he had been through far worse, hadn't he? He could tell the exact same thought was in his cousin's head when his gaze shifted towards him. Gilbert huffed, sliding down into a lying position. Tori was right. Sleep was a good idea.

It took nearly three hours to get the ship safely in the hangar, do inventory with the mechanics, visit their lovely medic Kabeeta (who was called on to check on their prisoners not long after Kari got to the med tent), get her wound dressed and rebandaged, shower and change clothes, dump her belongings in her living quarters and make her way to debriefing. Luckily, Abel, Elizabeta and Carlotta had made it there faster than she had, having no injuries to be checked. Bella bolted in a moment after she did, having gotten carried away with a lunch cart she'd spotted on her way, and Matthew materialised another ten minutes after that, having been organising a guard for their bounty hunter friends.

Since Liz, Abel and Carlotta were halfway through their report when Kari staggered in, debriefing was blessedly shorter than usual. She, Matthew and Bella were called on to verify certain things, but the senior officer debriefing them – Vice Admiral Raneem Asgar – trusted Elizabeta, and so released them much sooner than normal. Kari had managed to seize Elizabeta before she got too far, and the pair were making their way towards Matthew, when Tino appeared. Kari had to try hard to not groan. She adored Tino; basically everyone who met him did; but she really wanted to know what Yao needed to say. Her frustration was dispelled, however, the second he turned his 1000-watt grin on her and gave her a 'welcome back' hug. She never could stay mad at him. Her irritation was further pushed to the back of her mind when she spotted the new pin on his lapel, and she nearly screeched in delight.

"Tino! When did you get promoted?" the moment the words were out of her mouth, Matthew and Elizabeta noted the badge and began to fire off questions rapidly. Tino laughed, leaning back and waving his hands.

"Ahh! Calm down, guys, no need to shout when I'm only two feet in front of you." He was smiling happily, however. "Yao promoted me about a week ago. No clue why he did it." Matthew rolled his eyes, and Elizabeta punched the sniper in the arm.

"There you go being all modest again." She laughed, wagging her finger in a reprimanding manner. "Boasting is okay every now and then, you know!" he shook his head slightly, still smiling.

"Yeah, yeah, so you've told me." He laughed. Kari jumped back into the conversation.

"So how's being a First Lieutenant feel?" she asked, grin wide.

"Pretty good." He said, smiling, "Kristian tried to order me to get him food, before he noticed that I'm above in rank now." Kari laughed just at the thought. Kristian Alekseev, another sniper from Tino's elite division, was a great kid, and never meant things like that seriously. He was also a Second Lieutenant, which indeed now meant that he was a subordinate to Tino. Elizabeta snorted when she heard that news. Kristian was only 17, but he did earn every promotion he got.

"So, are you gonna call him 'maggot' and make him do your laundry now?" Matthew asked, waggling his eyebrows up and down in a conspiratorial manner. Tino rolled his eyes.

"There isn't that much of a difference between First and Second Lieutenants," he scolded, "And no, Kristian's a good kid." Matthew pouted, looking disappointed.

"Damn, that would have been good to see." Tino laughed, before giving a start.

"Oh!" he shook his head, "I get carried away too easily. I really should not be trusted as a messenger." He looked up. "Yao wants to see you three, over by his tent, now."

Kari remained calm, even as Matthew and Elizabeta's eyes widened, looking surprised. So, Tino knew what Yao was going to tell them. Or, at least, he was trusted enough to be aware that there was something important Yao had to tell them, without necessarily knowing the details themselves. Yao was a cautious creature – he had been ever since he joined the resistance, something which few people other than Kari actually remembered – but that didn't mean he didn't trust people. Tino was about to set off in another direction, when Elizabeta grabbed his arm, frowning.

"Wait, where are you going?" Tino looked back at her over his shoulder.

"I have to fetch something important. Yao will explain." He gently shook off her arm, before waving them in the direction of Yao's tent with his hands. "Go."

Kari took off towards the tent, seeing Matthew take Elizabeta's arm to pull her along after him in her peripheral vision. So Tino did know about...whatever this was. Her mind was racing, but she couldn't imagine what Yao could have to tell them.

She must have reached Yao's tent in record time, ignoring Matthew's calls for her to slow down. Curiosity was almost consuming her, and she knew that it would probably be something insignificant, but her heart was racing nonetheless. Yao's tent was well separated from the living quarters of everyone else. As far as she knew, it was always like that for the leaders of the resistance. Yao was a very private person, and most people didn't know anything about him. Not his hometown, age, interests and hobbies, and definitely not why he kept most of his body covered. His gloves were the most infamous example, but Kari had noticed that he kept the rest of his body concealed as well. Neck, arms, torso, legs…she had seen none of it, not once in the almost 9 years that she had known him.

The man of mystery himself was standing outside, gaze fixed on the shooting range, a good two hundred metres away. There was nothing, and no-one, nearby. Realising that, should this be something important or confidential, they would likely be speaking inside his personal quarters, made her suddenly uncomfortable. Her footsteps slowed, finally letting Matt and Liz catch up. She had never been inside Yao's personal quarters; she doubted there were many, if any, who had. Kari was content with Yao's private nature. She didn't burn with the desire to know the details of his life and identity like some other rebels did. He was a reclusive person, yes, but he was brilliant, and she trusted him with her life. That had always been enough. He was like a second father to her, even though she doubted he was old enough to be such a thing for someone of her age. And he let her see him and treat him as such. To overstep the unspoken boundary which had existed since the day they'd met; it felt almost criminal.

Yao looked up as they neared, expression oddly blank. There was something grave in his eyes, and he nodded austerely in greeting to them, attitude vastly different to the joy-filled leader who had greeted them on the runway several hours previous.

"Ah, you're here. Good. I have a few important things to go over with you three." He gestured inside. "It's better if we have this conversation away from prying eyes and ears."

Matthew, who had always had a good sense for people, could tell instantly that she was uncomfortable. He moved past her, hand brushing over her elbow briefly, as he went in, Elizabeta followed him. Kari hesitated, and Yao smiled slightly.

"You aren't intruding in any way, Kari, this is an invitation." He said softly. Of course, he knew what was going through her head. She nodded, before brushing the tent flaps apart and following her friends.

It was hardly dimmer inside than it had been out. Upon looking around, Kari saw that a section of the tent's ceiling was made of clear tarpaulin material, allowing light to shine through. Lanterns (currently unlit) were also hung around the metal posts which supported the tent's fabric. It was clear just from a glance that Yao spent a lot of what little free time he got in here. No matter how tidy he was in their meeting rooms, here was another story. A desk stood against one part of the curved 'wall', and was almost covered in files, photographs and storage disks. A laptop sat on one corner, and she could also see a Cell nearby. Beside this was a filing cabinet, which appeared to be nearly overflowing for the number of folders and papers shoved inside. An almost dangerously high stack of books sat on top, and three more surrounded it on the floor. A wicker basket, also on the floor, was about a third of the height of the stack of newspapers and archaic books inside it.

On the opposite side of the room appeared to be Yao's more personal things. A bed had been shoved right into the corner of the tent, and was clearly scarcely used. A dresser-drawer, no doubt full of clothes and other personal effects, had a shallow stone basin – like those used for hand-washing – sat on top, as well a few bottles of herbal balm used on wounds like burns, and several rolls of bandages. Next to this, sitting on the floor, was a half-metre tall pile of ammunition boxes that had an assault rifle leaning against them, as well as a rack with other weapons stacked inside, including, Kari noted, a set of traditional Yanish jiani swords.

In the middle of the room was a small, round table – the kind made in the Kyrs System, around which people usually knelt or sat on the floor – with an assortment of random objects on it. Among the mess, she spotted a half-assembled bomb (hopefully not active), a kit of screwdrivers, a tin of rose sencha tea (with an empty, chipped teacup nearby), a thermometer of all things, and a stack of photographs bound together with string. A simple, but surprisingly large rug covered the ground, and a pipe with a tap on the end (for water) stuck up from the ground near the doorway.

It was…messy, but the type of messy which told her that Yao could find anything and everything he needed just as it was now. She heard Elizabeta huff as Yao followed them in.

"All those times you've lectured me about keeping my living quarters clean and tidy," she tutted, "and you've been hiding this mess?" Yao smiled.

"Well, Elizabeta, you share your living quarters with other people. I do not. It's a matter of courtesy, not necessarily cleanliness." She raised an eyebrow, and looked around.

"Clearly." She said simply. Yao bowed his head briefly.

"I do apologise for the mess, but we need to have this conversation in peace and quiet." Matthew turned to him now.

"And what if someone approaches from outside and listens in?" he inquired. At this, Yao smiled and held up the Cell on his desk.

"I have sensors concealed around the perimeter of this tent, just outside of hearing range. If anyone comes nearby, this Cell will pick it up and alert me." He placed it down again, folding his hands behind his back. "Now, if those are all of your questions, I would like to get into why I called you here in the first place."

The three of them fell completely silent as Yao gazed at the ground for a moment, rubbing at a stone embedded into the rug with his boot.

"We have a spy in our ranks." He said, with absolutely no preamble. "They are of a considerable position, judging by the sort of information that has been leaked to the Union. They are using a single-frequency radio to contact them, likely, as it is yet to be picked up on any of our own scanners. The frequency is likely unknown and undetectable to anyone but those who have it's exact value." They barely had time to absorb this information before he was continuing.

"We have been conducting an in-depth vetting process for the last few weeks to try and determine who this spy is. Anyone with remotely suspicious origins, files or behaviour has been flagged and will be investigated extensively. It is a slow process, given how many of us there are, and over such long distances for our comrades in outposts, but we are gradually clearing our database and narrowing down who our little rat is." he paused briefly.

"Currently, all of our Generals, Vice-Generals, Admirals and Vice-Admirals are aware that this vetting is taking place, as the three of you also now are, of course. It is absolutely essential that we find out who is leaking information to the Union, and determine if they are acting alone, or are a part of a larger plot. So far, we have cleared about 2,000 of our fighters." Kari saw Matthew's eyes widen. There were millions of people in the rebel alliance. And in about 3 weeks, they had only cleared 2,000 people? If it continued at that rate, they would be vetting people for decades. Yao correctly guessed what their shocked expressions meant.

"As more people are found to be uncorrupted and trustworthy, more resources are available to help in the process. It is speeding up with every person we clear. Not to mention, as the files recently copied and sent to the Union were sent from here, we can assume whoever it is, they are currently, or are normally, posted here in Draak-Zafi." He paused to take a deep breath, and Elizabeta seized the opportunity to ask a question.

"But, Yao, we've had spies before, and we've never needed such an extensive response."

Yao nodded. "That is true. We have been aware of the spy for a while, and were trying to deal with the issue in a discreet way. However, due to recent developments, it is necessary for us to get rid of this spy and all others like them, as soon as is possible. They currently pose a much larger threat to us than they previously have." He let the words sink in, but continued before any of them could ask another question.

"We have recently acquired something, which will prove absolutely invaluable to this cause. It's aid and impact could change the tide of this whole conflict. For that reason, we cannot let even the smallest whisper of knowledge escape and make it's way to the Union. They would destroy entire planets to find us and get their hands on it. As of now, Yaretzi Chapula, Mohammed Hassan, Silje Krissen, Tino and myself are aware of this. With you three, there are now only 8 people in this whole movement who know about this. If any of you, even accidentally, reveals information about this," he paused, expression almost chilling, "I hate to say it, but I will shoot you without hesitation." He lowered his gaze a little as they stared, shocked. Kari's gaze flickered briefly to the assault rifle behind her, and felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. A small beeping noise interrupted the silence, and Yao turned to his Cell, tapping something, observing the screen for a moment, then muting the device.

"You must understand how crucial this is," he said, voice returning to the softer, kinder tone which Kari knew, "I must also say, that the reason I decided to hold this meeting here, is that I feared that you may be overheard if it was held elsewhere." Elizabeta's eyes widened.

"Did you think we'd say something? Or overreact?" she inquired, sounding almost insulted.

"No," Yao said simply, turning briefly to the slightly-open door to nod at someone outside – no doubt whoever had triggered the sensors earlier – before looking at her again. "I feared that Kari would." Before she even had a chance to retort, the flaps of the tent opened, and Tino entered, flanked by two teenagers. One was a young man, perhaps an inch or so taller than Kari, and the second was a girl, several years younger than the boy, with long hair.

They honestly caught her off guard. The pair were Fynknian, that she noted immediately, but other than that were unextraordinary. Judging by the dubious looks on Matthew and Elizabeta's faces, they thought the same.

"Why would you think that I would accidentally let someone overhear?" she demanded, facing Yao. "You've know me for years! Do you really think I would be so careless?" he shrugged.

"In this case, yes." Kari drew back like she had been slapped. He really didn't think she could keep it together? It stung, far more deeply than she would ever admit. She heard someone sigh to the right of her.

"I don't think you have the right to look so insulted, Captain Johannson," it was the young man speaking, "I'd say that I do, but you don't." She whirled around to face him.

"And why would that be?" she asked, voice harsher than she intended it to be. He leaned back a little, raising an eyebrow. He exchanged a look with the girl next to him, and looked at Kari again. He shook his head.

"Yup, I'm offended." Kari stared at him, but before she could retort, he continued. "Honestly, I thought we were friends. I mean, I'm a good five years younger than you, but my memory is apparently better than yours." She stared at him, feeling irritation building inside her. She scanned him. He looked like any other Fynknian boy. Taller than her, with messy white-blond hair, fair skin, dark eyes–

His eyes. She paused. She had taken a step towards him while he was speaking to her, and as he was no longer leaning back, she had a far better view of him. His eyes were dark, a rich midnight blue. But, just below the pupil in his left eye, there was a small imperfection. A small crescent of silver which disrupted the dark, inky colour. She had seen it before; he had been born with it, that much she knew. She knew because he'd told her, one afternoon when he had gotten dirt in his eye, and had come running to her to get it out.

Matthew, Elizabeta, Tino, Yao and the girl watched as her expression, one of mild irritation and confusion, melted into shock. Kari never let down her shields, but at that moment, they could see every emotion dancing across her face. Shock, surprise, joy, melancholy, confusion, and, finally, it settled on disbelieving exhilaration. She opened her mouth, made a choking noise, and closed it, her hands flying up to cover it as tears swam in her eyes. She drew her hands away for a moment, staring at his face, which had now lost it's apathetic mask and was searching her eyes for recognition. Then, finally, Kari spoke.

"…Lukas?" she whispered, not trusting herself to speak any louder. His eyes lit up, and he ducked his head slightly.

"Hello miss." He murmured.

And her walls broke.

Kari almost knocked him over, she hugged him with so much force. She was aware she was crying, but couldn't find herself caring. He was alive. Oh, thank every god there was, he was alive!

His arms were around her now, and it almost blew her mind. She knew, realistically, of course, that Lukas would have aged over the years, obviously. But somehow, all of her thoughts of him had held that little, eight-year-old close. A part of her had given in to despair a long time ago, and thought that he was likely dead. That was probably why, she mused, it was such a shock to see him again.

He was taller than her, that she already noticed, but the height difference was greater than she had originally believed; he was probably around three or so inches taller than her, rather than one, as she'd previously believed. The little boy who had made her days at the palace a delight was taller than her. He was….18, yes, 18. His birthday was in early Maii, that she knew. He had grown up. It was this thought which finally allowed her to disentangle herself from him. She put one hand on each of his shoulders, and found herself looking up at his face, which was just as happy (though not as teary) as hers.

"You're too old," she chuckled as she wiped her tears away, "I didn't even recognise you." Lukas shrugged.

"Well, one does tend to get older over the course of a decade." She heard the girl behind him – Emilia, it must be – scoff.

"Can you not be sarcastic even when reuniting with old friends?" she asked, voice dripping with sass. Lukas turned to look at her, rolling his eyes.

"I suppose you wouldn't know." He retorted. Emilia placed her hand over her heart, an expression of mock hurt on her face.

"Wow. That hurts," she said, tapping her chest, "that hurts right here." Lukas raised an eyebrow.

"You mean the empty space?" Emilia gave up, shoving her older brother. Kari laughed, then held her hand out to the girl.

"I don't think I knew you as well, but I'll still call you a friend." Emilia shot a triumphant look at Lukas as she took Kari's hand.

"Thank you," she said, "See Lukas? This is how you be genuine." Being the mature future king that he was, Lukas kicked her. Kari almost started sobbing again for the familiarity of the scene. How many times had he come running to her, complaining about something his sister had done? It must have been hundreds. She laughed, wiping at her eyes again. She looked at Yao, who was smiling now. He spread his hands.

"You see my reason now?" he asked. Still chuckling slightly, she nodded. Matthew and Elizabeta looked completely stunned, though whether that was a result of meeting the last remnants of Fynknian royalty, or seeing Kari display something other than vexation, aggressive sarcasm or cynicism, was a mystery. Right now, she didn't care. Yao observed the scene as Matthew and Liz, now getting over their shock a little, took their turns introducing themselves.

"For obvious reasons," Yao said, "We need to keep these two an absolute secret from the Union. You must not tell anyone. Not even your closest friends." He said. "As I already said to Tino, if the Union finds out that we have two of the royals they have spent an entire eleven years hunting down, they will tear apart the galaxy to get to us, and them." Kari managed to school her emotions into something more sombre at this announcement, and saw Matthew and Elizabeta doing the same.

"Not a word, to anyone, or we get shot," Matthew nodded, "Understood." He nodded at Lukas and Emilia, "I promise that if I fail, I'll beg you two to shoot me." Lukas tilted his head to the side a little, as if he were considering the offer, though Emilia's eyes widened. Elizabeta nodded vehemently in agreement as Yao spoke again.

"For now, these two are hiding under the aliases of Lukas and Laila Christensen. You are to refer to them only as such. Not even if you are in private should you use their real names." They all nodded. "Lukas is currently training with Nelia Domingo, and Laila is currently training with Ali Ghafoor. When the time comes, I may enlist your help in training them in other areas not covered by Nel and Ali." Matthew looked confused for a moment, but Kari understood immediately. Their gifts. They would need to be proficient in using them. She noted how Yao had referred to Emilia as Laila – clearly a sign that from now on they were to do the same. She nodded.

"Be happy to." She stated, sending Lukas another small smile, which he returned.

Yao hesitated. "I do hate to do this. To you in particular, Kari, but," he paused, biting his lip for a moment before he continued, "It is important for you, at least for the next few weeks, to maintain distance between yourself and these two." He looked apologetic. "I know it's awful, but–"

"But if I became best friends with a new recruit in the span of a single day it would raise more than a few eyebrows." She finished, nodding. "I understand. It's the sensible thing to do, really." Yao relaxed a little.

"Yes, thank you, Kari." He swept his eyes over them all one last time, before nodding in satisfaction. "Well, that is all, so I suggest you all get back to your posts. Matthew, I expect you to make sure our new prisoners are treated humanely?" he nodded.

"Yes, Kabeeta checked their injuries earlier, and I'll make sure they eat regularly." Yao turned to Elizabeta.

"Aija will be wanting to see you. She was positively distraught after you were kidnapped, and you know how delicate she can be." Elizabeta straightened up, nodding as a fond smile crossed her face at the mention of Aija. She was young for a rebel, but capable. The girl had many problems with anxiety, low self-esteem and fear, however. Elizabeta had been the one helping her overcome them, and they had an almost sisterly bond. Yao turned to Tino.

"Tino, I know that you promised Kristian an accuracy contest this evening, and" he peered out the gap in the tent, "the sun is starting to set." Tino grinned at the thought. Yao looked at Lukas and Emilia.

"Lukas, I know Nelia was wanting to show you contortionism." Lukas blanched at the thought.

"She wants me to learn how to dislocate and relocate all my joints." He muttered, looking disquieted. Emilia snorted. Yao raised an eyebrow, enforcing his trademark 'disapproving father' look.

"And you've been put on kitchen duty, Laila." He said. Now it was Lukas' turn to laugh, warranting a glare from his sister. She simply retorted "At least my bones are staying in place." He stopped laughing quickly after that.

"And you, Kari," Yao paused, "You have to help Kabeeta in the med bay." Kari just nodded. Helping Kabeeta was something she enjoyed immensely anyway. "I, personally," Yao said, dusting off his jacket, "have some other work to attend to. So," he looked at them all, then waved his hands at them, "Shoo, shoo. Get out, you're clogging up my space." Kari grinned as they were ushered out by Yao. She exchanged another glance with Lukas, and sent him her warmest smile before shrugging and turning in the direction of the med tents.

It took a great deal of her willpower to not turn around again. The only thing keeping her head forward was the knowledge that, without a doubt, she would be seeing him again this time.

And, after all the time she had spent without him, that was enough.