(OOC: Co-written with Colin... I think I butchered the characters. ^^ Especially Irina - I'm SO sorry about that. I really have to work on these particular personas again... Also, we did our best to make this fit in with Arcana's most recent post - I hope there aren't any major inconsistencies.)

"Sir, everything seems to be moving accordingly. We should reach the desert base by tonight with this base." A soldier spoke over his intercom.

"Good, then all is proceeding well. Soon, the glory of Solaris will once again be restored upon these pitiful -Lambs-. At any rate, let us continue at this pace." The commander replied before clicking off his intercom.

But right as he did so, a panic-stricken soldier bursted onto the intercom, "Sir! Sir! I've detected something on the radar, and it's coming quick. It looks like an Element class gear and-AAAAAHHH!!!" and all that was left was static.

"What in Blazes is going on out there?" he turned on his visual scanners and saw nothing, but his radar began going haywire. Squinting his eyes, he saw what that young soldier was trying to warn him of.

Heading straight for the large platoon of white knights and trailer trucks full of armaments were hundreds of diamond-shaped missiles, "AERODS?!?!? Everyone braces yourselves!?!"

The wave of aerods connected with various white knights, exploding on contact. Bits of shrapnel scattered everywhere as a lavender and white gear with wings sped towards the platoon.

Taking out her sword, Epiphany came upon one white knight and cut right through with her blazing, ether-charged sword. The white knight split in two before exploding, killing its pilot in the process. Epiphany's eyes glowed dimly before she set out again and slashed another white knight to pieces.

"Attack! Return fire!!!" cried the commander, just before his gear was decimated by an ether blast.

White knights pulled out their guns and swords and began swinging and shooting at the gear. Epiphany weaved in and out of the platoon gracefully, avoiding almost all the fire save a few bullets that did little harm to her new armor.

While moving in and out of the platoon, Epiphany slashed and demolished gears and trailer trucks, causing more explosions. Smoke and flames rose up into the sky as she continued her assault relentlessly.

More White Knights came for her with their swords, but with an ether-charged blade, she swiped at them. From the sword, a wave of hot light sliced through their numbers like paper.

Epiphany then flew up into the air, putting her sword away. She stopped and turned ehr attention to the rest of the platoon. Sticking her hands out in front of her, a ball of ether formed. She then released it upon the rest of the platoon. The ball hit the center of the scattered gears, trucks, and soldiers and more waves of energy rippled outward, destroying the rest of the platoon.

Alys breathed in heavily as Epiphany landed gracefully upon the desert sand, "Damn, I need to better control my ether. I really over did it that time." she spoke between breaths. "At least it wasn't like the other two platoons. I guess i didn't give these guys enough time to ask for my confirmation code. At any rate, I can't let Solaris catch on to me! I shouldn't be too far from Bledavik, but these platoons have been slowing me down.

"I wonder why there are so many anyway? Something big must be happening. Doesn't matter, I'll deal with it after I rescue Elly and-" suddenly a green light beeped on the controls. Alys switched on her visual, where a message displayed itself.

"I wonder what this is..." she whispered to herself.

Lieutenant Alyson Van Treymond,
Your dilemma has come to our attention, and I thought it only courteous to render the necessary aid at this critical moment. Two Element-class soldiers have been dispatched to your anticipated location; they have been ordered to work under your command, and will aid you until such time as your party and the young woman you intend to rescue are safely away from the city.

Your reinforcements will report to you upon arrival - their identicards will confirm their purpose; from that point, the Element Commander [Victoria Seliny] and a Special Forces agent by the name [Irina] will do every- thing in their power to preserve the success of your mission. Good luck and Godspeed.

- Solaris Command Council
08-18-498 #7655910-448

She qickly shut off the message after reading it, "That's Commander Davin's recognition number, but how did he know? Captain Senka couldn't have told him, because I never told Senka. So how does he know what I'm doing?" Davin was one of her father's old war buddies and long time friend, so she knew he could be trusted but still...

"And Ms. Victoria is coming along, too? What exactly is going on? Maybe Josh or Julian told them...I did send a letter to them telling what was going on. They're the only ones I can trust..."

Her rest was over, and she powered Epiphany back up. She might as well meet with these two. It'd be a shame to waist good help, and if they try to betray her, well....depending on how much of herself she let go there might be one less element among the Gebler ranks. Alys kicked herself for that last thought, she didn't plan on killing anybody and she hoped the casualties would only be a few.

Her destination was Bledavik so the two officers must be there. Firing up her boosters, Epiphany raced towards Bledavik.

Victoria leaned against the plaster window sill, staring listlessly out the window with her head dipped low, to avoid meeting anyone's eyes. It was starting to get dark outside... and damn the Lambs, they hadn't figured out how to set up proper street lighting yet. The dim smoke that served as illumination outside was only making her job harder.

This... was... ridiculous. /Damn/ High Command, /Damn/ Myaru... Especially Myaru...

Was Fate determined to keep her from helping Shaina? Was there a curse upon her head, cast by some hapless desert shaman that had taken some slight or other from Solaris? It certainly seemed like it -- because here she was, lounging around in an inn on the /surface/, stuck in the desert heat with Myaru's pet Element-in-training.

Irina wasn't such bad company - she could admit that. At least the girl didn't talk back much. But even still... She was /here/, looking for a girl of no importance, when she could have been out searching for her friend, /finding/ her friend...

"Vic-tori-a..." A hand tugged at her sleeve.

A rough, oddly-colored canvas sleeve, of the type common to Aveh citizens this time of year. Victoria grimaced and turned her head to regard her companion, trying hard not to think about it. She didn't like to be so snobbish, but /really/... "What is it? We have to keep our eyes on the crowd..."

She turned back to the window to resume her search, but Irina tugged at her sleeve again and asked, simply, "What we look for again?"

It was broken Solarian, but far easier on her ears than the convoluted language Aveh had given rise to. "Alyson Treymond." She reached into a pocket and rooted around for a few seconds. "Here..." Victoria pulled the photo out and held it out in her companion's general direction. It wouldn't do to miss their contact just because she looked away for a few seconds...

Gods, where was Shaina? This desert was horrible, surface or not; she remembered well enough from her childhood that not many could survive the rigors of that environment for long... and her friend was out there without any options, no resupply stations... not even any shelter. Only sun, and sand, and wind... and storms that could bury Solaris in those endless dunes of sand...

"That... it?"

Victoria blinked and swallowed, teeth clenched for a moment as she strived to push her thoughts to the back of her mind. "What?"

"That... Her...?" Irina pointed, her slender, tanned finger pressing against the wavy glass panes of the window.

Victoria straightened and followed the girl's line of vision, searching through the crowns and the ever-deepening twilight for a flash of green, or anything that might have alerted Irina...

...There. Just coming up between to shrouded market stalls, illuminated briefly by smoky torch-light... a head of green hair bobbing through the clouds slowly, almost aimlessly. Victoria grabbed Irina's arm and strode across the foyer to the door, eyes riveted to that shining color every time a window broke the wall and allowed her a view of the square.

"That /is/ her..."

Irina shrugged out of her grip, tugging at the neck of her own robe. "We talk her? Vic?"

Victoria spared her a quick, surprised glance before turning her eyes back to the girl again. She could be seen clearly now - that emerald-green hair was impossible to miss, and the rather shoddy attempt at a disguise - in her opinion, anyway - stood out from the crowd immediately.

"Myaru say we... help Alyson." She leaned over to peer into Victoria's face, and when she didn't respond, seemed to take it as some sort of permission. "I go talk..."

Victoria blinked a moment as the Irina passed, before snapping to her senses again and grabbing the girl's sleeve. "Wait! Not yet." She pulled the girl back and turned her eyes to Alyson again. "Wait until she gets a litle closer... then we can talk to her. If we go now, it'll draw too much attention."

Whether the girl responded or not was beyond her - Victoria's attention was on the Alyson's approaching figure. Almost...

She looked almost like Elanore, in a way. She had the same long, flowing hair, and the smae general stride... They'd been roommates at Jugend, she knew... but that didn't quite account for that habit of walking. Or those earrings of hers... The two had the same posture, and the same look in their eyes - as if they were cut from the same mold, or custom... Something not Solarian.

That was impossible, of course; both girls were Gazel born. But that didn't dispel that subtle sense of... something...

"Close enough," she said softly, beckoning for Irina to follow her out the door. Time to meet up with Ms. Treymond...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are... are you sure of this?" Alyson shifted somewhat uncomfortably, but she didn't protest. "It's kind of direct... Won't we be caught?"

Victoria tapped her glass, leaning back in the room's only chair. For the money she'd paid for the room, she had expected somewhat better accomodations... but at least they were out of sight. And with Alyson's distinctive... look, it was much better that way. No need to draw Kislev to their little meeting, nor Shevat's nosy spies...

"I'm never sure... that's the way war works. However..." She shrugged, eyeing the girl over the lip of her glass as she took a sip. "I think we have a good chance. Better, if we have help. By the time we start our attack, Kislev will be too busy trying to save their collective behind to interfere with one prisoner." Another shrug. "Theoretially..."

She glanced at Irina, and breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was easily distractable... She had no idea what the book was about, but her companion seemed to find it interesting.

"But the compound must have a defense grid of some sort. I can take it out, but if Elly--"

Victoria waved the protest away before it was half-formed. "Don't worry about it. That, I think we might be able to take care of another way... And you ahve to remember that if we want to get her out, you're going to have to stop throwing ether around so much. I felt you coming before you were within five miles of Bledavik, Ms. Treymond... If Kislev has anyone with a high ether rating..."

The girl nodded, falling silent as if in thought. "Well... how do you think we can deactivate the defense grid, then? I don't think we can get /in/ there and still be able to surprise them with our gears."

Victoria nodded to Irina, sipping at her water. She didn't know this girl very well... It was difficult to gauge her reactions - she was guarding something very closely... "If needed, Irina can run interference on her own. I doubt Kislev /or/ Aveh can muster the kind of energy cannon they need to harm her gear.

"And in the other case..." She tilted her head, regarding Alys with a slanted gaze. "Well, that's what we're going to work on tomorrow..."

Alys jumped in, leaning foward. "She must have friends... That's what you're saying, isn't it? That we get their help too? I'm sure we can find someone - Elly always has /someone/ around her..."

Victoria nodded, setting her empty glass on the table. This Athena person the girl wanted to rescue... By Myaru's reports - at least the woman was good for /something/ - she was quite an important figure; a war hero, or something along those lines.

She shook her head slightly, eyes moving from Alys to the glittering edge of her glass, and then to Irina, still bent over the book. Heroic, reportedly kind-hearted in deed if not words... This Athena was a mirror image of Elanore in many ways. They even looked alike... went by the same nickname...

It was too much to be coincidence. Something was up with this -- something to do with Myaru, she'd wager - and they had all just been dragged into the middle of it. Alys didn't appear to be aware that this was not the Elly she remembered from school, either... Not a surprise, as she had likely not been able to gather much information about the situation here /or/ the prisoner.

This would be a very interesting rescue...

"Yes, that's right..." Victorian returned her attention to Alys, and tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. "If we can contact these friends of hers, it could make things a great deal easier for all of us. We have a lot to offer them -- force, distraction... and a safe haven, as well... or rather, an easy way to get there.

"By the time we break Elly out of the prison," she continued, raising a hand to head off the question she could see forming in Alys's eyes, "Kislev and Aveh will be too busy fighting for their lives to bother with us. And with Solaris in control of the territory from the western radar border to Nisan... We could easily smuggle them across and seek refuge with the city-state until everything cools down. That's more than they'll get on their own. Gebler isn't going to allow /anything/ without a Solarian signature out of Bledavik territory."

It didn't look as if Alys was going to protest... Something to be grateful for, at least. Certainly she had been sent here to be under /Alys's/ command... but in a situation like this, it was best to take advantage of what experience she had. Her new, rather reluctant comanion hadn't been pleased at first, but hopefully she would cooperate for now.

Besides, she had no doubt Myaru had arranged things that way on purpose... to spite her one last time for that comment about Lord Ariath...

"Tomorrow, I want you to search out a few potential 'friends'. Myaru provided me with information on Elly's companions, and I suspect they'll respond more favorably to you... I'll give you the papers later... Act as if you're on your own, and we'll enter later, if possible. Irina and I are really just battle support - rescuing Elly is going to be up to you. And if these 'friends' object... well, we want to see her free as well. But we can always withdraw."

"How can you be sure...? They won't believe me!" Alys twisted her hands together for a moment, then brushed her hari out of her eyes. "I wasn't trained for..."

"Doesn't matter. Consider it a test, if that will help you -- if you want to take Shaina's place in the future, you're going to have to be able to speak for yourself, Ms. Treymond. As Head of Intelligence, they will expect far more of you than I do now."

"I know..."

This was going to be a stretch; Victoria could see it quite clearly. A new recruit, unruly, mistrustful Kislev soldiers... and an unknown. She had no idea how Athena would react to their presence, /or/ the escape. If she was anything like Elanore, she might even insist on /staying/...

Well, enough of that... That bridge would be crossed then, not now. There wasn't any point in trying to plan for Athena's reactions when she knew nothing about her.

Victoria sighed and let her head fall back against the chair back, eyes sliding half-closed against the misty, honeyed light of the lamp. Gods, how she missed Solaris...

And only the gods knew how she was going to make Myaru pay for this...

(Summary: Alys blasts through several platoons of Gebler troops on her way to the capital, and receives the private message from Myaru. Later, Victoria and Irina meet her in the northern square, and discuss their strategy for freeing "Elly".)