You told him everything? What was the point of keeping it all secret then? Now we're gonna' be liars too!"

Shiver was back in Tahlm's apartment with Neo, Tiyes, Big Man, and Frye, the latter of whom was holding fistfuls of Shiver's shirt, her golden eyes blazing with anger.

Shiver hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry, I just… it just happened and I… I couldn't lie anymore. You were both right. It's all my fault and I should have never have tried to keep it from our families. We shouldn't have been pirating either. Everything is my fault."

"Cursed right it is! Seriously, we did all this stuff to help the slummers and to help you come out from under whatever rock your family was trying to stuff you under. You talked our otoliths off about why it had to be done, and now you come out and tell us we shouldn't have been doing it anyway? I'm like one bad joke away from breaking your face right now!"

Big Man stuck his fins between them and spread them apart. "We can talk about these things later, right now we have to deal with the problem. If the clans are willing to fight, we need a plan."

Frye sighed in aggravation, her mantle turning burgundy. "The problem is, how do we even get there? It's at least half a day by landship and there aren't enough motor sleds in the whole splatlands to carry the number of people we'll need to."

"Um." Neo raised her hand nervously, and all eyes fell on her. "Why don't we use our own landships. If it's to take down the Scrap Corporations I'm sure the scrappers in Crater's Edge will want to help. There have to be at least a few still in town."

Frye released Shiver and put a hand on her hip, half-turning towards the younger inkling. "Actually, all of 'em are. Gran asked them to keep all their landships in town once she heard about the dig site. Everyone was afraid that the Scrap Corporations might attack to clear the way before they bring whatever's in the vault back to the city."

Tiyes winced. "They would probably do it too. They have the strength, at least on paper. Still, there are hundreds of people in Crater's Edge."

"And there's over a thousand security guards between the Scrap Corporations. So, since a lot of the town's best fighters are scrappers, if they're not in town then that leaves only a handful of guys to protect all the moms, grandparents, and kids."

"Less than ideal," Shiver agreed. "But if all the scrappers and landships are in town then there should be more than enough of them to transport some of the clans' fighters."

Big Man put his fins together, looking contemplative. "It might give us more fighters if Crater's Edge got involved too, but would they want to leave their town like that?"

Shiver thought about it for a moment, trying to get into the heads of their enemies. All she had to go on was their actions thus far that she was aware of and what she could glean from Tahlm's reports. What would an entity trying to take over the Splatlands do? What was their priority? What did profit look like to them?

She quickly found the gazes of everyone in the room directed at her. Even now, they turned to her to find an answer? Well, I guess it is my responsibility at this point.

"I think, if the corporations know they're already on their way to attack the dig sight then there's no profit in attacking the town, at least in the short term. Besides, if the clans also cause a diversion in the city then they won't be able to send enough guards to Crater's Edge to cause much trouble."

"But we still have a problem," Frye pointed out. "The clans don't have enough strength to fight in the desert and the city at the same time. I don't know what the plan's supposed to be."

Shiver opened her fan and began waving it lightly. "Grandfather is the one coming up with the plan, since he has military experience. He wants to know when the Ascendancy's soldiers will arrive. It's important we don't reveal our intentions too soon or the Scrap Corporations will call for help before the Ascendancy's troops can get here."

Tiyes began to stammer. "C-c-could we, maybe ask the scrappers ahead of time to see if they would help. Even if the Ascendancy's troops do get here we'll still need the landships."

"He's right," Neo agreed. "We need to convince the scrappers that it's time to stop getting stomped on and start doing the stomping ourselves."

Frye grinned. "Sounds good to me."

"Then you three can do that," Shiver suggested. "Big Man and I can stay in the city and figure out what the plan is and what the Ascendancy is going to do. If they're smart, they'll listen to Grandfather, if not… we may have a problem."

Big Man tapped his fins together. "Um, I don't think so. If Maiya, Pearl, and Marina are anything to go by, I think we'll be just fine."

Shiver had forgotten about Pearl, Marina, and Hachiko, but in retrospect it was obvious they were from the Ascendancy too. Had Maiya come with them? I wonder where they are.

She shut her fan with a snap. "Well, since I haven't been grounded yet, I suppose the best thing I can do for now is wait and be ready for when Grandfather calls. He said fixing this situation is partly my responsibility so he can't keep me out of it."

"First time I ever heard 'taking responsibility' as a good thing," Neo remarked.

Tiyes gave her a reproachful look. "Some people aren't afraid of responsibility. You avoid it like vegetables."

Neo huffed. "You're the one that said you were responsible enough for both of us."

Shiver was glad to hear no rancour in their argument like previous spats. This was just friendly banter that only close friends could have. They could afford no dissension among them right now.

"Alright, Big Man, what will you do?"

"I-I'll talk with Big Pappy. If there's anyone who could guess what the Scrap Corporations will do it'll be him."

Shiver frowned, noticing that the ray was vibrating. "What's with you?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing it's just… I have a really strong urge to write something right now."

Frye laughed. "Well, there's an old saying that you have to suffer in order to write."

Shiver giggled. Feeling some of the built up tension drain from her. Some days, she wondered what she ever did without a friend like Big Man in her life.

"Why don't you write something first and then go to see Big Pappy or you'll never be able to focus. Tahlm, where's some paper?"

Rak's fingers balled tightly as the silvery shape got lower and lower against the distant sky. The loud drone of its engines could be heard even above the noise of the harbour and it was going to draw stares from everyone who heard it. Nothing quite like it had ever visited Splatsville before.

The huge seaplane kissed the water and parted the waves in front of it. They were lucky it was such a calm day. The shiny aluminum skin gleamed in the fading sunlight, making it even more obvious among the small boats skirting the shore. He imagined some corporate watchperson already making a call to their superiors about its arrival. They might not know exactly who was on it but they could probably make a good guess.

As the plane made its way towards them, a worker held a light stick in one hand, waving it in broad, slow arcs. The plane pointed its nose directly at them, revving its four engines up until it reached a good speed then, once it was near, coasted into place along the dock.

Once the plane was tied, the door opened and the crew disembarked, helping to offload the luggage. Right behind them, a young octoling appeared, no older than her teens, carrying an ink weapon in front of her. She surveyed everyone assembled with a critical eye then stepped aside and allowed another armed octoling to step out, followed by a full-grown takenam with a briefcase and wearing a simple, scarlet ensemble that left her midriff exposed.

The garment was practical given Splatsville's climate, but Rak thought that perhaps a little risque for a government representative to wear. Perhaps they were making some kind of statement.

The scarlet garbed octoling met their gazes, though she looked a little weary from her long trip.

Rak stepped forward and bowed politely. "I am Rak Balt Ralok, head of the Balt Ralok Clan. We welcome you to Splatsville."

The takenam smiled and curtsied elegantly. "I thank you very much, My Lord. I am Her Royal Majesty's representative, Avrika Garath Wavecrest Summer Betanuss."

First name, father's first and last name, followed by mother's first and last name. Introducing oneself in such a way was an old custom, usually used by upper-class citizens when meeting nobility or with members of their own kind. Familial connections had been as important to them as it had been among the nobility. But had this been a custom maintained over the past century or was this something recently revived?

Betanuss was much younger than he expected though he appreciated them sending an octoling at least. But she was just the messenger, she wouldn't be there to work out any deals, she was more of a liaison and representative. More seasoned bureaucrats would come later. He was not looking forward to dealing with them.

"I imagine you're tired. If you wouldn't mind coming with me, we can bring you to my estate to rest."

"I would appreciate that, yes. First," she gestured to the two young octolings with her, "these are Kalisha and Aishi. They are my bodyguards and must be with me at all times."

"Of course. We have already made accommodation for bodyguards as well."

"Thank you." Betanuss reached into her cloak and pulled out a fat envelope with a wax seal, stamped with the Balt Ralok crest. "For you from Vir Rezni."

Rak accepted the envelope. "Thank you. Please come with me."

Later, Rak was in his private study, his wives Octanna and Marga with him. Marga had just opened the envelope and was, very carefully, cutting the outside of the paper with a pair of scissors. Meanwhile Octanna was massaging his shoulders.

"You worked hard today," she said.

"I have," he agreed. He'd woken up that morning hoping that the anticipated envoy from the Ascendancy would be his only concern, only for that to be dashed by Shiver's news, among other revelations.

"Got it."

Marga had finished cutting the perimeter of the first sheet of paper. She then, very carefully, peeled the front of the paper off.

The paper had actually been two papers. Carefully sandwiched between them was an array of tiny paper sheets written in Lias Mildendo's familiar pen strokes.

What was written on the full-sized sheets was a letter of introduction from Maxi regarding Representative Betanuss. While it did serve its function, it was written in case someone intercepted the letter or if the Ascendancy decided they needed to read their private correspondence, which was very possible. Using this method to hide the more critical report had been one of the main reasons Lias had been needed.

Marga placed the first paper under the magnifying light and began to read out loud while Rak listened carefully. It seemed that Maxi had managed to work out a fair deal. Important was the news that the Ascendancy was in the process of sending troops and they had an agent in Splatsville already.

"Bet I can guess who that is," Octanna murmured.

Rak agreed. It had to be this Maiya girl Shiver had mentioned.

"I'm glad they're sending troops but they might be too late. If that really is a vault they've found then all three countries will be bringing in their own troops to make sure they're secure. Once they do that, they'll conduct a hostile takeover. Knowing the Scrap Corporations, they won't wait until their countries send troops so they'll use their security to keep us pinned in place and busy in the meantime."

He stared at the sheet of legal paper on the table next to his chair. It was a document from Betanuss, declaring that Splatsville and all territory under its administration and governance intended to join the Soren Ascendancy. Once he and the other two Clans signed that paper, the Ascendancy would have the justification to bring in its troops to protect its nominal citizens, a perfectly legal act under international law.

Though that won't stop it from scraping off a few suckers somewhere. The Scrap Corporations and their backers would not be happy at all.

"It's a better offer than any of the other countries have given us," Marga reminded him. "Besides, we'll be reunited with our people. It may be a lot of work but I think it'll be good for everyone."

"I know," he sighed. "I just can't help but feel apprehensive. There are a bunch of things that bother me.

"Yes, we're offering them basically everything, but there are some stakes here for them too. I don't know all of them but we're going to get dragged in regardless. We have to be prepared for that."

Half an hour later he was at the dining table with his wives and Betanuss as his honoured guest. She was actually the one who looked nervous.

"Is the food not to your liking?"

Betanuss flinched and gave him an apologetic smile. "No, that's not it at all. The food is wonderful, it's just… I am not well versed in Octarian etiquette. It different somewhat from Inkling etiquette, which is what I've had to deal with more. The queen is better than I am."

"Ah, well, please don't worry about any of that. Just relax and enjoy the meal."

"Thank you."

Rak tried to keep it relatively casual during the meal, applying her with simple, innocuous questions like how the weather was when she left and how people back home were reacting to the idea of reunification with their lost brethren.

Apparently, they were keeping the news on a need to know basis in order to avoid betraying their intentions to the other nations, all of whom had their own information networks in the Ascendancy. The people who did know what was happening were all quite happy and excited, once they got over the shock of there actually being Octarians outside Inkadia. Evidently, Octavio had kept the Exodus a secret even from their own people as a precaution.

After dinner they retired to the parlour to have a more serious discussion. He brought out some of his best wine, from the stock he had brought with him from home and which he took out only for very special occasions. Betanuss took an experimental sip of the drink and he couldn't help but smile to himself when her face puckered at the taste.

"If you'll forgive me, Representative, before we get to the most pressing topic, there's a concern I would like to address."

Betanuss delicately set her glass down on the table and nodded. "Of course, My Lord, that is one of the reasons I'm here."

"And I'm happy to have you here. Now, from reading Maximinus' letter and based on my own observations, I noticed that a lot of the people who seem to be running the Ascendancy are awfully young, yourself included. This is especially critical in the cases of the empress and the queen. Maxi assured me they were nobody's puppets, but he found that even many of the guards seemed unusually young. Am I wrong to assume most of the troops you'll be sending will be just as young if not younger? This is a rather disturbing pattern."

Betanuss never once averted her gaze as he spoke. There was no shame in her eyes or any apprehension that he could see. She smiled wryly and brought her hand up to lightly touch a spot just above her breast where a necklace might have hung.

"You are correct, all too many of us are rather young. In the domes, one would be considered very fortunate to live past sixty. Even deaths among children were common, the conditions were so poor. Only the strong could survive. Many of the older soldiers and officers died in the years prior to the Youngblood War – a name I clearly don't have to explain to you."

Rak nodded grimly. "So this was because of something even before the Ascendancy."

"Yes. As for the inklings, that is more complicated. Many of those who were older either opposed peace between our peoples or simply wished to be uninvolved. Some were unknowingly in league with our enemies. Those who did support us took on more of a support role or tried to push the matter in the Calachoran Assembly but they weren't able to get enough support on their own."

Rak grimaced, scarcely able to believe what he was hearing. "So the young people are the queen and Empress' primary base of support."

"They are certainly their most loyal. The empress is actually having to work much harder than the queen in order to establish her rule. Queen Callie was able to prove herself first as a legate and then as a kravah before the mantle of ruler was thrust upon her. And it was she who forced Calachora to compromise, finally giving us peace and beginning the process that would result in the Ascendancy.

"The core group that gathered the support and laid the groundwork prior to all this were all fairly young and they made up most of the soldiers that fought in the Youngblood War, and those that marched into the Assembly Hall to support the queen. They are competent and trustworthy, which is why they occupy so many positions in close proximity to Their Majesties."

"I see."

Rak had to admit that made sense, especially with a new government, new country, and what sounded like a hostile takeover. They sounded like a group with a lot of radical ideas and they would need their people to be in place to push those through.

"Energy is good but experience also had great value."

Betanuss chuckled. "So we have been told, quite often in fact. Rest assured that there are those with plenty of experience who are also loyal to Their Majesties. The Empress' own grandmother is Prime Minister of Calachora and is advising her regularly. They don't always agree but it is a stable working relationship. Likewise, the High Martial of the armed forces is well experienced as are most of the legion commanders. Most are octoling officers who have served for decades."

Rak frowned. "Something tells me that none of them are who's being sent here though."

Betanuss gave him a mischievous smile, the kind a young female like her would adopt when outwitting someone much older and supposedly wiser. It was a look he had seen his own wives adopt once upon a time.

"On the contrary, Her Imperial Majesty is sending her most accomplished legion. It's commander won two major battles against the Grand Consortium, led the campaign to eradicate all Salmonids within Ascendancy territory, and she has won numerous other smaller engagements. The Third Legion is our most battle hardened formation. You will not be disappointed, My Lord."

He faked a wry smile. Her confidence and the obvious pride in her voice did make him feel better but he couldn't help remaining apprehensive.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to trust you. Now, I don't know if you've heard but we have a bit of a situation developing here. The Scrap Corporations have found what might be a Precursor vault and if they get inside and it turns out to really be a vault then their sponsor nations will send troops to Splatsville in order to secure them."

Betanuss' smile faltered but she didn't look shocked. Had their agent already told her about this?

"That is rather problematic. Where is this vault?"

"About a day's travel from the city, if you have a landship."

"In the desert?"

"Yes."

Betanuss' grimace turned into a worried frown. "That isn't good. The Third Legion is undergoing a rapid deployment so they're leaving some of their equipment behind. We expected to fight in the city, not out in the desert. They won't be equipped or prepared for it. They don't know enough about desert survival either."

"That's what I was afraid of." Rak held his hands tightly together. "When will they get here?"

"The first troops will arrive no later than noon tomorrow unless there's sudden, unseasonable weather."

Rak stiffened. That was much sooner than he expected. How could they possibly move so many people so quickly?

Betanuss grinned, guessing what he was thinking. "We may be young, My Lord, but we are capable."

Rak exhaled, feeling a little foolish. "Now I know how so many of my superiors felt during the war. I was probably no older than you at the time."

Betanuss bowed her head as if he'd complimented her. "I only ask you have faith in us, My Lord. We will defend Splatsville as if it were our own."

I have no choice. Rak thought to himself. He hated this situation, so many unknowns, so many variables, and he was having to rely on people he wasn't entirely sure he could trust. For now, he couldn't worry about what he couldn't control, he had to focus on what he could control.

He had a problem, that being he couldn't allow the contents of the vault to end up in the hands of his enemies. Anything inside could give the Scrap Corporations an insurmountable edge against them. He had no choice, he was going to have to gamble. But even if he won, the cost of that victory would be paid in blood.

Shiver promised to help him, now she would have to make good on that promise.

Despite the cloudless sky and bright sun, a dark gloom seemed to hang over Crater's Edge. It was clear even through the landship's filthy windows.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Tiyes asked nervously. For once, Neo shared in his nervousness. Driving a corporation landship straight into Splatsville was just asking for trouble.

Frye grinned from the driver's seat. "Can you think of something that would get their attention more? Besides, three of us stole this thing right from under Black Steel's noses. If they know that, they might think about what amazing things all of them could do together."

As inspiring and as much like a line from her books as that sounded, Neo was still apprehensive. It felt like they were breaking some kind of unspoken, sacrosanct law by doing this. She also knew that there would be no going back afterwards.

"At least we don't have to tell our parents we stole a landship," Neo sighed. "I guess that means we have the easy job."

"I wouldn't call it that." Tiyes adjusted his spectacles, grimacing. "We have to convince everyone to get involved in this scheme. Remember what happened last time we tried to stick up for ourselves?"

Crater's Edge had tried to force the Scrap Corporations back before, around the time the two of them were small children. The scrappers had tried fighting back to stop the corporate crews from taking their salvage, only for them to start putting security people on their ship to fight them. Nobody died but many crew were injured and if you were badly injured, you couldn't work, leaving some families destitute and forced to live in Splatsville's slums in the feeble hope they might find work in the city at some point.

"We don't have to convince all of them," Frye pointed out. "We just need enough to operate the landships to bring warriors from the clans over to the dig site."

"I hope it's that easy. If we could convince them to fight too then our odds of winning would be better. But are you sure Shiver wanted us to mention the plan to attack the vault? The corpos are going to hear about it."

"That's what the text said. I feel like it's not her idea. Maybe it was her grandpa's."

"It doesn't make sense to me," Tiyes said. "Why would we want our enemies to know what we're doing?"

Frye chuckled. "Don't worry about it. As long as we do our part, things'll work out."

Neo strongly suspected that Frye didn't even want to even try and think about it. She seemed content to let others do the thinking for her. It wasn't because she was dumb or anything, that just seemed to be how she was.

A large crowd was gathering at the docks, mostly scrappers and people from the workshops. Their stance was threatening, mantles red. Neo wished they could have radioed ahead but Frye wanted to create a ruckus and draw people out.

She eased the landship in and parked right in the centre of the port, which was against the rules, but again, that was kind of the point.

The crowd watched them, cautiously maintaining their distance. Frye shut down the engine then looked at Neo and Tiyes.

"Guess we better get out there," Neo sighed. Tiyes flashed green and then turned brown before following her.

They stepped out the door and climbed down the ladder to the crusty earth below. It had been compacted into something hard like concrete after decades of landships driving over it. Almost immediately, several people broke from the crowd and ran toward them, and the rest began to follow.

"Daddy!"

Neo's hearts leaped for joy upon seeing her father. She ran towards him and let him trap her in a crushing hug. Despite being no bigger than she was he picked her up and spun her around as if she were no more than a toddler. Being in his strong arms again gave Neo a sense of relief and security she would never take for granted again.

"Thank the Sovereign God you're safe," he cried.

"I'm sorry," Neo croaked, trying to stop herself from breaking into tears. "I know I did bad, I know I'm in trouble but please, you have to listen to us."

He put her down, confused and then gaped when he noticed her missing arm. Neo's mantle flushed with shame and she unconsciously turned her torso away as if to hide it.

The crowd had surrounded the landship, now more curious than afraid. Everyone was surprised when Frye emerged and stood in the hatchway, grinning. "Hey there? Like our new ride?"

Her father stared at Neo. "You stole a landship!"

"No! I mean, well… it was already stolen when they found us. Anyway, that doesn't matter, there's something more important going on!"

Neo climbed up the ladder and held onto one of the handles next to the hatchway to hold herself up on the small platform next to Frye.

"Everyone listen up!" Neo's yell wasn't enough to be heard over the rumbling crowd though as everyone chatted excitedly and anxiously among themselves and there was even more yelling from further away as more people, now emerging from their holes, began approaching the ship. "Hey! Can you hear me?"

Frye shook her head. "Neo, yelling properly is like punching properly; you have to use your whole body."

She watched Frye take in a huge volume of air, literally inflating her body, and then she let it out all at once in a powerful, sky quaking bellow.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!"

Frye's yell did the trick, grabbing everyone's attention and making them go quiet. Magnanimously, Frye then gestured to Neo, letting her begin.

"Okay, listen up. The Scrap Corporations have found a Precursor vault in the desert north of here, about half a day. That's where most of their landships have been. If they manage to get inside and use whatever's in there, they might be able to take over the whole Splatlands, including Splatsville. One of the first things they'll do to make that happen is take out the Big Three clans, then come after us here. We have a chance to stop that from happening, but we're going to have to work together.

"The clans want to launch a mission to take the vault from the Scrap Corporations before they can get inside it. They have warriors but they have no way of getting there. That's where we come in. We have landships that can make the trip and we know the desert enough to get them there."

"And what's to stop the Scrap Corporations from taking revenge on us after?" Someone demanded. "Things didn't go well the last time we tried to stand up to them. Are the clans going to go out of the way to save us if that happens?"

It was Frye who answered that. "You're all missing something. This isn't just an ordinary fight for the Splatlands, this is the fight. If they get into that vault, we're all lizard food. And there will be fighting in the city soon too. The Scrap Corporations have been bringing in guards for months. They're planning to take over the city. We don't like the idea of sending our warriors out into the middle of the desert either but we don't have a choice."

"That's right!" Neo pumped a non existent fist, managing only to lift her stump. "This is an all or nothing fight. If they win, they won't just let us go on as we have been, they'll crush us."

"What makes you so sure?" Another person demanded. "We're not important enough for them to pay attention to. As long as we sit here and behave ourselves, they might bully us but they won't wipe us out."

"The black pits they won't!"

It was Selliker who spoke the rebuke. He advanced on the guy who'd spoken. One of the mechanics she was pretty sure, but she couldn't recall his name.

"You think the kind of people that ran us over and left us to die in the desert would be merciful? After they've been slowly squeezing us into starvation and poverty, you think they would be anything like generous? No, we're their competition. They'll wipe us out."

Arguments began from both perspectives, some people started shouting. Neo needed to stop it before it got out of control.

"Quiet!" She yelled, managing to draw some people's attention. "You want proof of what they'll do to us, I got it right here!"

She moved herself up onto boarding platform, forcing Frye to hold onto the other handle to keep herself from falling. Then she pulled back her cloak, revealing her severed arm and bloody shirt.

She was rewarded by a chorus of gasps and people quickly grabbed the attention of those arguing to point and gape. She was surprised so many people had failed to notice she had only one arm after all this time.

"This is proof of what they'll do. You want to know how this happened? Let Tiyes and I tell you."

Tiyes didn't look like he appreciated being called out like that but his acquiescence was an acknowledgement of his own shared responsibility. So, together, they told their story: finding the shrine, meeting Deep Cut, the second clue, the explosion, finding the vault, and then Neo described what happened when she went back on her own to try and delay the digging.

She kept the audience spellbound as she described her desperate fight to avoid getting caught but she started to break down when she began to describe what happened to her afterwards.

Frye ended up moving behind Neo and holding her tightly, gently rubbing her head to help her get through the memory. It was a horrible experience. She could remember every sight, sound, and smell from that scene, remembered the intense pain from her arm getting severed, and the naked fear she'd felt.

She wasn't too proud to admit to the crowd that she had begged for her parents to come and save her. This story was simultaneously meant to convince the people of Crater's Edge of the evil they were fighting against, and an apology to her mother and father.

When she'd finished her story she glanced at her father. He had his head down, his mantle a torrent of dark reds but she would see an occasional blotch of guilt amidst it all. He probably felt like what happened was a failure on his part.

No, I was the failure, Daddy. I'm sorry I've been such a terrible daughter.

Putting aside her own guilt for now, she addressed the crowd again. "This may be our best chance of stopping what happened to me from happening to everyone else. I'm not saying it'll be easy, it won't be. It'll be dangerous and some of us probably won't be coming back. But everyone here always says that they'd rather die with their boots on than in bed. And we won't be alone, we'll have the clans backing us up this time, and this time they'll be the ones forced to cry in their holes! This is our desert, not theirs, and we need to show them why!"

A chorus of agreements soon followed. One landship captain after another pledged their support, others began shouting to join the fight. Neo couldn't believe it. It had actually worked.

Frye patted her on the head. "I can take over from here. Why don't you go home."

Neo flashed green and carefully climbed down the ladder. She was getting used to having just one arm.

She found her father again and said. "I wanna' see Mom."

He simply nodded and took her hand.

"I guess I'll have to find this Maiya and thank her for saving my daughter."

"I really hope you get to meet her, Daddy; she's amazing. She made me realize what a bad daughter I've been. I'm… I'm so sorry, Daddy. I promise that when this is over, I'll come back and I'll be the best daughter ever."

He smiled ruefully. "Careful what you say, Neo; your mother will hold you to that."

Neo smiled back. "I know. I've been the worst to her. Sorry, but I'm just not cut out to be an ordinary housewife. I want to make Mom happy but that's just not the kind of girl I am."

"You should wait and tell her that."

"I will," she said softly. They were far enough from the crowd now that they could speak normally. "I'll tell her everything, but before you punish me, you have to let me finish my responsibilities. I still have work to do."

He sighed. "Your mother won't like it, but I'll try to help you convince her. I just wished you could have learned about responsibility another way."

Neo smiled bitterly. "Some idiots can only learn things that hard way, I guess."

The Manta Clan's personal home had played host to a number of important meetings over the years, but this one was guaranteed to go down in history.

The heads of every clan were present, along with their heads of security and best warriors. Elders from Crater's Edge and towns along the river had also come, ready and willing to help. Neo and Tiyes' efforts had clearly borne fruit, perhaps more than anyone had expected. The Outlanders must have been having a worse time of it than anyone in the city thought.

Tahlm sat in a discreet corner of the room with Neo and Tiyes. He'd known he would be nothing more than a bystander at this meeting but he'd brought his writing supplies with him, determined to record the events for posterity and possibly for historical record. Tiyes wholeheartedly approved. Neo couldn't understand why anyone would want to read the details of a boring meeting, as important and necessary as it was.

He made notes on the names of everyone present, even noting the presence of several servants who handed out water to everyone in the room.

The most interesting individuals, to him, were the three octolings from the Ascendancy: representative Betanuss and her two bodyguards. Betanuss herself was quite attractive with a fit build, a gentle face and a work-like disposition. Despite her youth, she was not the least bit intimidated by the status of those present in the room.

"Are we all assembled?" Lord Balt Ralok asked.

Heads nodded but Representative Betanuss held up a hand. "Just a moment, we're waiting for one more. Don't worry, she'll be here soon."

Tahlm was pretty confident he knew just who she was.

A few anxious minutes passed before there was a knock at the door. The Oamo bid them enter and a servant arrived and went to whisper something to him. The Oamo glanced at Betanuss then nodded.

The servant retreated and a moment later, a familiar cloaked figure entered. Maiya only lowered her hood when she was already standing beside Betanuss, who gave Lord Balt Ralok a nod.

"Alright." He gestured to the table in the centre of the room. A map of the Splatlands was spread across its surface. It showed Splatsville, Crater's Edge, the Green River, and went as far north as Iron End. "Let's go over the situation to make sure everyone's on the same page.

"The Vault is roughly north of Crater's Edge, about half a day's travel from there. The Scrap Corporations have about a dozen landships still surrounding the vault excavation site in a circular perimeter." He placed small wooden blocks in a circle around an empty spot on the map. "Our best estimates is that they'll have a little over one-hundred guards, but we'll have to contend with the workers there too. As long as we don't push them into fighting though, they shouldn't be a problem."

One of the Crater's Edge elders asked, "You don't think they'll be bolstering security? Everyone in town knows that we're planning to attack them, which means they know too."

Lord Balt Ralok nodded. "I know, but it's unavoidable. Whether it was an impassioned speech or a quiet plea doesn't matter, they would have found out either way. This means they'll be making their own plans to counter us."

Matriarch Onaga approached the table and pointed a finger at Splatsville. "Combined, they still have another twenty landships docked. We're keeping a close eye on them so we'll be able to let you know if they move."

"Which is something they know as well, so if they move those landships it will be because they either have no choice or its part of their own strategy. If it were me, I'd sortie out under the cover of night and try to blockade Crater's Edge, but that would leave their Splatsville holdings vulnerable. They would need to bring at least three-hundred guards to confidently maintain a blockade, and that isn't taking into account help that might come from Splatsville to assist the town."

"Unless they sabotage the railway."

All eyes turned to Maiya. She approached the table and pointed at the line indicating the railway that connected Splatsville, Crater's Edge, and Iron End.

"Sabotaging the railway would make it more difficult to transport people to and from the town. If I were the enemy commander, I would do that, sortie at night from Splatsville and a force from the vault site, and attack the town in the early morning. They don't have to take the town to eliminate Crater's Edge as an immediate threat."

Lord Balt Ralok nodded grimly. "They just have to deal with the landships. Which is another reason I wanted them to know we planned to attack. The landships and our warriors are bait, to force them to leave Splatsville and all the towns alone."

Another of the Crater's Edge elders swallowed. "Are we really that vulnerable?"

"No, not quite. There's a reason that plan wouldn't work; rather, why they wouldn't use it."

He pointed at the vault location. "The security there isn't just to protect them from us, it's also because they don't trust each other, certainly not enough that they'll all draw an equal number of guards from the defence to attack the town."

The Crater's Edge citizens all looked relieved. Tahlm heard Tiyes and Neo let out their own sighs. Tahlm kept scribbling as the discussion continued.

"As for the landships already in Splatsville, we'll know when they move and we can send word to the town long before they get there, so they won't be able to pin our own landships in."

Heads nodded around the room and he went on.

"So here's our basic plan. We'll be moving our people by boat up the river to Riverside tonight." He pointed to the town along the bank of the Green River, closest to Crater's Edge called Riverside. "The landships can pick them up from there then proceed to the vault."

"Which brings up another question," the previous elder said. "How do we find exactly where the vault is? There are no landmarks in that part of the desert."

Lord Balt Ralok looked at Shiver who nodded and gestured to Tiyes with her fan. He gulped then stood, bringing his bag with him. All eyes watched as he approached the table. He looked like he would shrivel and die under their gazes.

Quietly, he reached inside his bag and put the red and green spheres atop the table. Everyone stared, bewildered.

"These are the vault keys," Shiver explained. "They're how we located the vault in the first place, even when it was buried. You need both together in order to find it.

"We'll be in our own landship acting as the pathfinder ahead of the rest. We'll be fast enough we can keep ourselves out of trouble so we'll act as a scout at the same time."

As Tiyes recovered the spheres and returned to his seat, an inkyar stepped forward. His colour was the same light brown as the desert sand, his skin slightly darker than Neo's, and despite his advanced age, his bare arms showed thick chords of sinew and he walked straight and tall. He was Rimar Onaga, Matriarch Onaga's husband and Frye's grandfather.

"What happens to Splatsville while we're all away? Taking so many of our fighters from the city is going to be something they notice and they'll take advantage of it."

Lord Balt Ralok nodded unhappily. "I know. Unfortunately, we don't have enough strength to be everywhere, but we can't let them have whatever's in that vault, no matter what. We'll just have to hope they don't act before the Ascendancy's troops arrive."

Eyes turned to Representative Betanuss, apprehension on their faces.

"The first wave will be here tomorrow," she said confidently. "They will need guides to be effective in protecting the city. As long as they have that and you have people relaying the enemy's troop movements, they will be able to do the job."

"And how many is that?"

Betanuss shook her head. "I'm afraid that's classified information. Just know that we are bringing as many as we can as quickly as we can."

The elders all looked confused. They had probably never heard the word "classified" in their entire life. Tahlm didn't know if they knew who the Ascendancy was either.

Perhaps to preempt any argument, Lord Balt Ralok said, "all we need to know is if they can do the job when they get here."

Instead of Betanuss, however, it was Maiya who replied, "I guarantee it."

The steel in her voice left no room for argument. It gave Tahlm chills to hear it. He heard Neo murmur, "she's so awesome."

Tahlm had to admit, Maiya had a certain gravitas and mystique around her that was intoxicating. He wanted to know more about her, her past, her role in all this, and how long she'd been in the Splatlands. Had she known about the vault all along? Why had she just spoken instead of Betanuss?

He unconsciously ended up writing those thoughts down. Oops, well no sense erasing it. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, as everyone began speaking about the finer points of their plan.

"They're really doing it this time. I'll bet money on it."

Nrowall was in Joowan Pairezz's office this time, slouched in the chair across from his desk. His fingers pressed into his forehead, as if that would discourage his mounting headache.

The office had a much more austere arrangement than his own, with chairs so uncomfortable they had clearly designed to discourage anyone from remaining in the office too long. One of the room's few adornments was an analogue clock mounted on the wall. It was just past one in the morning. He should have been in bed hours ago.

Nrowall had received word through his contacts in the Kingdom that the Ascendancy was sending troops to the area, apparently having received a written request from the Big Three that Splatsville be allowed to join them. Upon hearing this he had immediately gone to Joowan's office, only to hear more bad news: the clans were planning to take the vault from them. No more power games, no more subterfuge, this was open war between the Scrap Corporations and the clans.

"How much of a threat are they really?"

Joowan crossed his arms and stared down at his desk. "Assuming all the landships in Crater's Edge are working, that means they'll have, at most, twelve landships. Most of them are old and they're slower than ours on average. If they move together, it'll take most of the day for them to reach the site.

"As for the troops they could carry, it really depends how much they would be willing to cram them in. They wouldn't leave them outside on the decks so that will limit them, but I'm willing to bet at least three-hundred, maybe as many as four-hundred. But I'm not sure they even have that many warriors. If they do, then that will leave Splatsville basically defenceless."

The security chief shook his head. "It's a bold gamble, and it just might have worked out for them, but it has a lot of risks. For one thing, it leaves the clan members themselves vulnerable. They'll have a bodyguard but I've got more than enough security to overwhelm them. And if the clans are deposed then the Ascendancy's legitimacy might be called into question. It might stop their troops from ever getting here."

"That would be ideal," Nrowall agreed. "But the clans aren't stupid, they know they're vulnerable. All they have to do is hide."

Joowan rubbed his chin, thoughtfully then frowned. "That would be the smart thing to do, but they might not have that option. If they go into hiding, it could cause their people to go into a panic or they might think they've been abandoned and turn on them. Or maybe they need to stay put in order to legitimize themselves. Officially, they've never been recognized internationally as the rulers of Splatsville. Any international legitimacy they get will come from the Ascendancy now."

Nrowall hummed thoughtfully. "A fair point. Still, even if they don't hide, they aren't going to make themselves easy to reach."

Joowan grimaced. He had never liked the prospect of attacking the estates of the clan heads. Each was basically a fortress in its own right. It wasn't just Black Steel though, the other corporations were working with them, but even with that extra support and most of the clan warriors leaving the city, getting to the clan heads still wouldn't be easy.

"No, they won't. The Balt Ralok estate is basically an island fortress and they'll have their sharks guarding the sea around it. Then again, we might not need to get in there. My spies tell me that Lord Balt Ralok himself is going to be leading the attack on the vault."

Nrowall snorted. "The old octopus is trying to relive his glory days."

Joowan smiled sardonically. "Maybe, but that old octopus was a successful military commander during those glory days and they've continued a lot of their martial traditions. Their warriors may not be highly experienced but they will be skilled. My point is, that if we can capture him at the vault, then we have the clan's leadership and we won't need to invade the estate."

"Excellent. And the other two?"

"The Oanaga Clan's home has only a low wall in most spots and while it might be big, it's very old and doesn't have a lot of secure locations. We could manage it. The Manta Clan's estate is a little more tricky since some of it is underwater and they have some heavy doors. We would need some equipment but we should be able to get through it in about a day."

Nrowall bit his lip and his hands tightened in anticipation of the answer to his next question. "And how long until the Ascendancy gets here?"

Joowan scratched his head. "That depends on a lot of things. When was the announcement made?"

"It hasn't been announced yet, as far as I know. According to the information I received, they're trying to mobilize troops and they've started loading vehicles and equipment onto some ships. I wouldn't bet on all those troops being on those same ships though."

Joowan nodded. "I wouldn't either."

"Could they fly them in?"

Joowan shrugged. "Technically, I suppose, but it would be a serious logistical headache for them for the same reasons it's been us. For one thing, the airport here isn't very big. The largest aircraft that land here only carries about forty passengers, and nothing that small can fly all the way from Calachora on one leg. They'd have to fly to one of the island countries closer to here, maybe even make two stops. Each time they'd have to land, refuel, and take off again.

"My best guess is that it would take a full day for them to get here from Inkopolis. So… let's say next evening at the earliest. Even then, I'm not sure they'd be able to send more than one plane at a time, so even if they do land troops, there will only be about forty of them. Maybe fifty if they decide to bend some rules."

Nrowall nodded, a knot forming in his guts. He glanced at the clock. "So we have, maybe eighteen hours before any of them get here. We have to secure the clans within that time."

"By my best guess, Sir, yes. 'Course, my idea relies on having help from the other Scrap Corporations. I don't know what their plans are."

Nrowall stood up. "Let's find out. We've already made our bed together now the three of us have to lie in it or die in it. They know that. Maybe they have some of their own ideas on how we can deal with the clans and maybe hold onto our vault."

Author's Notes:

Things are ramping up for the climax, a lot of people have a lot to worry about when it comes to the Ascendancy, for obvious reasons, but they're also their best hope. Will the Ascendnacy's troops get there in time? Will this plan work? How do you think the Scrap Corporations will respond?