The pounding in her ears combined with the stabbing pain behind her eyes, had her clutching her head as she lay under the fluorescent lights.

"General, try to relax," Izadora instructed and Alder just groaned.

"How am I supposed to relax, exactly?! Everything hurts!" Alder sneered through gritted teeth.

"Figure it out. We cannot attempt a connection if you cannot focus for even a second!" Izadora snapped. "The connection is clearly stronger at this moment, now is your chance, if you are serious about going through with this,"

"I'm trying,"

"Here's a picture of her before the bruises you gave her," Raelle said sharply as she ran into the room, Abigail by her side. She held out the small image. "Maybe it'll help you,"

"Ooh that was nice of her, considering everything. Don't forget to say thank you, Sarah," Jamie quipped.

Alder rolled her eyes. "I do not need a picture, I know what she looks like,"

"Why must you be so stubborn Sarah?! It's only a picture for goddess sake, not an engagement ring or a moldy piece of bread," Jamie groaned.

"Maybe it would have helped," Rosa stated.

"Goddess Sarah, sometimes you are ridiculous and downright unbelievable," Danny added.

Raelle retracted her hand with a huff. "Fine then! But you should be happy we even tried to help you!"

Alder didn't even glance at the girl, instead she kept her gaze straight up. Izadora leaned into her view looking down at her knowingly. She gave a slight nod toward where the blonde cadet stood now with her back to them and Alder almost audibly sighed but she caught herself. "Fine. Give it to me," She ground out through her teeth, and she earned a nod from the scientist. Abigail nudged Raelle and she stepped up to give her the small picture. "Thank you,"

"So you'll listen to her but not to us, and she didn't even have to say anything?!" Devon sounded offended.

"Was it because it was Jamie who said it?" Ava scoffed.

"It was probably just how Jamie said it," Jodie surmised.

Alder held the image in her hands and glanced over the glossy finish. She couldn't help the small smile that spread across her lips before she schooled her features once again. The cadet was wearing her dress uniform, she wasn't smiling, but you could tell she was proud, happy even. If she wasn't in so much pain, and her biddies weren't bickering in her head again, she could sit there and look at that picture for hours.

"Try to focus General," Izadora prompted and forced her to lean her head back against the headrest. "Ladies if I could ask you to step outside,"

The two cadets grudgingly nodded and meandered out. Now it was just Anacostia, Izadora, Alder, and her biddies in the large empty space. It was silent, except for the argument going on in her head. Oh how she wished she could shut them all out for even a moment.

"Maybe Jamie should keep her mouth shut about these things, she's clearly too emotional about Tally, she wasn't even special," April pointed out.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Jamie hissed.

"I'm just trying to help, which is more than you, and you're the one who claims to care the most!" April defended.

"April, of us, you are the only one who was never connected to her, so you cannot possibly understand any of this," Danny was trying but failing to be objective about this because she too cared about Tally.

"And maybe that's a good thing! You are all obsessed! None worse than the General herself! And for what? All Tally did was get in the way at every opportunity, getting involved in things that she has no business being involved in!"

They could all feel Alder's anger rising at April's comment.

"Shut up, April!" Devon snapped.

"Don't you dare insult the General! Or Tally!" Rosa growled.

"Well, she needs to open her eyes! You all do!"

"Enough April!" Sarah warned aloud, surprising both Izadora and Anacostia. The two officers looked around the room across the biddies' faces then back at each other and they shrugged. "Craven is a war hero! And more than that. So I do not want to hear one more word about her from you, because Danny and Jamie are right, you do not understand what you're saying, is that understood?!"

"Yes, ma'am, forgive me,"

"Izadora, how do we proceed?"

"Showtime," Nicte sounded almost giddy.

The door burst open, with none other than Tally herself, looking as angry as ever. 'Who is Nicte Batan?!'

"Aw, you asked about me? How sweet, Red, I'm touched," Nicte feigned appreciation with a smirk and Tally just rolled her eyes.

"You already knew that," Tally watched from across the room, looking between herself and Alder, observing their interaction. "Why are you showing me this? I remember it, obviously I lived this," She turned on Nicte.

"Obviously," Nicte agreed. "But, did the army not teach you patience?"

"No. They taught me to be less than patient with my enemies," Tally scoffed, while still vaguely watching the scene play out before her.

Nicte laughed. "Right, of course. They are really wasting you there," She hummed along to the music Alder put on. "Mmm, I remember when she played this song for me, did she tell you she used to dance with me?"

"You'll have to show me, cause I don't believe you," Tally challenged. She couldn't imagine the General dancing, at any event besides Beltane that was. Focus. That thought train was not one she needed to go down right now.

Nicte seemed to know where her mind went, as the grin on her face only widened. "Oh, Red. Maybe after this, but we're getting to the important part, so pay attention,"

"We all have our prideful failings, for instance, your belief that you can barge in here, in the dead of the night no less, to make accusations of conspiracy and nefarious intent against me," Alder spoke so pointedly, her tone sent chills across Tally's skin.

"I just wanted answers," She mouthed right in time along with her counterpart.

"And what makes you think you are owed any?!" She flinched slightly at the fierceness in the General's tone, feeling very much the same as she had the first time, only now she knew a whole lot more of the story.

"We…are connected," Illusion Tally took a step toward the General's desk.

"That time has passed," Alder's voice was firm, but as Tally paid closer attention to her expression, the General looked more confused than angry. Either way, she remembered wanting to cry then, and it was no different now, the words still pierced right through her.

"Then why have I been seeing these memories?!" This was something she missed the first time, clearly having been too busy being nervous and looking down. The General looked horrified or deeply concerned, maybe even scared. "Ever since the surgery. I thought they were dreams at first…"

Alder's look faded into her usual cold stoicism. That mask she wore, hiding any other emotion firmly behind it. "I'll have Izadora give you something to make sure the connection is well and truly severed. Dismissed,"

"Bravo!" Tally clapped sarcastically, ignoring her own feelings on the display. "Thanks for showing me that, I really learned so much, it made me feel great too. Tell me there's more, cause that didn't prove a damn thing," She said hastily, not enjoying this little trip down memory lane. Now she knew she shouldn't have done it that way, she wasn't thinking and she made a mess of things. All of this was way above her, she knew she had no right to demand answers about this. Now she knew though, and there was no way around that.

Nicte squeezed her shoulder. "Of course there is, just you wait, Red,"

Nicte manipulated the setting and everything looked like it was moving at double speed. It only took a few moments for Izadora to arrive. The scientist was not alone either, Petra was with her.

"Ah, here we are. The first bit was for context, but here are the real juicy details that I think you'll find to be quite revealing," Nicte said and everything was moving at normal speed again.

"You wanted to see us, General?" Petra was the first to speak.

"We have a situation involving Cadet Craven," Alder stood and paced behind her desk. "Apparently, Izadora, you did not sever the connection completely,"

Izadora tilted her head in thought. "We knew there could be side effects, it isn't something that occurs frequently and the chemistry and connections are different with every -,"

"I don't need excuses, I need you to fix it. Now," Alder demanded. Tally scoffed.

"Fix," She muttered under her breath with a roll of her eyes. Resentment rippled through her and she shifted her weight between her feet, but kept her eyes locked on the General.

Izadora nodded. "Well, I can mix something to dampen it, but I have no way of knowing if it will sever it completely, we will have to monitor her and make adjustments as needed,"

"Start with that," Alder ordered. "I want that concoction ready by the morning,"

"General, I don't kno-"

"By the morning! I don't want to hear excuses," Alder pressed more firmly and Izadora conceded.

"Yes, ma'am,"

Tally crossed her arms.

"And you called for me because?" Petra raised an eyebrow at her.

"Because I have a task for you, why else?!" Alder snapped. "I want you to assess her as a possible security threat,"

Tally winced, feeling a twinge of pain in her head, but she couldn't look away. She narrowed her eyes and stepped closer, drawn in by curiosity. In doing so, she missed the smirk on Nicte's face as she faded out of the scene and left Tally alone.

Petra laughed, in a way that Tally found mildly offensive. "Craven? We are talking about Tally Craven? From my daughter's unit? Consider her assessed. She's not a threat General," Tally groaned in annoyance.

Alder rounded her desk and towered over her. "You clearly do not understand the gravity of the situation, General. She apparently has witnessed my memories. She is a threat if I say she is a threat!"

Petra seemed to consider this and glanced at Izadora who inclined her head toward the General as if urging her to speak up. "No, Sarah, she's not a threat if we handle her properly. If anything she could be a target. Really, she just needs to be trained in interrogation resistance,"

Alder sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "No,"

"What do you mean no? General, what else would you have me do?!"

Alder paced and stared out the window. "I want to know what she is capable of first,"

Silence. "And how would you propose to do that without flat out torturing her?" Petra asked with a nervous chuckle.

Alder turned around and just looked at them both, their expressions rapidly becoming increasingly concerned. Her eyes were cold and relentless.

Tally's mouth hung open in disbelief. This couldn't be true. It couldn't be.

A few minutes prior:

"Focus! General!" The necro commanded, amidst the harmony of the biddies in the background.

Alder squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth. Cadet Craven, Cadet Craven, Cadet… "Ugh, Izadora! I don't feel her, I don't feel anything. What am I doing wrong?!"

The room went silent baring the mild panting of breath that could be heard from the biddies. "I do not know General, were you relaxed and focused?"

Alder had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. This was ridiculous. "Yes. Of course. I have nothing else to focus on but the Cadet,"

"Mhmm. And are you thinking of Cadet Craven as the soldier she was when she stormed into your office to accuse you, or are you thinking of Tally Craven, the brave witch who bound herself to you to save your life?" Izadora paced around her.

"Oh she got you there General," Jamie jabbed playfully.

"This is why we appreciate Izadora so much," Danny added.

"They are the same person!" Alder scoffed, ignoring her biddies.

"That may be, but General, how do you expect this to work if you still harbor ill will and resentment toward her?!" The scientist looked down at her with pity and Alder did not like the feeling she was having because of it.

"I do not!" Alder groaned. "I hold no 'ill will' toward her,"

"Then what is it?! Hmm? Why are you holding back?"

"I'm not!" Alder's voice was loud and defensive.

"Like hell you aren't!" Izadora retorted with equal attitude. "If you weren't, we wouldn't be having this discussion!"

Alder looked away and Anacostia sighed from where she stood on the side. "Izadora, can you give us a second?"

Izadora grumbled under her breath but nodded and slammed the door behind her. After a moment Anacostia chuckled lightly. "Man, I am not sure I've ever seen her so worked up before,"

"This has taken a toll on everyone, daughter, Izadora is no different, and she is right," Alder said quietly.

Anacostia put a hand on her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head and couldn't look her in the eye. "I just want to bring her home. I failed her too many times already, I cannot fail her again, but if it's too late, if she knows the truth, we might as well be sending in a strike team because there's no way she'll come back to the army, even if I am able to connect with her,"

"You think she'll believe Nicte's lies?"

"They won't all be lies, and Craven already had half the truth before I got her into this mess, Nicte would have eagerly given her the rest, and then some," Alder sighed wearily, feeling the heavy weight of all of this.

Anacostia didn't answer right away. She let the gravity of that possibility hang in the air between them. "If you think she won't come back to the army then you really don't know her at all," She said finally.

Alder looked at her then. "How can you say that? I know her better than anyone!" Alder spoke before she even realized the words she was saying and Anacostia grinned.

"As you should, General, afterall, your minds were or are, literally joined," She shrugged. "So you must know then, that she will come back,"

"Curse you," Alder muttered.

"Why? Because you do care about her?"

"I never said I cared about her," Alder huffed and crossed her arms.

Anacostia sighed again. "You didn't need to, mother, do you think I don't know you well enough?"

"Whatever you think you know or don't know, I assure you, you are incorrect," Alder knew she was boldfaced lying through her teeth, and she knew her daughter did know her well enough to see through it, but she would admit nothing.

"Okay, General, whatever you say. But perhaps, allowing yourself to care could help you here," She offered softly.

"It's what got us into this mess, caring too much," Alder looked away again and took a heavy breath. "I never wanted any of this to happen,"

Anacostia nodded and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I know, but now is your opportunity to at least find her, then you can think about the rest. General, you need to set aside any insecurities, reservations, or mistrust you might have, for her or yourself, or this will never work. Don't forget that she managed to do that for you, way back when,"

"When did you get so wise?"

Anacostia just smiled and shrugged. "I learned from the best,"

Alder conceded with a small shake of her head. "Fine. Bring Izadora back,"

Izadora returned shortly, looking much more composed. "Ready to try this again?"

Alder nodded and closed her eyes, listening to the biddies harmonize around her. Their song filled the room and seeped in between the very fibers of her being. Izadora placed her hands gently on her shoulders.

Alder reached out in her mind, thinking only of the Cadet, thinking only of Tally. She took her mind back to the feeling in the instant when they were first joined. It felt like she was infused with pure light and she just wanted to smile at the memory.

And then, she felt her. She was instantly crowbarred from her blissful reminiscence because what she was feeling now was darkness, pain, sorrow, and guilt. However faintly, she felt the darkness grow and creep over her like an eclipse blocking out the sun. The singing had stopped, she heard nothing but silence.

"Izadora, I don't think it worked," She muttered without opening her eyes. She got no response though. She could no longer feel the Necro's hands on her shoulders. "Izadora, what now?"

"Go get her," Danny said in an eerie whisper of voice.

She opened her eyes expecting to see the fluorescent lights above and the scientist standing beside her but it was dark, foggy, and there was no one. "Izadora?! Danny? Craven?!" She called out for any one of them, but there was no response.

She took a deep breath and tried to maintain her focus on Craven despite her growing confusion. This was nothing like establishing a connection to any of her biddies. Then again, she had never been met with resistance. This felt like nothing she had ever experienced.

She tried to move around the space, to get some kind of bearings. "Craven?!" She tried shouting again, though she was unsure she was actually speaking. It was such a strange sensation, like she was dreaming but not quite. "Cadet?! Can you hear me? Where are you?!"

Nicte gasped as she opened her eyes, her hand still firmly on Tally's shoulder. She could feel Tally was still wrapped up with the memories she was showing her, but there was something else.

"We are in position, whenever you're ready, the General won't know what hit her, and she will die this time," One of her followers stated while helping the other into position, tying the last rope around her wrist.

"Excellent, though, something has come to my attention that I need to deal with first," Tally struggled weakly and Nicte felt the disturbance through their link she maintained by their contact. She rolled her eyes. "Standby, you will do nothing until I give the order,"

"Yes ma'am," They both stated.

"Your sacrifice will bring about a better world for us all," She said solemnly to the woman being tied up.

The woman nodded with a grim smile. "We are the spree,"

"Awaiting your signal," The other affirmed once again.

Nicte nodded and turned her attention back to the redhead before her. She had been waiting for a chance like this for a long time.