Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks or any of its characters. I do, however, own my own characters and plots.

Chapter 34

The trial was in three days.

I wasn't surprised when Tatu brought me the news four days ago. He had struggled to tell me in an upbeat manner, or in a way that sounded reassuring. Attempted manslaughter wasn't exactly something you could try and redeem. I doubted any lawyer would try to defend me anyway.

I sat against the wall in Farida's room, trembling. I didn't know what time it was, but it was probably in the dead of night or early morning. The lights were still dimmed, which helped validate my assumption. I felt drained, my body ached, my hand stung and my stab-wound throbbed, but I could not sleep. Sleeping at the facility had never bade well with me, and I didn't know why I thought it would be better.

Farida slept on the far side of the room, in her nest of pillows. She hadn't woken when I ran for the washroom, delirious from my nightmare. She hadn't heard me tearing the cast off my arm, trying to rip out the cords and tubes I thought were connected to me, like serpents, digging fangs into me and injecting venom. My arm was a terrible sight; still recovering, my scars were soft and fleshy like the skin of a human baby. My scales were broken where this soft tissue resided, and moving anything felt like I would tear the surface easily. After cooling my face with water and trying to regain my composure, I wandered back into the room. I held my hand close to me, sitting against the wall, too haunted to sleep.

Night after night it had been like this. It wasn't getting better. Tatu had insisted I return home with him but I could not. I had stayed because I didn't want to leave Farida behind, and it would've also jeopardized his reputation. As much as my body preferred to sleep away from this place, I could not leave. Not without Farida. Not without justice for what I did. The nightmares of the Oasium Project will just have to continue merging with my new fears; it's what I deserved.

I had hoped that nobody saw or heard my recent episode. Whoever was behind the one-way mirror remained silent while I tried to calm down, giving me some peace. I knew someone was there though, not simply on assumption; since the lights had dimmed, the function of the one-way mirror subsided and I could see a figure sitting by the intercom. I couldn't recognize their silhouette. I didn't know if the intercom was shut off either, so even if I had tried to keep my battered breaths quiet they would have heard. The right thing for them to have done was address me, to see what they could do about my wounds, but perhaps they hadn't noticed. Maybe they were asleep, or afraid. I couldn't care at that moment. I closed my eyes, trying to imagine myself elsewhere.

I was startled when Farida appeared beside me. My anxiety had roused her after all.

"Again?" she asked.

I could just make out her eyes, catching the glint of the light. My own faltered looking at them and I adverted them unintentionally. I nodded.

"You need to get out of here, then."

"I can't, not without you."

"You'll die here."

I snorted, slightly amused by the idea. Perhaps I found it amusing because I was losing my nerve. "A few restless nights? I'll be fine."

Farida tilted her head, and from what I could make out, she gave me a skeptical look. She pivoted around away from me and returned to her nest, and I closed my eyes again, thinking that was the end of it. Instead, she came back with some of her pillows and stuffed them into my side. She roughly took my left arm and lifted it so she could place more pillows, and I let her, bemused. When she had done what she wanted, she leaned back, next to me. She let out an exasperated yawn.

"You'll be boring company in the day," she mused. She folded her legs and got comfortable, slightly leaning towards me. "Try to get some sleep."

I stayed silent, and I waited, listening to her breathing. I attentively heard it slow, and when I knew she was asleep, I leaned my head back, trying to heed her advice. Eventually, I leaned up against her, too.

Needless to say, I managed to fall asleep too, and soundly. My mind didn't wander to the darkest corner of my memory. Instead it took another trail, to a hut in the jungle, where I had once shared a nest with my own kind.

It was a busy morning. Luchas, escorted by Seth, came in for his shift and noticed that I had torn the cast off. Seth left to get a first aid kit from somewhere nearby while Luchas got settled behind the one-way mirror. Farida had gotten up and started her morning stretches, whereas I stared down at my right hand.

The claws looked so much more ghastly in the light, it hurt just looking at it. They seemed sharper now, more sharp than usual. I curled them into a fist and felt the tips dig into the skin of my palm. I took my eyes off of them and let my eyes wander to a corner. I uncurled my claws to prevent myself from drawing blood accidentally while I spaced out. The sleep I managed to get in the night was needed, but still not enough, and I felt fatigued regardless. The nightmares still made me shudder at the thought of them.

Farida yawned as she pulled her arm back behind her head.

"Another day, and is there anything new to do? Absolutely not," she muttered. "They took away Jerkface..."

I raised my brow, confused. If there was ever a less clever name than that, I wouldn't be able to think of it. "Jerkface?"

"It was a leather sack that I used to beat up." She switched her arms and exhaled. I remembered now; it was that stitched-up blob in the room when I first met her after six years, and she ran it through with her spade. Reminded, my eyes darted to her tail, and I noticed a little bud of crystal at the tip. I wasn't sure if another spade would grow back, but I couldn't say I'd be surprised if it did. I had mixed feelings about that feature of hers, probably due to the fact I still suffered a wound she dealt me with it. It was a painful reminder, but I was still filled with fascination. Farida continued.

"I'd tear it up and sew it back together... that's all I really had to do, that and drawing. But I've been sitting around all this time, I'm not in the mood to draw anything. I need exercise."

I was silent for a few moments, watching her. She let her other arm go and rolled her shoulders, then she turned around and sat on the ground, bringing her heels in toward her. She held her feet together and pushed them in, all the while forcing her knees down to touch the ground with her elbows. I opened my mouth, uttered the beginning of something, but I closed it again, humming discontentedly at my failure to find the right words. She heard my hum and looked at me. Put on the spot, I scratched my cheek.

"Well, I was just thinking," I started, "that maybe, if you needed exercise, I could spar with you...?"

The muscles in her face loosened for a moment, making it expressionless. Then her eyes widened a little with a quirked eyebrow.

"But you don't fight," she said. I shifted a bit against the wall.

"I don't like to fight. Sometimes I don't have the heart. That doesn't mean I can't fight, especially if it's... recreational."

"But if you don't like it, why are you suggesting it?"

"It's something you like to do. And who knows, maybe I'll start liking it too, after a while."

She stared at me for a few seconds, then snorted, turning her attention back to her stretching. There was a small smile on her lips as she tensed her limbs, and I smiled a little too, pleased to have amused her. Whether she took my suggestion seriously or not, it wasn't too important at the moment. We were both still recovering from our fallout, so it would be unwise of us to start fooling around so soon. It was just that... the day of the trial was looming in the future and it bothered me. If it hadn't existed, I'd have been free to pace myself in my relationship with my sister. Its presence stressed me, timing down to some kind of doom; because really, how else would the trial turn out? I wanted to get the suggestion out before then, to say that I had at least tried. But who was I proving anything to, anyway? Myself?

The door to the room opened and Seth appeared with a box of first-aid supplies. Both Farida and I turned our gaze to him, but Farida's attention adverted immediately, retreating. She pretended she wasn't interested. I watched him approach me swiftly and casually, which soothed me a little. I was afraid he would become cautious of me, as if I was a dangerous animal. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had, but it was still a reassuring thought. Luchas lingered in the doorway, watching. He gave a small smile in greeting, and I nodded in return.

"How are you feeling, Nakoto?" Seth asked me as he knelt down. He set the box on the ground and opened it up, revealing its contents.

"Alright. I managed to get some sleep, which was helpful."

Seth beamed at me when I said that. "Good!" he said encouragingly. He had been so solemn for the past couple days that this was a treat. Sadly it toned down shortly after, as if he caught himself forgetting the circumstances. He forced his eyes back to the rag he was currently soaking, but a small smile remained.

"That's very good, Nakoto... I'm glad to hear that."

I nodded. The sharp smell of the cleaning agent Seth was preparing irritated my nostrils, and when he applied it to my claws, there was slight pain. The flesh tingled and heated up as he padded my hand delicately, and when he retreated, they cooled sharply. He proceeded to take the gauze roll and wrap it slowly and securely, reminding me of when I had it wrapped up by Brett. That seemed so very long ago, but it really wasn't.

"Lilym is very persistent about seeing you," Seth mentioned halfway through his work, and my heart experienced a weak pang. I kept my eyes on his wrapping work.

"Tell me what you told her."

"I told her exactly what you told me to. As softly as I could, I told her you wanted her to forget about you, but she refused. Said she would never want to forget you."

"She's too young to understand," I sighed. "It would save her a lot of pain in the future. How will she feel when she hears and understands how I nearly killed someone?"

"It's true, she looked up to you, Nakoto. But I don't think she'd feel betrayed or frightened, like you think she will. She still looks up to you. Let me tell you what she said."

He finished up tying the gauze, and then took my covered hand in both of his. I watched his dark, slender fingers rest on my useless limb, and then he urged my eyes to meet his. He smiled endearingly.

"She told me she never wants you to disappear, and if she believes you're there, you always will be. Just like her mother, and just like Adam. See how close she keeps your words to her heart? I can tell she'll never listen to your request; it's clear how much she loves you."

The pang in my heart had retreated, but now it came up like a hand and grasped the entire bottom of it, making me squirm. I forced my eyes away and blinked, hoping the tears would stay put.

"I think you've done a great job raising her, ever since she was admitted here. She owes you a lot, and I think she knows that."

My lips trembled into a smile. "She's healthy now, and she'll be leaving soon." Shortly after, I laughed quietly. "And I can't be any more happy that it's Rio who's decided to adopt her."

"We all are. We were unsure about who her guardian would be when her mother passed away. Her father disappeared, and we had thought of requesting Suzy-Lu of the Absolute Zeroes to take on an apprentice Sky Knight."

"If Lilym wanted to be a Sky Knight, then maybe, but I think Rio would make an excellent father to her. He grew fond of her really quickly, and you told me he's come to visit her again?"

"He has."

I nodded, feeling a little content. At least during all these unfortunate events, there were still good things occurring elsewhere, to the people I held dear. "That's good. I wish them the best."

Seth nodded in agreement. Farida stayed quiet during the exchange, probably thinking she didn't have a place in it. She had threatened to hurt Lilym after all. I had a feeling she did want to say something though, about the Sky Knight prospect. I had chosen her to become one without her permission, and I learned that it wasn't the right thing to do. Maybe she appreciated that I knew that now. She got up from her stretching and paced to the other side of the room. Seth had turned to her and called out.

"Do you need any of your bandages changed, Farida?"

"I'm good, thanks," she replied stiffly. "I'm not as beat up as Beta."

I frowned a little at the name, but there was little more I could do about it. As civil as Farida had grown with me, she had a hard time calling me by my real name. She had grown up referring me as Beta. The title held negative connotations despite the change of events, and I told her calling me Nakoto would help erase the hard feelings. Perhaps she didn't feel the same way.

Seth commenced checking on my shoulder. He peeled away the old bandages and, hands gloved in latex, gently observed my wounds. When he would move away, I would take quick glances at it to see for myself. It was... difficult to remember how it looked before I first wounded it. First the Cyclonians, then myself, and then Farida. Farida's addition included teethmarks that traversed further down, one side lining along my collarbone. However, those closed up fairly quickly and only indentations and discolouration remained. They would disappear soon. The main concern was the rip of muscle between my shoulder and neck. There were new stitches, but there was no doubt there'd be a scar, after all this time. Seth wrapped me up in a fresh bandage and knelt lower to check on my side. For this one, Seth commented what I couldn't see.

"This one's healed up much more quickly than your shoulder and hand," he said. "As long as you don't get hit there repeatedly, we can remove the stitches in a couple of days."

"I'll try to keep myself in line," I said, lip curling. Seth simpered.

As he put down a patch on it, the door beyond the control room opened, and Tatu appeared, accompanied by Mr. Ion, who was holding a folder at his chest. They were both dressed in suits, Tatu's a dark grey and Ion's carbon black. Luchas had turned around, and once seeing who it was, stepped out of the path immediately. Tatu glanced at him momentarily before stepping into the padded room. Ion followed much more cautiously, although more stoic than fearful. He spotted Farida at the other side of the room and kept his eyes on her. I don't recall a time where I was present when the two of them interacted, but Farida had never treated people well in any case. Ion was no exception, and the advisor kept his guard as he flanked the Chancellor.

Tatu's expression was unreadable to me. It was stone-like when he first appeared, but when he caught my gaze, his smile looked weary. I watched Seth finish applying the patch, then used the wall to support myself as I stood up.

"Do you think it wise to walk in here unarmed?" Ion said lowly. He was still staring at Farida, and her upper lip twitched in response to his prying gaze. She folded her arms stubbornly and stared back with a scowl on her face. "What's stopping her from overtaking us and escaping?"

"Trust, Mr. Ion," the Chancellor answered. "If Nakoto feels her sister can do no harm, then we should trust her judgement."

Ion didn't respond to that, still watching Farida. My sister bore her teeth, clearly annoyed, but when she glanced at me, she composed herself. She turned away from us.

"It's good to see you," Tatu told me. He reached out and touched my arm. "Though I have to say, you've seen better days."

I gave him a crooked smile. "I would have to agree."

He smiled in return. "We're almost finished with preparing your defence at the trial," he continued. "Mr. Ion will be supporting your case. He's with me to run through with you how we want to proceed with this."

"I see." I looked over at Ion, who had directed his eyes toward me at the mention of his name. I sighed through my nose. "It must inconvenience you greatly, sir."

"I volunteered to defend you," he responded curtly. I gave him a perplexed look, which then settled in suspicion. Ion never took a liking to me, so what purpose or gain did he have in defending? Or maybe he wanted to lessen my tiny, remaining chance of being found not guilty by taking the spot, preventing anyone —if there was anyone else— from taking it. He noticed my expression and sighed as well.

"It won't do us any good if you're rotting in a jail cell. You've... done a lot for Atmosia, so it would be poor manners to condemn you."

"Poor manners to condemn a killer?"

"You attempted to kill the Enforcer, but you didn't succeed. We could argue that you changed your mind."

I directed my eyes to the door, but Luchas had retreated to his post behind the mirror. If it hadn't been for him, I would've actually killed Corvid. That was the truth. It was irrelevant to tell that to the court, but it was the truth. I reluctantly nodded, biting my tongue from speaking. Ion nodded as well.

"Before we get into that, though," Tatu started lowly, "I wanted to tell you that your vehicle is well taken care of. Both Cloud Nine and Farida's Bladewing are held nearby. Sadly, they're considered Atmosian property until this all blows over." He paused for a moment. "Your equipment is still inside I presume?"

Taking a moment to register what he asked, I realized he meant Maia's things. "All accounted for, except for some replacements Brett was taking care of," I replied. "Do they need to be returned?"

"I'll take care of it, don't worry."

Tatu was hesitating to tell me something. His one brow was knitted, causing a small system of creases to develop in his forehead. His eyes flickered, unsure. I tilted my head a little and angled my face toward his slightly-turned visage. He met my eyes and gave me a nervous smile.

"I'm sorry. I'm just... really worried about you. You do know I care for you, don't you?"

He said that in a soft voice. My brow quirked slightly, smiling a weary smile, hoping it looked encouraging.

"I know."

"Dearly."

"I know, Tatu. Whatever happens, don't blame yourself, okay?"

There it was again, that tightness in his face. It didn't last long though; he reached up into his breast pocket and retrieved what turned out to be the bottle of Aquinosian water. Voicelessly he held it to me, and I took it from him, a bit dazed.

"I knew you were very fond of this, and you had left it at home that day," he said. "I just thought you'd appreciate having it."

I ran my fingers over the engraving of the bottle. It held both memories of Adam and Repton, the latter feeling very distant. Adam had walked in my nightmares, but there were only remnants of Repton, walking on the outskirts of my mind. After all this confusion, what happened outside Atmosia seemed like a dream. Perhaps I shouldn't have felt guilt in forgetting Repton, for had we really formed a friendship? Did he really intend to write me a letter? I doubted I would ever see him again. And yet I felt the guilt, the desire to see him; he, a servant of Cyclonis! Was I stupid to put so much faith in him, just because he was one of my kind? Or was it because I believed he could do a little good after all? In any case, it didn't matter now. I was too resigned to think any more about it. All I had was this bottle now.

I appreciated the sentiment, and I bowed my head. Tatu smiled at me weakly and stepped back, pulling a handkerchief from his side pocket.

"I have to get going. Mr. Ion will stay to speak to you about the trial. Hang in there, alright?"

I was a little dispirited that his visit was so short, but he had his duties. He bid me and Farida farewell and left the room. As Ion approached with his open folder, I didn't notice that Tatu paused at the door.

The sun had set in Bogaton, and nightly patrols commenced their vigilant trek along the halls of the fortress. Repton was in his chambers, his armour put away and candles lit to provide light. Despite being at his own leisure, he was tense, anxious. He was unsure what the exact cause of this was, as there seemed to be various reasons as to why.

A brawl broke out in the village, and it took some time and effort to break it up. As expected, Drellian and his followers made it known where they loyalties lay; it was in the well-being of Bogaton as a whole, claiming no intent of snatching the throne. Some Raptors loyal to Repton spoke against them, and things escalated. With some force from Repton's sentries, Raptors from both sides retreated, licking at their wounds and probably preparing their next assault or defense. Both genders seemed to be equally involved, but there were still males and females who were bystanders, unsure of what to make of the turmoil. Perhaps they decided to focus their efforts on trying to find food for their offspring.

The children were very thin, enough to show ribs effortlessly. There were hardly any positive results from the hunts anymore. The stores of meat Repton had in the base of the fortress were depleting much too quickly in an attempt to prevent complete starvation. He sent out hunters to the areas surrounding the Terra itself, in hopes of countering the famine, but they seemed scarce there, too. The areas were littered with the chasms that appeared from before, and so it seemed that the creature had gone there too, before settling in the larger mountain roots of Bogaton itself.

That day, the creature hit the Terradon base, and one of them fled to the Raptor's borders out of desperation. He was taken under custody while a portion of Repton's men were sent to the site. The laboratory was in shambles, torn apart, and very few of the equipment were spared from irreversible repair. The Terradon was still in shock, so very little came out of the questioning. All that could be taken out of it was that the creature came from beneath. Information which was already deduced from before, but now it was evident that the creature could easily move underground. For all they knew, it could have already formed some kind of underground network. It could surface anywhere it wanted, except the village and the fortress itself. The only solace that Repton took from all of this was that the populace was built upon a stronger and more consolidated bedrock. How long, however, could they stand this kind of entrapment?

All this upheaval at home, and yet his mind wandered worlds away. He checked the Eye multiple times a day, to see if anything changed, or if anything had gone wrong. He would growl when he found Luchas at home or at some other menial task. He couldn't contact Luchas at all like this, not with Cyclonis possibly watching Athene's Eye. All Repton could do was wait until the doctor was on duty in Sector Zero, and when he was, all that could be done was watch. The Raptor felt completely unproductive, so incompetent.

He was there when the Chancellor went to visit Nakoto and Farida the day before. After he left, Repton was disquieted for a very long time; nothing had changed in that visit. Had the letter not reached the Terra yet? Was it lost? Was it ignored? Anything could have happened. Nakoto and Farida had to be removed from the facility and placed somewhere safe from Cyclonis. Rumours of the Nightcrawlers returning to Cyclonia reached Repton's ears a few hours before and set his nerves ablaze with apprehension. His effort was for naught, useless. It took every fibre of his being from using the Eye to warn her himself. What held him behind was fear... fear for his Terra, fear for his people, fear for his own life. They were all stronger than his fear for Nakoto's safety. He would see his reflection on the surface of the Eye and be revolted by it. Coward. No amount of praise could be placed on the caution, not to him.

Luchas was on duty this night. Repton watched through the one-way mirror, seated at his desk with the piece of the Eye down in front of him. He had his lips resting in a nook of his folded hands, his knuckles trying to loosen. Nakoto had exited out of the washroom, running a hand over her face with her good hand. The spines on her head rippled slightly, then calmed as she directed her gaze to her sister, who was in what seemed to be some exercise routine. One would've thought her fully recovered, if not for the bandages that still clung to her.

Nakoto watched for a few moments, then approached her. Her lips moved, but no sound came out; Luchas had the intercom off. Farida toned down her vigor to respond. They had a short conversation, which ended with the both of them laughing. It was a rare sight... they looked like mere chuckles, but seeing them both sharing a joke was unexpected. Nakoto turned away to her area and sat down again, disappearing from where Luchas sat.

Luchas jumped from his notes when something in the building thundered. Farida stopped her routine. Nakoto stood up and went up to the window, a perplexed look on her face. Luchas stood up and went to the door, peaking outside into the hallway. Nothing seemed to be astray here, but soon there was another rumble elsewhere. A knocking-sound brought him to turn around, and Nakoto had her palm pressed against the glass. She was saying something, but was muted. Luchas returned to his desk and turned on the intercom. Nakoto's eyes moved, but she couldn't focus on Luchas because she couldn't see him past the surface. She must have heard the static this time, so she repeated herself.

"What's going on, Luchas?"

"...I don't know," he replied. "I can't tell from here."

Nakoto glanced back at Farida and they exchanged serious looks. Nakoto's hand slipped down from the glass, leaving a print of her palm on the pane. She turned to the window again.

"Something's wrong," she said. "Is all we can do is sit here?"

"I'll go and see what's going on."

"Let us out of here. You can't go alone."

"I can't do that."

Another tremor ran through the building. Repton had thought the Nightcrawlers to be more subtle in their attack. His knuckles turned white, forced to keep watching quietly. Nakoto brought her face closer to the pane, solemn.

"We can't help from in here! Please, Luchas," she beseeched. "You know I would never run. And Farida— we would never run. We made a promise."

"I know you wouldn't, but I can't," Luchas returned brokenly. He swallowed. "I-I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm under orders. I can't disobey them."

No, absolutely not. Cyclonis would skin him for treason.

"I'll go, and I'll be back, I-I promise," he assured. Nakoto's lips pursed into a thin line. With some effort, she finally backed away and nodded.

"Be careful, then."

Luchas picked his lab coat up from the back of his chair and quickly slipped it on. Retrieving his keys from the desk, he briskly made his way to the door.

Upon opening it, countless bodies poured through, grinning faces forcing themselves into the Eye's range. Repton snapped up, his hands unlatching themselves from one another. Luchas let out a shout of alarm. He was shoved back against a wall and threatened with scimitars blazing violet. Some of them snatched his shoulders and threw him against the opposite wall, facing the one-way mirror. Nakoto had backed away from the window, looking at it in confusion. The intruders were quick, brandishing rope and tying Luchas' arms immobile in seconds. More and more of them filtered in, and a moment later, another body was pushed into Luchas' side, one that Repton couldn't see.

These were Murk Raiders. Dirty, impudent sky pirates. And just as Repton registered this, Captain Scabulous himself stepped within range of the Eye.

Scabulous folded his arms behind his back and considered the one-way mirror. Nakoto's eyes darted uncertainly, still unable to spot anything but her reflection. The pirate angled his face and glared at Luchas.

"How d'ye open this blasted door?"

Luchas seemed petrified. His body lurched when he didn't speak fast enough, having been struck across the head by another pirate. He gasped at the trauma of it.

"Do what he says," the figure beside him hissed. "Give them what they want and we might just live longer."

"Luchas?" Nakoto called. Without Luchas to hold the intercom, no voices reached her, but Luchas had left her side on. She still seemed distressed, despite the silence. She looked at Farida and drew closer to her without turning her back to the mirror.

Scabulous's upper lip twitched up in a snarl, and someone hit Luchas again. The doctor's chin dipped to his chest. The captain turned to the desk of controls and searched it with his undamaged eye. Unfolding his arms, he reached down with his right arm and pushed a button. The door swept open and the sisters tensed, adopting guards against attack; their spines erect, their teeth bared. Scabulous left the desk and entered the room, flocked by his lackeys.

Nakoto stared in shock. She went to open her mouth, but Scabulous swiftly advanced toward her, and just as fluidly smashed his right fist into her stomach. Her body hunched forward, spittle flying from her maw, air stolen from her body. Farida roared and shot toward him, but Scabulous' footmen got to her first, grabbing her limbs and immobilizing her. She managed to wriggle out of their first attempts and knock many off their feet, but more simply replaced them and held her back for good. Her jaws opened, her teeth glowed, and a star formed between them... and yet they clamped her mouth shut, tying it tightly. Scabulous continued dealing Nakoto blows to the head, until he joined both hands and crashed them down on the back of her skull. An audible wheeze of pain escaped her throat as she fell to the floor fast and heavily, and Repton couldn't see her anymore.

He shot up from his seat, astounded and angry. His fists clenched as he watched the scene before him. If it wasn't Nightcrawlers, it was Murk Raiders... this wasn't any better. This was not what was supposed to happen. Where had that Atmos-forsaken letter gone? It was a failure. Scabulous bent down and grabbed something of Nakoto's, as he started dragging her out of the room. When they came around the corner, the part he grabbed her by was the front of her crown. Repton could imagine it would be the same effect as grabbing and pulling a human's hair, but from the look of things, Nakoto looked completely unconscious to feel it. Scabulous let her head drop unceremoniously as he returned to Luchas and the other prisoner, a little winded from his endeavour. The thirst for murder never felt so strong in Repton's heart as he stared at his face.

"Who woulda thought that Atmosia was 'idin' such bounty," Scabulous growled, the corners of his lips lifting into a nasty smirk. "Ye two will stay 'ere 'till someone finds ye. Tell yer ol' fool of a Chancellor that Captain Scabulous 'as his Raptors. They be such rare commodities, it be a shame for 'em to sit 'ere and rot."

Farida was shoved into the room by the other sky pirates, effectively muzzled. Jaws held tight, her lips still pulled back to show her grinding her teeth furiously. Her arms were forced painfully behind her back, also bound. Erratically, she plummeted her skull into another sky pirate's and they stumbled back, dizzy. She attempted a kick at another but missed.

"If this Terra wants 'em back, they be needin' to pay up." Scabulous pulled what looked to be a small dagger, void of any crystal power in it; it was a simple slab of sharpened metal. He drove his mechanical arm down on the control table, sending sparks flying. The lights in the padded room flickered sporadically in response. He then plunged he dagger into the desk itself with his flesh hand. When his fingers retreated, it was clear that the hilt bore the mark of the Blood Crow. Scabulous turned away from them and came back to Nakoto's body. Her limbs draped uselessly as he angled her up and threw her over his right shoulder.

"Alright, boys! Let's go home!"

The raiders flooded out the room and into the hall, running. Farida was forced through, resistant to their pulls at first. She gave in, probably realizing she could do little good in her situation. Scabulous waited as they filed through, his back to the prisoners. Nakoto's head turned weakly and her eye opened lethargically, unable to concentrate. She tried to gain consciousness again, uttering a choked sound, but only achieved a few seconds. She slipped back into her comatose state, and Repton had been so close to grabbing the Eye and shouting to her that he had to compel his hands to fall on the table early, thudding harshly on the surface and causing the crystal to shudder. Repton breathed heavily, his heart in his throat, his shoulders trembling with rage. Scabulous brought up the rear of the crew and left.

The figure beside Luchas ended up being Mr. Ion. He started to thresh the moment they were alone, trying to wriggle free. He was muttering to himself, spitting his distaste for the sky pirates. Repton pushed himself away from the desk and paced his chambers, running his hands over his face and scalp. How could this happen? A low, powerful horn emanated from the Eye, the renown call of the Blood Crow. Nakoto and Farida, abducted, stolen, by one of the most malicious scoundrels of the Atmos. Repton paid no heed to the Eye anymore. His focus seemed to shift, as if following the rate at which Nakoto was taken farther away from it. Yet his focus was growing more blind by the second. She was slipping away from his sight.

Slipping from Cyclonis' sight.

Repton paused, and his anger and panic subsided, snuffed like a candle. Nakoto was no longer watched. Previous complications were void now... no longer was he forced to sit back and pretend he was still on board with Cyclonis' plan. He let the idea sink in, and he could have laughed out loud, if Nakoto's situation wasn't still perilous. It was short, fleeting euphoria, to feel a freedom such as this. Some good had finally come from things.

He left his chambers promptly and revisited the balcony he so often looked over his land from. The night was crisp and cool, the wind caressing his bare skin. He would go to Terra Deep, and he would retrieve the sisters, even if he would have to fight Scabulous and his underlings alone. As much as he wanted to act quickly, he had to be calculated with it. Scabulous mentioned he wanted some bribe for their return... perhaps he didn't intend to kill them. Knowing sky pirates however, they were known for being rough with the crews they overtook, so it did raise some concern for Repton. At the time being though, he had to continue playing his game. He would have to wait and see how Cyclonis would respond to this change of events.

He didn't have to wait long at all. One of his sentries reported to him that an annoyed transmission from Cyclonia was waiting for his immediate attention.

End of Chapter

A/N: Hi, back again!

Hot diggity damn, now wasn't that fun? I had expected to update this on a much more regular basis, but school is not forgiving. Additionally, when you get a break from it, you just gotta hibernate, haha. Well at least I got this out to you all eventually, and I plan to start the next one very soon.

I hope you guys liked it, and please do review. I like hearing your thoughts and enthusiasm, it helps me continue :)

Much love!
~Vix

Edit: Another reason why this chapter was delayed was technical difficulties with the site. I hope it doesn't happen again!