It had been a few days since their escape. The rush of fleeing and placing price tags on their heads having long since dwindled, they and the little more than a hundred aboard the Nyx were settling into their new lifestyles.
Food and water would be rationed, the Nyx would be camouflaged and powered down to avoid detection by air or electronics, and watches would be posted throughout the day.
Caelum returned yet again with the last of the supplies from one of his storage depots. While he used his semblance to transport a vast amount of small arms ammo for his and their personal use as well as personal effects, his teammates were amazed at the extent and quantity of these supply stations he had plastered across the continent especially so far from Vale.
Despite his teammates being quiet aside from thanks for the maintenance parts and ammo for their weapons, Caelum could see the questioning glances and worry on their faces. It was only obvious they had more questions than ever after taking a leap of faith and joining him. Practically by force no less.
After another long day of organization, scouting, and growing acquainted with his new crew, albeit to ensure he had no traitors amongst them, Caelum sat his team down in his private quarters. With more room than they knew to do with, each teammate had a room to themselves although the dorm life they lived and the nightmarish experience only a week ago left them awake and not wishing to be alone for long.
The four boys sat in comfortable seats, something Caelum had personally brought himself despite having declared the ship's focused priority was its retrofits not comforts. With them relaxing and curious, he leaned forward with a sigh.
"You've followed me this far, and time and again I offered you all outs. You've not snubbed or betrayed me and only sunk further in with me. I suppose now, with all that's happened, It's time I tell you everything."
Surprise struck his three teammates. They seemed speechless but of course, they found something to say anyway.
"Are you ill?" asked Raiden semi-seriously.
Caelum frowned as Lukas and Niel added to the perceived taunt.
"We never thought you'd do so willingly" shrugged Niel in disbelief.
Lukas nodded with a finger on his chin. "Are you sure? I mean, the mystery was your whole thing. Do you really want to throw away your only appeal?"
Caelum's eyes narrowed as his expression remained neutral. "I wonder if I can collect a bounty for turning you three in."
Chuckles and apologies were exchanged as they ushered him to continue, this time unabated by their usual banter.
"First let me preface with what I know of the Wendigo."
The cheery atmosphere dimmed slightly as anticipation crossed his teammate's faces.
"To be honest it's as I've told you in Eclipsis. I hardly know anything aside from my first experience. It was on a routine mission where I and the team I was assigned to, were sent to the northeastern reaches of Atlas territory. To a town called Borealis."
Caelum briefly regaled them of the experience. The similar situations, effects, symptoms, and grizzly sights. The attempted betrayal of his commanding NCO and the bone-chilling sight he had narrowly escaped.
As Raiden and Niel were caught up in reliving their own experience, imagining what Caelum had described, Lukas raised his hands in protest. "Woah, woah, woah. What's all this about missions and teams in Atlas? I figured you were some upper-class army brat but are you telling me you got in on some nepotism for an early officer's commission or something?"
"Then why would his first sergeant try to shoot him?" asked Niel curiously.
"Perhaps the madness?" suggested Raiden. "It seemed prevalent and potent for everyone."
Caelum cleared his throat. "I'll get to that if you'd let me speak. Or I can just keep you all in the dark while you deliberate." Raiden pursed his lips as Niel raised his hands in defense. Lukas mimed locking his lips and tossing a key away as Caelum nodded and continued.
"My circumstances or assignments were not anything so fortunate. However, I suppose the causation is rather grand. To explain, I'd have to go back to the start. You're all acquainted with the great war and ensuing color revolutions of course."
His teammates nodded in silence as eyebrows raised and curiosity piqued.
"Well, then you'll know that the official narrative, that of the prevailing kingdoms of Vale and Vacuo, declared it as a time of violence, oppression, and totalitarianism."
His teammates nodded, unsure where he was going with it all.
"Well, for the sake of brevity and sanity, I won't argue any of that but my family is of notable lineage within Mantle." His voice suddenly took a tone of spite, "We were nobles under the Mantlean empire. My family took part in many historic campaigns and suppression of conquered lands. But when the war went south, figuratively and literally, when things fell apart, someone had to take the blame. Once close allies, blood ties, nobles, and comrades alike, all turned on each other to avoid executions or harsh punishments when occupation came."
Caelum sighed as his head dropped a bit and his teammates exchanged awestruck glances at each other.
Running a hand through his hair, Caelum straightened himself and continued. "My family remained in the capital, those who did not perish in war knew that there would need to be someone to take leadership afterward to rebuild. Unfortunately, once the occupation ended, the old heads of government were fully replaced with the new Atlas. Nobles like us were replaced by financiers and foreign investors regarding clout and influence, much like the Schnees today. Simply put they had no need for us. The adult men were tried, executed, or imprisoned for life. Then they turned to the women and children"
Another look of anger crossed Caelum as he tempered his tone. "Having focused the blame for war on Mantlean culture and a few dozen notable families, they wanted our bloodlines erased. However, Mantle needed warriors and with a limit on its military and the world now weary from war, they gave the men a bargain. They and their families live in exchange for generational lives of servitude to the state."
Caelum snickered bitterly. "Not much of a deal huh? My great-grandfather himself would've preferred death and loathed the thought of even proverbial chains on his descendants. But when faced with his wife and children's lives, who could blame him?"
A sigh escaped Caelum as he leaned back. "So that was it, generational servitude. My great-grandfather lived serving Mantle and died dishonorably as Atlas' slave. My grandfather born into a prosperous nation, was forced to take his father's place immediately upon his death. He spent his life doing work out of sight for the government in those trying decades. Then-"
"Your dad too?" asked Raiden incredulously.
Caelum gave a grin filled with sorrow and shook his head. "My mother was an only child. She was trained, destined to take his place upon his death no matter how early then my father came about. A 'ruffian' at the time as she called him. He caught a glimpse of her in our manor."
"You have a manor?!" asked Lukas, interrupting the story in his surprise.
"At the top of Mantle. We were able to keep our properties with state supervision" explained Caelum rolling his eyes. "Back to my parents, it was a typical Romeo and Juliet, Princess and Pauper, however, you want to cut it. Well as my grandfather began slipping in age, my mother attempted to take the title of Matriarch preemptively so he'd live longer. Some drama ensued with my father and he wormed his way into marrying my mother at seventeen."
"Seventeen?!" exclaimed Lukas.
"We're seventeen" stated Raiden in disbelief.
"Is it that strange?" asked Niel, his tribe's customs being no different.
Caelum snickered as he continued. "They had me in the same year. As well." while his teammates were shocked at the revelation and deduced his parents were less than twice his age, he wrapped up his tale.
"My father took the mantle from my grandfather and gave him just enough time to see all six of his grandchildren. My grandmother followed him soon after."
"Six?! Was your father trying to build an army?!" asked Lukas leaning forward in his chair with exasperation.
Caelum raised a finger, begging for silence in growing frustration as he moved on. My father continued carrying the burden till I was thirteen and he suffered an injury that nearly cost his life. My mother, having grown somewhat fragile in recent years, was persuaded by my father and I to not take the responsibility. So, with fair warning from my father, took it. And rightly so, suffered the same abuse and harassment as my forefathers."
The once boiling rage he held now simmered at the recollection of his family. Despite a past he had not only heard of yet experienced the repercussions of firsthand, the memories of his family tamed him. It left a remarkable impression on the three who saw a new perspective of their leader.
"Now as for the battleship" added Caelum.
"Was wondering about that ya know" snided Lukas.
"Somewhat pressing topic" agreed Raiden drumming his fingers against his lap.
Waving a dismissive hand Caelum continued. "My great grandfather had immense influence and contacts in the empire, my grandfather rebuilt those, and my father maintained them to this day as I went out, drawing the kingdom of Atlas' eyes with me, doing both their dirty work and my families."
"...what're you getting at?" asked Lukas suspiciously.
"This ship, my ammo caches and resources across remnant, our contacts, all of it, is for a coup d'état against Atlas."
Silence engulfed the room as a dreadfully serious atmosphere welled within.
Almost as if glossing over what he had said, Caelum continued by justifying his bold declaration. "This is the first any outsider has heard of these plans. But then again you all are no longer outsiders. My family's participation in the war and concurrent service is seen as an embarrassment to Atlas and a sin. Our generational service is a convenient tool for them while being able to dispose of us as they wish. At the moment there are some in government who protest the wishes of others to eradicate those of us with noble lineage and remain but they can't prevent what is inevitable. Eventually, they'll push through a call for me and my family's heads."
Lukas was deathly quiet as Raiden and Niel cautiously looked at each other. Niel spoke up first. "Your siblings… they are all younger than you, yes? Would Atlas go so far as to-"
Caelum nodded. The radicals want no recollection of Mantles' past. Even the youngest 'old blood' is wanted gone by those cloud chasers. My great-grandfather was perhaps the first to think of death and ending the family name would have been appropriate and certainly wasn't the last. My father seeks freedom for his family but me, I'm indifferent to my fate so long as they continue the Hyalus name and we aren't lost to history."
Suddenly Lukas stood up and threw his hands into the air as he began fervently pacing, his expensive shoes clacking against the bridge's steel deck. "Great! I can handle not knowing what exactly that thing in Eclipsis was. I'm no stranger to being on the run or causing trouble or even being falsely accused!"
"Lukas" Said Niel, trying to calm his teammate to no avail as he went ignored.
"But they weren't false accusations?! That's the biggest twist here ain't it? We're fugitives on the run because we're with the head of a fucking coup d'état!"
Caelum interjected a correction to this statement. "My father and several co-conspirators actually are-"
"Dont get smart with me!" shouted Lukas. Dammit! I thought we were in the right! That we were doing something with a purpose!"
"I- We are" assured Caelum. "If my explanation is not sufficient then you may leave. You of all present have the leniency to do so with your family's resources."
Lukas crashed into his chair and threw his head down. Flicking a wrist up he turned an eye to Caelum. "You saying you dont need me now that you have my father as a contact?"
"I will let you infer what you will, seeing as you are currently… emotionally volatile" nodded Caelum.
"God I hate the way you talk" groaned Lukas. "I'm not trying to make this about me, I swear. I sympathize with you, even empathize to a point but it's just. I thought I had made a change. That I was finally doing things as both my parents wanted. Now I'm even in conspiratorial plots and treason."
"I had assumed you knew when you warned me of how things won't end simply for me. That I'd eventually end up swinging.
"No one," hissed Lukas, "Could have expected the broody seventeen-year-old student of a huntsmen academy would be plotting to overthrow the largest and most industrialized nation on Remnant for an eighty-year-old grudge."
Silence consumed the bridge momentarily. It was Niel who broke the awkward silence. "Well, when you put it that way, I guess so. But do we really find it strange for Caelum?"
Lukas glanced at his partner before shaking his head. A small snicker of disbelief ensued. "No. No, I don't" He sat upright and slunk back into his seat as he let a heavy breath out. "So no moral high ground to speak of. Aside from this ship, what have we got? And do your best to convince me not to take a bullhead out of here" he joked.
Caelum nodded a brief thanks at his decision to stay before listing off what few things were in their favor. "Even without that snake Roman, we have obtained a means of contact with your father. Once we find a nearby settlement we can begin setting up supply lines to continue our retrofit in secrecy and sustain ourselves."
"Then what?" asked Lukas with a raised brow. "That'll get us by for now but once the Vytal festival is over, we'll be hunted down. Judging by Ironwood's disdain for you and your aforementioned family, he won't hold anything in reserve while he scours remnant for you."
Caelum nodded solemnly. Bringing his fingers together he stared down at his joined hands in thought. "It's early, too early, but I intend to make a move before then. Currently, our allies within are laying low and we are building our strength, even as we speak. We will grow. I can confidently say that much. When that time comes, for me to strike Atlas, it will be your last opportunity to leave my side. I intend to war with the nation of Atlas. I do not expect any of you to put yourselves or your families in further danger for my goals. There will be risk. Death and killing. I won't put that on any of you. "
Lukas' grip on his seat tightened, the audible sound of his fingers curling reaching all ears. "I suppose you have more details of our immediate situation at least?"
"I do, but I won't bore you until everything is finalized with the crew, scouts, and communications teams. You're all free to do as you wish so please take some rest. It has only been two days since we fled and four since the Wendigo after all."
Lukas left without a word or any hesitation. Niel was quick to follow him as he turned with a hushed tone and apologetic look. "He's just stressed Caelum-"
"You bet your ass I am!" shouted Lukas from the hall, causing Niel to wince and lower his voice again. "He's is just as loyal as I. We will speak with the crew and check on their welfare while he unwinds."
"Thank you" nodded Caelum as he watched Niel leave. As the bulkhead closed and silence came, he swiveled his chair to look at Raiden.
Raiden returned an innocent look. "What? I am not leaving this ship after the work I put into it."
Caelum snickered lightly. "What about your family? Are you not worried they'll suffer the same as mine?"
Raidens mood doured slightly as he contemplated it. "I doubt that Vale will do anything about them considering how valuable an asset they are to the kingdoms. Worst case, I'm disowned. But after hearing your family history, the goals of my leader, and the one who saved my life, I feel obligated to see this through."
Caelum's expression shifted, he was surprised. "Even if it means betraying the nation you idolize? The status quo of the world your peers wish to preserve? Death? If you're hung, shot, executed in some form if not killed by the end of this?"
Raiden hesitated, the weight of Caelum's words bearing down as always. Slowly he raised a cautious look at his friend. "Are you?"
"I'll drown in a sea of cloud chaser blood before they take me prisoner" answered Caelum firmly.
Raiden gave an awkward grin and chuckled as he adjusted his glasses. "Then the safest place for me would probably be with you on my battleship."
Caelum raised an eyebrow. "Yours?"
"Don't ruin this for me" chuckled Raiden as Caelum conceded, turning in his chair and concealing a soft smile.
-Chapter End-