Hello and welcome to chapter 5 of Silence of Division! Quickly, I'd like to address a review.

Indogma: So, am I going overboard on the text separation or am I not doing enough? It wasn't really clear what I was doing wrong there. And, to explain how this is related to Pokemon, in Pokemon Black, Pokemon White and Pokemon Black and White 2 (I think) there's a group called Team Plasma, and there's also a green haired teen called N and a kinda creepy man called Ghetsis (who I really don't like) who both work for Team Plasma. Search them on Google and there'll be images of them. Anyway, this is just what I'd think would happen if they and my OC Renina lived in the FTL universe.

Anyway, so with that done, lets get onto the story!

N: NorthernMage doesn't own FTL or Pokemon.

Me: Back again?

N: Yeah.

Me: Why didn't Renina come? She was supposed to come for the disclaimer today.

N: I don't know, something about wanting to kill you on sight for giving her a lethal disease and putting her through hell.

Me: O.O

Chapter 5: Back Home On Atiris

N's POV

As the Captivity started to land and move down through the buildings, I was struck for the first time in months just how built up Atiris was, having been away for months hunting for the very ship contained in the hangar. And its crew in the detention cells. Flying over the Plasma Senate, the most formidable building I'd ever seen, and to the landing pad out the front, I saw a few people already waiting for us to land.

One, I realised a little frustratedly, was the person who had caused this whole mess. He had no idea how much danger he was in if Renina saw him. Another was a doctor to check us all for diseases we didn't have defence against, and the last person I didn't recognise. I started heading down to the level where it was possible to safely get off. When I got there, I saw Renina was waiting.

'You ok?' She shrugged.

'I'm okay. How is the Fallen Angel and its crew going to get off though? I mean, they'll have to be knocked out or something.'

'Later though. For now, all I want is to get home, and just make sure Ghetsis wasn't an idiot recently, though I kinda doubt he could get worse than throwing the entire galaxy into war.' I replied as we stepped into the lift that would take us down to ground level.

'You're talking about Ghetsis here. He managed to get worse than seriously insulting the leaders of the Federation. I don't think it's possible for him not to get worse.'

'Fair point.' Renina looked to the side and groaned.

'Great. Of course he came.'

'Don't flip if he completely ignores the whole fact you're finally home after 8 months, okay?'

'I'm not going to, remember I grew up here as well?' The lift landed on the bottom level and then we were only a few metres away from everyone. Closer up, I saw the person I had seen earlier was actually a Plasma admiral. Why was he here?

'You're home N. Did the Captivity get damaged?'

'No, the shields stayed up.' Come on, I thought a little angrily. Wasn't he even going to acknowledge Renina was in front of him? Ghetsis turned and started heading back towards the Plasma Senate.

'Did you even get anything out of that expedition?'

'Well, we captured the Fallen Angel and its crew.' I said. If he said something soon, he might just escape Renina's dislike for ignoring her...

'Did you get anything out of them, anything out of Renina?' I knew her well enough to know she had just taken offence.

'Well I'm right here, so you could do this thing called asking the actual person instead of ignoring them, and I know that might be an effort, but still, you could just ask me instead of really rudely ignoring me after I've been away for eight months.' Yeah, she was offended.

'On that note, how do you think Renina should be punished? She was with the Fallen Angel's crew, betraying the Plasma Empire.'

'I don't think she should. After all, she had no idea what was going on and thought she had to get off Quariane before she might have been killed.'

'Oh yeah, why did you attack Quariane, knowing I was there?' Renina wasn't happy. Ghetsis paused for a moment.

'Like you're important. You're just a girl.' was all he said before continuing. Silently, I prayed that looks never gained the ability to kill, because with the look Renina was giving Ghetsis, he'd be killed instantly.

I heard her mutter 'Sexist much.' As we entered the Plasma Senate, I knew Ghetsis had to start realising Renina wouldn't stand for being called a kid and weak. She was anything but, and wouldn't stand for being called weak because she was a girl. Was he ever going to realise that Renina and I were stronger than him, going through diplomatic negotiations instead of simply destroying any resistance?

'Father, we had an idea and-'

'What is it?' I flinched at the tone.

'Well, the Federation planets won't be doing too well after the attack. So, since we're in control of the Federation space now, it's kind of our responsibility to start the clean up and make sure all those planets are ok. Renina and I were talking the day she came onto the Captivity about how maybe she-' Ghetsis turned to face us. Finally, he realises we exist.

'You still trust Renina? She went onto a Federation ship!' Finally having captured Ghetsis' attention, Renina retorted passionately.

'I went because I know how inexact those ships can be, and from the Federation University, you can easily see the Federation Senate. I've seen the sun set over it a million times.'

'Good sunset?' I asked out of curiosity.

'Yeah, amazing. Definitely one of the things I'll miss. Anyway, from where I was, I was in danger of being hit, and if I got hit by one of the missiles, I. Would not. Be here. You owe me an explanation as to why the hell I got no warning.' Renina and Ghetsis glared at each other.

'I had to organise the fleet-' Ghetsis protested.

'My God, it only takes 5 minutes to call me and say 'Hey, Quariane's going to be attacked, you better get to safety.' You even could have asked N to call me if you didn't even have 5 minutes! There's no excuse! Surely, even if you had to ring me at some unholy hour at night, even texting me would have been enough!' Renina folded her arms, clearly not happy. Ghetsis looked at me for support, but I shook my head.

'You didn't even tell me until about 3 hours before the attack. I'm on Renina's side.' Ghetsis muttered something before walking away. I turned to Renina.

'Did you hear what he said?' She nodded.

'Well, what was it?'

'Something about how we should be loyal to him because he's our father.'

'He just doesn't get it, does he?'

'No, definitely not.' We walked into the senate, which was also our home. Looking behind us, I saw the admiral taking the unconscious crew of the Fallen Angel into a separate area of the senate, which was the prison.

Renina's POV

(Start playing Crystallize by Lindsey Stirling about now. I wrote most of this part while listening to it and it goes really well to the song.)

I had loved the sunset from Quariane, but there was something about the Atiris sunset that was magical. The way you could see the sun set over the skyscrapers, slowly fading away until there was nothing left. I took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh air wearing some new clothes I had found waiting for me in my room. For months I'd been breathing air that had been stored away, stale, dead air. But the feeling that came with being home after 8 months, finally breathing in new air, I loved it.

Home to the planet I knew and loved. Inside me, I hoped that N's and my mother was watching. We had been told she had died when N was only 1, and I had just been born. It always annoyed him that he couldn't remember anything of her, even more when I said he had only been 1. From what we knew, she had died during negotiations with the Federation when a group that wasn't particularly pleased by what she was doing shot her with a dart.

She had died only a few hours after, with only the people who had come with her. We were back home on Atiris, not knowing she had died. The only other thing we knew about her was that she preferred diplomacy over fighting. We didn't even know her name, and given just how angry the only person who knew could get, and he liked blowing up planets for fun, we weren't going to ask anytime soon.

Still, I wished we knew. I looked out at the sunset. It had almost completely disappeared. I hoped she could see what we had made of our lives, that ever since hearing she was a diplomat, N and I had also chosen diplomacy over fighting, talking over pointing a gun in someone's face. (Stop playing Crystallize if you actually listened to it in the first place.)

Or in the back of someone's head, for that matter, I thought sadly. I wondered what would happen now. I was home, the Fallen Angel and its crew had been captured, and N had me as backup for dealing with Ghetsis again. I guessed the war would go on until we-no, Ghetsis had taken over all the systems, probably by force. N and I were pretty focused on reaching a diplomatic solution, no matter what the Federation had done to us.

Suddenly, my holoplate went off. It was a message.

N: Rynhart wants to see you and she's threatening to start attacking the guards if you don't come.

I quickly replied.

Renina: Ok, I'll go see her then.

Rynhart's POV

I lay against the wall, cursing the moment I had let Renina aboard my ship. My electro-handcuffs had been replaced with normal ones, or at least that was what I had been told. I could still remember the last FTL jump before we saw the Captivity. There was the sound of footsteps and I saw Renina come up to me, on the other side of the energy bars.

'What is it?' she asked. I looked around.

'Why do you support them?'

'The Plasma Empire?' I nodded. 'They destroyed everything.'

'Because I know it. I know the Plasma Empire.'

'They attacked without warning! How can you even justify that?'

'Because the Federation was weakening Rynhart! If the Federation was really strong, why was the anti-FTL jump net not working that day?'

'So yes, there was a little vulnerability that day. The systems attacked! We were in peaceful negotiations and suddenly, boom, Quariane is in flames and thousands are injured.'

'Oh, so now you're blaming me for something I had no warning or clue about?'

'So you've always supported the systems then!'

'Of course I have Rynhart.'

'Why did you help him?'

'What do you mean?'

'Why did you help N? Your boyfriend doesn't come before all those times we worked together, Renina.' She just stared before shaking her head.

'We're not boyfriend and girlfriend. N's my brother. And as for why I helped him, you were just about to kill the only real family I had.' Renina walked away, leaving me still furious at the sixteen-year old.

'Renina, why were you even at university at sixteen?' She turned to speak to me.

'Special circumstances.' She continued walking away.

Renina's POV

Looking out at the nearly non-existent sunset, I heard my door open and N came in, looking worried. 'Renina, there was a vote on what to do with the Fallen Angel's crew. Ghetsis managed to overrule me and, well, I tried my hardest and said everything I could, but...he's going to get them executed.'

Cliffhanger time! I originally loved starting to write this chapter, but when I realised I had to delete a massive bit and replace it, and the chapter in general started getting hard to write, it started to get a little annoying, so I'm happy that this is finally written! Anyway, see you next chapter, in chapter 6 of Silence of Division!