(OOG: Sorry this took so long. I was bombarded with essays and tests, not to mention updates and such, so I didn't have time to finish my scenes. ^^ But I'm back!)

"And that's all you have to report?" Cyrene asked quietly. The chain of Sophia's pendant slid through her fingers, depositing it in her lap.

"I am sorry, Your Majesty. This was all we were able to gather on such short notice. The agents in Nisan all disappeared rather abruptly, shortly after this.... traveling monk arrived." The Minister of intelligence bowed to cover his frown. "We've already dispatched others, but it will take time for them to re-organize the network."

"What about the energy deposits?" she asked, tapping her fingers on the arm of her throne. More and more was going wrong lately. Massive energy bursts, the town of Lahan, unusual elemental activity...... She had not seen such events since the Diabolos War. The implications were chilling......

"Nothing solid, I'm afraid. We can only assume it is an Omnigear, but there are no aligned Relics on record...... Whoever it is is very clever with his disguises. Also......"

**Omnigear...... of course. Just our luck, in this weakened state......** Whose was it? Mordon's? Roni's? **Lacan......** It couldn't be Lacan's. Alpha Weltall had never been found! Not only that...... Lacan was dead. She had seen him die...... by her own hand. It may have been an accident...... **May have been? I would have had no hope standing up against him in a real fight.**

But he was dead. Dead!

"...... and the girl disappeared shortly after the disturbance. We managed to locate and identify that energy emission, though we......"

So why did her gut tell her that she was wrong? True, she had not witnessed his last breath, but even the Contact could not survive a direct blow to the heart...... could he?

A name caught her ear, and she brought her attention back to her Minister. "I'm sorry, what was that you just said?"

"Solaris, my Queen. The transport that took the girl was of Solarian origin. The personage accompanying her has not been identified as yet, but we're trying to cut through Solaris security......"

"Don't bother," she said, waving it away. "What makes you think you'll be successful this time? In any case, if she is important enough for Solaris to make a direct appearance, I'm sure we haven't heard the last of the matter." The man appeared dubious, but he didn't oppose her. She sighed and leaned back. "You may go now. I expect a more detailed report next time -- remember."

He bowed out, assuring her he would write up a better report, but she ignored him once he was beyond the curtain.

**This is too much to ignore. They're up to something.** The pendant sparkled in her lap, and she found her eyes drawn to the scorched gold, tracing the edges of it, remembering the woman who had worn it...... **Life is never fair. I hoped for peace, but Solaris is still bent on war. There is no reasoning with them! Mordon is letting his personal feelings interfere with his better judgement, and the people are paying the price......**

It was always the innocent that payed the price. The land dwellers. Their leaders, the symbols of their hope......

If he had loved *her* so much, why was he with Solaris? **Maybe I should taunt him a little. It couldn't hurt, and I think he deserves it!**

Of course, that wouldn't be very diplomatic, now would it? Cyrene felt a cynical smile touch her lips. No, no...... Far be it from *her* to perpetuate this ridiculous grudge, wrongly accused or not. She may have had her part in making relations between Solaris and Shevat - not to mention the surface - what they were today, but she hadn't been the only one involved......!

"Your highness?"

Her fingers froze, nearly dropping the chain again. "Yes, what is it?" She couldn't keep irritation out of her voice.

"You have a call, Highness. Source indeterminate."

It must be one of her spies in Aveh, or a contact in Kislev. Or perhaps one of her new Nisan associates? She rose and tapped three buttons on the arm of her throne. The air before her began to shimmer. "You may go. Tell Communications I will take the call here." The servant bowed and left.

**I hope this is worth saving...** Cyrene thought to herself, activating the recording mechanism. The light blinked green, and she tapped another button. The shimmering holographic motes before her coaleasced into a solid image, and Cyrene had to draw on all of her willpower to resist the urge to recoil from the screen.

"Greetings, Cyrene." A ghostly, contemptuous smile touched Mordon's lips. "It's been awhile."

She narrowed her eyes in anger, though it was more directed at herself than the man projected before her. "You have the nerve to speak to me here? What --!"

"Would you rather I had you brought here to Solaris, *Queen* Cyrene?" His smile faded. "I take as little pleasure in speaking to you as you do me, *old friend*. Less."

"Then why bother with pleasantries?" Cyrene snapped. She reached for her throne, running her fingers along the buttons until she found what she was looking for. "Good bye, Mordon."

The dark-eyed man chuckled. "So quickly, Cyrene? Would you speak the same way if it were Lacan calling on you?" Her hand clenched into a fist. "This is purely business. You do want to protect your city, don't you?"

"I think I can manage well enough without advice from a traitor." She fought to keep her voice even and calm...... but it felt like a losing battle. She did not want to conceal her anger from him! Everything he was doing......!

Rage burned in his eyes, but he kept his equilibrium. "You beat back our last attack by sheer luck. Do you think there will be another disturbance like Lahan to save your hide? You can only run for so long...... And you can never escape Solaris."

Lahan. Another knot formed in her heart. How long had it been? Not long, surely...... but the blast that had destroyed that village...... Even the Solarian units had been distracted by the readouts. The energy levels were worse than what her spies had picked up in Nisan.

**All those people...... And he knew about this. It is just like him......** "We've done it before. Get to the point, Mordon." Even if he hadn't known, the style of the blast, the pattern of the attack...... something about it was so familiar...... **Lacan..... Someone is......**

"A simple surrender is all it will take, dear friend." His voice nearly dripped with sarcasm. "Hand Shevat over to us, and your people will keep their precious lives."

"And if we refuse?" Silly question. She already knew the answer. They had had similar conversations over the years. But with current implications...... **NO! We will take our chances!**

"Shevat is not important enough to spare, in that case."

She smirked. "Shall we talk at the same time next year then, old friend?" It would be the same. If one of them didn't win eventually...... Maybe it just wasn't in their destiny. But whatever the future held for them...... she doubted the war would be ended now. Solaris had no more or less resources than it had any other year since the Diabolos War.

"It isn't going to be the same this time Cyrene. This is your last chance to surrender peacefully -- and it's more than you deserve."

Oh sudden impulse, Cyrene let the chain slip through her fingers, and caught it just before it hit the floor, letting the cross dangle from her fingers, swinging back and forth...... Mordon's eyes focused on the ruined pendant and froze.

"Who are you to decide what my people deserve?" she asked quietly. His eyes flickered, but they remained on the pendant. "You've become what you deplored back then, Mordon. You're no better than any other Solarian!"

"Where did you get that?" He glared at her, but beneath his anger was the old pain she knew...... The kind of pain that didn't fade, the kind that ate away at you every day you kept it inside...... She almost felt guilty for bringing it to the surface.

Almost.

"I can't believe you're doing all of this in her name. Do you think she would have wanted you to slaughter so many innocent people?"

"WHERE did you get that?"

Cyrene smiled again. "It brings unpleasant things to mind, doesn't it?"

"You bitch --"

"Attack if you want, Mordon," she said, cutting him off. "But every time you take an innocent life......" She lifted the cross, letting it dangle before his eyes. "...... remember this. Remember *her*."

The screen flickered out and Cyrene sighed deeply, letting her hand fall.

How soon would Solaris attack? The military was already mobilized and on alert, but the lack of competent gear pilots was appalling. Running, it seemed, was again their only option.

Was taunting Mordon really worth all the pain that would be caused by the escalation of the war? **Better than surrendering,** she reminded herself. She would as soon ally herself with Solaris as surrender to them!

**Why do you even bother, Mordon? Why?**

She sank into her throne, letting the pendant fall into her lap again. She had taken to looking at the thing quite often lately, for some reason. She felt compelled, somehow...... like the woman's spirit was calling to her. If only it could give answers, like its owner had......

So long ago......