Chapter 9: Anger
A/N: A deficiency of extra food being noted charges on.
The mess hall of the Gladio buzzed with a fervour that reminded Rex more than he cared to admit of salvagers on a big job. He wasn't sure why, but he'd half expected the soldiers to be wearing their helmets, even in here. But besides a pair of guards - chatting animatedly near the door furthest from him - it was just...people.
The biggest difference between the salvagers was the reason they were there. And how much alcohol was present. Being a military organization, it wasn't surprising that there wasn't any out. Even though been at the Torigoth Relay Base in Torigoth for a week, it still hadn't really hit him. It was more orderly than he was used to, but the general feeling was...well not the same, but surprisingly similar.
Looking around, he noted that with their darker hair and eyes, the majority were Ardainian, though he spotted the occasional Gormotti and Nopon dotting the tables. They must have been part of the crew of the ship, too. Part of the Ardainian military.
But it was just people. He…wasn't exactly sure how to feel about that yet.
Originally he'd intended to take Tora directly to one of the people in charge to get him passage, but had gotten sidewinded into taking a short detour to the mess hall first. Tora had practically begged him for a meal, and though Azurda hadn't thought it to be the best idea, Rex had taken the Nopon and Poppi there. He hadn't had breakfast yet either, so it worked out.
Across from him at the table, Tora was busy stuffing himself silly, plate piled full of some of the dullest looking food he could imagine. Ardainians weren't really known for their exquisite cuisine, although a few things looked to be bought from Torigoth.
There was just so much of it on his plate. It almost made him sick looking at it all.
"Here I thought you were saying you owed us tasty sausages in return for helping you out," Azurda jibed good-naturedly. He sounded very amused by the whole situation, though there was a tenseness underlying it. "I must say it seems like it's quite the other way around at the moment."
Tora looked down at his plate, then up at Azurda and then shoved the plate across the table, almost like a peace offering.
"Nice try, my young friend." Tora shrugged and the plate retreated. "Are you really going to eat all of that?" Azurda's question voiced Rex's own thoughts. His own plate was filled with significantly less food.
Tora swallowed the latest sausage. "Not mean to be rude. Tora hasn't eaten for nearly three days. So hardly care what he eat right now. Was hard when running from-" He stopped, seeming to realize where he was. "W-when, ah. Playing hide and seek went too long. Yes! Hide and seek. With Poppi." He bit down into another bleak looking sausage, seemingly satisfied with his explanation.
"Poppi was?"
"Poppi is supposed to go along with Masterpon's story," Tora hissed out. It was probably meant to just for Poppi, but Rex heard it anyways.
Poppi stretched her metal looking arms out to the sides, perfectly parallel to the floor, then bent her elbows in sharp angles pointing at head. She started tilting back and forth, a puzzled look on her face.
Azurda laughed a deep gravelly laugh, drawing a few looks from the surrounding tables. "You're rather a bold Nopon, aren't you?" Azurda gestured around. "But not particularly wise. Considering your situation, especially among our present company, perhaps honesty is the best policy." He leaned in closer to Tora, intimidating considering how massive he was. "Especially since you have nothing to hide, correct?"
The Nopon twitched in fear, his eyes darting around with furtive glances. He spoke in a hushed voice. "Tora doesn't really like empire that much."
"Really," Azurda deadpanned. "I couldn't tell."
Rex couldn't help but chuckle at Azurda's sarcasm, even as he couldn't help but silently agree with Tora. At least somewhat.
"But!" Tora continued. "Tora like them much better than others, especially if they more like Rex-rex. Saving of life and sharing of food is most welcome in Tora's book. Big cheer for new Driver friend Rex-rex!"
Beside Tora, Poppi - who he was surprised hadn't taken a plate - let out a big, "Hooray for Rex!" and started...dancing? Or at least he was pretty sure it was supposed to be dancing. The moves were stiff and awkward as she hopped and spun around, stiffly waving her arms. At least she seemed to be enjoying it.
Then she posed and winked at him.
Rex mostly ended up feeling more confused than anything. He shook his head, dispelling the weird image. "So, who else were you running from?"
"Ack!" Tora choked on his food, and nearly fell out of his chair. Poppi rushed to pat his back and followed up with rubbing smooth circles on his back as he regained his composure.
She turned to them, answering on his behalf. "Friend Rex very strong for not falling for 'cheering cuteness' and 'dancing distraction' protocols."
"'Distraction' protocol?"
Tora cleared his throat. "Even Tora have trouble with that one. Proof of Rex-rex's hard heart, or maybe need for upgrade for Poppi."
"And, now I'm just lost."
"Perhaps you might be able to explain what Tora was talking about, Poppi?" Azurda coaxed.
"Affirmative. Masterpon bad at managing funds." She revealed it so plainly and readily that Rex was taken aback, but she pressed on. "Lots of big recent expenses and big bully Ardainians made paying off debt from debt collectors low priority, but debt collectors catch up to Masterpon."
"Tora was desperate! Last one of six tried to kill Tora! Only reason Tora still alive is from timely intervention from Poppi."
"Masterpon is too kind. Poppi spent most of time in last engagement searching for escape route while Masterpon held off attacker."
"Big scary demon Blade!" Tora threw his furry headwings out wide, imitating... something. "Tora feels like he would have been rogul food if had to fend off too much longer."
Rex shook his head. "Hold up, hold up. What kind of money were you borrowing that they'd go and try to do that?" Unless the loaners were really desperate, they didn't usually go that far. Maybe send a few thugs to rough someone up or threaten them, but kill them?
Unless he'd borrowed from a gang...
"Well…" Tora leaned in and whispered the amount to Rex.
Rex's jaw dropped. "That's insane! What in Alrest were you thinking?"
"Tora knows it wasn't best idea now. But was so focused, so close to finishing..." He glanced over to Poppi
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Behind Rex, he heard the automatic door to the mess hall open, followed by a lull in the chatter in the mess hall.
"Heads up, everyone," Azurda muttered. He tilted his head up, as if pointing behind Rex. Carefully turning his head, he saw a small complement of Ardainian soldiers talking to the guards at the door. After a few moments, the guards pointed over to their table and the soldiers began winding their way over to Rex's table. "I believe we've attracted some attention."
Tora froze with another sausage near his mouth.
The one at the head of the group called out, "Secure the fugitive!"
Rex stood and put a hand on the hilt of Azurda's greatsword, spinning around to look behind him just as the Ardainian soldiers began surrounding the table. Now that he had a closer look, he noticed three Blades among them. Four soldiers levelled guns and three had Blade weapons. A megalance up front, a bitball user to the side, poised to throw and an ether cannon further back.
Drivers.
He saw Tora drop the sausage in fear and Poppi try and glare at all of them at once, though it ended up looking more childish than anything. But none of the soldiers' ire or weapons seemed directed at him: everything was focused on Tora and Poppi.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Recruit." One of the Drivers in armour - the one with the megalance - nodded to him. "Step away from the Nopon menace and their Blade. It's been a long road to their capture and we thank you for your aid in trapping them. We'll take them from here."
"Hold on. Trapping? Fugitive?" Rex asked.
"You are aware of the damage he's caused? You can't have missed the broken cell block in the Torigoth Relay Base. We had wanted posters practically everywhere!"
"Wait," he turned to Tora and Poppi, "you were the ones who did that?" He'd spent enough time cleaning it up, and though he hadn't joined in on the hate directed at the mysterious Nopon perpetrator, he had wondered.
"They are," the Driver confirmed. "Now step away."
"Was accident! Tora promise on grampypon's honour!"
"We'll see what the inquisitor has to say about that, won't we?"
"Lady Mòrag, I've found something."
Mòrag's pen paused in the midst of writing her report on her time spent in Gormott. Rolling her shoulders, she sat up in the chair. A far cry more comfortable and familiar than the one allotted to her in Torigoth's consulate office
The business of the last week rolled through her mind. The last days, she'd been swamped by helping and directing clean-up and relief efforts, attempting to find more out from the core crystal thieves and generally covering for Dughall's incompetency.
Because of all that, until they'd set off, neither her nor Brighid had had much time to try and dig through her journal. From what she had read so far, it talked more about her Driver at the time, Hugo Ardanach, and the conspiracies that arose to attempt to stop his ascension to the throne. It had been a good review of history, but not what they were looking for.
Hopefully that was about to change. "What have you found?"
Brighid stood from her comfortable reading chair and crossed the short distance in the office space to her desk. Placing the book down on her desk where they both could see, she tapped on the page to the date at the top of an entry about three-quarters the way through the journal. "This one is dated 'October third, 3564."
"That would be Amalthatober by our current calendar, correct?"
Brighid nodded. "Yes. It starts: 'My first encounter with the Aegis was on a mission to Gormott, officially to sort out diplomatic tension between the empire and the remains of the Coeian on the Titan. On his majesty's order I went ahead with a small troop to the budding village of Torigoth to stop for resupply.
However, when we arrived, to our dismay, the entire village had been burned and ransacked, though exactly how recent, we couldn't tell. After scouting around, I encountered the Aegis and her party.
On my order, we attacked, believing them to be looters or perhaps the brigands responsible for desecrating the village. In hindsight, this was a rash judgement. However, it did reveal something dangerous about the Aegis, whom I personally engaged.
The battle was both exhilarating and disappointing.
She was clumsy, her attacks heavy, lacking refinement. In the heat of the moment, not knowing who she was initially, I baited her in the encounter. She responded poorly. Though I know not what its source, she directed a devastating ray of light to come out of the sky which I fear would have ended my life had it hit me. Fortunately, I was quick enough on my feet to dodge out of the way, but the devastation it left behind…
All this after her Driver, whom I learned was Prince Addam, commanded her to disengage in fear of hurting the children with them. She ignored him, intent on proving she could best me - even after her Driver commanded her to disengage - seemingly with little remorse.
If it weren't for the unique ability of another Blade traveling with them possessed - ether manipulation - stopping her, then she likely would have killed me and others in her own party.
Once his majesty arrived on the scene, the situation calmed, but I remain wary. While I will support his decision to accompany his old friend and those in their group, I worry where this decision might lead.
She is a simpleton, and I loathe to trust her.
"Fitting of your past self to worry, considering where it ended." Mòrag noted.
"Emperor Hugo's death in the war, correct?" Brighid asked.
"Yes. Struck down by the Aegis, so history says. His involvement in involvement and impact on the Aegis war was crucial, even past the point of his death." A fascinating topic, but not what they were there for. "Was there anything else on the Aegis in this entry?"
She saw Brighid scan ahead some on the page. "Nothing that I can see. It simply talks about the Aegis' Driver - Addam Origo - and little about how he was Emperor Hugo's close friend, something of their history. Nothing else on the Aegis herself."
Mòrag laced her fingers together, resting her chin on them, pondering. This was a worrying first impression, and it seemed to line up with what history thought of the Aegis. "Continue looking." She pressed her lips into a thing line. "I want every possible piece of information we can get on her."
"Of course Lady Mòrag." Brighid paused a moment. "Is something the matter?"
Mòrag hissed out a breath. "Do you believe we'll have to face her, Brighid? And if we did, could we succeed?"
"I'm sure you would do everything in your power to stop her if it comes to it. However, I hope not. If this entry is anything to go by, she's as simple and heartless as history portrays her. If Torna found her, and one of theirs succeeds in becoming her Driver and winning her over to their cause, Alrest may not survive another Aegis war."
"It wouldn't survive it." It couldn't. Mòrag leaned back in the chair, a familiar weight of her duty settling on her mind. "I hope all of this research ends up being unnecessary, that we can broker some sort of peace."
"Of course." Brighid picked up the journal. "Emperor Niall would like that. At this point, I feel we should explore every option. It should prove to be-"
She was cut off by an urgent sounding knock at her door.
Brighid raised an eyebrow. "Are you expecting someone?"
Mòrag shook her head. "No. Come in," she called.
The door swung open, revealing a lone soldier - an ensign by the bar of his rank - who entered and saluted smartly. "Ensign Clyde reporting, ma'am."
He sounded almost out of breath underneath his helmet. "At ease, ensign. What is it?"
He dropped the salute. "Special Inquisitor, forgive me for the interruption, but you're needed on the bridge."
She nodded, absently, wondering in the back of her mind what needed her attention. "Very well, I will be there shortly."
Hesitating, the ensign looked between her and Brighid. "Forgive me, Inquisitor, but they said it was urgent."
Looking closer, she recognized the tell-tale sign of uneasiness beneath the helmet. The ensign was spooked, though whether it was because he wasn't used to seeing authority, or because of the urgency of the matter, she didn't know. "Let them know I am on my way."
"Ma'am!" He saluted smartly, and very rigidly, before darting back out, the door staying open behind him.
"What do you think it is?" Brighid asked.
Standing up, she rolled her neck to loosen it, mentally preparing for whatever it was. "Nothing good, by the sound of it."
"Business as usual, then?"
"Mm."
She exited her cabin and started walking briskly to the bridge in response. When she arrived, the tension there was practically palatable. The typical amount of officers were manned at their stations, but there was a rush of activity of people coming and going with reports. A large group gathered worriedly around the communications station.
"Inquisitor!" They waved her and Brighid over as soon as they saw she entered.
Quickly approaching, Morag took charge of the situation. "Report, Lieutenant Renkin."
"Ma'am! We received a distress call from one of our ships, a modified Ardainian transport titanship with a shipment of core crystals scheduled for cleansing en route to Indol."
"Are we close enough to intercept?"
The lieutenant glanced at the others gathered, as if unsure of what to say. "Well, yes, but I don't…" He swallowed. "I don't know if it'll make a difference."
Her brow furrowed in worry, hoping it wasn't what she thought he meant. "What do you mean?"
"We started recording as soon as we could, but it cut out. It's…grim."
She extended a hand. "Allow me."
He handed over the headset, clearly glad to be rid of it. Putting one of the speakers to her ear she signalled to the officer. "Play it."
She winced slightly at the first noise, the loud blaring of an alarm, one used in the Ardanian military to signal an unfriendly boarding. It continued as the voice of a frantic, scared-sounding man began shouting.
"-repeat, this is Ardainian titanvessel Invicta requesting immediate assistance from any vessel nearby! We are under attack by a single unknown assailant wearing a horned white mask. He's systematically killed everyone he's come in contact with. Any party in the sound of this channel please respond and-
With a curse, another voice interrupted him, fainter and further away but frantic.
"Nothing is slowing him down, sir! Not even the Driver-Blade squadron made a difference. What is he?!"
The first voice stuttered after that at the sound of gunfire, which moments later abruptly stopped. "R-repeat this is Ardainian titanvessel Invicta, requesting immediate assistance from any-"
The man's voice cut out with a scream, and unless she was mistaken, the sound of a weapon tearing through flesh, followed by the sound of a body hitting the deck. The alarm filled the silence that followed. The sound of footsteps came closer and then in an instant, the recording cut out.
Gripping the headset tightly as she lowered it, Mòrag asked tersely, "When was the original transmission sent?"
"About five minutes ago, ma'am."
"How close are we?"
"The distress signal put them forty titanpeds off of our current course. It's less than an hour out."
She looked at the captain. "Chart a course for their last known position; use all available speed." The captain nodded and started barking orders to the rest of the crew.
Cold anger simmering just below the surface vented in a small puff of air from her mouth. A man with a white horned mask. That was the description that Rex had given of one of Torna's members that had chartered the ill-gotten expedition for the Aegis.
Jin.
Swallowing her anger for a time, she turned back to the communications specialists. "What do we know about the Invicta?"
One of the other communications specialists, an Ardainian woman named Isla, spoke up. "We looked in the on-board fleet records, and Invicta is heavily defensible, not just with men but heavy armaments as well. Because of the recent upturn in core crystal piracy, it was retrofitted with extra battlements and two squads of Drivers and Blades. It shouldn't have been able to be raided that quickly or easily, especially by just one man. Even if he was a Blade, that would be ridiculous."
"You feel as though there is something that we are missing? The distress call seemed fairly clear that it was just the one man attacking."
Isla hummed thoughtfully. "It could have easily been hysteria. There could be more people, but this man was simply the focus. A dangerous distraction while others did more behind the scenes work."
She made a good point. "Perhaps. Let us hope we get there in time to see. While you're at it, see if there are any other on board records of other titanvessels that transported core crystals, Ardainian or otherwise, who were assaulted under similar circumstances or described their assailants."
Isla nodded. "Of course."
Turning in a grimly satisfied way, Mòrag began walking out of the bridge. They had only made it out of the bridge proper when Brighid stopped her, hand on her shoulder, talking in a low voice.
"I know you've been obsessed with Torna since the Praetor made us aware of them, Lady Mòrag, but do you believe that it's wise heading into what might be a feris den, especially from what we heard on the recording?"
"Your concern is valid, but I trust my crew to be wise. From what little we know about Torna, they operate slyly. This could be a way to bring more knowledge of them to light." She sighed. "And though the way was horrible, the information we just received will help us be more prepared to face them in the future. Rex didn't say much about this Jin's fighting capabilities, but by the sound of this, we need to be much more wary."
Brighid went thoughtful. "Perhaps he might know something more?"
"Uh, I didn't expect to see you again so soon, Mòrag." Rex awkwardly scratched the back of his head, shuffling his feet somewhat from where he stood behind her.
"Special Inquisitor Mòrag," Brighid corrected.
"Right, sorry. That."
Brighid crossed her arms. "I can forgive a slip in protocol once, but don't do it again, recruit." It was still unnerving not seeing her eyes even as she very clearly glared at him. How did she even see?
"Thank you, Brighid." Mòrag didn't turn from where she intently watched the rolling waves of the cloud sea from their perch on the side of the ship. A balcony, just off the bridge. "However, there are more pressing things than protocol at the moment. Coincidentally Rex, I was getting ready to call you to me." She glanced over at the side where a pair of guards pointed their guns at a glowering Tora. "I am curious how you managed to capture someone where the entire military stationed in Torigoth failed to do so."
"Well," Rex began, "it's nothing special. I didn't even 'capture' him like everyone keeps saying. He just happened to be where I was. I didn't even know he was wanted."
Azurda let out a deep gravelly chuckle. "It was a big surprise to us at how dangerous the Driver squad leaders were treating him. You'd almost think he was Alrest's most wanted criminal."
There was a 'hmph' from his left where Tora stood, eyes barely cresting above the guard's thighs, tiny Nopon arms crossed defiantly, though Rex could see him shaking. His Blade, Poppi, was stoically standing stock still, eying the guards beside her out of the corner of her eyes. "Tora has nothing to say."
Mòrag finally turned her head, giving him a cool stare. "Not even about your artificial Blade?"
Artificial?
Tora stood defiantly still, whether too afraid, or too prideful, Rex couldn't tell. However, he was surprised when Mòrag moved over and crouched down on one knee to look not at Tora, but Poppi, at eye level.
"Do you speak?" There was a kind of tenderness in her voice he hadn't heard her use before.
Nodding, Poppi proudly put her hands on her hips, her floppy white hat going askew. "Poppi is fully capable and functioning, though Masterpon says image and timing need improvement."
"Remarkable," he heard her whisper. She raised her voice. "Poppi, what do you and your Driver want to do?"
"Masterpon wants to find his dadapon, Tatazo. Poppi does as well."
"His father?"
"Is practically Poppi's dadapon too. Helped grampypon work on plans for Poppi looong nights before dadapon disappear. Poppi hopes to be able to repay debt of gratitude for helping make her."
Mòrag's lips turned up in a smile. "That sounds very noble of you." Poppi perked up at the praise. "So tell me, Poppi, why are you both here on the battleship Gladio?"
"We here escaping mean debt collectors. Masterpon racked up looots of debt getting parts for Poppi. Ardainian Titan battleship first place we could go." She tilted her head, hat flopping to the other side, eyeing Mòrag. "Will Mòrag put us in jail?"
"That remains to be seen. What was your intention in destroying the detention centre in the Torigoth Relay Base?"
Poppi bowed slightly in apology. "Poppi very sorry; only wanted to help Masterpon free from big bully Ardainian man. Didn't mean to cause so much destruction." She raised her head, eyes looking up. "Can Mòrag forgive?"
"Though I would very much like that, there are many people who need assurances that you won't hurt them first. Perhaps, if you and your Driver consent to it, we could arrange something to help you pay your debts, both monetary and societal?"
She practically lit up at that. "Poppi does!" She looked over to Tora.
Tora huffed. "Tora won't make any promises beside thinking about it."
"I will allow you to think on it and talk more with you both later. I believe we can come to an agreeable arrangement." She stood, and the guards left, taking Tora and Poppi with them. After they left, she and Brighid started talking too low for him to hear.
"I didn't realize," Rex muttered
"Realize what?" Azurda asked quietly back.
"That Mòr-er, Special Inquisitor Mòrag, could be so nice."
Azurda let out another deep chuckle. "Did you really expect someone so high up in the empire to be so one-dimensional?"
"That's not what I meant. Just that…" He trailed off letting out a breath. "I don't know. I guess I just never really thought about it that way."
"At least now you understand something more about the nation you're currently representing."
"Really? What's that?"
"That the empire can be much more caring than you make them out to be."
"Well, I wouldn't say all of them." His thoughts turned to the consul back in Torigoth. "Mòrag's alright, at least."
"You're Blade is right, Rex." He jolted back in surprise when he looked up to see her looming over her. "Don't worry, I mean no harm in overhearing."
He straightened up. "I didn't think you did."
She laughed softly, the corner of her mouth curling upward for a moment, before her face went sombre. "Our nation is fraught with those whose sense of duty and patriotism sometimes outweighs their common sense. Do not mistake their example: we desire peace for Alrest as much as the next person."
"I don't think anyone really wants violence. Everyone wants peace. They just don't really get how to do it, and it's different for everyone. It's hard to talk for everyone when you can't see from someone else's boots."
He saw Brighid raise her eyebrows. "Wise words for one so young."
"You learn a lot growing up working with world weary salvagers, the good and the bad. Gramps and Auntie Corrine helped a lot too."
"So I see," Mòrag commented. "Regardless of whether it was an accident or happenstance, bringing in the Nopon and Poppi did us a great favour. Another piece in the puzzle."
"Puzzle? What do you mean?"
They all turned as a call from inside the ship, and a soft alarm - not blaring, but still urgent - started sounding. "That will have to wait for another time."
He couldn't remember what the alarm was supposed to mean even though the Driver recruiter had told them. He was ingrained with what salvager's ship sounds and symbols meant. The ship crested on a wave of the cloud sea and Rex spotted another ship in the distance on the horizon, maybe a couple titanpeds away. In the background, he heard more orders being barked.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Look." Rex followed Brighid's point out into the cloud sea, out to the titanship. "That ship, less than an hour ago, was raided by a member of Torna."
His heart skipped a beat, and he swallowed, nervously. He was about to encounter them again already? "Seriously?"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, inquisitor," Azurda asked, "but hasn't it been barely more than a week since their expedition with Rex?"
"Yes." Mòrag nodded. "They're acting more quickly. Or perhaps they always did so and we simply hadn't noticed before. Whether there were others involved or not, we couldn't tell, but the distress call said that the raid was done by a single man in a white-horned mask."
Several different feelings rushed to the surface. Fear, anger, sadness, confusion. Like Nia, Jin had watched as Malos wreaked havoc. His felt his knuckles turn white as his hand clenched into a fist. "Jin."
"It matches your description of him. Is there something more you can tell me about him?"
"Honestly, not much." Taking a stabilizing breath, he folded his arms thinking. If she'd asked about Malos he could've talked her ear off, but Jin? "I guess he seemed overall pretty quiet and reserved. Focused, definitely. The other members of Torna all seemed to follow his lead."
"Anything specific about his combat abilities?"
He tapped his foot, trying to remember. "He had a long one-edged sword - a nodachi, I think - but he really only helped out occasionally in battle if something came close to him. It didn't seem like he enjoyed fighting that much."
"Are you certain?"
"I think so. I don't really know anything else. Sorry."
"No need to apologize. You've already helped out much more than you know. It could easily be that until they disposed of the crew of the Invicta, all of Torna were hiding their true abilities. Follow me to the bridge. I would like you to be present for this."
The order was laced with authority, and seeing as he probably would have done it anyways he just simply nodded, following her in with Azurda. The balcony they'd been on was only a short walk away, and when they arrived, the bridge of the ship was abuzz with a flurry of activity. The memory of the night on the Maelstrom buzzed into view, but he shook it away.
It wouldn't end like that. He wouldn't let it. Besides, even if he still wasn't sure about the Empire, he knew they were decent soldiers. When all noticed Mòrag there, it seemed like everyone sat or stood a little straighter. The captain greeted her with a salute, his eyes flicking to Rex and Azurda for a moment.
"At ease, Captain Keithen. Report."
The captain's hands folded at what Rex had learned was 'parade rest' behind his back. "Inquisitor, we're in spotting distance of the Invicta. Cursory observations of its hull and the Titan seem to indicate no attack or damage from the outside."
"None at all?"
"Nothing from this range. The Titan integrated with the ship seems to be alive and by all reports, the vessel looks anchored. Or, if the distress call was accurate, derelict."
Peering out of the bridge's viewport, Rex saw the large Ardainian titanvessel. Now that they were closer, it seemed it was similar in structure to this battleship, just on a smaller scale. The cloud sea rolled on a wave and for a moment, he thought he saw something on the port side of the ship. It was gone before he could be sure.
"Do you believe we're walking into a trap, captain?" Mòrag asked.
Captain Keithen shook his head. "It's unclear ma'am. Even though it's hard not to see our ship coming, I don't believe the perpetrators knew we would come. The probes and scanners haven't detected any other vessels, and there have been no reports of other ship sightings from the spotters."
"Then continue onward. Ready the ether cannons and be watchful."
A tense atmosphere filled the air of the bridge as the orders were carried out, and Rex watched anxiously as they continued the approach.
"Contact!" A call from elsewhere on the bridge at one of the stations, Rex wasn't entirely sure what they were called. "There's a small vessel docked near the auxiliary hanger. Unknown make; no friend or foe signal detected!"
It was the little shape he'd seen earlier. He squinted his eyes, trying to look closer at the ship. It looked familiar for some reason. Had he seen that before?
"Move into position, aim to disable, not destroy," Mòrag ordered. "We need answers, not wreckage. Ready a firing solution. Two low power ether charges."
He heard a subtle whine of something powering up, probably the cannons. The Gladio moved closer, close enough that he could just barely recognize the ship.
Hold up. Is that the Monoceres out there?
"Is the firing solution ready?"
"Aye, Inquisitor."
"Fire."
Leave no evidence behind.
Malos had been the one to suggest the mandate originally. Mikhail had run with it, saying it would help them stay under the radar until they were ready. Ahkos had initially complained, seeing as the world couldn't see his 'script' come to fruition, but had complied eventually. Patroka said she didn't care, though Jin had seen the glint of battle lust in her eyes.
Nia hadn't known about it. Not until they'd retrieved the Aegis.
Jin finished securing the core crystals in the hold of the Monoceres, their light glinting out of the containers that held them. They almost seemed to thrum as he stepped away. Though he knew the Blades within couldn't hear him, he imagined their voices singing, humming with their newly found freedom.
He was their liberator, even though her heart seemed to squeeze him painfully with guilt. He mentally dragged himself away from that storm as he made his way to the deck of the Monoceres, looking up to the massive Ardainian Titan Battleship.
It was empty.
Only one thing left to do.
When they'd first started gathering cores, Mikhail had designed ways to quickly subjugate the ships, often causing chain reactions in the mechanisms fitted inside the titanvessels. The ships would be disabled, then sunk. It was brutally efficient, and Jin had only become more efficient at it as time went on.
But he hadn't moved to do it yet this time. He stood stock still, locked in place.
His hands shook, and her heart started beating more rapidly in his chest.
Even though he'd done so many times to other vessels, he couldn't move. Paralyzed with indecision, he wasn't sure how long he stood there, looking up at the monument of what he'd become.
A noise broke him out of his almost trancelike state. The hum of another engine. Behind him, another Ardainian battleship approached. Jin's eyes narrowed.
Normally, the communications systems were the first thing he targeted, but he'd been...distracted. Something could have slipped through. Whether because of that, or by chance, this other ship was here. But what would they do? Had they spotted the Monoceres yet?
He glanced back towards the derelict ship, then back towards the advancing one. He could still make it to the ship's systems and set off the chain reaction that would send it beneath the clouds. He was fast enough.
Her heart clenched in his chest.
He toggled the mechanism that began to retract the metal docking ramp, moving him away from the Ardainian battleship. He had the core crystals. That was all that was necessary. Glancing back to the approaching ship, he noted it was headed straight for him. They knew he was here.
Ether gathered around two of front facing cannons on the opposing ship, preparing to fire. Calculating it, Jin knew he wouldn't make it in time to the Monoceres' bridge to use its weaponry or submerse the craft before the other one fired, especially with only him here.
"If we fight her at full strength, she's going to use Siren. Mine's gone, and the gargoyles are toast. Not that I could control any of them right now, anyways. Got any ideas on how to counter that, Jin?"
"...I have an idea."
Jin drew his sword.
There were two almost imperceptible thuds as two red ether charges quickly crossed the span between the ships. He waited until the charges - which were larger than him - were nearly upon him.
The world around him slowed as he sped up. The two ether charges still moved relatively quickly in his perception towards the deck of the Monoceres, one slightly ahead of the other. He flickered towards the closer one, slicing the energy in two. One part of it started making its way to towards the battleship he'd raided and the other split off towards the cloud sea.
Flickering towards the other ether charge, he let it slam into his sword. His core surged and with pure intent and will, he gathered the huge charge around his sword. Amplifying it with his own ether, he intended on throwing it back towards the ship, towards where he knew where the bridge would be. He could cripple the ship. Maybe even destroy it.
Her heart beat in his chest.
At the last moment before the ether leapt off his nodachi, he flicked his sword a miniscule degree to his right.
The world resumed its normal pace, and the charge surged back through the expanse between them, not hitting the bridge, but the ship's port side instead. Fire poured out the side of the ship as something exploded, and the Ardainian battleship bucked to the side from the force.
"What the-?"
"Brace!"
The ship bucked underneath him and Rex stumbled as the reflected ether charges skimmed the port side. An alarm started blaring, and some of the bridge crew started calling damage reports.
The Monoceres began sinking below the clouds. Before they could try or do anything else, it was out of sight.
They circled around the Invicta for nearly half an hour, using depth probes to try and find the submersible, but to no avail. The other ship was gone, and with it, Jin. Rex was almost…disappointed.
The tiny skirmish over, the Gladio began making its approach to the Invicta, pulling up beside it, the captain turned to Mòrag. "Inquisitor. Have you ever seen something reflect ether charges like that before?"
Mòrag shook her head. "No, I have not seen the likes of it before. Have you or your crew figured out any idea of behind what it could be?"
"Well, from what the damage reports say, when the ether charge hit the Gladio, it had far more power behind the blast than just a single ether charge should," the captain mused. "Already there are several theories, ranging from unknown technologies, Blade abilities and a few absurd ideas." The captain shook his head. "In truth, we were too far away to see what exactly happened."
"I see. "He saw Mòrag put her hand to her chin in thought, and Rex could practically see the gears turning in her head. "On another note, the ship in question didn't seem like it had any Urayan modifications. Do we know how could it go beneath the clouds like that without suffocating the Titan?"
"Well," Rex spoke up, "I don't know about the ether charge stuff, but it probably can go beneath the cloud sea because it's not a Titan based ship."
The crew close by, including Mòrag, turned to him. Some looked surprised he'd spoken up, clearly puzzled. Mòrag seemed to scrutinize his backbone for an uncomfortable moment. "What do you mean?"
Shaking off the uncomfortable stares, he moved to explain. "I saw that ship up close docked in Argentum before. There's no Titan integrated with the ship; it's just a machine. I looked at it myself up close and even asked the dock master about it. If I remember right, Malos called it the Monoceres."
"Note that down." Mòrag told one of the people at one of the stations and then turned back to him. "Let this be a lesson to you and Azurda. If you have vital information like this, do not keep it to yourself. Everything we have that helps us face this will help."
He nodded tersely and beside him, Azurda spoke. "Of course we will, Inquisitor."
She stared at him a moment later before turning back to the captain. "Captain. Ready a boarding crew; I will personally lead them. Hopefully we will find someone left alive to tell the tale."
An alarm blared continuously on the Invicta. Even if at this point it was pointless. None of her crew was left to answer it.
Mòrag's eyes tightened as she led the boarding party and secured the ghost of a ship. White-hot anger simmered below the surface of her skin. There was no one left alive.
This would be the last time. The last time Torna did something like this.
She stepped past another body. And another. And another.
She would make sure of it.
A/N: Karma finally catches up to Tora, Rex feels out of his element, Jin almost has a heart attack and Mòrag continues to remain perfectly calm.
Timeline wise, Rex finally catches up to where Jin was in chapter four. Lora's point of view is still a couple days ahead, but not for too much longer.