I'd made a promise, and since I had nowhere else to be at the time, I followed the corridors into the circular conference room. The discussion came to an abrupt halt when I entered. I would have given a smile, but my cheeks only strained. Something about their stares made me want to shrink away and backpedal. I did not belong here the least. There were many others dressed in similar garb, all seated at the table, staring at me accusingly.

"What a welcome…" I murmured, a bit too loud. I was shot a warning glare from the nearest Judge.

"Ah. I believe our new company has decided to join us." An elderly Judge stood at the end of the conference table, his graying hair illuminated like twine from the open windows. Though I never planned to be in my current position, I was well acquainted with the Judges due to my father's position. I recognized him as the commander of the thirteenth bureau- Judge Magister Ghis. None of the other Judges in this room held such a rank. He even had his robes dyed with crimson to show for it. This old dog took orders directly from Vayne Solidor. He then beckoned me from across the room. "Ffamran mied Bunansa. I was…surprised, none the least, when I was told of your desire to assist Archadia by such means. Your reputation would suggest otherwise." Through his entire welcome, Ghis was tapping the golden sword at his waist. I could tell right then that we would get along handily.

"You should know that I am just teeming with surprises…sir." Every eye in the room was fixated on me. They must have noticed my dashing accent and simply been captivated.

"…Very well then. Take a seat." The only chair open was at the far end, practically exiled from the others. I did not mind keeping my distance, but it did not help with my morale. Ghis raised his head. "Before we were…interrupted, I was explaining the current situation. Now, I will be returning to the Leviathan in a short time, and the city will be in the care of Imperial Judges as yourself. This is a time of warfare, and we cannot afford for our city of Archadies to fall victim to the waves of aggressive mist." I leaned back in my chair.

"Sure, blame it all on the Mist." Mist was not something I was familiar with, as I have never witnessed it. But father had done well to explain of it to me. Mist was fine concentration of magiks that could influence the weak minded and shroud their common sense. My father surely had seen the Mist more than once, judging by his state of mind. In any case, the Mist seemed to be something to blame when you did not want to admit the truth. I had tried to blame my first airship accident on a wave of Mist as well.

"So be wary of the streets. We must preserve the peace…by any means necessary." So that was their excuse for the abusive behavior towards innocent cityfolk. They were upholders of peace. Of course.

And now I was one too. Lovely.

~Fran POV~

I walked the streets quickly, sidestepping before the condensed groups of Archadians passed me by. The air crackled as they spoke, tension as brittle as ice. Before their tempers could shatter that fine gloss, I drew the necessary distance away from them. I exhaled quietly, as if I'd just barely escaped some kind of explosion.

"Really, how could you!" I cringed, my ears dropping to my hair as a woman's fine scream broke the air. Apparently I had not left them far enough behind. These kinds of emotions were frequent with humes, and perpetually in change. That same woman would be laughing at the end of the day with just as much vulgarity as she had been exclaiming, I could infer so much. Humes would let such trifle matters rouse the most open display of emotions. I stepped lightly over a staircase, reaching the overhang where a taxi airship awaited for my arrival. Beside it stood a handsome hume, one interesting enough to catch my eye. He then looked my way, and his face lit up as if he were a blooming flower. My chest felt light with curiosity. Why was he beckoning me? Surly I did now know him. As I took a hesitant step his way, a girl dashed down the stairs and leapt into his waiting embrace. He pulled away with a full smile, and offered her a round box. The girl lifted the lid, pushing away the tissue paper eagerly. She laughed openly and took a blue sunhat from the box and fitted it into her head. She spun before him, as if asking for approval. He stood, fixing the attire over her hair with kind caresses.

I'd never found myself staring so openly before, and not of shock. I felt a strange sensation, and my feet seemed to move on their own to carry me away from the sight.

"You may depart." I crossed my legs in the taxi, looking away from the sidewalks as I was lifted into the air.

…I desired a hat.

The small, green jumpsuit-clad moogle dashed through the unsuspecting legs of the taller races of humes and stocky Bangaas. All were in disarray, handing off papers and blueprints with hasty orders.

"That Fran, why did she choose such a day to be on time rather than early, kupo?" Nono's ears perked as he recognized the dark legs stepping into the airship hanger. "Fran! About time you showed up, my pom-pom was nearly in a knot, kupo!"

"Do not be in a fluster, I am here." But every other mechanic and craftsman was certainly disoriented. "But flustered indeed, what has them entangled?"

"The airship is failing in one big mess, kupo!" My glance his way was enough to urge him into details as he led me to the ship. "The Glocair ring is unbalanced, and the ship will collapse if left as is, kupo!" The hoards of mechanics cleared a path for me before the ship, my hands expertly dropping into place inside the engine room. Nono bounded in beside me. "When the practice start-up was initiated, the Glocair ring nearly fell in on itself, kupo." The ship was horribly off balance. The dual wings on either side was a new design, and new designs often failed. The wings and energy boosters weighed too much, and would split the ship in half down the middle if equilibrium was not reestablished. I had little time to make a thorough decision. I recoiled my hands, now coated in grease, and turned to the waiting crew.

"Add a second Glocair ring, and move the original to the left. This will balance the craft." Discerned mummers broke out instantly. I expected such a reaction, but that did not alter our limited options.

"Fran, are you mad!" One, especially unnerved craftsman approached me with blueprints clenched in his fist. "Yes, your theory will balance the ship, but it will also turn it into a heap of precious scrap metal!"

"I am aware of the risks that such a task poses. But will you do nothing instead?" His face heated red.

"There's nothing we can do! This was an attempt at a new ship, not a final construction. We'll learn from our mistakes and make a new one."

"We will do no such thing. There is a chance that the second Glocair ring will overpower the craft, but also be aware of its state when we do not fail." He was not satisfied. "The craft will not only be the first of its kind, but it will become the most effective fighter airship in the entire fleet. When such a small ship is powered with the equivalent of the leviathan, no other ship could compare to its speed and accuracy." My speech had convinced all the mechanics and craftsmen I needed. I turned from him and approached the ship to better instruct the others. "Assist if you choose to, but your decisions are no longer influential." My words were harsh, but they were the ones that must be spoken. "To work! We have not the hours to trifle with." The hanger renewed with energy, but now with a purpose. We had barley over an hour to bring in the new ring, or the ship would surely be lost. No…not under my command. This chance would not slip from my grasp so easily.

~Ffamran POV~

Rising in the morning before the sun did, everyone in this little clubhouse despised me, and I was forced to stand guard outside buildings of importance in nearly fifty pounds of armor…with no shade. While I was clad in the iron helm, not a single woman except that gutsy viera would cross my path.

My occupation as a Judge had lasted a duration of two days and I was already considering suicide.

A strapping young duke as myself should not be confined to such boundaries! Especially not in chain mail! Ever since I'd been assigned a sentry post outside Draklor Laboratories, my outlook on life seemed to become more grim. Except during those split-seconds in which that dark viera passed me by as she left and returned to the lab. Particularly today, she had been dashing back and forth with new airship parts all morning. Each time she did, I straightened up and tipped my helmet back so she may see my face. The first encounter, she turned her face my way with a curious stare whilst walking. On the return trip, I only received a brief glance, as if she was just making sure that it was still me. This third day as a Judge was quite interesting.

~Fran POV~

The hour we had was spent, hopefully in the right ways. The second Glocair ring was in place beside the first, and the ship was holding fast. But would so much additional energy overpower it? The chances of success we against me, but I would not quit as long as there was any shred hope for it. Those who worked under me were anxious to start the energy flow in the airship, yet they wanted to drag our procrastination out longer. The crowd was still but for me as I approached the control panel. Without so much as a word of reassurance, I initiated the power-up.

A loud hum filled the hanger as the airship's glocair rings took in energy. The rings spun quickly, gaining speed and heat. They began to glow a misty hue, lighting the entire hanger in seconds. The humming became a strained thumping as the friction from the two rings began to hit each other. This is what I feared. The sound of the rings' exertion rung through the laboratory in piercing screeches. My ears kept flicking in discomfort, trying to face away from the overwhelming sounds.

"Fran, you fool!" As if his words had been the last blow, the chargers went out in a flurry of sparks. The engine's last screeches echoed through the warehouse like the lights of burning out fireworks until it vanished completely. The lights overhead shorted out from the discharge, and we stood in ominous darkness. Only the padded footsteps of a moogle could be heard as Nono bounded to the control box. I opened my eyes again, lowering my arm now that there was no light to be shielded from. Nono's quick hands were busy in wires, but every hume or bangaa in the room let loose with open displays of their mixed emotions.

"We failed! Oh Lord Vayne, forgive us!"

"It's all that viera's fault! Pushing the ship so hard! Years of research, wasted!"

"There goes a year's worth of pine chops…"

"Don't get your pom-poms in a knot just yet, kupo!" Nono's small voice rung out over the distress. I walked under the ship, my eyes wandering quickly from each ring.

"Did it not overpower itself?" Nono scrambled onto a crate beside me, now at shoulder height.

"I believe not, kupo. It seems the energy pools were drained, but there is no damage to the airship, kupo." From so close to the Glocair rings, I could feel the heat still emitting from them.

"Will she fly?" I asked. The moogle shrugged.

"I don't see why not, kupo." Unlike the humes, or seeq or bangaa, I refrained from any open display of emotion. But I could not deny the sweet satisfaction that I felt as my airship finally came together. I turned swiftly, facing the confused mechanics and craftsmen.

"The airship will be operable soon. I will inform Lord Vayne that his craft will be completed in due time. Reestablish lighting here and resume your work." Nono joined me at my side as we left.

It was difficult to believe that the only things remaining to complete the craft was an appropriate paint job and modifications of the navigation system, all of which could be finished in a matter of days. I'd managed this project within a month, from start to successful completion. I'd kept my end of the contract, and now came to time for the Emperor's son to do the same