Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Mama.”

Kahli groaned and turned over.

“Mama.”

“Shush, child.”

“Mama!”

She turned over again and pulled the blanket over her shoulder.

“Dada?”

“No,” Arlo’s voice came from beside her.

“Dada,” Mason whined.

“I don’t exist.”

“Dada!”

“Remember when you said we should have another?” Kahli muttered from under the blankets.

“Remember when you said we were going to let Sam have him?” Arlo retorted sleepily. He opened his eyes, jumping when he saw his child just inches from his face.

Mason giggled and placed his hand on Arlo’s forehead. “Up!”

Arlo sighed. “Why can’t I have one morning to sleep in?”

“Because you wanted a child.”

“Daddy,” Mason whined.

“Your child is starving to death,” Kahli said.

“Pancakes!”

“Your child,” Arlo rebutted. 

“You owe me.”

“What do I owe you for?”

“Remember when I carried him for nine months?” she said.

“That was three years ago!”

“I get to use that excuse for the next fifteen years.”

“This feels really unfair,” Arlo said. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. “You only get to use that excuse because you’re a woman.”

“When men can have babies, you can use that excuse all you want.”

“My day off isn’t a good enough excuse?”

“You’re the leader of the Portian Civil Corps,” Kahli said. “You never get a day off.”

“Which is why I deserve to sleep in today.”

Kahli sat upright suddenly. Her hair fell over her eyes and she glared at Arlo.

“That doesn’t work with me anymore,” he said. “You don’t scare me.”

Kahli sighed heavily. She pulled her hair behind her and up into a messy bun. She climbed over Arlo, making it a point to be as obnoxious as possible, and out of the bed. She picked up her son.

“Listen,” she said to Mason. “We had an agreement. Before the sun comes up, you bother Daddy.”

Mason pointed to the window. “Sun’s up, Mama.”

Kahli glanced at the window. Arlo snickered, and her heart sank. “Dammit,” she whispered.

“Pancakes!” Mason cheered.

Kahli sighed and set him back on the floor. “Certainly, your highness,” she said.

“I love you,” Arlo sang as he pulled the blankets over his head.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kahli muttered. “You work so hard, I guess you deserve this.”

“I’m so glad you understand,” Arlo’s voice came from under the blankets.

Kahli blew a stray strand of hair out of her face. “Let’s go, kiddo,” she said to Mason, taking his hand. “It’s pancake time!”

She guided her son down the stairs and into the kitchen, setting him on the counter as she set to work on his breakfast. He helped her crack some eggs - fresh from the morning before which he happily took from the chickens - and when the pancakes were done, she sat him at the table, cutting them into tiny bits for him to eat.

She sat beside him, watching him as she sipped her coffee. It felt like hours had passed as he picked the pieces one by one, carefully plopping them in his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, then drank his milk. He gave a satisfied “ah” and the process resumed. Kahli smiled, then looked up as Arlo rounded the corner. He sat across from her with a grunt, staring sleepy eyed at the table.

“Coffee?” Kahli offered.

“Meh.”

“Pancake?” Mason offered him a piece of his breakfast, drenched in syrup.

“Carbs,” Arlo said.

Mason raised a questioning brow. “Huh?”

“Seriously?” Kahli said over her shoulder. “You didn’t care about carbs when you wolfed down your stupid spicy pasta last night.”

“You’re stupid spicy pasta,” Arlo retorted childishly.

Kahli laughed and set a mug down in front of him. “I thought you were the morning person?”

“I am when I get a decent night’s sleep.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have been up all night betting with Sam and Remi,” Kahli pointed out.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Right,” Kahli said.

At that moment, the door opened unexpectedly, and Sam stood in the doorway.

“Aunty Sam!” Mason cheered.

“Yes, please come in,” Kahli said dryly.

Arlo stared at Sam. When Remington appeared over her shoulder, his gaze narrowed. “I told you it was a draw!”

Sam grinned. “What a sore loser,” she said as they stepped inside. “And put some damn clothes on!”

Arlo looked down at his bare chest and boxers. “This is my house!”

“Anyway.” Sam helped herself to the coffee in her kitchen, then sat beside Arlo.

“I’m uncomfortable,” he muttered.

“Like I haven’t seen you in boxers before.” Sam rolled her eyes.

Kahli’s gaze narrowed on her. “That’s weird.”

“Remi, too,” Sam said casually.

Remington frowned. “When I’m taking a shower, I don’t need to know about damn bandirats.”

“Of course you do,” Sam said. “That’s kind of our job.”

“Speaking of job,” Remington said.

Arlo shook his head. “No thank you. It’s my day off.”

“You don’t get a day off,” Sam pointed out.

Kahli grinned. “Hm. This conversation sounds familiar.”

“Mali is coming back,” Remington said.

Arlo’s brows furrowed and he met his gaze. “Mali? Why?”

“Dunno,” Sam said. “Her message was very vague.”

“It doesn’t sound like a casual visit,” Remington said.

“Duvos?” Arlo asked.

“Done!”

Kahli looked at Mason. She forced a smile. “Nice, bro.”

“Can I go play?”

Kahli lifted him from his chair and placed him on the floor. “Sure.”

Mason hurried into the other room, leaving the adults alone.

“When will she be here?” Arlo asked.

“Tomorrow,” Sam said. She grinned at Kahli. “Can I play, too?”

Kahli frowned. “This couldn’t have waited until later?”

“It could have,” Remington said.

“I thought Arlo should know as soon as we found out,” Sam said. She straightened and saluted him dramatically. “Just doing my due diligence as a member of the Civil Corps, sir!”

“Stop that,” Arlo hissed.

“So, what does this mean?” Kahli pressed nervously.

“Won’t know until she gets here,” Remington said.

“Won’t risk her messages getting intercepted again,” Sam said. “Especially with Everglade and that Rogue Knight still at large.”

To Kahli’s dismay, the door opened once more, and Sonia stepped over the threshold mid-conversation with Emily, Albert Junior in her arms. Her sentence was cut short, however, as she turned her gaze to Sam and Remington, then to Arlo and Kahli.

“Hey, Arlo,” she sang, and she winked. “Looking good.”

Arlo sneered at her.

“Since when did we have an open door policy?” Kahli muttered.

Sonia put her son on the ground and pushed him forward. “We had a playdate, remember?”

“Alby!” Mason ran toward his friend and hugged him happily.

“I’m here for the playdate, too,” Emily said.

“Me, too!” Sam added.

“You’re on duty,” Arlo reminded her.

“Dammit,” Sam muttered. She finished her coffee, then stood. “Alright, Cap’n. Remi and I are outta here.” She bent down and patted Mason on the head. “Have fun, kiddo!”

Sam and Remington left, and Arlo stood with a sigh. “I should have stayed in bed.”

Kahli nodded.

“Aw, are you leaving?” Sonia said.

“Forever,” Arlo said as he left the women alone.

“You gonna put pants on today, too?” Emily asked Kahli.

Kahli looked down at her bare thighs, her t-shirt just barely covering her, and she shrugged. “Too sexy?”

Emily snorted. “Is this what counts as sexy for you two, now?”

“Please don’t tell me you’re at that point already,” Sonia said.

“Comfortable and happy?” Kahli said, raising a brow.

“They’ve stopped trying.” Sonia shook her head.

“I can be sexy!”

“Are you wearing a thong?” Sonia asked.

“No.”

“A garter?”

Kahli stared at her, unamused.

“Underwear that isn’t old and plain?”

Kahli hesitated.

“Oh no,” Emily whispered. “They’re… a married couple!”

“You guys will get there, too,” Kahli pointed out, narrowing her gaze on Sonia.

Sonia rolled her eyes. “No way in hell,” she said.

Kahli sighed and turned her back to them. “I’m getting dressed.”

She left the two women alone and hurried up the stairs where she nearly bumped into Arlo. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her, pressing her lips forcefully against him. After a moment, Arlo pulled back and grinned.

“Uh, now?”

“I’m sexy, right?”

Arlo blinked at her. “What?”

“Have we settled?”

“I… what?”

“We’re so pathetic!” Kahli whined. She fell against him dramatically.

“I… tell me what I did wrong.”

“We used to be so young and in love and adorable,” Kahli muttered into his chest.

“We’re… not?”

“We’re old, married parents!” She groaned loudly. She pushed herself off of him and stepped around him. “We might as well just die now. There’s nothing left for us. All the fun and excitement is over.”

“You’re too young to be having a midlife crisis,” Arlo said.

“I’m in my thirties!”

“You’re twenty-nine,” he reminded her. “I’m in my thirties.”

She sat on the edge of the bed and frowned. “Do you still love me?”

Arlo smiled. “Of course.”

Her head tilted to the side. “Do you still like me?”

“Most days.”

“I still got it, right?”

“Definitely.”

“I’m cute?”

“Mhm.”

“And sexy?”

“Duh.”

“Do you still want to be married to me?”

“Oh, Light, what has gotten into you?”

“Tell me!”

Arlo sighed. He got down on one knee in front of her and took her hand. “Kahli, Darling, I still want to be married to you. Do you accept my proposal to stay married?”

A smile pulled at her lips. “Aw, you’re just too cute. Yes, I accept!”

Arlo pushed her back on the bed and kissed her deeply. He slipped his hands under her t-shirt, his fingers tracing against her bare, smooth curves, and she shuttered.

“Your kid is demanding pancakes and got syrup all over his damn face.”

Arlo groaned loudly. He rolled off of Kahli and flopped onto the bed as Kahli straightened and met Sonia’s gaze at the door.

“Don’t you people knock!”

Sonia grinned. “Stop fucking and pay attention to your kid!”

“You’re right there!” Kahli barked at her. “For the love of - why can’t I just have two minutes!”

Arlo glanced at her. “Fifteen?”

Kahli met his gaze. “Fifteen? Really?”

“Hey! You’re not horny teenagers anymore!” Sonia snapped her fingers in the air. “Get off of her and be a parent!”

“Jeez, Sonia, let them have fifteen,” Emily said as she stepped into the room. She had a naked Mason in her arms, and he was covered in syrup.

“This fucking town,” Kahli muttered. “Is so fucking dysfunctional!”

“Children!” Sonia hissed.

“I’m giving this weird kid of yours a bath,” Emily said. “You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

Sonia winked at them, then followed Emily out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Arlo glanced at Kahli. “What can we do in fifteen minutes?”

“Take a nap?”

Chapter Text

“We really need to go all out this year,” Sonia said. “I mean, we’re talking about the big three-oh!”

Kahli stared unamused at her. “I’d rather die.”

“Damn,” Emily said. “Someone is bitter about turning thirty.”

Kahli sighed. “I wasn’t until somebody had to remind me that I’m a boring old mom with nothing left to live for.”

“I didn’t say that,” Sonia said. “I merely suggested that you’ve turned into an old married couple. Gotta keep that spark alive!”

“There’s spark,” Kahli muttered.

Emily nodded. “I heard the spark.”

“I’m very happy with my life,” Kahli said. “Everything is as it should be. Quiet and peaceful.” Still, she didn’t feel reassured by this. She watched Mason and Alby play in the yard and frowned. Mali was coming back, and she didn’t think that was a good sign. Sam was right; Everglade and the Rogue Knight had escaped and were still out there, somewhere. Who knew what they could have been plotting. It had been nearly four years of peace since then, but that only made her feel more anxious. It seemed that their peace would come to an end soon.

“No offense,” Sonia started, “but you say that as if you’ve lived a thrilling life. Except for that whole incident with that rogue knight, you’re hardly an adventurer.”

Kahli blew her hair out of her eyes. “I’ve always been one to appreciate stability in life,” she said. “Is that so bad?”

“You just never seemed like the type,” Sonia said. “Every time something went wrong, there you were, in the middle of it all.”

Emily laughed. “Oh, damn, it’s so true.”

“Remember when you went into some tunnel and came out covered in rat fur and blood?” Sonia said.

“Remember when you tried to fix a measly little pipe?” Emily added.

“And then you couldn’t even help Mali get into an old ruin without tripping some alarms and coming face to face with two giant AIs.”

“And then you got your ass kicked by some crazed knight who wanted to steal All Source.”

“Which you built a model of from a crude drawing by another AI that just crashed landed here.”

“And then you got your ass kicked by him again !”

“I don’t think the Civil Corps has ever seen as much action as you did since coming to Portia.”

“Are you done?” Kahli sneered. “I’m just an unlucky person!”

“I guess you’re more of an adventurer than we thought,” Sonia mused.

“Well, that life is behind me, now,” Kahli said. “I’m done with AIs and rogue knights.”

“That’s too bad,” Emily said. “I was thinking about getting out there. Having my own adventure. I could use an experienced partner.”

“Right. Not like I have a kid or anything.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Sonia scoffed. “Speaking of balls and chains,” she said. “How’s Mint?”

Emily sighed. “He’s been gone for so long,” she whispered.

“Those walls have seen some things,” Kahli said. “Sophie would have been mortified to know what you were doing inside her house.”

“It’s my house, now,” Emily barked. “I can do whatever I want!”

“They are going to have so much sex when he gets back,” Sonia said with a grin.

“Fifteen days,” Emily said dreamily.

“Girl, get a room,” Sonia muttered.

*****

Mei dropped some pages that were clipped together onto the table. “My source in Atara has confirmed that Duvos has pulled out of Ethea.”

“Duvos has been after the Orzu Ruins for years,” Arlo said. “Why would they pull out now?”

“They’ve been slowly backing away over the last couple of years,” Mei said. “As of a few months ago, Duvos is out of Ethea completely.” She hesitated. “From a professional standpoint, this is all I know. I can’t answer why they have decided to do this. It doesn’t seem that anyone in Atara knows.”

“But?” Sam asked, raising a brow.

“But,” Mei started slowly. “If you were to ask for my personal opinion, I think it has to do with All Source.”

“What do you mean?” Remington asked.

“We know that Everglade and the Rogue Knight are working for Duvos,” she started. “They only came to Portia when a mole intercepted Mali’s communications. That’s why they came here; to get All Source. I think Duvos was so interested in the Orzu Ruins because they were looking for All Source AIs. We know that there are a few of them around, right? And once they found out there was one in Portia, it was easier to send someone here to get it before we did then to continue to waste their resources searching dead end leads.”

“But they don’t have All Source,” Sam pointed out.

“No,” Mei said. “But they know it’s here. They’ve been slowly pulling out and refocusing their efforts on Portia. You know how Duvos is; they won’t hesitate to break the peace treaty to get what they want. And what they want is weapons. Their military is highly advanced and powerful. Their numbers are incredible. And with All Source, they’ll be able to use it against the Alliance and the rest of the world.”

“But All Source can’t be controlled,” Remington said. “Wendy’s chip was damaged.”

“True,” Mei said. “But this is Duvos we’re talking about. They won’t hesitate to do what they need to do to get the information they want.” She hesitated. “I don’t know what Wendy knows, or what information she’ll give up if it means saving her own life. It’s obvious she is just as human as the rest of us. She won’t hold up to… extreme measures. But, again, I’m just speculating here, based on what I do know.”

“I don’t think it’s unrealistic,” Sam said. “We know Duvos has always been after any weapons they can get their hands on. The peace treaty has been as thin as thread since day one, and Duvos has been pushing their limits ever since. They’re not afraid to use force, because they know they have the upper hand.”

“They have the upper hand,” Arlo said. “Which means we don’t stand a chance if they decide to redirect their efforts to Portia. They’ll destroy us to get at All Source.”

They were quiet for a moment.

“Do you think that’s why Mali is on her way here?” Sam asked. “If Duvos attacks Portia…”

Arlo hesitated. “It’s just speculation,” he said. “We’ll have to wait to see what Mali says.”

“What if it’s a trap?” Sam said, her brows furrowing tightly. “They were able to trick us once before. Don’t you think we should do something?”

“What are we supposed to do?” Arlo hissed. “Evacuate everyone based off of a hunch?”

“Look,” Mei started. “What I’m telling you isn’t something you didn’t already know. You knew how the state of the world has been these last few years. All we know now is that Duvos has pulled out of Ethea.”

“It’s our job to be proactive,” Sam said.

“We can’t act on a guess,” Remington said pointedly.

“And why not? If Django hadn’t interfered, that knight would have killed us and gotten exactly what he wanted. Do you really think we can stand up to a second attack? And against Duvos’s entire army?”

“Regardless,” Arlo said. “It’s not our call to make.”

Their eyes turned to Gale, who had been silent through the whole conversation. He leaned against his desk, his brow furrowed deeply. When he realized they were all staring at him, his expression softened slightly, and he sighed.

“Mali’s message was very vague,” Gale said. “Which leads me to believe that the message is genuine. She’s being cautious. If it weren’t Mali, we wouldn’t have received word at all.” He met Mei’s gaze. “Your source in Atara…”

“Reliable,” Mei said. “An old friend. He’s with the Flying Pigs. I spoke with him in person while I was there over the winter.”

“Why would he tell you this?” Gale asked. “Why not approach Arlo himself? Or Mali? Or me?”

Mei hesitated. “I can’t get into specifics,” she said slowly. “When he writes me, he uses different pen names to conceal his identity. He works for a classified branch -”

“A spy,” Sam said frankly.

“He’s been giving me updates on the Duvos situation. When I met with him over the winter, he provided these documents. He suggested that they were after All Source, but these documents tell a slightly different story. I believe this is why Mali is coming.” Mei pulled some pages out, including a photograph, and pushed them towards the mayor. The four of them leaned in to get a better view of the documents.

One page seemed to be a report of the incident that took place in Portia with the Rogue Knight. Django’s name was written several times throughout, along with the title ‘Storm Knight.’ Another page seemed to be a more detailed document on Django and his past, while another page had information on residents of Portia. The photograph, to their surprise, was of a younger looking Maurice. He was dressed in dark clothing, a slender, obsidian like blade in his hand, and a permanent scowl on his face.

“What is this?” Arlo asked.

“My source doesn’t seem to think All Source is all they’re after,” Mei said. “He thinks they’re looking for someone who lives here.”

“Maurice?” Gale asked.

“Maybe,” Mei said.

Arlo’s brow furrowed. “Why?”

“I’m not sure,” Mei admitted. “He didn’t know who Maurice was. But Mali had mentioned his name quite a few times. She said he hasn’t lived here in some time. I don’t know if Duvos knows this, or if they’re just looking for information on his whereabouts.”

Gale gathered up the pages, including the photograph, and slipped them into a manilla folder. “Thank you, Mei,” he said flatly. “I think it will be best to wait for Mali. She’ll be here tomorrow, so we won’t have to wait long. She will likely have the answers we need. We won’t act until we get orders from her. Now, I don’t want to cause a panic, so I expect you all to keep quiet. No sense spreading false information right now. When we have the information we need, then we can act appropriately.” Without another word, he turned his back to them, waving a hand as if to dismiss them. They hesitated before leaving him alone and stepping out into the plaza.

“I miss the old Gale,” Sam muttered.

“He hasn’t been the same since Ginger died,” Mei agreed.

“He used to be so optimistic.” Sam sighed. “Now it feels like we’re doomed.”

The four of them fell silent, the future of the world weighing heavily on their minds.

“But why would Duvos be looking for Maurice?” Remington asked. He turned to Arlo. “Does Kahli know anything?”

Arlo hesitated. “Kahli hasn’t seen him in years,” he said. “What could she possibly know that she wouldn’t tell me?”

“Do you think he was some kind of soldier?” Sam asked. “In that photograph… he had that sweet looking sword.”

The sword. Arlo had seen it before.

“If you ask me,” Mei started, “I think Gale knows something. He seemed awfully quick to dismiss us after I showed him those documents.”

“About Maurice?” Remington asked.

“Maybe,” Mei said.

“But if Maurice was a soldier, why would they want to keep that a secret?” Sam asked. Her eyes widened. “Do you think he’s some kinda spy or something?” She bounced on her toes. “Maybe that’s why he was never around?”

“Or,” Mei started, “Maybe he’s a traitor. Working for Duvos.”

“Do you think?” Remington said. “Seems a bit far fetched if you ask me.”

Mei shrugged. “Maurice is obviously someone of importance,” she said. “Whether it’s for the Alliance or for Duvos, however…” 

“What are you going to tell Kahli?” Remington asked.

Arlo’s lips pressed together. “Nothing,” he said. “At least not until we hear from Mali.”

Chapter Text

Kahli could just barely recount a time, long ago when she was just a child, and before her mother died, when her parents took her to parks. Those memories were far and few between, but as she watched Mason and Alby play, she could recall a particular moment suddenly so vividly, seeing it play out as if right in front of her.

She was playing with other children, friends she could no longer recall, when a disagreement broke out between them. She couldn’t remember what it was about - a toy one wouldn’t share, perhaps - but she did remember the heartbreak she felt when her friends abandoned her, leaving her alone on the playground. They were frustrated and too young to be able to express themselves any other way. She couldn’t remember what they said except that their words plunged into her chest like a knife.

And she cried alone in the park.

She eventually made her way back to her parents. It was likely that they were just yards away, seated on a bench, but to Kahli, it felt like she had to walk to the ends of the world to find them. She was sad, angry, confused, and scared. The only thing that drove her forward was finding her parents again. Because she knew they would make everything better. She loved them so deeply, beyond any child’s understanding, but to her, that love was safety and comfort and happiness.

And when she did find them, they did not hesitate to dry her tears. They listened to her as she blubbered and sobbed and explained what happened. And they held her just as tight as she knew they would. Her mother was comforting, kind, caring, just as a mother should be. And when she finished tending to her, her father turned to her.

His expression was always soft when he spoke to her. His eyes were kind, his smile warm. Still, there was a hardness to him, but not a hardness she feared. It was something that told her he was brave and strong. Fearless. He would do anything to protect her. Anything.

“You know,” he said to her. “There will be a lot in life that you don’t understand. People will hurt you, and you won’t understand why. And not every reason is a good reason. But I want you to always remember something, Kahli; Ma and I love you more than anything in the world. You remember that, alright?”

Mason and Alby argued. Kahli hadn’t particularly been paying attention, and she didn’t know what got them so worked up for four year olds. A toy, perhaps. She watched them carefully, wondering if she should intervene. But then they were smiling and giggling. Whatever it was, it had been resolved, and they were back to playing again.

Kahli let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“Now, if we both had girls, they’d be pulling each other’s hair out!”

Kahli turned to Sonia. “What?”

“Boys always seem to solve their differences, yanno?”

“Oh.” She smiled. “Yeah, I guess.”

“You’ve been quiet,” Sonia noted.

“Long day.”

Sonia nodded. “Kids are exhausting. Good thing we’re still young and full of life, right?”

Kahli yawned. “Yeah. Something like that.”

Sonia laughed, then got to her feet, calling to her son. The two boys ran over to them, and Mason smiled up at her.

“Ready for dinner?” Kahli asked.

Mason nodded eagerly. “Pancakes?” he asked excitedly.

“Dude, you’re gonna turn into a pancake.”

Mason giggled. Alby called to him, and he turned to wave goodbye to his friend. Then, he looked up at his mother and smiled, taking her hand and letting her guide him home.

Arlo was leaning against the counter when they got home. His arms were folded over his chest, his brows furrowed deeply, and his gaze focused on his feet. It wasn’t often that Kahli saw him like that, but when she did, she knew something weighed heavily on his mind. He hardly noticed when Mason ran up to him, and when he did, his smile to his son was forced and tired.

“Go wash your hands,” Kahli instructed her son, and he quickly disappeared around the corner.

Arlo looked up, then, and met her gaze.

Kahli hesitated. “Is everything alright?”

He smiled. “Yeah. Uh. How was your day?”

Kahli blew at the stray strands of hair that fell out of her ponytail. “Oh, you know,” she started. “We got some ice cream, ran around town, went to the park, chased some ducks, went back to the park.” She sighed, then pressed her lips together. “What’s wrong?” She hesitated. “Do you know why Mali’s coming?”

Arlo pulled his gaze away and shook his head.

“Alright,” Kahli said softly. She didn’t bother to press him. Whatever it was, she was sure he would tell her when he could. She hated it, but she tried not to let her imagination run too wild. She cleared her throat. 

“This child wants pancakes again.”

“He’s going to turn into a pancake.”

Kahli smiled. “That’s what I said.” She hesitated. “Are you going to eat?”

Arlo shook his head. “I’ll grab something later. I’ve got some work to do.”

Kahli’s lips twisted to the side. “So much for that day off.”

Arlo frowned. “Sorry.”

“I’d wait up for you -”

“Don’t,” Arlo said. “It’ll be a late night.”

“What’s going on?” she asked carefully. “You’re not increasing patrols, are you?”

“No,” Arlo said. “I’m just… doing some research.”

“Right.” Kahli sighed. “Well, don’t work too hard.” She offered him a smile. There was tension between them, but she didn’t know why, or what had happened. Maybe the spark really was gone.

*****

Arlo was alone in the Civil Corps building. Remington was on patrol, and he had given Sam the night off. He wanted to be alone. There was too much on his mind. Books, notebooks, and folders were spread out on the table before him. He didn’t exactly know what he was looking for, except that it was likely information on Maurice. Gale had seemed too eager to keep his hands on the documents Mei had presented to them, and he was certain Gale was hiding something from them.

He recalled the photograph clearly, though. What caught his attention, however, was the black blade that Maurice had. It was familiar; the same blade he had given Kahli a few years back when he came to Portia. And why would he come to Portia, to see Kahli, after all those years apart? Was there a connection to the rogue knight? Had he heard what happened? Did he give her the sword in hopes of her using it to protect herself?

What did Maurice know about the rogue knight? And what did Gale know about Maurice?

He didn’t find any answers in the town’s files, though he did see that Maurice and Clara had lived in Portia for a while. They left just before Kahli was born, but he wasn’t sure why. Maybe there was no particular reason at all. It didn’t seem they had family in Portia. It was possible they wanted to move closer to family, or find somewhere with more work.

It seemed reasonable enough. Still, something didn’t sit right with him. There was some significance to the blade and to Maurice. Maybe before he was a builder, he was an adventurer. Or a soldier. Again, that seemed reasonable, but it still didn’t give him any answers. All he could think was that Maurice had left Kahli to follow that life again. He couldn’t imagine ever doing that to his son, no matter the circumstances. If Maurice was any kind of decent father, he wouldn’t have done it without good reason.

But they weren’t at war. There seemed no good reason for such a brash decision. Maybe he was giving Maurice too much credit. Maybe he was just a bad father like Kahli said he was.

Arlo frowned as he flipped through the files. He had tried to defend him. He thought it would have been good for Kahli to make amends with him. Maybe he was wrong. Still; the black sword weighed heavily on his mind. Kahli hadn’t touched it since the day he had given it to her. If there were any answers, maybe he’d find it with the sword.

It was late when he returned home, and the house was dark. He found Kahli lying diagonally on the bed with Mason curled up beside her, snoring peacefully. He stepped quietly into the room and peered into the closet. The sword was leaned up against the corner, right where Kahli had left it, collecting dust. He pulled it out and examined it carefully, but there was nothing. No note, no secret writing. It was just a sword.

“Arlo?” Kahli sat up and rubbed her eyes. She met his gaze and her brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

Arlo returned the sword to its place in the closet. “Nothing,” he said.

“The sword.” She yawned. “I forgot that was there.”

“Did you know about it?”

Kahli frowned. She blinked in the darkness. “No,” she said. “I never saw him with a sword.” She paused in thought. “You’d think he’d need it while he was on his dumb exploration team.”

Arlo moved to her and sat on the bed beside her. “Are you going to hold on to it?”

Kahli hesitated. “I guess,” she said. “I have no use for it. But I don’t think I can get rid of it.”

“Why not?”

Kahli shrugged and yawned. “I dunno,” she said. “He gave it to me, for whatever dumb reason. Maybe I’ll need it. To kill some more bandirats or something.” She offered him a sleepy smile. “But I think those days are behind me.”

Arlo kissed her. “I hope so.”

Chapter Text

Mali arrived in town that morning, and Arlo found himself back in Mayor Gale’s office with him and Mali, Sam, Remington, and for some reason, Django. He offered them no explanation, and Mali didn’t acknowledge his presence when she spoke.

“It’s good to see you all again,” Mali said, but she did not smile. “Though, I wish it were under better circumstances.” She sighed heavily. “It seems Duvos has pulled out of Ethea. I’m afraid it’s because of the discovery of All Source here in Portia. It’s likely they will refocus their efforts and launch an attack on Portia and the Alliance, officially breaking the treaty. I have not yet received word on their movements, but I suspect it will be soon.”

The room was quiet as they each processed this information. It was Sam who broke the silence.

“What about Maurice?”

Mali stared at her with a look of surprise on her face. “Maurice?” She turned her gaze to Mayor Gale, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Sam hesitated. “Is it true? What does Duvos want with him?”

“You know Maurice?” Mali asked slowly. “Was he here?”

“A couple of years ago,” Arlo said.

Mali’s gaze was fierce. “What? Why?”

Arlo’s brows furrowed. “Visiting Kahli,” he said slowly.

Mali’s face paled. “Oh,” she said softly. “Kahli? His… daughter.”

“What’s the matter with you?” Sam sneered.

Mali shook her head. “I should have known. I should have put it together. Fuck.” 

“Care to elaborate?” Arlo said, his voice hard.

Mali hesitated. “You don’t… know about Maurice?” She turned back to Gale. “How long have you kept this secret?”

Arlo’s gaze moved between Mali and Gali, narrowed with frustration. “What’s going on?”

“Maurice is a knight,” Django said.

They turned their surprised gazes to him.

“What?” Arlo hissed.

“You knew, too?” Mali said.

Django nodded. “It’s partly why he had Kahli come here,” he explained. “I promised him I would keep an eye on her.”

“Why?” Arlo pressed. He turned to Mali. “What does this mean?”

“Years ago, Maurice was attacked by the rogue knight,” Django said. “When Kahli was a child. It was the rogue knight who killed Clara, her mother. Maurice knew Kahli wouldn’t be safe with him, so he brought her to Barnarock and left to try to hunt down the rogue knight. I managed to get in touch with him when the rogue knight attacked Portia, and that’s when he came back.”

Arlo stared at him. “You’re fucking kidding,” he said.

“That’s not all,” Mali said, meeting Django’s gaze.

Django shook his head. “I’m afraid not.” He hesitated. “See, knights are… unique. Sure, we’re trained to be the best fighters, to defend, but there’s a little more to it than that. There are… abilities, so to speak. Abilities that do not come naturally to anyone else. It’s what truly differentiates us from the rest. And these abilities tend to be passed down… to our children. It’s how the knights have been able to stay alive over the years.”

“Are you saying Kahli is a knight?” Sam said.

“Not exactly,” Django said. “These abilities don’t naturally present themselves. There is a lot of training involved before becoming a knight, and the first step is learning to harness that power.”

“Does Kahli know this?” Remington asked.

Django shook his head. “I don’t believe she’s aware of any of this,” he said. “That her father is a knight, or that she shares the same abilities he does.”

“What exactly is that ability?” Mali asked.

“It’s different in all of us,” Django explained. “For me, I can harness the power of electricity. For the rogue knight, he can manipulate fire.” Django hesitated. “I am not as familiar with Maurice’s abilities as he would be and have never seen first hand. However, I believe his abilities are a little more complicated, and of a much darker power.”

They fell quiet. After a moment, Sam spoke.

“And she could do this, too? Eventually?”

“Yes.”

“So,” Sam continued. “It’s like magic.”

“No,” Django said. “The history of knights is not well known to most people.The abilities that separate us from everyone else were created around the Age of Corruption.”

“Created?” Remington echoed.

“That’s right,” Django said. “Though, we can’t be sure who created it. Regardless, people were used as test subjects for these experiments. They were subjected to various tests, but very little information has been found on what exactly these tests were. We suspect they involved injections of various unknown substances. People were essentially morphed into a more powerful being. Overtime, these abilities manifested in their children. For years, they were studied and trained, and thus, the knights were born.”

“That sounds awful,” Sam said.

“The rogue knight,” Mali started. “He’s working for Duvos. It’s likely he’s been trying to find the knights and kill them. Clara was caught in the crossfires. If he finds out Kahli is Maurice’s daughter, he’ll try to kill her, too. They’re coming here. She can’t stay here. She won’t be safe.”

“What do you want us to do?” Remington asked.

“I will arrange to have Kahli escorted out of Portia,” Mali explained. “She will be brought to Lucien where she will be safe.”

“What about Mason?” Sam asked.

“Unfortunately, Mason will not be safe here in Portia, or with Kahli in Lucien. I have arranged for him to go to Barnarock for the time being. Kahli will leave by the end of the week.” She turned to Django. “Duvos knows you’re here, too.”

Django raised a hand. “They do not scare me,” he said.

Mali smiled. “I know,” she said. “We’re severely outnumbered as it is. I know it’s been some time -”

“I will defend Portia and the Alliance,” Django said.

Mali nodded. She turned back to Arlo. “Kahli needs to know the truth,” she said. She forced a small smile. “And I’m just dying to see this kid of yours.”

*****

Kahli frowned at the six people that filled her kitchen. Sam and Remington had already helped themselves to Mason’s cookies, and Mali, Gale, and Django sat at the bar.

“I thought there was going to be a kid here?” Mali said.

“Yes, Mali, it’s so nice to see you, too,” Kahli said dryly. “Emily and Sonia are watching him for a bit.” She narrowed her gaze slightly. “Why is everyone here, anyway?”

Mali frowned. “Actually,” she started. “There’s something I needed to discuss with you. However, I’m not sure why those two followed us.”

“We’re here for emotional support,” Sam said with a mouthful of cookies.

Kahli frowned. “Emotional support?” She glanced at Mali. “You never come with good news, do you?”

“It seems that way, doesn’t it?” Mali sighed through her nose. “This is about your father.”

Kahli hesitated. “What about him?”

“How much do you know about him?”

“Not much,” Kahli said. “He wasn’t around after my mother died and never really kept in contact with me. I know he likes to travel around and discover the mysteries of the world or something.” She rolled her eyes. “Why?”

“Did you know he’s a knight?”

Sam and Remington were no longer stuffing their faces with cookies. Kahli looked around her to see they were all watching her closely. She turned back to Mali.

“No,” Kahli answered slowly. “You mean like, Django-knight?”

“Yes,” Mali said. “I came here with news about Duvos, but it came up that Maurice is your father.”

“And?” Kahli pressed, her gaze hardening.

“Duvos has pulled out of Ethea. I suspect it’s because of the discover of All Source here in Portia. It’s likely they will attack the Alliance for All Source. I have not yet received word on their movements, but I suspect it will be soon.”

“What does this have to do with my father?”

“Being a knight means he could be of value to Duvos, just as the rogue knight is.”

“He may be a shitty father,” Kahli started, “But he would never betray the Alliance.”

Mali shook her head. “I have no doubt,” she said. “However, if Duvos finds out that you are his daughter, they will do whatever they have to do to get their hands on you.”

Kahli’s face paled slightly and she swallowed. “What? Why?”

“The abilities of knights are usually passed on to their children, which means his abilities lie within you. Without proper training, you’d never know about these abilities, nor would you be able to harness their power, which makes you a blank slate. If Duvos finds you, they can use unethical means to bring that power out in you in an attempt to use you to their advantage.”

The room was silent. Mali’s words hung in the air. Kahli sat down, staring at the floor in disbelief.

“We will be at war with Duvos,” Mali said. “There’s no avoiding it. It’s only a matter of time before they strike. It’s my job to make sure we’re prepared to defend the cities when that happens. We’re limited on bodies as it stands; we don’t compare to Duvos’s army. That means everyone will be expected to fight.” She met Arlo’s gaze. “The three of you and Django will be expected to come to Atara and prepare yourselves to fight in this war.”

Kahli wanted to throw up. War? Were they really at war? And now Mali was here to recruit her husband. Her friends. She choked back a sob and her hand covered her mouth. She closed her eyes and fought to remain calm, but still, her heart thudded so violently in her chest, she thought she was shaking from the vibrations. She heard Mali and Gale speaking, and she opened her eyes. She could not focus on their conversation, but she turned her gaze to Arlo, searching for reassurance, but she found none.

“I need to meet with the other Civil Corps,” Mali said. “And then return to Atara. I’ll send word as soon as I can.” She turned to Kahli. “You’ll leave at the end of the week. My men will meet you in the Eufaula Desert to take you to Lucien.”

“Lucien?” Kahli echoed. Her brow furrowed and she grew panicked. “No. Why? I want to stay here.”

“Weren’t you listening?” Mali hissed, then her voice softened slightly. “If Duvos comes to Portia - if the rogue knights return - you might not be safe. I will arrange to have you protected in Lucien.”

“If I’m a knight -”

“You’re not a knight,” Mali snapped. “As you are now, you’re nothing more than the child of a knight.”

“It takes rigorous training to become a knight,” Django said to her gently.

“But if I have this ability, I can help.”

“You’re useless to us,” Mali said.

Kahli stood abruptly. “Then make me useful!”

Mali stood, more calmly than Kahli did, and she met her gaze. “Duvos could strike at any moment,” she said evenly. “I’m sorry, Kahli. If you really want to help, then you will do as I say. You will stay out of the way where it will be safest. Do I make myself clear?”

Kahli’s voice was soft when she spoke again. “You can’t… No. Not Arlo. Please.”

At that moment, the door opened, momentarily easing the tension in the room as Mason came running in. He ran to his father first, looking up at him with a grin on his face. But when his father did not respond as he usually did, he turned to regard the other adults in the room.

“Aunty Sam!” He ran to Sam, and Sam forced a smile.

“You’re filthy,” she said. “Go wash up.”

Sonia, Alby, and Emily stepped inside, mid-conversation, but their smiles disappeared when they saw the others.

“What’s going on here?” Emily asked.

“Nothing,” Gale said. “We were just leaving.”

Mali nodded, and one by one, they filed out, leaving Arlo and Kahli behind.

“Who died?” Sonia asked with a frown.

“No one,” Kahli muttered.

“Okay,” Emily said slowly. “Well, you have your kid back, now.”

Kahli nodded. “Thanks.”

The two women regarded one another, then left with a simple ‘see ya later.’

Kahli felt frozen in place. She wanted to go to Arlo, to find reassurance in his arms, but for the first time since she had come to Portia, Arlo seemed terrified. He met her gaze with unease, his forehead creased deeply with worry. All they could do was stare at one another in silence. 

Chapter Text

“Mama? What’s for dinner?”

Kahli glanced at her son. She and Arlo were seated at the table, and Mason took the opportunity to climb onto his mother’s lap.

Was he really hungry already? Or, perhaps a better question was, was it really time for dinner already? It had been a couple hours since Mali told her everything, and for the most part, Mason kept himself entertained. Kahli and Arlo, however, had hardly spoken. Kahli had no appetite, and she was sure Arlo didn’t, either. Still, she needed to take care of her child. Her child that she would be leaving. And then he would be shipped off to stay with her aunt. And who knows what would happen to his parents. He would be raised alone, like she was, and grow to become a bitter, sarcastic little shit of a person.

She couldn’t help but to smile at that. She laughed, then rolled her eyes and shook her head, muttering to herself. She glanced at Arlo, who regarded her with confused bewilderment.

“What is so funny?” he nearly hissed.

“Shit,” she said. “He’s going to grow up without his parents and end up just like me.” It wasn’t funny, really, but the more she thought of it, the harder she laughed. But then another thought occurred to her, and she stopped laughing very suddenly, her face paling. “Just like me,” she said softly. She glanced down at the child on her lap, and he looked up and met her gaze with a smile.

“I’m gunna be like you?”

Kahli hesitated. “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I don’t even know who I am.”

“Can I be a knight?”

Kahli swallowed. That was exactly what she hoped he wouldn’t be. Was it possible that he would inherit the same abilities she likely inherited from her father? Though, without proper training, he’d never be able to use them, and likely would never even know he had them. Like her. She wanted to be sick all over again.

Arlo sighed heavily, bringing her out of her thoughts, and he ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. 

“How about some pancakes?” Kahli asked her son.

“For the love of - stop making him pancakes,” Arlo muttered.

Kahli sneered at him. “The damn kid wants pancakes, he’s gonna get pancakes.”

Mason frowned. “Don’t fight.” His lip trembled.

“We’re not fighting,” Kahli said. She held him in her arms and stood, then sat him on the counter. She forced a smile. “You can have all the pancakes you want, yeah?”

Mason threw his arms in the air. “Pancakes!”

Kahli set to work in the kitchen preparing his dinner. She spoke to him over her shoulder as she cooked.

“What do you think about going on a trip?”

“Where we goin’?”

“Well,” Kahli started. “Mum and Dad have to go somewhere… for a little bit. So, while we’re gone, you’re going to live with Aunt Kendra.”

Mason frowned. “Mama,” he whined. “Why?”

“You remember Aunt Kendra, right?”

“She smells funny.”

Kahli forced a smile, but her eyes started to well. “She’ll take good care of you,” she said softly, her voice cracking. 

“But not forever, right?”

Kahli did not answer him. She flipped the finished pancakes onto a plate and placed it in front of her son. She looked past him towards Arlo. His forehead was creased deeply as he stared at the table. To her relief, Mason had forgotten his heavy loaded question already, happily diving into his dinner. 

Kahli took it upon herself to take care of their child, and once he was finished with his dinner, she gave him a bath, then put him to bed. In that time, Arlo had barely moved from his place at the table in the dimly lit room. With Mason asleep, Kahli returned and sat in front of Arlo. He looked up briefly and met her gaze.

“You know,” she started softly. “I was kind of counting on you to have shit together right now.”

Arlo pulled his gaze away. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” she said. “You deserve to not have it together once in a while. And even though I feel like puking, I think I can handle it for both of us right now.”

Arlo shook his head. “I should have known it would come to this,” he said. “I refused to believe it. I didn’t want to worry about it. I thought there was more time.”

“And you think worrying about it would have been better?”

Arlo sighed. “I dunno.”

“Well, it’s happening, whether we like it or not, and it doesn’t seem like there’s anything we can do about it.” She swallowed. “Mason will go to Barnarock. I will go to Lucien. You will go to Atara.” Her throat tightened painfully, making it difficult to breathe. “I don’t want him to grow up like I did,” she said softly. “I… we can’t lose you, Arlo.”

They fell silent once more. Kahli focused on not breaking down completely. After a moment, she regained herself, and she spoke.

“I wish… I wish we never found All Source. If I had just done things differently. If I never bothered with those ruins, or with Django. If I had never come to Portia…” She met Arlo’s gaze. “Things would have been better if I never came to Portia. For everyone.” Her eyes started to well once more. “I brought this with me. Everything is my fault. I never should have come here.”

“That’s not true,” Arlo said fiercely. “Whether you were here or not, Mali still would have come to find All Source. She likely still would have found it, and everything would be exactly the same. Except you wouldn’t be here with me.”

Kahli sniffed. Her tears rolled down her face and dripped onto the table. “You said you wouldn’t leave,” she said softly. 

Arlo stood and moved to her side, taking her into his arms. “You know this isn’t by choice,” he said. “But I promise you I will come back.”

Kahli sobbed against his chest. “You can’t make that kind of a promise. You don’t know what will happen.”

She was right, of course. Arlo wanted desperately to comfort her, to tell her everything would be okay, but the truth was, he couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t make that promise to her and break her heart if something were to happen. He couldn’t be the support she needed, and his heart broke. He pressed her forehead against her and closed his eyes. Suddenly, their time together was limited. The clock ticked, and there was nothing he could do to stop time. But he would be damned if he didn’t take advantage of every moment he had left with her. 

He pulled her chin up and his lips hovered above hers for a moment. Their gazes met briefly, and he pressed against her, kissing her deeply. They remained in their embrace for a moment in the dimly lit room before Arlo took her hand and led her upstairs. They removed their clothes quickly and dropped onto the bed. Kahli lay on top of Arlo, meeting his gaze. Their foreheads touched, and she closed her eyes with a soft sigh. 

*****

They could not stop the morning from coming, but they cherished the warm light that streamed through the window and onto their faces. Kahli smiled when she heard the soft footsteps of her son entering the room, and he climbed onto the bed and on top of his father, poking at his nose as Arlo started to wake.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” Arlo asked groggily.

“Pancake time?” his son asked, hopeful.

Arlo sighed heavily. “Your mother really isn’t cut out for this parenting thing, is she?”

“Excuse me for spoiling him a little bit,” Kahli said with a yawn.

“When was the last time he ate a vegetable?”

“Emmy gives me carrots!” Mason sat upright on his father. “And sugar cubes!”

Arlo’s brow furrowed and he turned his gaze to the son. “What?”

“Sometimes hay!”

Kahli snickered beside Arlo.

“Hay?”

Mason nodded. “I put it in my mouth like a farmer!”

“Oh, Light,” Arlo muttered. “It will probably be good for you to go to Barnarock. Interact with some normal people for a change.”

“You haven’t met my aunt,” Kahli said. “She’ll have him a gambling, poker pro in no time.”

Arlo considered this for a moment. “Maybe he could win us some money and we could retire.”

Kahli laughed and sat up. She kissed Arlo, then Mason, then rolled out of bed and hurried into the bathroom. Mostly, she had to pee. But her mind had drifted back to the day before, and her limited time with her family. The twisting, nauseating feeling returned.

“So,” Mason started slowly. 

Arlo sighed and pushed his son off of him. He bounced against the bed giggling as Arlo stood. Arlo grabbed him and swung him over his shoulder, upside down.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said as he carried his son out of the room. “You can have your pancakes. But you’re gonna eat some fruit, too.”

Chapter Text

“Are you getting divorced?”

Sonia, Emily, and Petra stared at her. Kahli looked down into her bottle with a frown.

“No,” she said slowly. “No, we’re fine.”

“Then what the hell is going on?” Sonia demanded.

Kahli pressed her lips together. It was midafternoon, too early for the dinner rush, but quiet after the lunch rush, which seemed the most ideal time to tell her friends that she would be leaving Portia. Of course, she couldn’t exactly tell them why, but she had to tell them something.

“I just have… something I need to take care of,” Kahli said. “Back at home.”

“By yourself?” Emily asked. Her gaze narrowed suspiciously. “Arlo and Mason aren’t going with you?”

“Arlo needs to stay here. You know. Civil Corps captain and all.” She shrugged. “And the trip will be too long for Mason.”

They exchanged glances.

“And you’re coming back?” Petra asked.

Sonia scoffed and rolled her eyes. “She’s leaving town,” she said frankly. “She ain’t coming back.”

“Do you really think if I were running away, I’d tell you guys?” Kahli raised a brow at them. 

“I guess she has a point,” Emily said.

“I’ll be back,” Kahli tried to assure them. She hesitated. “I don’t know when. But I plan on coming back as soon as I can.”

The door opened, and the four of them turned their gazes to Sam as she entered.

“Kahli’s leaving Portia,” Emily said abruptly.

Sam paused in the doorway for a moment, blinking at them. She met Kahli’s gaze. “You told them?”

Sonia slammed her hands down on the bar. “You knew before we did?”

“Sam was with me last night when I got my aunt’s letter,” Kahli said quickly. She held her gaze on Sam, then smiled. “Right?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah. That’s right.”

“I told you,” Kahli said, turning back to Emily, Sonia, and Petra. “I just need to help her with some things. Take care of some family matters. And I’ll be back right after.”

Sam took the empty seat at the bar beside Petra.

“So, everything’s fine?” Emily asked. “You’re not getting divorced?”

Kahli shook her head.

Emily sighed in relief. “I thought you let Sonia get to you for a second, there.”

“The spark is still there,” Kahli reassured them.

“If it wasn’t, it will be when you get back,” Sonia said. “You’ll probably make another kid.”

Kahli hesitated. “I think Mason’s enough.”

Sonia grinned. “Yeah, he’s kind of a weird kid. Like you.”

“Speaking of people leaving,” Petra chimed in. “I heard Nora came back.”

Kahli glanced at her and frowned. “She did?”

“I think she got in late last night,” Petra continued conversationally. “I bumped into Lee this morning. Said she was still settling in from the trip. It’ll be nice to see her again, though. I guess she really liked being here in Portia. I think Lee likes having her back, too.”

“Kahli’s leaving. Nora’s back.” Sonia sighed. “Maybe Aadit will come back, too.” She grinned at Kahli. “I’m starting to think you’re just bad luck.”

Kahli quickly finished her beer. “Probably,” she muttered. It did seem to feel that way. Since the day she came to Portia, it seemed everything that could go wrong did go wrong. From polluted waters, to illnesses and death, mysterious runaways and rogue knights. The more she thought about it, the more Sonia’s harmless comment seemed to be confirmed. Maybe leaving would be the best thing for the people of Portia. And just when she finally felt like she had a place where she belonged. 

“So, when are you leaving?” Emily asked.

“End of the week.”

Emily sighed. “It’s going to be so weird without you.”

“I’m sure no one will even notice.”

“I’ll notice,” Sonia said. “You’re my best customer!”

Petra nodded. “You’re one of the few people who actually visit the research center.”

Kahli finished her beer, then fished through her pocket for her payment. “Guess I’ll have to find a new bar and some new friends.”

“Rude,” Emily said with a pout.

Kahli offered her friends a smile. “Make sure Arlo doesn’t drop my kid, alright?”

Sonia scoffed. “Yeah, Kahli did that enough.”

“It was one time!”

“Wait, for real?” Sam asked.

Kahli laughed nervously. “Kidding!”

“Would explain a lot,” Emily said.

Kahli stood. “I don’t need this kind of negativity in my life.”

“So, we’ll see ya tomorrow, then?” Petra said with a grin.

Kahli sighed. “Yeah, yeah.” She waved a hand over her shoulder as she walked out of the bar.

The afternoon sun was bright compared to the dimly lit restaurant, and when she stepped into the plaza, she paused to let her eyes adjust. As soon as they did, her gaze landed on Nora, standing with Lee just by the fountain. Their gazes turned to Kahli when the door closed behind her, and Nora smiled and waved to her.

Kahli lew out a sigh, blowing her hair out of her face, then walked over to them. She met Nora’s gaze and offered her a warm smile.

“I thought I heard you came back,” she said.

“It’s so good to see you!” But Nora’s smile quickly turned downward. “Though, rumor has it you won’t be sticking around?”

Kahli hesitated. It seemed nothing could be kept quiet for long in this town. “Well,” she started.

“Arlo told me last night,” Nora continued.

“Uh. What?”

“I hope everything is alright with your Aunt Kendra.”

Kahli blinked at her. “What?”

Nora raised a confused brow. “Your Aunt Kendra? Arlo said you had to go back to Barnarock.”

“Right, yeah,” Kahli said quickly. “No. Yeah. Everything’s fine. Just, uh, gotta help her take care of some things.”

“I hope you won’t be away for too long,” Nora said, her smile returning. “I was looking forward to catching up with you.”

“Yeah, well, you can always catch up with Arlo.” She sneered slightly as she spoke, immediately regretting the comment. She met Nora’s confused gaze, but after a moment, she smiled.

“Arlo has told me so much about Mason,” she said. “I can’t wait to see him!”

“Yup. He’s a kid.”

Nora’s brow furrowed. “Is everything okay?”

“No. Yeah. I just have a lot on my mind. And I need to, you know, get ready to leave.”

Nora nodded. “Don’t leave without saying bye, yeah?”

“Yeah, sure.” She forced a smile. “Well, welcome back to Portia.” She said goodbye to Lee, then turned away and left the plaza. 

The sight that awaited her at home should not have come as a surprise to her. Still, when she walked through the door, she was caught off guard by her energetic child running naked in circles. Arlo was laid out on the couch, his legs draping over the arm, and he groaned softly.

“What -” Kahli started.

“Are you sure you can’t take him with you?” Arlo said. “I have zero control over this situation.”

“Why is he naked?”

Arlo sat up and sneered. “Because he’s your child!”

“I don’t run around naked,” Kahli sneered back. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

A smile pulled at Arlo’s lips. “Because you’re both weirdos.”

“That’s very offensive to the community of the odd.”

“That sounds like a cult.”

Kahli pushed Arlo over, clearing a space for her to sit beside him on the couch. She dropped with a heavy sigh. “Can you handle this?”

Arlo leaned against her. They watched in silence as Mason continued to run and shout, making airplane sounds as he pretended to soar through the sky. 

“Probably not,” Arlo said.

“That’s reassuring,” Kahli muttered. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Arlo started softly. “You’ll be gone. And if… when… who’s going to take care of him?”

“Oh, how about Nora?” She folded her arms over her chest and huffed. “She’s back in town.”

Arlo glanced at her and frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

Kahli blew angrily at her hair. “You didn’t tell me you and Nora were hanging out last night.”

Arlo blinked at her. “What?”

“We have a child, you know!”

Arlo laughed. “Are you being serious?”

Kahli met his gaze with an unamused expression. 

“Oh, for the love of - I met her at the port when her boat came in! With Mayor Gale!”

“Oh, is that all?”

“It’s my job, you know.”

Kahli slouched back against the couch, her arms still crossed. “This is how it starts,” she said. “I leave and you revert back to your stupid old self with your weird I-dunno-if-I-like-her relationship. Next thing I know, Mason is gonna call Nora Mommy and forget who I am. But you know what? It doesn’t matter because Duvos is going to take over the world and we’ll probably all die anyway. So you know what? You go have fun. Might as well enjoy yourself while you can.”

“For the love of Peach,” Arlo muttered. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I?” she sneered, meeting Arlo’s gaze. “I thought you liked me?!”

“We’re married!”

“Bah.” Kahli fell back against the couch. “All that is is a piece of paper that says I can take half your shit when you leave me for the church girl.”

Arlo stood. “Okay,” he started. “I’m going to let this slide because I know you’re just lashing out and you’re not really this psychotic person.”

Kahli glanced up at him. “Joke’s on you,” she said. “I tried to warn you.”

Arlo held his hand out, and when Kahli took it, he pulled her to her feet.

“You don’t really think any of that, do you?”

Kahli frowned and pulled her gaze away. “No. I guess not.” She let out a sigh. “It’s just. I dunno. It just sounded… better, I guess. You know? Like, of all the terrible things that could happen - that are already happening - I guess I’d rather have our family torn apart over an affair then, you know, with everyone dying or something.” A tear rolled down her cheek, but she laughed. “That’s gotta be a hell of a lot better than all this,” she said. “Wars we can’t win, rogue knights, and whatever the fuck I’m supposed to be in all of this!” She met his gaze. “Things could have been different. None of this would have happened if I had never come here.”

Arlo frowned. “Kahli,” he started softly. “If you hadn’t come to Portia, everything would be the same. Mali still would have come and would have found All Source. Everglade and the rogue knight would have still attacked. You being here wouldn’t have changed the course of events in the world.” He paused. “But it changed the world for me. And I’d like to think it changed your world for the better, too. So, are you trying to tell me that all of this means nothing to you?”

“No,” Kahli said quietly. She closed her eyes, leaned against his chest, and sobbed. “You and Mason are everything to me,” she said. “And now it’s all being taken away.”

Arlo wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. “We’ll get through this,” he said. “I promise.”

She shook her head. “You can’t make that promise. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“Maybe not,” Arlo started. “But I made a promise to you. I promised I would never leave. And I won’t break that promise.”

Kahli closed her eyes. It was a foolish promise to make, and she was sure he knew that as well as she did. Still, it seemed it was all they had left in that moment. With their future so unclear, it was all she had to hold on to; a small hope that in the end, everything would work out, and they would be together again.

She realized then how silent the house had become. She opened her eyes to see that at some point, Mason had taken a moment to dress himself, though his clothes were disheveled and dirty. He was no longer running around pretending to be an airplane, but instead had a stick in his hand. He held it out in front of him like a sword, and he swung it back and forth with a childish war cry.

“Die!” he shouted, then lunged at his invisible foe. “Don’t mess with the Corps!”

Kahli felt Arlo sigh.

“He’s going to get in so much trouble when he gets older.”

Kahli smiled. “Yeah. It’s in his blood.”

Chapter Text

The rest of the week went on uneventfully, and Kahli tried to make the most of every moment she had in Portia with her friends and family. But before she knew it, Friday had come, and as Mali promised, a plane waited for her in the desert to bring her away from the place she called home and to Lucien.

She had already said goodbye to everyone the night before, choosing to leave quietly the following morning. She packed a few things with her, making sure to take her father’s sword with her for protection. With the Civil Crops at her side, she met Mali’s soldiers where they waited at the bridge to escort her across the desert. She pulled back on her reins and Star stopped before the soldiers. Sam and her horse trotted to her side, and she met Sam’s gaze, hesitant.

“I’ll come out with you,” Sam offered.

Kahli glanced back where Arlo and Remington waited on their own horses, and Arlo nodded to her. She sucked in a breath and pulled her gaze away. She had already said goodbye to Arlo and Mason, and though she didn’t want to draw out the moment any longer than it needed to be, she knew this would be the last time she would see Arlo for what could have been a very long time. For years, he was a constant in her life, always at her side when she needed him most.

It seemed she had become dependent on him over the years. Though to say she was independent before wasn’t necessarily accurate. The truth was, she was alone. She had always felt alone. For most of her life, she thought she would just have to be accustomed to that kind of life. But that all changed when she met Arlo. And now it seemed she was moving backwards. She would have to learn to be alone again. Hopefully not for long.

She glanced at Sam, then picked up her reins once more, encouraging Star forward. They had already said their goodbyes the night before. It was best for both of them to remain strong, now. A clean break, she supposed. Lingering a moment more would have caused her to break. It took everything in her to remain as composed as possible. Still, her eyes welled. She didn’t dare glance back at him as Star moved forward, falling in step with the other horses around them as they were escorted across the bridge, into the desert, and away from Portia. 

Arlo and Remington remained until they slowly disappeared from sight over the horizon. Arlo felt frozen, his chest tight and pained, and he had to force a breath past his closing throat. Without a word, he turned his horse around, and they rode side by side back towards town in silence.

The people of Portia continued about their day, aware that Kahli was gone, but believing that it was only a short absence and she would return to her family - her home - soon. They were unaware of the state of the world, though he had a feeling that things would happen soon. And it was his duty to protect them from Duvos’s threats. He still had a job to do, and he forced himself to keep his composure so as not to cause worry. They rode into the plaza, offering greetings to those who passed by them cheerfully, blissfully unaware.

Mayor Gale and Presley approached them as Arlo and Remington dismounted from their horses.

“I trust everything went smoothly?” Gale asked Arlo, and Arlo simply nodded. Gale let out a short breath.

“Good,” he said. “I know Kahli will be safe in Lucien. And I’ve gotten word that Kendra will be arriving tomorrow to bring Mason to Barnarock. She should be coming into the port in the morning.”

Arlo felt overwhelmed. In the span of twenty-four hours, he would lose his wife and his son, with no real certainty that he would see either of them again. He swallowed at the lump that started to form in his throat. To his relief, Remington spoke.

“Have you heard from Mali?”

Gale hesitated. “Yes, briefly,” he said. “She said she would return soon. Though, I don’t suspect she will have good news for us.”

Spacer pawed the ground anxiously and Arlo patted the horse’s neck. Across the plaza, he saw Mason and Alby playing as Sonia and Emily chatted casually. Nora was with the two boys, listening animatedly as they chatted excitedly with her. She looked up and met Arlo’s gaze, then smiled. Mason took her hand then and pulled her across the plaza towards his father.

“That’s Spacer!” the child said, pointing up at the horse.

Nora laughed lightly. “Yes, I know Spacer,” she said, then offered the horse a carrot.

“Daddy lets me sit on him.” Mason turned an expectant gaze to his father. But before he could say anything, Nora was lifting his son and placing him gently on the horse’s back.

“There you go,” she said with a smile. “You look like a real hero up there!”

“Yeah!” Mason cheered. “Daddy’s gonna get me one when I’m older.”

“I think you’re putting words in my mouth, kid,” Arlo muttered.

“You said!”

“I say a lot of things,” Arlo said dryly.

Spacer snorted and shook his head and Mason frowned.

“What’s wrong with him?”

Arlo patted the horse’s neck again in an attempt to calm him. “I dunno,” Arlo said. “Maybe he’s afraid I’ll give him to you.”

Mason giggled and Nora lifted him off the horse and placed him back on the ground. Without another word, Mason took off running, returning to play with Alby.

Nora looked around at the four men, then frowned. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all,” Presley said. “We were just making sure Kahli got off alright.”

“Oh,” Nora said softly. “She left? I hope everything is alright with her family.” Her brow furrowed. “She seemed very distracted when we spoke the other day.”

“She has a lot on her mind,” Remington offered. 

Nora nodded. “I hope she can come back home soon.” She smiled at Arlo. “Think you guys can manage without her? Mason seems like a handful.”

“That’s an understatement,” Arlo said. He hesitated. “I’m sure we’ll manage.”

“Well, you know what they say,” Nora started. “It takes a village, right? And you’ve got a village here.”

Arlo frowned. There was truth behind her words, but she had no idea the weight that those words carried, uncertain what kind of future his son would have. But he desperately pushed those thoughts aside for the time being. It was still early in the day, but he already felt exhausted. All he wanted to do was get home and take a nap.

It was at that moment, however, that the sound of galloping hooves caught his attention. They turned their gazes to the entrance of the plaza, watching from a distance as two riderless horses galloped up the road. They slowed to a trot as they entered the plaza and stopped abruptly before Arlo and Remington. They snorted and shook their heads anxiously.

“That’s-” Remington started, but Arlo was already climbing onto Spacer’s back. Remington hurriedly followed suit as Arlo kicked his horse forward. With Remington just a few paces behind, they galloped out of the plaza and across the rolling hills of Portia, over the river, and out toward the desert. 

Arlo’s mind raced faster than the horses traveled, anxiety growing in the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t imagine any good reason as to why Kahli and Sam’s horses returned in distress and without their riders. Something had to have happened, but despite how fast he pushed Spacer, time seemed to stand still.

But as they raced across the desert, they saw the black plumes of smoke, and they followed it until they found its source. The horses slowed as they neared, and Arlo’s heart sank as he looked over the wreckage before them. The helicopter that had landed to meet Kahli and Sam lay toppled against the ground, burning in a heavy inferno. Black smoke billowed into the sky. Broken pieces of the helicopter’s blades lay scattered amongst the debris. A handful of soldiers lay among the wreckage, covered in ash and blood on blood stained sands. A couple stirred as they came to, and they groaned and held their heads in their hands. 

But Sam’s voice pulled their attention to her, and Arlo slid off his horse and hurried to her side. She was lying on the ground, muttering, her hand pressed against a deep wound on her head. Blood dripped down the side of her face, caked with ash and dust.

Remington ripped at his shirt and pressed the cloth against the wound. She winced and groaned, and her eyes opened, meeting their gazes.

“What the fuck happened?” Arlo barked frantically. “Where’s Kahli?”

Sam’s eyes closed. Her voice cracked when she spoke. “I don’t… I don’t know.” She sobbed. “The… pirates. It was her. Everglade. They attacked.”

“Where’s Kahli?!”

Sam sobbed. “I don’t know,” she said. “Arlo. They took her. She’s gone.”

Chapter Text

The world was a blur. Around him, people hurried about, moving frantically, shouting to one another. He held Sam in his arms, and she cried against him. He felt frozen in place; all he could do was watch as Remington hurried to help the other soldiers. He turned to Arlo, his brows furrowed fiercely together, and shouted to him, but Arlo could not hear him. He felt Sam being pulled away from him, and he choked out a sob. He reached for her, but Remington came into his view once more, a hand on his shoulder. He shook him forcefully, bringing Arlo’s focus back on reality.

The stench reached his senses first. The smell of thick smoke and hot, burning metal. Gasoline. Charred flesh and hair. Blood. And amongst all that, the smell of a nearby oasis. Pure and fresh, like water and palm trees and cacti. It brought forth a comforting memory of the day he proposed to Kahli.

But the memory was quickly replaced as the shouting reached his ears. Soldiers darted about between the wreckage and their comrades. There were more than he remembered seeing, and it was only in that moment that he noticed the second helicopter that stood several yards away from the wreckage. Above them, he heard the distinct sound of an engine, and he looked up as a plane came in low, passing overhead and landing several more yards away. The door opened, and Mali jumped out and hurried to them.

The hand tightened on his shoulder, and he met Remington’s gaze. He looked past him. Sam was seated on a vehicle, and Dr. Xu was looking her over carefully. Mayor Gale was there, too, but he stepped away to meet Mali as she ran to them.

“What the fuck happened?” Gale sneered.

Arlo let Remington pull him to his feet. He felt tired, but he fought to remain focused. His brow furrowed fiercely as he tried to recall exactly what had just happened. It seemed as if he had blacked out the moment he saw the wreckage, but slowly, it all came back to him. The lifeless bodies that he and Remington tried to gather together. Sam’s sobs. The metallic smell of blood and death. At one point, Arlo had ordered one of the soldiers to go to Portia and get Xu. It felt like a dream; he couldn’t recall actually doing any of it, his body moving automatically. But it had become too much for him, when Xu and Gale finally showed and the second helicopter landed with more soldiers, he retreated to comfort Sam, watching and waiting as Mali’s men took over the situation.

“We received a mayday,” Mali said. “The pilot said they were being attacked. We were just returning to Lucien. We came as soon as we could.”

“Sam said it was Everglade,” Remington explained. He shook his head. “We weren’t here when it happened. But she said they attacked and took Kahli.”

“Shit,” Mali spat. “They know about her.” Her voice rose, and she shouted at them. “Who knows about her?!”

It felt as if everything snapped back into focus for Arlo in that moment, and anger quickly overwhelmed him, replacing his fear and grief. His fingers curled into his palms, his knuckles whitening, and he breathed heavily through his tightening chest.

“I don’t believe anyone outside of ua does,” Gale said, his voice hard but even.

“You don’t suppose it was Maurice?” Remington asked.

It was a heavy question. One none of them could answer. It would have meant one of two things; either Maurice was a traitor, just as the rogue knight was, or they got the information out of Maurice some other way, which would have certainly led to his death as soon as they got the information they wanted. It seemed the only logical explanation. No one else knew about her outside of Mali, Gale, Django, and the Civil Corps.

Arlo met Mali’s gaze. It seemed this thought occurred to her just as it did him. There was a strong possibility that one of them was a traitor. He didn’t want to believe that of any one of them, but he knew better than to let his emotions cloud his judgement. His brows knit together fiercely as he looked over each of them, meeting their gazes.

“I don’t know how they found out about her,” Mali started. “But they know who she is. My guess is that they’re going to use her to lure Maurice to them. If they can’t convince the knights to join them in this war, then they will do everything to ensure that we don’t have them at our advantage.”

“They’ll kill her,” Remington hissed.

“That is unlikely,” Mali said. “If they wanted her dead, they would have killed her right there and then. She’s untrained and vulnerable. That’s exactly what they want. If they know what she is capable of, they can mold her and use her to their advantage. Duvos will not hesitate to use unethical methods to completely alter her. They will manipulate her in order to gain control and use her against us.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Arlo snapped.

Mali met his gaze. “Nothing,” she said. “Not right now.” Her forehead creased deeply. “Do you see the mess I have on my hands right now?”

“This is a mess to you?” Arlo practically roared.

“You’re lucky Sam is alive,” Mali barked. “Two of my men are dead. They would all be dead if Everglade wasn’t in a hurry. We won’t be so fortunate next time we encounter her. Let me take care of my men right now. We have no idea what is going on. We have no information at this time, so there’s nothing we can act on. Pull yourself together. If you can’t get a level head, then get out of my fucking way.”

Arlo fumed, but said nothing further. A quiet sob from Sam caught his attention, and he moved his gaze to her.

“Get out of here,” Mali said. “Get back to Portia. Let me take care of this. We don’t need all of Portia in a panic. Make sure everyone stays out of the desert. We don’t know who has eyes on the area and we cannot afford another attack. I will find you as soon as this is cleared up. Do not make any rash moves until we can talk this over.  Do you understand me, Captain?”

Arlo swallowed and nodded.
Without another word, Mali turned her back to them and moved to assist the rest of her soldiers. With Sam comfortably on the back of the vehicle, Gale climbed in beside Dr. Xu. Remington and Arlo returned to their horses, then followed the vehicle out of the desert and back to Portia.

***** 

Sam slept soundly as Dr. Xu checked her vitals. The heart monitor beeped rhythmically. Except for a minor concussion and the laceration on her head that needed stitches, Sam was well. In shock, certainly, but even that had started to wear away once they returned home, and she would sleep the rest of it off. 

Xu adjusted the blankets around her, then pulled the curtain around her bed and turned to Arlo and Remington. 

“You sure you guys are alright?” he asked.

Remington hesitated and glanced at Arlo.

“Yes,” Arlo insisted shortly. 

Xu nodded. “You should get some rest,” he said. “She’ll be fine. I’ll let you know as soon as she wakes.”

Arlo nodded once, and with another word, he turned and left the clinic. Remington hesitated, glancing at Xu before following Arlo outside. It was just after noon, the sun still high in the sky, shining bright and warm upon the world. The people of Portia were still unaware of what had happened that morning, and they went about their business in blissful ignorance. Arlo hardly noticed them as they made their way into the plaza. He did not return their greetings, even walking right past Nora as he made his way into Gale’s office.

Gale was leaning against his desk when they entered. Presley stood before him, his arms crossed. Their brows were creased deeply, their gazes on the floor as if deep in thought. They looked up when Arlo and Remington entered. Gale’s face softened slightly.

“How’s Sam?” he asked.

“Fine,” Arlo replied.

Gale nodded. “Good, good,” he said quietly. He let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, then shook his head. “I’m sorry, Arlo, but I must ask this.” He met his gaze, his expression fierce. “Do you have any reason at all to believe that someone here could be a mole?”

Arlo held the mayor’s gaze. He felt Remington’s gaze on him. But he answered Gale’s question confidently. “No.”

Gale was quiet, holding Arlo’s gaze a moment more. He let out another sigh, softer this time. “Mali will want to conduct a thorough investigation,” he said. “Everyone here will be a suspect.” He hesitated. “Including Mali and anyone on her team.”

“That could take a long time,” Remington said. “We don’t have time for this sort of investigation.”

“We have no leads -”

“Duvos attacked us,” Arlo snapped. “They took Kahli! We know who did it!”

Gale raised a hand. “But what we don’t know is how they found out about her,” he reminded him. “And until we can figure out who leaked that information, we must be very careful with how we proceed. Any decisions we make could be used against us. We must tread lightly.”

Arlo bit the corner of his lower lip hard.

“Right now, it’s important that we do everything we can to keep Portia safe and make sure no word of what happened gets out to the public. There is no doubt in my mind that we are at war with Duvos, now., which means this is completely out of our hands. We are at the mercy of the Alliance. But.” He hesitated. “For now, Mali is on our side. She will let them know what happened. She will help us get Kahli back. I know you will want to be a part of this, Arlo. I will do everything I can to support you. But as long as we are a part of this war, we must take precautions. Once Mali takes care of her men, she will return, and we will discuss the plan going forward.”

“Every second they have her -”

“There is nothing we can do right now.” Gale’s voice rose slightly, hardening. “You know we cannot chase after them unprepared. I know this is hard for you, Arlo, but as the captain of this branch, you must remain level headed about this. We cannot afford any mistakes or reckless behavior. Can you handle this? Or do I need to find someone else to replace you?”

Arlo stared at him blankly for a moment, then his gaze narrowed. “I can handle it,” he hissed.

Gale held his gaze on Arlo a moment, then nodded. “I got word that Mason and Kendra arrived at Barnarock safely,” he added. “Why don’t you two get some rest? I’m sure we’ll be hearing from Mali soon.”

Arlo took that as his dismissal, and without another word, he left the office, stepping back outside and into the plaza. 

“Do you-” Remington started, but Arlo cut him off sharply.

“I’m going home and I’m going to bed,” he sneered.

“Arlo.”

He nearly cursed out loud. He turned to the voice as Nora approached them. She was smiling, but it wavered when she met Arlo’s gaze.

“Hey,” she said. “Did Kahli get off okay?”

“Yes,” Remington answered for him, and her gaze shifted to him. “She left this morning.”

“Living the bachelor lifestyle for a while, huh?” she teased Arlo, but her smile faded when she saw that Arlo was unamused. He stepped around her and made his way across the plaza toward home.

Nora hesitated, then turned to Remington. “Did I say something wrong?”

Remington forced a smile. “It’s been a long day,” he said simply. 

Chapter Text

Mali, Gale, Django, Remington, and even Sam were in the Civil Corps building already when Arlo entered. He frowned when his gaze landed on Sam, her head still bandaged, but she offered him a tired smile in greeting.

“What are you doing here?”

“We’ve got shit to take care of,” Sam said frankly. “And you’re not leaving me out of this.”

“Sam -”

“Don’t argue with me,” Sam interrupted him. “I watched my best friend get kidnapped by that damn bitch pirate.” She hesitated and her face paled slightly. “We gotta get her back.” Her eyes started to well. “It’s my fault…”

“It’s no one’s fault,” Remington said to her. “We’ll figure this out.” He turned his gaze to Mali. “Right?”

Mali’s arms were folded over her chest and she nodded. “I don’t have a lot of information right now,” she said. “But I’m going to do everything I can to get Kahli back. It just might take us some time. But I didn’t want to keep you all waiting. We have a lot to discuss.”

“What is the state of affairs with Duvos?” Gale asked.

Mali dropped her arms and her forehead creased. “I reported the attack to the Alliance,” Mali started. “Everglade and the rogue knight are difficult to track, but we can confirm with certainty that they are working with Duvos. And my men reported that they were not alone. Duvos soldiers were with them at the time of the attack in the desert. Duvos has made their move by striking one of the districts in the Alliance. We are officially at war.”

The room fell quiet for a moment. 

“What is the Alliance’s plan?” Django asked, breaking the silence.

“For now, their goal is to up patrols in the cities. Soldiers are being stationed throughout the cities as we speak to help defend from future attacks. However, where they will strike next, we cannot be sure. Right now, their movements are scattered. They’re searching for something. We can only speculate that they are looking for other All Source AIs. With recent events, however, it’s safe to assume they’re seeking out knights as well, or anyone with connection to the remaining knights.”

“What about Django?” Gale asked. “That rogue knight knows he’s here.”

“You said he escaped, correct?” Mali asked.

“That guy didn’t stand a chance against Django,” Sam said.

“Kahli was an easy target,” Mali said. “I think it’s unlikely he’ll go after Django again. Not right now, anyway. Especially if he thinks Django poses a threat. This could be part of their plan. They may be well aware that they don’t stand a chance against the knights, so they hope to lure them in however they can. That’s not to say that Portia is out of danger, or any of the Free Cities for that matter. Right now, we don’t have any leads on where or when they could strike next. So, the Alliance’s first concern is making sure the cities have appropriate defenses. The Civil Corps are working closely with us. If there’s anything they suspect Duvos could be after, they will report to us. That goes the same for Portia, though I think it’s safe to say we know what Portia has is All Source and Kahli.”

“And they already got Kahli,” Remington said through his teeth.

“And The Alliance will do what they can to get her back,” Mali said. 

“The Alliance seems to have their hands full at the moment,” Sam said. “Are they really going to make her a priority?”

“We don’t even have a clue as to where Everglade would take her,” Mali said. “Tracking Everglade has been difficult. We have a team who have been trying to track her since before they came to Portia. If they were able to do so, they would have been able to stop the attack before it even happened. Getting Kahli back will be no easy matter, and our resources are limited as it is.”

“It seems to me that The Alliance should probably be focusing their efforts on making sure Duvos doesn’t get their hands on the knights,” Remington said.

“The knights can handle themselves,” Mali said.

“I don’t care what The Alliance is doing,” Arlo said. “The longer they drag their feet on this, the greater the chance we lose Kahli.”

“I’m sorry,” Mali started, “but I don’t have any more definitive information for you guys right now. The Alliance is focused on protecting the Free Cities. What they will do after that has not been made clear to me. Right now, my job is to make sure the cities are defended from Duvos as best as we can, and to get the Civil Corps together at Lucien.”

“Us?” Sam said.

Mali nodded.

“But what about Portia?” Remington asked.

“There is a flight coming in tomorrow,” Mali informed them. “The men on that flight will be stationed here to defend Portia.”

“Why can’t we stay here to defend Portia?” Sam asked, hesitant.

“Because the three of you are part of the Alliance’s military,” Mali said.

“And your men aren’t?” Remington asked.

“They are,” Mali said. “But they’re of a lower branch, so they are not classified as part of the military. Their experience and services are better suited to defend the cities. We will need all military personnel in Lucien to prepare for an attack against Duvos. This is what you signed up for when you joined the Corps, is it not?” She narrowed her gaze on Sam. “If you’d like to reconsider, I suggest you do that now.”

“No,” Sam said fiercely. “If you think I’m going to run and hide, then you don’t know me very well.”

“Good,” Mali said. “I don’t think there’s anything further we need to discuss, then. I will have a plane sent here to bring you to Lucien within the next few days.”

“And what happens in Lucien?” Remington asked.

“You wait for further instruction.”

Arlo’s nostrils flared, but before he could argue with her, Mali spoke.

“This is a delicate situation. I will do everything in my power to get Kahli back, but that will be done on my terms. Are we clear?”

“I will go, too,” Django said. “You’ll fare better with a knight on this mission.”

Mali hesitated, but Django spoke again before she could argue.

“The knights are just as much a part of this military,” he said. “And when it comes to finding Kahli, you will need my expertise. We don’t know how she will be when we find her. I can help her control her ability if she needs it. Without my guidance, she could be dangerous. An uncontrolled ability can get out of hand very quickly, whether she means it to or not.”

Mali nodded. “I will bring this up to the Alliance,” she said. “I know it goes without saying, but you must be careful, Django. Duvos is doing everything they can to leave us at a disadvantage. The rogue knight might have left you alone for now, but that does not mean that they will next time you encounter them. They’ve got a plan. They’re waiting for their opportunity. Do not underestimate them.”

Django nodded. “Understood.”

“Good.” Mali glanced at each of them before finally turning to Gale. “I hate to run after the day you’ve all had, but I must get back to Lucien.”

Gale nodded to her and Mali turned back to the four of them.

“I’ll see you all soon, then.” And with that, she left them alone in the Civil Corps building. 

The room was quiet as they looked uneasily to one another. But Arlo’s gaze remained fixated on the floor, his brow furrowed fiercely. All day, he had done nothing. He waited for word from Mali, from word from the Alliance, but Kahli was not a priority. Were the circumstances different - if he was in a different mindset - he probably could have understood. There were other priorities to take care of before they went after a missing person who wasn’t even a knight. But Kahli was his priority, and he had sat and done nothing. And what was worse, he realized then that there was nothing he could have done, anyway. Not unless he ran through the desert himself, and as desperate as he was to find her, he knew even that would have gotten him nowhere.

There was nothing he could do. At least, not until he could get to Lucien. Which meant he had to continue to sit and wait while Kahli was out there. Anger and grief boiled inside of him, and out of his frustration, he shouted and turned around and punched a hole in the wall.

Chapter Text

“Do you want something for the pain?”

Xu finished wrapping Arlo’s hand and he moved to dig through some cabinets.

“No,” Arlo muttered. 

Xu glanced at him with a frown. “Alright,” he said. “Suit yourself.” He turned to Arlo. “So, what did the wall do exactly to piss you off?”

Arlo glanced at him with a snarl, then without a word, he left the clinic.

Xu hesitated, then glanced at Phyllis, who had a smirk on her face.

“It hasn’t even been one day,” she commented. “And now he doesn’t even have a hand to keep him busy.”

Xu rolled his eyes. “Crude.”

Outside, Arlo was surprised to see that Sam and Remington had waited for him. It was nearing midnight and the exhaustion of the day was finally starting to hit him. It felt surreal to think that it hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours since Everglade attacked and kidnapped Kahli. Sam and Remington turned to him with concern written on their faces.

“Arlo,” Sam started, her voice breaking. “I did everything I could! Kahli did everything she could! They had us surrounded. I tried, Arlo. I tried. I’m so sorry, Arlo.” 

Tears rolled down her face as she started to unravel. Her voice lowered as she continued to apologize to him, desperately begging for forgiveness. For as long as he had known Sam, she was never one to show fear. In fact, he was almost certain that nothing scared her. She was always willing to go head first into any threat and come out the other side grinning ear to ear. Even when Everglade and the rogue knight first attacked, Sam did not falter.

But something was different this time. The threat that hung over them was greater than anything they had encountered. No longer was it rogue AIs or the nuisance of bandirats. This time, it was an entire nation. A nation with a far more advanced military. A nation they didn’t stand a chance against. A nation that had one of their own. War had reached their doorstep. Portia was no longer the safe haven people once sought. Sam was right to be terrified. 

Still, he couldn’t bear to see her crumble in front of him. And it just made the situation that much more real, that much more terrifying. Kahli was gone, and he could not be certain if she would live or die. He couldn’t be sure if any of them would live or die. He never felt less uncertain about anything in his life. And as the reality settled in his mind, he, too, felt himself unravel. All the training in the world and all his time in the Corps could not prepare them for the reality of war. What was once a thing of the past was now a part of their reality. The fate of the Free Cities - of the world - rested on their shoulders. And it was a burden far greater than simply running the Portian branch of the Civil Corps. 

Arlo pulled Sam into his arms, hugging her tightly. He didn’t know what he could say to comfort her, but he hoped that gesture was enough. And it seemed to be. She quieted slightly.

“None of this is your fault,” Arlo said. His voice shook. “Please don’t blame yourself for what happened.”

Sam pulled away from him. Her eyes were still wet, but she regarded him fiercely.

“We’ll find her,” she said. “We’ll get her back! Duvos doesn’t know who they’re fucking with!”

Arlo forced a smile. “You should be resting,” he said. 

Sam pulled away and frowned. “I hate this,” she said. “I hate sitting here doing nothing.”

“There’s nothing we can do right now,” Remington reminded her. “What we can do is rest up and get ready to go to Lucien.”

Sam bit the corner of her lip and nodded. “You’re not gonna punch anymore walls, are ya?”

Arlo pulled his gaze away. “I’ll save my punches for Everglade,” he muttered.

Remington put a hand on his shoulder. “You need to get some rest, too.”

Arlo nodded. They bid each other a good night, then took their separate ways home for the evening.

The house felt cold and lifeless without his wife and son to occupy it. He didn’t bother to turn any of the lights on, making his way through the darkness with only the moonlight to spill through the windows and guide him up the stairs. He practically collapsed onto the bed as soon as he neared, still fully clothed. He had just enough energy to kick his boots off of his feet, and they dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. He pressed his face against the pillows, and he cried. 

*****

He didn’t feel particularly well rested when he awoke. Though, it seemed as if he slept through the night. He didn’t remember being awake per se. It was as if his sleep were merely an unconsciousness, not deep or restful as sleep should have been. He had recalled small details of a nightmare or two through the night. Perhaps those were what had disturbed his sleep the most. But as the sunlight streamed across his face, the nightmares were nothing more than a memory quickly replaced by the ugly reality that settled in the pit of his stomach.

He blinked up at the ceiling. He had barely moved through the night, waking in almost the exact same position he fell asleep in. His body was stiff and sore, and he sat up slowly, wincing and taking a moment to stretch his limbs. He pulled the bandages away from his wrapped knuckles and inspected them, then wiggled his fingers. They were tender, but nothing had been broken. He sat on the edge of the bed and let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes.

He was still exhausted. He probably could have slept for weeks and it wouldn’t have made a difference. There was never a time in his life where he was as exhausted as he was now, and he started to wonder if he would feel this way forever.

Still, he pulled himself up off the bed, and without thinking much about it, he stripped out of his dirtied clothes and moved automatically to the shower. He mostly stood there under the cold water until he worked up the energy to step back out and dry off. He dressed, then moved downstairs. Just as it was the night before, the house was cold and empty, and he suddenly started to feel claustrophobic, as if the walls were closing in around him. His chest tightened and his stomach twisted sickeningly. He hurried outside, stepping into the warmth of the sunlight, and he paused on the deck to look around.

He hadn’t realized how late it was. He didn’t glance at a clock, but judging by the height of the sun in the sky, it was somewhere around noon. His grumbling stomach confirmed his suspicions and reminded him that it had been over twenty-four hours since he had eaten anything. He didn’t particularly want to go into town or be bothered by anyone, but he couldn’t ignore his duties as Civil Corps captain. And until Mayor Gale made the official announcement, he had to put on a show and try not to cause anyone to worry. It would only be a few days before Mali’s men arrived in Portia, and he, Sam, and Remington would leave for Lucien. 

He shoved his hands in his pockets and trotted down the steps off the porch. He walked out toward the road and followed it into town. A crowd was gathered in the plaza, and Mayor Gale stood before them. People were murmuring to one another, reacting to something the mayor had just said to them, and Arlo could guess that he had told them about their war with Duvos. 

“Mali’s men will be here by week’s end and Portia will be under strict surveillance. No one is permitted to leave or enter. That goes for ships in and out of the harbor as well.” They continued to mutter, but Gale spoke over them. “This is for the safety of everyone in the city,” he said. “We do not know if or when Duvos will strike, or if they will return to Portia. Mali’s men will ensure our safety here, but we must cooperate with them.”

“They’re looking for that All Source AI!”

“Why did they take Kahli?”

Gale raised his hands in an attempt to quiet them, but they only started to shout in anger and fear.

“It’s true that Duvos had an interest in All Source. Whether that remains a priority to them, I cannot be sure. What I do know is that we cannot allow Duvos to get their hands on it. For now, Wendy will remain here in Portia under twenty-four-seven watch. I suspect in time, Wendy will be moved to a more secure facility when it is safe to do so. As far as Kahli goes…” Gale hesitated. “It is true that she was kidnapped. It was recently discovered that Kahli’s father, Maurice, is a knight. Therefore, there is a possibility that Kahli possesses the same abilities as her father. We did not want word of this to reach Duvos, so we arranged to have her transported to Atara to be protected. However, it seems Duvos found out about her, and they were intercepted in the Eufala Desert. Witnesses confirmed that Everglade was among the Duvos soldiers. Mali is working with us, and we will do everything we can to get Kahli back safely.” He let out a sigh.

“Which brings me to my final topic of discussion,” he continued. “Due to the nature of the war with Duvos, the Alliance is looking for as many abled bodies as possible. This means that at the end of the week, our own Civil Corps, along with Django, will be on their way to Lucien to help in the war efforts.”

To his surprise, the crowd fell silent. They glanced uneasily at one another, then slowly, they turned to regard Arlo who stood behind them. 

“You’re leaving?” Toby said, breaking the silence. His gaze moved between Arlo and Django. “You’re… going to fight in the war?”

Django smiled down at the child. “Not to worry,” he said. “You’re looking at the best fighters in all the Free Cities.” He met Arlo’s gaze. “Right, Arlo?”

But Toby frowned. He turned his gaze to Arlo, waiting for his answer, but Arlo said nothing.

“It’s our duty to protect Portia and all the cities in the Alliance,” Django continued. “And it’s not the first war I’ve fought in, you know.”

Toby turned back to Django. “How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t know,” Django admitted. 

“But you’ll come back after, right?”

Django hesitated. “Well, we certainly plan to.” He smiled. “I suppose when we do, we’ll have lots of new stories for ya.”

Toby nodded, but his brow creased deeply with concern for his friend and mentor. He turned his gaze to Jack but found no sign of hope in his friend’s expression. Jack knew better than anyone the outcome of war, as did all the adults in Portia. Tension settled in on the plaza as they continued to exchange uneasy glances with one another, the same thing on all of their minds. In a war with Duvos, the Free Cities were at a severe disadvantage. The future of their world was bleak. 

Chapter Text

“I knew she was full of shit, didn’t I tell ya?”

Sonia stood behind the bar, her hands on her hips. She turned her gaze from Emily, who was seated at the far end, to the three Civil Corps officers who had taken the seats on the other end. 

“Family business to take care of.” Sonia scoffed. She pinched the bridge of the nose. “I can’t believe you lied to us. All of you!”

“What choice did we have?” Sam hissed. “Oh, hey, everyone. Guess what? We found out that Kahli could be in trouble because her father is a knight, so we’re gonna send her off to be protected, but don’t tell anyone, right? Oh, just kidding, Duvos found out, and now they’re gonna fuck us all up!”

“Sam,” Remington warned.

“And what if nothing happened?” Sonia pressed. “What if it all went off without a hitch? What then? Would Gale have continued to keep us in the dark?”

“There was never a plan to hide this,” Remington said. 

“Look,” Arlo said frankly, disinterested in the conversation. He hadn’t come to talk. “I don’t even remember when I ate last. I just want something to eat.”

Sonia dropped her arms and let out a sigh. Her lips turned into a crooked frown. “Yeah, alright,” she said. “But what am I supposed to do when the cook leaves?”

At that moment, Ack poked his head out from inside the kitchen. He cleared his throat loudly, and Sonia turned to him with an apologetic smile.

“You know how Django is,” she said.

“I like to think we’ve established a fine partnership,” Ack said proudly.

Sonia pointed a finger at him, her expression turning serious. “But I’m not letting you change shit back there. I’ll never hear the end of it from Django if he comes back to his kitchen totally rearranged.”

Ack held up his hands defensively. “I shall not set a fork out of line,” he said sincerely. “The usual, Mr. Arlo?”

Arlo put his head in his hand. “I’ll eat Spacer if I have to,” he muttered. 

Ack disappeared back into the kitchen and Sonia turned back to them. She shook her head in disbelief.

“I just can’t believe any of this is happening,” she said. “And here I was thinking you guys were going to get divorced.”

“I would have preferred that,” Emily said. She met Arlo’s angry gaze. “At least she would still be here and not some prisoner of war!” she exclaimed defensively. 

“Why would you think they were getting divorced?” Sam asked.

“They were acting all weird,” Sonia said. “Tense.”

“How long does it take to make a damn sandwich?” Arlo muttered.

“Rude,” Sonia said. “I know you’re life is kind of a tragic mess right now, but don’t take it out on Ack.”

Arlo stood abruptly. “Forget it,” he said between his teeth, and he left the restaurant without another word. The four that remained fell silent for a moment.

“This would be just the moment when Kahli chimes in with something awkward and inappropriate in her weird attempt to lighten the mood,” Sonia said with a sigh. 

Emily hesitated. She glanced at Sam and Remington. “Arlo always has his shit together,” she said. “Is it that bad?”

“Well, being at war with Duvos isn’t good,” Sonia sneered.

Emily frowned. “I guess it just doesn’t seem real,” she said softly. “How safe can Portia be at this point?”

They were quiet for a moment, and that was answer enough.

“We’re going to do everything we can,” Sam said simply. 

Ack came out of the kitchen briefly, peering around the corner. “I’m trying a new - oh. He’s gone.”

Remington stood. “Give me that,” he said shortly, and Ack handed him the plate. “Damn kid’s gotta eat,” he muttered under his breath, then promptly left the Round Table.

He found Arlo at home, leaning against the fence as he watched Star and Spacer graze. He shoved the plate with the sandwich into his chest.

“Pull yourself together and eat something. You won’t find Kahli if you don’t get your head in the game.”

Arlo glanced at him, hesitant, but took the sandwich from him. He took a half-hearted bite, his gaze back on the horses. 

“If you can’t handle -”

“I can handle this,” Arlo sneered at him.

Remington frowned. “No one expects you to keep it all together,” he said. “But I do expect you to know when to step back.”

“Are you here to lecture me about shit I already know?”

“I’m reminding you that you’re not alone,” Remington said fiercely. “You can lean on us when you need to. That’s what we’re here for.”

Arlo stared down at the ground. “I’m terrified,” he said softly. 

“I’d be worried if you weren’t,” Remington said. “With so much on the line, it’s impossible not to be. Only a fool wouldn’t feel fear in a time like this. But as someone who’s seen some things in his time, I will say this: it’s how you choose to use that fear that can determine the outcome of any situation. Whether you push forward and fight, or run and hide.” He glanced at Arlo. “Sometimes the answer isn’t always what you think. Sometimes it’s knowing when to step back.”

“I’m not stepping back,” Arlo said. “Not until this is over.”

Remington let his hand rest on Arlo’s shoulder for a moment, then turned and left him alone. In three short days, they would be on a plane headed to Lucien. After that, their futures were unclear. For all he knew, Duvos could be there waiting to attack, and the war would end as quickly as it started. But there was one thing Remington was certain of; how they played the hand they were dealt would forever change the world as they knew it. 

*****

The remaining three days in Portia felt like a blur to Arlo. His body seemed to move automatically, bringing him through each painfully slow day. The people in Portia talked quietly amongst themselves, their eyes always on the Civil Corps officers when one of them passed. War weighed heavily on all their minds. Very few of them could even remember a time when the military of the Free Cities had all been called together. It seemed surreal to think that Duvos could strike at any moment, and that Portia would soon be without a Civil Corps to defend them.

That wasn’t to say they were without defense. Mali’s men had already begun to filter into the city, taking up their posts and patrolling the streets. Their presence in the city, however, was cold. They hardly spoke a word, and the citizens of Portia stood and watched from afar. Mali’s men were equipped with weapons most had never seen before, and they could only speculate the kind of weaponry that Duvos possessed. In a world so insistent on keeping deadly technology at bay, it seemed they were in the same position that started the Age of Darkness all those years ago. History was repeating itself, right in front of their eyes.

But there was nothing Arlo could do to ease their worries and fears. There was nothing anyone could do. All they could do was sit and wait and pray that the war would not reach their doorstep, and that everyone would return home… alive. 

It was early in the morning when the plane arrived to take them to Atara, and most of the town was still sleeping. The three Corps officers preferred it that way, anyway, leaving quietly and quickly. There was no sense dragging out the inevitable. And in truth, they were each anxious to get to Lucien. They didn’t know what would wait for them there, but it was one step closer to find Kahli, and that was all they wanted to do. 

Remington had flown only a few times in his life, and Arlo even less, but Sam and Django had never been on a plane at all. Django remained calm and collected, but Sam dug her nails dug into Arlo’s thigh, clutching onto him and Remington on either side of her as the plane sped across the grass and lifted up into the sky.

“For fuck’s sake,” Remington muttered, wincing as Sam clutched tighter. Still, he took his hand in hers in an attempt to ease her fears, and maybe save his leg from being ripped to shreds by her claws. 

As the plane leveled off to its cruising altitude, Sam’s grip loosened, and after her shaking slowed slightly, she dared to glance out the window. Her curiosity piqued, she leaned over Arlo, ignoring his sigh of annoyance, and she peered down onto the landscape below, watching as they flew over the islands that dotted the coast of Portia, then out over the sea.

“This… is… so cool!”

The plane dropped down suddenly, and Sam yelped and resumed clutching the legs beside her.

“Just a bit of turbulence,” the pilot said into his headset.

“What’s that?” Sam shouted over the engine. “Are we gonna die? This is it, isn’t it? I don’t even get to go in the glory of war. Taken down by this fucking piece of machinery! It’s always the damn machines!”

“Calm down,” Remington said to her as calmly as he could, though the hint of annoyance still came through in his voice. “It’s completely normal.”

“Says you!”

“Does it look like we’re falling?”

Sam hesitated and dared another glance to the window, confirming that they were, in fact, still flying steadily in the air.

“No,” she said slowly.

“I’ve flown in a lot worse than this,” the pilot said conversationally. He glanced over his shoulder back at them and grinned. “Flown in war zones being shot at. After you’ve experienced that, a little turbulence is a walk in the park!”

Sam’s face whitened. “War zones?” She swallowed. 

The pilot turned to look back out the windshield. “Not to worry,” he said. “The skies have been quiet for now. Besides, what’s a little fighting between nations for the Civil Corps, hm?”

“Portia hasn’t exactly seen much strife,” Remington said.

The pilot’s eyes widened and his grin returned. “Ah. Noobies,” he said. “Well, then, let me be the first to officially welcome you to the fight.”

Chapter Text

To Sam’s relief - and the relief of Arlo and Remington with only a few bruises on their legs - the plane landed safely and without further drama in Lucien. To say they were far from home was an understatement. While Portia was a simple town, Lucien was far more advanced. Buildings towered over them, stretching toward the sky. The streets were busy with people as they went about their day. They walked along sidewalks and darted across streets between vehicles stopped at intersections. Though Arlo, Remington, and Django had been to Lucien a few times, it was all brand new to Sam, and she felt as if she were in a different world completely. She looked up and around them as they walked across the runway where the plane had landed, nearly bumping into the man that approached them if Remington had not pulled at her wrist, bringing her back to reality.

“You must be the Portian Civil Corps,” the man said, regarding each of them with a nod. “I trust your trip went smoothly?”

Sam scoffed and rolled her eyes, but made no other response. 

The man eyed her for a moment before speaking again. “Edmond.” He stretched out a hand to Arlo and they shook. “You must be the captain of this Corps, I presume.”

“Why must he be?” Sam sneered at him.

Edmond met her gaze and a smile pulled at his lips. “Because Remi and I go way back,” he said.

“And I can’t be a captain?”

“Well, you don’t much look like a tall red headed man, so no.”

Sam folded her arms over her chest. “Touche.”

Edmond turned to Remington briefly and nodded to him. “It’s been a long time. I thought for sure you preferred the quiet country life that Portia offered.”

“I do,” Remington said with a heavy sigh. 

Edmond smiled, then turned away from them, gesturing for them to follow him.

“Mali asked me to meet you here when your plane arrived,” he said. “She’s a bit tied up at the moment, but she will greet you once she gets a chance. She’s been anxiously awaiting your arrival. There is a lot to be discussed, and I’ve been asked to debrief you right away.”

“What for?” Sam asked, her gaze narrowing on him.

“For an official report of what happened in Portia,” Edmond explained. “And we’ve got some news to share with you as well.”

“About Kahli?” Sam asked.

But Edmond did not answer her. “Most of the other Corps have already arrived,” he continued. “You’ll all be equipped appropriately.” He glanced over his shoulders at them. “I trust you’ve all shot a gun before?”

Arlo glanced hesitantly at Remington and Django.

Edmond noticed their hesitance, but he continued on unfazed. “No matter,” he said. “You’ll be trained as necessary.”

“Do we know what we’re up against, exactly?” Arlo asked carefully.

“Well, Captain ,” he started, emphasizing the word. “I trust you’re aware of the Duvos situation. You know their technology far exceeds our own. They have no shortage of military grade weapons and various AIs.”

“AIs?” Remington echoed. “All the remaining AIs are out of control.”

“Most, yes,” Edmond said with a nod. “But that hasn’t stopped them from finding ways to take them back and create more for their own use.”

“Oh, we are fucked,” Sam muttered.

“Nonsense,” Edmond said cheerily. “I know you’re in your own little world over there in Portia, but I can assure you we are well prepared for whatever Duvos throws at us, as you will see soon enough.”

At this point, they had left the airport and passed through tall gates lined with barbed wire. Several armed soldiers stood guard at the entrance, allowing them entry as Edmond spoke to them, flashing a badge in their direction. 

“This is the heart of our military headquarters,” Edmond explained as they navigated through. Most of the buildings here were only a few stories tall and note as close together as the buildings in the city. Armed soldiers milled about, some in groups, some alone. They chatted and laughed and moved on with their day, paying no mind to Edmond or the small group of four behind him. After a short walk, Edmond turned into one of the buildings and strode confidently across an open lobby, their footsteps echoing.

Across the room, he waved his badge in front of a scanner. A light turned green and the door slid open, granting them access. They continued to follow Edmond down the hall until he stopped at another door at the end. He scanned his badge once more, and the door slid open to reveal a larger, dimly lit room. The room was occupied by one other person; a man dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt. A simple gun was holstered on his hip, and he smiled at them as they entered. 

Edmond nodded to the man, then gestured to the three officers behind him. “Blake,” he said. “This is Arlo, Sam, Remington, and Django. They’re from Portia.”

“The Portian Civil Corps,” Blake said, impressed. “You’ve made quite a name for yourself already.”

Sam crossed her arms. “Yeah? What have you heard?”

“Oh, something about you guys taking on some pirates and a rogue knight. Pretty impressive that you were able to stand up to him. That kind of skill should land you in the Flying Pigs.”

“Our talent is severely underappreciated,” Sam said. “How did you hear about that, anyway?”

“Things get around,” he said. “Plus, I’ve got a friend in Portia.”

“Is it Mei?” Sam asked dryly.

He blushed. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

“She may have told us she had some spy friend.”

He frowned. “She blew my cover?”

“Not at all,” Sam said. “But she gave us some valuable information, thanks to you.”

“Anything to help save the world, hm?” He grinned, then hesitated. “Hey. Uh. Do you know if she’s seeing anyone?”

“There it is,” Arlo muttered.

Sam laughed. “She takes her job pretty seriously,” she said. “But, I bet you could get a date out of her in exchange for some secrets.”

He blushed and rubbed at the back of his head. “Heh. I knew she was just using me for my connections.”

“Blake.” Mali entered, then, her expression stern. “You’re back.”

Blake saluted her.

“I suppose your timing couldn’t be better,” she said. She glanced at Arlo and nodded in greeting, then turned back to Blake. “Report.”

“We’ve confirmed our source’s report; Everglade was spotted in Duvos,” he said. “She frequently moves between Duvos and The Peripheries, but we’ve been unable to track her further.”

Mali’s mouth opened to speak, but Edmond spoke first, his voice loud and powerful, cutting her off.

“Thank you, Lieutenant. Dismissed.”

Blake glanced at Mali, but otherwise did not hesitate. He saluted them once more, then hurried out of the room. 

Edmond regarded Mali, but this time, it was Mali that spoke first, her gaze fierce. 

“Thank you, Edmond,” she said between clenched teeth. “Please let me know when the others have arrived.”

Edmond let his gaze linger on hers for a moment, then left the room, leaving the five of them alone. 

“Alright, I’ll say it,” Sam started. “I hate that guy already.”

“What’s his deal, anyway?” Django asked carefully.

Mali let out a soft sigh. “I’m glad you made it safely,” she said.

“Mali,” Arlo started, his voice harsh. “You found Everglade?”

“Now don’t go running out that door,” Mali hissed. She hesitated. “There’s a lot you need to know. And we can’t talk here.”

Sam’s gaze narrowed on her. “Why not?”

“Things are complicated,” Mali said.

“Between you and dreamy Edmond?” Sam scoffed.

“Watch it,” Mali warned her. “Don’t fuck with him, do you understand?”

“What are we walking into?” Remington asked. “Things seem tense.”

“Tense is an understatement,” Mali muttered. “I said there’s a lot you need to know. But I must tread carefully. Even in our own ranks, there are some… disagreements on how the situation is being handled.”

“This sounds exactly like a military that has their shit together,” Arlo sneered.

“Look,” Mali started. “I’ll be as honest with you as I can. But that all comes later. Right now, I have something important to attend to. I just wanted to make sure I got you away from Edmond while I had the chance.”

“Why?” Arlo asked.

Mali sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Later!”

But before any of them could argue further, they could hear shouting from the other side of the door. The distinct thudding sound of something hitting the wall hard could be heard, almost immediately followed by another. After a moment more, the door opened, and a dark figure stood in the doorway, illuminated slightly by the light in the hall behind him. Two soldiers could be seen in the hall just getting to their feet, their hands instinctively on the weapons on their hips, but they made no other move to attack. The figure stepped into the room, and as their eyes adjusted to the change in light, the man’s features began to take shape. Dark eyebrows were knit together fiercely, practically covering his eyes, and a thick beard covered his face. He regarded the group of them for a moment until his gaze landed on the other knight in the room.

“Django,” Maurice hissed. “Where is my daughter?”

Chapter Text

“Django,” Maurice hissed. “Where is my daughter?” 

Maurice thrust his palm out, but Django moved quickly to stop his attack. In one swift swing, his fist made contact with Maurice’s open palm, and an electric pulse shot through him and into Maurice, causing him to stumble backwards.

This only made him angrier, however, and he lunged at Django, swinging his fist toward him. Django dodged his attack, swinging his leg low and tripping Maurice. He moved quickly, pushing Maurice against the wall, his arm across his neck.

By now, the two soldiers from the hall had hurried in, their weapons drawn, but Mali held a hand out to them. Their gazes moved from Mali to the two knights, then slowly, they holstered their weapons.

“Get a hold of yourself,” Django hissed. “You’ve gotten clumsy, but I know what you’re capable of. You will kill all of us.”

Maurice’s shoulders heaved, but he did not move. His breathing slowed, and Django released his hold on Maurice, stepping back.

Mali turned to the two soldiers, her gaze fierce. “Out,” she snapped, and they obeyed wordlessly, closing the door behind them. 

“You,” Maurice hissed. “You promised -” His voice cracked slightly.

“There was nothing any of us could have done,” Django snapped. “Perhaps you should rethink your own choices before being so quick to put this blame on us.”

Maurice’s shoulders dropped slightly and he pulled his gaze away. “I did everything I could to protect her,” he said.

“Did it ever occur to you to be honest with her?” Django said. “She could have defended herself easily if she knew. If you trained her -”

“I did not want her to be a part of this life,” Maurice snapped. “Don’t you dare judge my decisions. You’re not a father; you would not understand.”

Django sighed heavily. “Perhaps you’re right,” he said. “What’s done is done. All that matters is that we get her back.”

“Maurice,” Mali started, stepping forward. “You cannot -” But she stopped when Maurice turned his furious gaze to her. She hesitated before continuing. “They could be trying to lure you to them,” she said.

“Then they will have me,” Maurice said through his teeth. “And I will be the last thing they ever see.” Maurice looked over the Civil Corps one last time, offering no greeting, then promptly left the room, the door slamming behind him. As his footsteps echoed down the hall, his voice could be heard snarling at the two soldiers.

“Touch me and die.”

Mali’s lips pressed together, hesitant. She turned and met Arlo’s gaze.

“So, we got in contact with Maurice,” she said, and she offered him an apologetic smile.

“No shit,” Django muttered. 

Mali sighed. “I know you all have a lot of questions. I promise to answer them when I can. For now, Edmond will debrief you. Tell him everything you know. Anything you think will help with the situation against Duvos. When you’re done, he’ll fit you all with bulletproof vests and weapons. Do what you’d like, but do not leave the base. I will find you as soon as I can. I’ll tell you everything I know.” Without a word in parting, she turned and left them alone in the dimly lit room.

Silence fell around them for a moment, then Sam muttered, “What the fuck have we gotten ourselves into?”

“What do you think she’s hiding?” Remington wondered out loud.

Arlo turned to Django. His forehead creased deeply. “What’s Maurice’s beef with you?”

Django glanced at Arlo, hesitant. “I was in contact with Maurice before Kahli came to Portia,” he said. “I suggested that she would be safe here. I promised him I would keep an eye on her.” He shook his head. “No one could have guessed this would have happened.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t really blame you,” Remington said.

“Yeah,” Sam added. “And without you, that knight would have kicked all our asses, anyway.”

The door opened once more and Edmond stepped into the room. There was a small smile on his face, but his eyes did not turn upwards. They were unsettlingly cold as he regarded them.

“Shall we?”

*****

One by one, they followed Edmond into the debriefing room. It didn’t take more than an hour to debrief all of them, and most, if not all, of their stories were exactly the same. They each recounted Everglade’s arrival to Portia and how they worked with her to find All Source. They explained how they encountered the rogue knight, then chased both the rogue knight and Everglade. They told Edmond that Everglade had escaped, but the rogue knight had gotten to All Source, using the AI against the city. Their stories concluded with Django interfering, battling against the rogue knight until he, too, made his escape. Edmond listened closely, taking notes as they spoke, asking a few questions as they came to mind.

When the debriefing was complete, they followed Edmond through the building and into another room where they were appropriately fitted and equipped. The vests were snug, and they felt slightly encumbered compared to how they were used to. But most of all, the vests made the situation feel much more real and bleak. They were strapped with holsters, each carrying two guns with them, but neither of them felt safe or protected. They felt deadly. Dangerous. The opposite of everything they had known back in Portia. These were the weapons that had caused a disturbance in the world. And like Duvos, Lucien worked tirelessly to restore them and continue their production in preparation for their peace treaty to be broken. 

It was ironic. It was wrong. But it was the truth of the world. A truth they could not keep hiding from, no matter how hard they tried. Portia had been blissfully ignorant of it all; of the reality of the world they lived in. They - Duvos, mainly - had learned nothing from their past, from the Age of Darkness. No one necessarily blamed Lucien for taking up arms; it was the only thing they could do if they wanted a fighting chance against the nation with the strongest military. It was why the Alliance was formed in the first place; to try to bring continued peace and prevent history from repeating itself.

But as long as Duvos remained, it seemed that would never be possible.

The four of them stood outside. It was late in the afternoon; the setting sun peeked between tall buildings, casting the city in a warm, golden glow. The weight of their vests and weapons felt heavier than they actually were, and they shifted uncomfortably on their feet as they looked around them. Other soldiers and military personnel still milled about, most at ease. Cheery, even, despite the fact that Duvos loomed so closely to them. They were accustomed to this lifestyle. They did not feel the heavy burden of the weapons they carried.

“There they are! My favorite branch of the Civil Corps.”

They turned to the sound of Blake’s voice as he approached them, a wide grin on his face. But when he met their sullen gazes, he frowned.

“What’s the matter? Mali wasn’t too hard on ya, was she? She can be pretty blunt, but she means well. Just wants what’s best for everyone, yanno?”

“You’re awfully chipper for a spy,” Sam commented.

Blake laughed. “What? A guy can’t be in a good mood around here?”

Sam shrugged. “You just don’t strike me like the type.”

“Wouldn’t that make me the perfect guy for the job?” He winked at her, and Sam blushed.

“Wh-whatever, man!” Her arms folded over her chest and she looked away from him.

“I was just gonna head into the city and get a bite to eat,” Blake said, thrusting a thumb over his shoulder. “You guys hungry?”

“I could eat,” Remington said.

“I’ll have to catch up with you later,” Django said, turning to Arlo. He offered him a smile. “I’ve got some business to tend to.”

“Knight business?” Sam inquired.

Django grinned at her, then turned away from them with a wave over his shoulder and headed down the street.

“Alright,” Blake said. “Lucien’s great. Lots of nightlife. You’ll love it. C’mon, beer’s on me!”

The three Civil Corps officers followed Blake across the military base, out the guarded main entrance and across the street. They walked along the sidewalk as they followed the road into the heart of the city. Under the cover of the tall buildings, the sun was just a fading glow, but street lights lit up the darkening roads. Vehicles moved through intersections, their horns beeping at one another. Shops and restaurants and clubs lined the streets, various signs lit up and blinking to catch the attention of passerbyers. When doors opened and patrons milled in and out, loud music spilled out into the street before being muffled again as the doors closed. 

“We are definitely not in Portia anymore,” Sam muttered.

They continued to follow Blake until he finally stopped in front of the door of a bar. The sign above it read The Crispy Pancake.

Sam grinned and nudged Arlo in the ribs with her elbow. “I see Mason’s future and he’s a fat chef.”

Arlo frowned. “Why does he gotta be fat?”

“Because of all the pancakes you feed him,” Remington said. 

Blake regarded them curiously. “Mason?”

“My son,” Arlo said simply.

Blake’s smile wavered for a moment. “Ah, well,” he started, shifting uncomfortably. “Contrary to what the sign says, there are no pancakes here. Strictly booze and bar food. Some nice, greasy wings, loaded potato wedges, you name it.”

“Sounds healthy,” Sam said.

“All I heard was beer,” Arlo said.

Blake pointed two finger guns at them. “Aye. Drink as much as you want!” He hesitated. “Well, maybe not, but hey, I’m not your boss, so don’t let me tell you how to live your life.” He turned and pushed the door open, and they stepped inside the dimly lit room.

The bar already hosted a variety of people. Some stood together in twos and threes spread out across the room with drinks in here, while larger groups sat at tables laughing loudly and clinking glasses together. Smaller groups stood at the bar height tables in more intimate conversations, and a few individual patrons sat along the bar at the far corner of the room. It stretched along in an L shape, and the four of them took the open seats on the corner, two on each side with Remington and Blake at the ends. 

The bartender approached wordlessly when they sat, and Blake leaned across the bar, pointing to the three of them individually. “Beer? Beer? Beer?” Without waiting for a response, he turned to the bartender and held up four fingers. “Keep ‘em coming!”

The bartender turned away from them, making no response that he had heard the order, but he sent to work regardless, taking up four clean glasses and moving to the tap. He talked to the patrons on the other end of the bar as he filled them, then distributed the glasses before turning away again.

“Charming,” Sam muttered. She looked into her glass, eyebrow cocked, then with a shrug, she drank. She whipped her arm across her face when she finished, then turned to Blake. “So, what’s the deal with that Edmond guy? Do we all hate him?”

Blake nearly choked on his beer. When he regained himself, he put his glass down calmly, then turned to her with a vacant expression. “Never say his name,” he said in a monotone voice. “Edmond is the enemy.”

Arlo then proceeded to choke on his drink, and Remington laughed. Sam looked between the three men in confusion.

“Nah, I’m just fuckin’ with ya,” Blake said. He shrugged. “Yeah, he’s kind of a douche. But you know how those military guys are.” He grinned at Arlo. “Right, Captain?”

Arlo blinked at him, then turned to Sam. “Am I a douche?”

Sam grinned. “Arlo, my man, the douchiest.” She paused to drink. “Remember all those laps you made me run after the whole fiasco with Kahli in those sewers?” She leaned over Arlo to regard Blake. “And with a sprained ankle!”

Arlo’s forehead creased angrily. “Did not!”

Blake grinned. “Who’s Kahli? Another cute Civil Corps officer? Why isn’t she here?”

“Yeah,” Sam said slowly. “My bad.”

Blake regarded Arlo in confusion.

“She’s my wife,” Arlo said simply.

“Ah.” Blake smiled. “You didn’t seem like the family man type.”

Arlo glanced at him. “I guess things aren’t always as it seems, hm?”

Chapter Text

“Sh. Sh. Sh. Listen.” Sam stared into Arlo’s eyes. “Um nat drunk.”

The night air was brisk, and they stood outside of the bar, which had just begun to fill with people in the later hours. The four of them made their way down the street, through the city and back towards base. Sam had a spring in her step, feeling the effects of the two drinks she had consumed, and from time to time, she got too excited when she spoke and stumbled, grabbing on to Remington for support as she giggled. 

Arlo’s gaze turned, unamused. “You’re not?”

Sam waved him off. “Nah,” she said. “‘S’just… a couple. I gat this.” She thrust a thumb into her chest. 

“Couldda had me fooled,” Blake said with a smirk.

Sam turned and pointed a finger at Blake. “You.” She hiccuped. “I like you.”

Blake blushed. “Oh, uh. Thanks, I think. I like you guys.”

Sam smiled and nodded. “So, wa’s ya story?”

“My story?”

“Yanno. Where did ya come from? Where did ya go? Who is Blake?”

“Ah.” Blake paused in thought for a moment. “Well, I’m from Tallsky. Grew up there most of my childhood. My grandfather was in the military and I always looked up to him, so I came to Lucien as soon as I turned eighteen. I trained day and night, working my way up the ranks and into the Civil Corps, then joined the Flying Pigs. I worked with Mali a lot until I was transferred into another division. You know, for espionage and that sorta thing.” He winked at Sam. “And, well, the rest is history, I suppose. Mali and I work pretty closely these days.”

“Yeah, close, huh?” Sam winked at him, and Blake blushed.

“No,” he stuttered quickly. “She’s my superior.”

“Oh, right. You're into Mei.”

Blake’s cheeks reddened further and he cleared his throat. “Anyway,” he started. “What about you guys?”

Sam turned and stepped in front of him, leaning closer to him. “What ‘bout us, huh?”

Blake grinned. “Your story,” he said. “I told you mine. Isn’t that how this works?”

Sam smiled. “Oh! Yeah! Except we’re not so interesting.”

“I find that extremely hard to believe,” Blake said with a smirk. “What about that business with that rogue knight? How the hell did you get involved with that, anyway?”

“Oh, right!” Sam exclaimed. “Oh, man, what a story that one is! It all started when Mali came looking for the All Source AI.”

Blake nodded. “Yeah, I remember something about that. She found one, right?”

“Yeah, kinda. You know, after the rogue knight and Everglade found it first.”

“How did that happen?”

“Everglade intercepted Mali’s messages, so they posed as Alliance officers and acted like Mali sent them over to find All Source.”

Blake’s brows furrowed. “But wasn’t Mali with you?”

Sam shook her head. “No, this was after Mali went back to Atara.”

“Oh, sure.”

“Anyway,” Sam continued. “We had no idea who Everglade was. Except we knew she was a huge bitch. Because she was. A bitch. But we did everything she asked because what else were we supposed to do?”

“Sure, you had no clue.”

Sam narrowed her eyes at Arlo. “Well, some of us were suspicious. But, who were we to stand up to her?”

“But you did, didn’t you?”

Sam shrugged. “Didn’t have much of a choice when she attacked us.”

“And?”

“She took off like a bitch,” Sam said. “But that rogue knight already had All Source and turned her against us. Attacked the city. If it weren’t for Django, he probably would have destroyed all of Portia and taken Wendy with him.”

“No shit,” Blake said. “But Wendy is still in Portia?”

“Yup,” Sam said with a nod. “He ran off like a bitch, too, once he lost control of Wendy. And without the chip in her leg, she can’t be controlled anymore. So, there’s really no need to worry about Duvos being able to control her or use her against us or anything.”

Blake nodded. “Yeah, Mali mentioned something about that. That’s pretty crazy, though. It’s a good thing you had Django there. Knights are pretty hard to come by these days.”

“We didn’t even know he was a knight,” Sam said. “Or Kahli, for that matter.”

Blake glanced at her. “Kahli?”

Remington cleared his throat loudly and Arlo visibly paled. Blake glanced quickly in their direction, his brows furrowed.

“Kahli’s a knight?”

Sam hesitated, her mouth open slightly, and she glanced between Arlo and Blake. “No,” she said quickly. “I mean. No. Technically. No.”

“Technically?” Blake asked, his face turning more serious than they had seen it since they arrived. “What’s technically?” There was a slight snap in his voice.

“It’s classified information,” Remington said.

Blake glanced in his direction. “I know all classified -”

“If you don’t know then you don’t know,” Remington said firmly. 

They had stopped walking and stood just outside of the main gates to the base. Silence fell over them. The three Portian Civil Corps officers held their gazes on Blake. After a moment, Blake smiled. 

“Well, who am I to question what information Mali gives me, hm?” He met Arlo’s gaze. “You sure are an interesting lot, anyway. But hey, thanks for drinking with me tonight. I won’t keep you up much later. I’m sure you’ll all have a busy day tomorrow. We’ll do this again, yeah?” Blake saluted them cheerfully. “Goodnight.”

They watched as he turned away from them and headed through the gates. When he was out of sight, Arlo turned and sneered at Sam.

“What the hell?”

Sam’s shoulders slumped slightly. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I just… I figured people knew! I didn’t think it was some big secret.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Remington said. “But we shouldn’t be going around offering this information to anyone.”

Arlo turned and headed through the gates and Sam and Remington followed quickly behind him. 

“We’re not exactly in the loop with everything going on, either,” Remington added. “Mali has yet to fill us in on anything concrete.”

“Speak of the devil,” Sam said. They looked up to see Mali approaching them, a stern expression on her face.

“Perfect timing,” she said. “I was hoping to catch you before you all turned in for the night. Got a moment to talk?”

Blake watched as the four of them disappeared around the corner. He shoved his hands in his pockets, then turned in the opposite direction and moved down the street. After a moment, a tall figure stepped out of a shadowed alleyway and fell into step behind him.

“Well?” Edmond said, his voice gruff. “What did you find out?”

*****

Mali stood before the three Portian Corps officers. Arlo had his arms crossed, waiting.

“I know it’s been a long day,” Mali started. “I appreciate your patience. As I’m sure you can imagine, I’m keeping pretty busy these days.” She hesitated. “And I’m careful with who I’m around when I speak.” She let out a breath. “I want to be forthcoming with you all, so I will explain everything I can and answer any questions you may have. Let me start by telling you what I can.”

“Maurice and I worked together some years ago, in my early days here in Lucien. All I knew about him was that he was a knight and he had been hunting this rogue knight for several years. I knew nothing more about the rogue knight until we encountered him in Portia. As far as I know, and from what Maurice has told me, no one knows of his true identity. Naturally, that’s high on our priorities, along with finding any other knights we can to aid us in our war against Duvos.

“I hardly saw much of Maurice through the years, nor did I know much about his work. I only recently found out that he had been working closely with the alliance to hunt the rogue knight.” She shook her head. “It’s amazing to think he’s been doing this for years without much luck. As you heard from Blake earlier, we were finally able to get a location on Everglade, and we suspect the rogue knight may be hanging around with her. I stepped up the search for the rogue knight after the attack on Portia, and with that, I’ve had men searching for Everglade, too. Over the last couple years, Duvos had been quiet. We suspected after the encounter with All Source in Portia, Duvos may have been refocusing their efforts, though they never actually made any visible attempts to move into Portia. In fact, they hadn’t moved much at all, which is why I came back to Portia. It was only a matter of time before they made their move, and I knew Portia would need to be defended.

“But, naturally, I found out about Kahli and Maurice. I took action to have Kahli moved and protected immediately. Just as we’re searching for the knights, so is Duvos.” She sighed. “I can’t imagine any of the knights would join forces with Duvos, but in this world, we can’t be too sure of anything. We don’t know what Duvos will tempt them with. But obviously, our plan was intercepted.” She shook her head. “I can’t be sure if it’s a mole among our military or…” She hesitated and met Arlo’s gaze. “Or in Portia. Someone somewhere found out about Kahli and Everglade took action.”

“And what exactly do you intend to do about all this?” Sam asked, narrowing her gaze on Mali.

“I’m doing everything in my power to get Kahli back,” Mali said strongly. “I suspect Kahli will be in Everglade’s custody. If we find Everglade, we’ll likely find Kahli. I have made Blake and his team aware that we are looking for captives, but I have not specified as to who they are or their importance to everything.”

“Why not?” Remington asked. 

“Because of the potential mole,” Mali said simply. “They’ve been told that if they come across survivors, they are to bring them back alive.”

“What about Edmond?” Arlo asked. 

Mali hesitated. “Edmond does not know about Kahli,” she said. “I had to fight him just to get increased patrols on the area where Everglade had been spotted in order to pinpoint an exact location.”

“Why?” Arlo pressed.

“Well, he just doesn’t like me much, if we’re being honest.”

“I think there’s more to it than that,” Remington said, his gaze narrowing on her.

“Look. I can’t say much more than that right now. And most of my… issues… towards him are… Well, I’m not exactly in a position to be jumping to any conclusions without solid evidence.”

“You don’t trust him,” Sam said simply.

“You do what Edmond says when he says it,” Mali said. “But between us, keep any information about Kahli away from him.”

Remington shot a glance toward Sam, and Sam’s shoulders slumped sheepishly. 

“Anyway,” Sam started. “How did you track down Maurice?”

“He’s not so hard to find when you’ve worked with him before,” Mali said. “Very few know of him or his missions, but I was able to get a message personally delivered to him as soon as I found out about Kahli. In fact, I was still waiting on his arrival when he burst through that door earlier. I wasn’t expecting him for another day. He got here quicker than I thought.”

“His daughter is a POW,” Remington said. “Did you really expect anything less?”

Mali sighed. “There’s not much else right now. You’ll have a lot of training ahead of you. For now, you should all get some rest.”

It felt like they had been in Lucien for a week already, running around non-stop without a wink of sleep. As Mali left them alone, exhaustion washed over them suddenly. And though they eventually made their way solemnly to their own bunks, Arlo felt far too antsy to get any sleep. It was late, nearing midnight, now, and he stepped outside. The cool, night air sharpened his senses as he was brought out of his anxious and exhausted fog, and he moved aimlessly down the street as his mind wandered.

The streets inside the base were much quieter, now. Soldiers had returned to their own bunks for the night, but the city just outside their walls was still lively. He could hear the wails of sirens, the laughter of the smokers, the muffled music of the late night clubs. There seemed to be an entire world just outside of his own, tucked away in the base, but he paid them no mind.

His attention was caught, however, by a figure. He had reached the southern edges of the base, just near the airport where they had landed that same morning. The gates of the base wrapped around the airport and rolled away in all directions into the neighboring city-states. But at the southernmost tip of the base was a small hill. In the moonlight, Arlo could make out the shadowed figure that stood atop it, and he approached.

Maurice glanced at Arlo, his forehead creased, but he offered him a small smile in greeting. His eyes were sunken from exhaustion and grief, and he turned away from Arlo to look back out over the horizon.

“Arlo,” he said. “It’s been some time, now, hasn’t it?” He frowned. “Mason was just a baby when I came by. He must be, what, four, now?”

Arlo offered no response to his father-in-law.

“I’m sorry,” Maurice said softly. “I know how difficult it is to leave a child behind. It is not a decision I made lightly, as I know you did not.”

“Don’t compare yourself to me,” Arlo hissed.

“Do you really blame me for what I did? For keeping all of this from her? I did not want her burdened by these truths. I tried to protect her!”

“She could have protected herself,” Arlo said. “If she knew… if she was trained… none of this would have happened.”

Maurice glanced at him. “You’re a fool, Arlo.” His voice was steady. “She would have been in far greater danger if she knew the truth. The only reason she was able to get by undetected all these years is because I kept this secret from her. From everyone.” He turned away from him. “Will you tell Mason?”

Arlo’s brows furrowed. He hadn’t really considered this. Of everything that had happened, that small detail had escaped him. But he was reminded of it, now; that his son would likely possess the same abilities Kahli and Maurice did. And what of his future? How long would this war last? Would they win? Would Duvos remain a threat? Would he be dragged into a life of training and fighting and protecting?

It was in his nature to want to protect his son from that life, just as he wanted to protect Kahli, and all the people of Portia. Just as it was in his nature to be a part of the Civil Corps. The father in him wanted to protect his son even more fiercely. He didn’t exactly blame Maurice. He was right; he probably would have done the same thing. Still, she could have protected herself. If she had known, if she had been trained, she could have had a fighting chance. She could have survived…

He hadn’t once doubted that she was alive until that moment, but the reality of it all hit him like a ton of bricks, and his heart sank, breaking and tearing at his insides. What if she wasn’t alive?

“She’s out there, somewhere,” Maurice said softly, seemingly reading his thoughts, or perhaps the grief stricken expression on Arlo’s face. But he did not regard Arlo when he spoke. “Tell me; did she take the sword with her?”

Arlo hesitated. “Yes.”

Maurice nodded. “Then she’s alive,” he said firmly. “I may not be sure of much, but I’m certain of that much. As long as she has that sword with her, she will survive this.”

Arlo’s brows furrowed. “How can you be so sure?”

Maurice met Arlo’s gaze and a small smile pulled at his lips. “It’s just the way of the knights. You’ll see soon enough.”

Chapter Text

The base continued to buzz in the days that followed as the remaining Civil Corps from around the Free Cities landed and made themselves at home, and they quickly fell into a soldier’s rigorous routine of drills and training. Like Arlo and Sam, many of them had never touched a gun before, but by the end of the week, they were confidently hitting targets as if it had always been a part of their training. Just like the world was over three hundred years ago.

It was unsettling at first, but as the days turned to weeks, they had gotten used to the weapons they carried with them day after day. They were used to the feel of the grips in their palms, the recoil with every fired shot, even the weight of their vests and uniform. And that in itself was unsettling. A few months ago, they wouldn’t have ever dared to think of picking up a gun. Now, their weapons were a part of them.

It was the nature of things. It was the nature of war.

And with all the time they spent training, it was easy to lose themselves to the passing days and weeks. It was only at night did they have time to rest, but Arlo’s mind did little to help him do so, his thoughts always turning to Kahli. In the days and weeks that had passed, Mali had very little news to offer him in their search for her. He knew there was nothing more he could have done, but he also knew that each day that passed meant there was less and less chance she would survive.

But Arlo soon found a rare moment to himself in the early evening hours, and he sought out Mali in hopes of even the smallest update. He found her inside her office in the base’s main headquarters. He didn’t necessarily expect to find her alone, though he was surprised to see Django. And though he knocked, hesitant when he heard their voices, she called for him to enter.

Django turned to him, but offered no greeting.

“Arlo,” she said. She moved her gaze back to her computer screen. “Who’s next? Maurice?”

Arlo looked to Django for clarification, but he offered none.

“I’m sorry,” Mali offered. “Just as I told Django, I have no updates. If I did, you would have been the first to know.” She signed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Everglade is difficult to track. We’ve had eyes on her in a few places across Duvos and the Peripheries. But there’s been no sign of Kahli.”

“Have you even looked?” Arlo said, his jaw tightening. “Or are you content to just stalk Everglade and hope she trips up?”

“At this time, we have nothing to suggest Kahli is at any of Everglade’s locations. I don’t have the resources to be sending men on a rescue mission based on a possibility. Everglade and Duvos are our top priority. Everything else - Kahli included - is secondary to our mission.”

“Were you ever planning on telling me this?” Arlo hissed, his rage growing.

“Tell you that I wasn’t looking for your wife? Of course not.” Mali met his gaze, her eyes fierce. “But if we do find Kahli, and if she is of use to us, I fully intend on using her in this war.”

Arlo hesitated. His eyes narrowed slightly. “What are you saying?”

“I like Kahli,” she started. “But if Kahli can utilize her ability, it will give us an edge in this war. We’re too severely outnumbered not to use her to our advantage if we can.”

“She’s not a weapon,” he hissed.

“Kahli is valuable,” she said. “In the wrong hands, she could be deadly. She could be used against us. The fact of the matter is, we cannot let Duvos have her.”

“You owe everything to Kahli,” Arlo snapped. “If it weren’t for her, you never would have found All Source in the first place.”

“You’re right,” she said frankly. “We never would have found All Source. The rogue knight never would have attacked us. And we wouldn’t be at war with a nation with ten times our military power.”

Arlo stared at her. His gaze narrowed angrily. “This isn’t Kahli’s fault.”

“Maybe not. But what’s done is done.” She hesitated, then turned her gaze back to the computer screen in front of her. “I’m sorry, Arlo. I have the fate of the entire Free Cities - maybe the entire world - to worry about. I’m doing what needs to be done to defend the world from Duvos.”

“If you want to win this war, you need to find Kahli,” Django said fiercely. 

“I hardly think one person - an untrained knight of all people - will be the deciding factor in this war. You have been unable to provide sufficient proof otherwise, and the words of a crazed father isn’t going to change my mind.”

“Then let him show you,” Django pressed.

“Maurice has expressed no interest in showing his abilities,” Mali pointed out. “In all the years I’ve known him, even I haven’t seen what he can do. I’m starting to think he’s not a knight at all.”

“He will show you,” Django said. “If that’s what it takes.”

Mali folded her hands on her desk and she met his gaze. “He seems intent on keeping his abilities a secret for as long as possible. But fine; if you can convince him - and if these abilities of his prove valuable enough - perhaps I’ll reconsider.” She turned her gaze back to the screen. “But it’s gotta be one hell of a show to make me drop everything and look for one woman.”

*****

Arlo, Remington, Sam, Django, and Mali found themselves in a gated off section of the desert outside the city, about the size of a football field. Mali stood with her arms crossed, leaning back against the inner wall, as if she were incredibly inconvenienced by Django’s insistence on seeing Maurice in action. To Arlo’s surprise, despite what they had told him of their conversation with Mali, he was still reluctant to put on any kind of display for her. It wasn’t that he needed convincing - of course he would do whatever he had to do to get his daughter back - but there was something deeper causing him hesitation. Something deeper that would Arlo would soon see for himself. 

Maurice stood alone nearly fifty yards away from them in the desert. The air was still, and he stretched his arms over his head, stretched his neck from side to side, then cracked his knuckles.

“Is this really a good idea?” Sam said with a frown.

“I see nothing wrong with sending an army of deadly AIs to an unarmed man,” Remington said snidely.

Mali put a hand out, palm to the sky, in a half shrug. “He said he didn’t need any weapons.” She turned her gaze to Django.

“He won’t,” Django confirmed, not taking his gaze off of Maurice.

An alarm sounded briefly, and from the other end of the makeshift arena, a door opened and AIs swarmed out by the tens and twenties.

At first, Maurice did not move. He stood in the center of the arena, watching, waiting as they poured through and closed the space between them. The AIs buzzed to life, an unsettling array of mechanical notes that whirred through the air as their arms raised, readying their weapons. And then they stopped, and a silence hung in the air just before their weapons cocked. Click. Maurise raised a single arm.

In unison, they fired. Bullets sprayed out of their weapons, shooting through the remaining gap faster than the eye could see. The five bystanders watched in stunned horror as the AIs fired at Maurice. But the bullets ricocheted off an invisible barrier just a couple yards away from him and dropped to the ground in front of him. 

The AIs ceased firing and their mechanics whirred together once more as they pressed forward, closing the gap between them and the knight. Still, Maurice did not move, waiting as the AIs dispersed and quickly circled to close in around him. Their pace quickened with terrifying speed, kicking up the dust around them until they had completely closed in.

Maurice thrust a single hand out and the ground shook with surprising force, causing the bystanders to stumble. But they could not take their eyes off of the sight before them, watching in stunned silence as the AIs were pushed back with incredible force, sending them flying through the air to opposite ends of the arena. 

They were quick to regain themselves, however, and the AIs adjusted their offense, moving quicker than ever, scattering around Maurice in all directions in an attempt to confuse and overwhelm him.

But Maurice remained steady, turning his gaze around him as he plotted his next move. Before the AIs could close in on him - or ready their weapons - Maurice lurched forward, seemingly disappearing for a moment, only to appear a split second later behind one of the AIs, his fist extended. The AI lay crumpled on the ground with a hole through the middle. 

Maurice turned his gaze to another AI, then lurched forward again to attack. It took a few moments of this before Arlo was able to track his movement, realizing only then that Maurice was actually moving at incredible speed, charging each of the AIs once by one, ending them quickly with speed and precision. 

But after a few moments more of this, Maurice was surrounded once more, and his attacks changed. He thrust a palm out towards a group of AIs and the AIs levitated off the ground. He moved his arm - the AIs moved with him - then thrust his arm to the side, sending the AIs flying once more with incredible speed across the arena.

Maurice continued this several more times, running across the field, focusing on groups of AIs, throwing them across the arena or simply slamming them back down to the ground forcefully. And when he got through with the larger groups, he focused on the discarded AIs on the ground. With his outstretched arm, he lifted the lifeless AIs into the air and flung them one by one, some en masse, at the other AIs. He charged the final few that remained until he stood in the center of the arena once more, broken AIs scattered all around him. 

The air was still and silent. Maurice shook out his arms, stretched, then strode across the arena towards them, stopping in front of the bystanders. He cleared his throat.

“All right then,” he grunted. “A few AIs ain’t much, but will that suffice?”

Mali blinked at him, then turned to Django.

“What the fuck was that?”

“That seemed… like a lot of power for a knight,” Remington commented. “Even more than what I’ve seen from you, Django.”

“Indeed,” Django confirmed. “Maurice’s abilities are unlike any knight I’ve known.”

“AIs are small potatoes,” Maurice said.

“You mean you can lift up bigger and badder things?” Sam said.

“Of course.”

“How is this possible?” Mali asked, her gaze narrowing.

“A result of years of experiments,” Django said. “I told you how the knights came to be. It wasn’t ethical by any means.”

“Even when the knights were first created, they pushed their limits,” Maurice confirmed. “Every knight who was exposed to further testing wound up dead.”

“All but one,” Django pointed out.

“Yes,” Maurice said dryly. “My ancestor. But the tests ended after that, and when they realized a knight’s offspring could carry on their genetic mutations, they changed their focus on that.” He sighed. “And here we are.”

Mali chewed on the corner of her lip as she mulled this information over in her head, then let out a sigh. She turned to Arlo.

“This makes Kahli either very valuable, or very dangerous,” she said. “I won’t sugarcoat it. I agree we need to find her. If she’s alive… if she’s okay… she will be valuable for us. Django may be right; we may need her to win this war. But if she’s against us…”

Arlo’s gaze narrowed on Mali. “She won’t be.”

Mali’s lips pressed together. Her gaze lingered on his for a moment, then she turned away and strode toward the main gate of the arena.

“One way or another, we’ll find her,” Mali said. “Be prepared to move out.”

Chapter Text

“I always thought the knights were just made up stories from overzealous witnesses,” Sam said. “A random, quirky group of swordsmen who brought justice wherever you went. You know, a classic trope.”

“In a sense,” Django said. “That wasn’t the start of it all, but those are the stories that have remained.”

Maurice drank his beer silently. He had hoped to have a quiet drink or two at the bar with Django. It was Arlo that had found them there first, and Remington and Sam had shown up just moments later. He wouldn’t have minded it, but he knew they would have questions. And he wasn’t up to discussing it.

Thankfully, Django had stepped in for him.

“The big secret experiment,” Sam said. “I don’t get it. Who did all that? Why?”

Django shook his head. “It was hundreds of years ago. Those details were confidential and were lost through the generations, particularly after the Age of Corruption.”

“So, it happened before then?”

“The stories you know of the knights came around the time of the corruption,” Django explained. “But by then, the knights were nothing more than a scattered group of people with unusual abilities. In fact, the whole idea of referring to them as knights started around that time.”

“So, a bunch of people were experimented on. Their genetics were completely altered, essentially making them super soldiers. Then what? The experiments ended? Just like that?”

“I don’t know,” Django said. “Perhaps they rebelled. Perhaps it fell apart just before the Age of Darkness. It seems during that time, many of them chose to use their abilities for good, which is how the story of the knights came to be. It seems likely they reformed in some way to fight injustice.”

“But then they disappeared.”

“I suspect after the time of Peach they found there was no longer a need for their abilities, and they retired quietly. Perhaps they felt no need to train their children, and through the years, the knowledge - and the abilities - became lost, making the knights a rare and dying breed.”

“It was clearly kept alive through you and Maurice,” Sam pointed out. “All this time in Portia and we had no idea.”

Django smiled. “Well,” he started. “I knew what was going on in the world.” His smile faded. “I knew it was only a matter of time before we would be needed again. And… I had made a promise to a friend.”

Sam turned to Maurice. “What’s your story, then? I don’t believe you were simply running around the world diving through old ruins.”

Maurice shook his head. “I was looking for the Rogue Knight.”

“For the last twenty years?” She raised a skeptical brow.

“It started that way,” he explained. “That’s how I met Mali. She was a young, fresh recruit at first. At the time, I worked with her superior. Most of the Alliance didn’t believe the knights existed. They didn’t believe the Rogue Knight was anything more than a spy from Duvos. Since I had encountered him, they gave me what resources they could to find him. In exchange, they were looking for dormant AIs, like All Source. They wanted to get their hands on whatever they could before Duvos. So I searched for AIs, I searched for knights, and I searched for the Rouge Knight.”

“All those years?” Remington asked.

“Because the Alliance mostly refused to believe in their existence, I was on my own. I only had a few contacts to work off of, and most of those were dead ends.”

“You didn’t tell them you were a knight?” Sam asked.

“There was no one I could trust with that information,” Maurice explained. “Not with Kahli’s life on the line. If the Rogue Knight knew about her, I knew he would go after her.”

“How did Mali know about you?” she asked.

“I worked with Mali a lot over the years,” he said. “Watched her climb up the ranks. She accompanied me on some trips into the Peripheries many times. There was a mission that… didn’t go as planned. I had no choice if we wanted to get out alive. But Mali never told a soul. And as soon as she was able, she helped me focus my efforts completely on the knights while she focused on the AIs and All Source.”

“But she didn’t know about Kahli.”

“She did not. Only Django, Gale, and Russo knew about her.”

“If the remaining knights were to reform to protect the Alliance, that would not bode well for Duvos,” Remington commented.

Django nodded. “It’s impossible to know how many remain or where they are in the world,” he said. “I don’t know if Duvos has found any others, or how they even got the Rogue Knight to work with them in the first place. Duvos will do whatever they have to do. I wouldn’t put it past them to go to extreme measures to get what they want. I’m glad Mali understands why finding Kahli is so important. However…” He hesitated. “I’m concerned about the state she may be in if we find her at all.”

“We’ll find her,” Maurice insisted.

“Mali won’t hesitate to put her at the front lines,” Django said. “She’ll put every knight she finds on the front lines. We’re her best defense against Duvos.”

Maurice grunted into his drink. “She’ll have words with me before she does so.”

“I think you’ll skip the peaceful discussion and send her flying with your freaking mind powers first,” Sam said.

“Then I guess she won’t want to piss me off,” Maurice said simply.

*****

The weeks that followed were uneventful as far as Arlo was concerned. Every day that went by without any news of Kahli’s whereabouts made him more and more anxious. Every day that passed was another day closer to losing her, and he fought with himself to stay out of that mindset. But it became more and more difficult, and he felt more and more numb, hardly aware of anything that was going on around him.

Maurice and Django were scarce. He hardly saw either of them around base. But Sam and Remington never left his side. The days of them hanging around the Corps building in Portia seemed like a lifetime ago. Walking in after a long day to see Kahli asleep beside Ack. Watching Kahli and Sam get drunk at the bar and giggling on their walk home. Kissing Kahli under a starlit sky. Fireworks. Bridges. Bandirats. It all seemed so simple. He clung desperately to those memories, as if she were already gone. 

“Arlo?”

He stared at the weapon on the table. Remington had been chatting casually as they cleaned. The setting sun was shining through a nearby window and across them, but he could not feel its warmth. He looked up and met Remington’s gaze, and Remington frowned. His mouth opened slightly as if he were about to say something, but stopped.

At that moment, however, the door opened, and Mali stepped through. She smiled when her gaze found them, and she put a hand on her hip.

“Just the guy I was looking for,” she said. “Cheer up, kid. I think we’ve got your girl.”

Arlo’s gaze darted to her. “What?”

“Blake got us a lead. Let’s go.”

The two of them sprang to their feet, leaving their weapons on the table as they jogged to follow Mali out of the room. Outside, Sam was waiting with Django and Maurice, already alerted to the news, and the six of them made their way across the base to the office where Blake was waiting for them.

“My favorite Civil Corps crew,” Blake said cheerfully. “I knew my findings would get your attention.”

“What do you have?” Remington asked.

“We tracked that rogue knight for some time,” Blake began. “We noticed a pattern in his movement; he often traveled between Duvos and the Peripheries. We were unable to follow him through the Peripheries, but a source dug up some old blueprints that Duvos was keeping secret. Some underground passages beneath the Peripheries. It seems Everglade and the knight were utilizing these. We were able to fly a drone through and confirm their movement underground utilizing infrared sensors.”

Blake gestured to the map laid out on the table. There were several red lines across the blank space that marked the Peripheries. He pointed at them and traced some lines with a finger.

“We were able to track them here.” He jabbed at a circled area on the map. “They frequent the area quite a bit. We compared the location to locations on older maps. It seems there may be some kind of ruins out there next to an old oasis. Could be dried up by now. Everglade and that knight spend a lot of their time out here. I’d say, if they have any hostages they're keeping tabs on, that’s where they’re being kept.”

“We can try to scout the area with drones,” Mali started. “But the area is a wasteland. There’s no telling what we will encounter out there. And any movement will be easy to spot. We’ll be at a disadvantage.”

“I think we can fly in and drop here,” Blake said, pointing at the map. “There’s a small mountain range behind their hideout, and a valley. It usually kicks up sandstorms, but we might be able to use that to our advantage.”

“You want to fly through a sandstorm?” Mali narrowed her gaze on him.

“Of course not,” Blake said with a grin. “But we can use it to hide our descent. We land here, as close as we can get, and make the rest of the trip on foot, across the valley. I think we can cut our way around the mountain here and come up to their hideout on the other side. But at that point, we’ll be exposed and likely met with resistance. They have AIs guarding the place. Still, it’s our best shot at getting close. We’ll have to fight our way through from there.”

“We’ve got Django and Maurice,” Sam said, crossing her arms. “How bad could it be?”

Blake offered her a crooked smile. “That’s the spirit,” he muttered. “Let’s hope it’ll be enough.”

“We can handle a few AIs,” Remington said.

“I’m not so sure it’ll be merely a few,” Mali said. “It’s not ideal, but we can’t waste any more time trying to come up with a better plan. And I hardly think there will be a better plan.”

“We’ll be able to judge better once we see for ourselves,” Blake confirmed. “Once we see what we’re up against, what the surrounding area is like, we may be able to use it to our advantage.”

Mali turned her gaze to Django and Maurice. “Unless either of you have anything better?”

Maurice cracked his knuckles. “I’m happy to make an entrance,” he said.

Mali frowned. “Don’t make me regret this.”

Chapter Text

A chill ran up Kahli’s spine and she woke with a startled jump. She blinked in the dim lighting as her eyes took a moment to adjust. The aches and pains that came from sleeping on the hard ground returned to her suddenly, and she felt another wave of exhaustion come over her. She rested her head against the ground. Her face was dirty, her clothes were dirty, her wounds were dirty. But she no longer took notice of these things. It all seemed arbitrary, all things considered. For all she knew, Duvos was waging war on the world, and she was a threat that had been locked away in a cell. She didn’t know where, and she no longer had any sense of the time that had passed. All she knew was that if Duvos couldn’t use her, they would dispose of her.

When she first awoke in the cell, escape was the only thought on her mind. She had to get out before they killed her. Or worse, turned her against the world. Against everyone she loved. She couldn’t stand that thought. She couldn’t let them control her. She couldn’t let them win.

But she wasn’t a soldier. She wasn’t a knight. She wasn’t a hero. She didn’t want to die. She only wanted to escape. But the pirates, Duvos, whoever they were, they were stronger, faster, better. She didn’t stand a chance against them. Her attempts were all futile and only caused her more pain and suffering. She was left with only two choices; wait to see what her outcome would be, or end her life on her own terms.

She knew they would try to use her in this war. She didn’t know how - surely they would have to brainwash her somehow - but she was a coward. She didn’t want to die.

She cursed herself internally. She should have done it while she had the chance. Now, she was too tired. She drifted in and out of consciousness with no sense of time. There was no window to show her if it were day or night. She had no wait to count the minutes, the hours, the days. Her life was a blur that she tried desperately to sleep through, desperate to get to the end and escape the hell she was in. 

She had failed everyone. Arlo. Mason. The people of Portia. The world.

Her father. 

She never knew the truth about him. The truth about her family. The role he had played in the world. How much he had fought and sacrificed to keep her safe. And here she was, in the clutches of the very people he tried to protect her from. And there wasn’t a damn thing she could have done about it.

She had tried desperately to find the power within herself, tried to will it through her, but she never could. She couldn’t use whatever ability she was cursed with to fight back, to escape. It should have been easy. Django made it look so easy. She could have escaped. Could have helped fight back against Duvos. If her father knew what had happened to her, he probably would have thought the same; that she would have been able to fight, to survive.

He was wrong. She couldn’t do it. She failed him.

She opened her eyes wearily. She looked at her arm, flat on the ground beside her head. It was not a particularly comfortable position, but she didn’t move. She merely moved her gaze over her dirtied skin. Several needle marks marked her arm, some fresher than others, some fading; her only true indication that time had passed as she sat alone in her cell. 

She would have thought she didn’t have the ability within her at all, but the marks suggested otherwise. They thought she did. And they wouldn’t have wasted all this time on her if she didn’t.

She screamed. Her blood felt as if it were boiling under her skin. A tingling sensation shot through her arm, settling for a moment in her palm, seemingly building. The sensation pulled at her, as if pulling her insides right out of her. It pulled at her chest, her stomach, her head. Like someone was clawing her body, pulling her apart, ripping and tearing at her. 

The needle dropped to the ground. She could hear shouting. She could sense movement. But her eyes were squeezed shut as the life was pulled out of her. Her palm grew hot and the building sensation shot through her fingertips with such sudden force that she was pushed back violently across the room where she slammed against the opposite wall. 

Relief. She no longer felt as if her life were being forced out of her body. She gasped and choked. She lay limp on the ground as she fought to catch her breath. She heard footsteps. A figure loomed over her. She peered up at the masked figure.

“There it is,” he said smoothly, the smile in his voice. “Up the dosage. I want to see all that she’s capable of.”

The figure turned and stepped out of her line of sight. She looked upon the room. Furniture had been upturned, papers scattered, machines broken. It looked as if a hurricane had ripped through suddenly. 

Her brow furrowed. A dream? But it felt so real. So recent. Fresh in her mind. A memory?

She craned her neck slightly in an attempt to see out of the cell into the room. The furniture had since been returned to their appropriate positions. An old, broken computer sat dark in the corner. A new one was next to it. The screen glowed. 

Her cheek was wet and warm. The dirt below her face was moist. The tiniest of puddles had formed between her eye and nose. 

She couldn’t remember anything more, but the emotions settled sickeningly in her gut. Pain. Fear. Rage. 

They had beaten her, tormented her, put her through physical stresses beyond what she ever thought a human could ever endure. But the lack of results seemed to please them. Or, perhaps that was what they were hoping for. Not to kill her, but to learn. Learn… something. Did it have to do with her abilities? She couldn’t be sure.

The injections were different. A different experiment. The needles. The needles brought it out of her. And the results had pleased them further. 

She didn’t know what had happened, or if she were the cause of the chaos. She didn’t know how long they had been testing her. And she didn’t know how long they would continue to test her. She didn’t know how long until she finally succumbed to their control. But she knew it was already too late.

She heard a door open. Normally, she would have paid no mind. But she craned her neck once more to see out her cell. She recognized the blonde hair, the proper stature, the sly voice. Two men entered behind her. She did not regard them as she spoke at them, chastising, demanding. 

Everglade turned on her heels. Her gaze was fierce. The two men saluted her, then quickly left her alone in the room. Everglade turned to regard the cell and met Kahli’s gaze. A smile pulled at her lips.

“You’re still alive. That is good.”

Kahli closed her eyes and sighed. She slowly pushed herself up right, but only in a desperate attempt to put more distance between them as she inched her way into the corner of her cell.

“It will all become second nature to you soon,” Everglade continued conversationally. She turned and walked over to the desk, regarding the computer for a moment.

Kahli swallowed. Her throat was dry and hot. She forced the words out of her, her voice hoarse and strained.

“I… don’t know…”

Everglade turned back to her, her head cocked to the side. She was still smiling. “Yes, I suppose there’s a lot you don’t know. You have no recollection of what has happened to you.” She stepped aside, turning to the computer once more, as if to show it to Kahli.

Kahli squinted, watching as what appeared to be security footage played out on the screen. She could just barely make out her own figure, seated and restrained. Men in white lab coats stepped away from her, a needle in one of their hands. She watched in horror as the earlier memory seemed to play out on the screen before her. But this time, she had a bird’s eye view. Her eyes widened as she watched her body get thrown backwards while some invisible force shot around her like a bubble that expanded and exploded, throwing the room into chaos. The men were thrown backwards. The furniture upturned. The computer in the corner seemed to explode, pieces scattering all around the room, and a small fire ignited. 

“That is what you are capable of, my dear,” Everglade said, turning back to regard her. Her eyes sparkled with joy and excitement. “We’ve been seeing more and more of it every day,” she continued. “Your abilities are incredible. They will give us a huge advantage in this war.”

“Why… don’t I… remember…”

“There’s no reason to worry,” Everglade said, as if cooing to a scared child. “Soon, you’ll have no memory at all. You will be exactly what you were created to be; a killing machine. You will do as you are told like the obedient dog that you are.”

Her heart raced, causing her chest to tighten painfully. She should have killed herself. Should have stopped this from happening. She failed. Failed. Failed. Failed.

“Oh, sweet tears,” Everglade said, still cooing, still smiling. “Soon, you will no longer feel such pains.”

Kahli closed her eyes tightly. She could not let her succumb, not while she still had her mind to call her own. She had to get out… or die trying. But would she be able to rely on her own abilities to do so?

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, desperate to keep Everglade talking while she tried to come up with a plan. “What do you think you could possibly achieve? World domination?”

Everglade laughed. “World domination.” She scoffed. “We’re hardly the villains you make us out to be.”

“Right. Because the bad guys are never the ones that go around slaughtering people.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that we’re protecting ourselves?”

Kahli’s nose scrunched. “Ah, yes, the innocence of thousands of lives doing nothing more than minding their own business, trying to survive, are an incredible threat to the world.”

“Ignorance is a far more dangerous trait, wouldn’t you think?”

She forced herself to meet Everglade’s gaze. “And Duvos is all knowing?”

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” Everglade said. “Those words hold true even today, and history proves it if one simply opens their eyes.”

“What are you getting at?”

“People are quick to put the blame on anything besides themselves. The Alliance has brainwashed you all to think that technology will lead to our demise. But history proves that as technology advances, so does the human race. We live longer, better, healthier lives thanks to advances in technology.”

“The rogue AIs scattered all over the world tell a different story.”

“A sword on its own cannot harm anyone. The danger lies in the intent on the one who wields it. If I wanted to kill you right now, I could make do with a simple stone or a pen. Would you ban pens from the world, then?”

“You can’t manipulate me into believing we’re the bad guys,” Kahli sneered.

“I’m simply stating facts,” Everglade said. “It is you who believes I am trying to manipulate you. Be it a curse or a blessing of humankind, we are privileged to have freewill; our own thoughts and opinions and feelings from which we act upon, whether it is right or wrong. And who is to say who or what is right or wrong? You believe technology to be a curse. Yet, you utilize it every day. Everything that Portia has become is thanks to the advances of technology. A lamp post that lights the streets at night. The electricity that powers your home so you may take a shower or cook a hot meal. Those things may seem innocent enough until you look at the bigger picture. The engines that power those wind turbines also power armored planes and weapons used in war. What could have been created for good can also be used for evil.”

“We’re not using it for evil.”

“What did you intend on doing with All Source?”

Kahli hesitated. “I don’t know. Nothing. Keeping her safe. We weren’t going to use her to attack anyone.”

“You can’t say that for sure. The All Source AIs are known to be very powerful machines. When word gets out that Portia has an active All Source AI, well, you must realize how the rest of the world will see that.”

“You’re the one that came looking for her!”

“Indeed,” Everglade confirmed with a nod. “Before someone else did and it fell into the wrong hands. The hands of someone with evil intentions.”

“That’s you!”

“It’s always the other people, isn’t it? The people that have what you don’t? Duvos has taken steps to find dangerous AIs to protect its citizens.”

“And what about the knights?” Kahli hissed. “How many have you killed? What’s your reasoning behind that?”

“We haven’t killed you,” Everglade pointed out. “It was never our intention to kill the knights. We recognized the dangers they could pose to Duvos, if their alliances were against us. We wished to have a peaceful discussion of the future of the knights. We merely acted in defense.”

“Bullshit,” Kahli spat. “You wouldn’t have stood a chance against them.”

“Doesn’t your friend the rogue knight prove otherwise? He’s willingly working with Duvos. Yet even he could not bring the other knights to reason.”

“You’re lying!”

Everglade shrugged and turned away. “You will believe whatever you want, even if it means clinging to ignorance. Ignorance truly is bliss.”

Chapter Text

The Peripheries; the long stretch of uninhabited land that stretched along the eastern border of the Free Cities, from Lucien to Tallsky, and sharing a border with Duvos and Meidi. This made it the perfect location for Duvos - and for the pirates working for them - to travel undetected between Duvos and the Free Cities. The Peripheries were littered with not only ruins, but rogue AIs and strange creatures that had never been encountered before, a true testament for what the world had once been like. 

It was no wonder Everglade took advantage of it.

The Peripheries were a wasteland made up of dried up forests, arid deserts, and jagged canyons. Flora sprouted in the rubble of decayed buildings and stretched up the walls of what remained standing. From the sky, they could see what remained of abandoned cities, ruins above - and surely below - the surface. 

They flew low as they approached the coordinates where Everglade had been tracked. This part of the Peripheries was further west, just south of Duvos and Meidi, closer towards the gulf. Despite it being a coastal location, the cold air, chilled by contact with the cold gulf water, prevented adequate rainfall over the centuries, resulting in the desert landscape. In the early morning hours, the fog would settle thicker than soup, and during the hottest points of the day, the wind from the neighboring gulf often would kick up sandstorms. 

The desert here wasn’t nearly as vast as the Eufaula Desert north of Portia. From Lucien, they flew south, then west to come in from the gulf, and they could see the edge of the desert marked by the mountain range behind it, to the east. The ruins in this area sat at the base of the mountain range, suggesting there had once been a coastal city. Most of the buildings were in complete ruin due to the harsh climate, but the location they sought seemed to have been preserved over the years, situated between cliffs in the mountainside. The building stood tall. Worn, certainly; windows had been shattered and flora climbed its exterior walls as they did everywhere else. But below the surface was an extensive system that seemed to even move beneath the mountain range.

It was midday when they began their approach, and just as expected, a sandstorm had kicked up, blocking their view completely. In turn, however, it shielded their approach from any potential scouts. Their descent was rocky at best, but the area immediately off the gulf was free of ruins and debris, allowing them to land blindly without worry.

They were hardly much of a rescue team, but there was no one else that could be trusted with the secrecy of the task. One by one, they hopped out of the plane; first Mali, then Blake, then Maurice, Arlo, Sam, Remington, and Django at the rear. Ahead of them, the sandstorm raged, and there was nothing more they could do but wait until nightfall, though at the risk of the temperature dropping. But they had come prepared, and Mali was already dragging out their supplies, keeping them close at hand. 

As the afternoon wore on, the sandstorm subsided, and as the sun began to set behind the distant mountain range, the temperature did plummet. But the seven of them were ready; with weapons on their hips and jackets and cloaks strewn over their shoulders, they began their trek across the moonlit wasteland and toward the ruined building where they hoped to find Kahli. 

Various specks of colored light seemed to dot the distant horizon, at first confusing them for twinkling stars, but as they neared, they quickly realized their grave mistake. The whirrs and hums of mechanical pieces rose, slowly breaking the sill silence of the night. The colored specks of light grew larger and darker, slowly taking shape as the soulless eyes of rogue AIs scattered across the wasteland. 

Mali paused, holding a hand up to the group behind her, and they stopped. They had not yet been detected. But as they looked out over the desert, it became clear that they would be unable to progress any further from where they stood. Not without drawing unnecessary attention. 

“We’ll have to cut around,” Blake said.

“They’re everywhere,” Mali said. “Even if we do manage to go around undetected, they’ll likely still be all around that place. There’s no way we’re getting any closer.”

“There’s no other way in?” Remington asked.

“Not this close,” Blake said. “And we’ll never get near if we go through the tunnels.”

“Then I think it’s time we make an entrance,” Sam said.

“We have no other options,” Maurice said. “We either press on, or all of this was for nothing.

“If Everglade is there, she’ll be alerted to our approach,” Mali said. “She’ll be able to take Kahli and escape before we’re able to get close.”

“Then we don’t give her the chance,” Maurice said. He cracked his knuckles.

“What do you think you can do?” Mali met his gaze and raised a skeptical brow.

“Block off her exits,” he said in an obvious tone.

“If you do that, you run the risk of trapping Kahli.”

“If I don’t, I run the risk of losing her.”

Mali turned her gaze back over the desert. “It’s not much of a plan,” she said with a heavy sigh. 

“We don’t have much of an army,” Django pointed out. “We work with what we’ve got.”

“And how do you expect this to go down?” she asked.

“I’ll clear a path,” Maurice started. “Then run ahead and block the tunnel. In the meantime, the rest of you can push forward and get inside.”

“And the AIs?” Mali turned to Maurice. “We’re completely exposed. Do you expect to incapacitate all of them at once?”

“Certainly not,” Maurice said. “But by the time they’ll be back on their metaphorical feet, I’ll be able to provide you cover.”

Mali pinched the bridge of her nose. “This plan relies entirely too much on you and the rest of us running in blindly.”

“You’ve got Django, too,” Maurice added.

Django rolled his eyes. “This is lunacy.”

“Do you have something better?”

Mali sighed and shook her head. “And here I thought you mellowed out in your old age.”

“Well, what’s the point  in being a damned knight if I can’t have some fun with it once in a while?”

“This is fun to you people?” Sam muttered.

Mali turned to Arlo. “It’s your call. If you’re crazy enough to trust your father-in-law, then say the word.”

“At this point, crazy sounds good enough to me.”

“None of you damn people are in the right state of mind,” Mali muttered. “Fine. Just fucking focus, all right? I’m not dying in this damn wasteland.”

“Leave it to me,” Maurice said.

Mali gestured toward the wasteland. “Have at it, then.”

Maurice and Django ran ahead, drawing the attention of the AIs momentarily, and the remaining five of them readied their weapons to follow suit.

As Maurice and Django ran, they drew the AIs in around them. Their mechanical weapons whirred to life, but Maurice erected a barrier around them as the AIs started shooting. When they closed half the distance, Maurice leapt forward and slammed a fist into the ground, causing a violent tremor to shoot out around him and knocking the surrounding AIs nearly fifty yards away. As Maurice sprinted forward, Django took the opportunity to send an electrifying blast out in the same circular distance, causing many of the AIs to short circuit. It was enough to buy them a small amount of time.

The remaining five wasted no time running forward through the clearing that Maurice and Django had provided for them, hesitating only for a moment when another tremor shot through the ground. Though Maurice was nearly invisible in the dark knight, they knew by the second tremor that immediately followed that he was attempting to break through the ground and collapse enough of the underground tunnel system to stop anyone from escaping. 

But as expected, the commotion they had caused within the last thirty seconds had quickly gotten the attention of the armed men and women inside, and a small troop of Duvos soldiers quickly poured out of the front entrance, firing their weapons at their nearing enemies. 

Django ran ahead and sent another electrifying blast towards the soldiers as a third tremor shook the ground, stopping suddenly when he heard the distinct sound of collapsing ground. With increased speed, he sprinted to his right just as Maurice nearly plummeted into the hole, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back onto solid ground.

But this did not deter the soldiers from getting back on their feet and pressing forward, weapons drawn and firing. Around them, the AIs that had not been short circuited were back on their feet, their attention turned to the intruders sprinting across the desert. 

“Fucking Maurice,” Mali muttered and started firing towards the soldiers ahead of them. 

To their relief, a barrier sprung up around them, just in time to block the blasts from the encroaching AIs, but the soldiers ahead of them pressed on, and it was only a matter of moments before the five of them collided with a troop of nearly one hundred. And behind them, Mali could just barely pick out the figure of the Rogue Knight.

She stopped running, sliding on the sand and nearly falling forward, and Blake, Arlo, Remington, and Sam slid to a stop behind her. To her surprise, the approaching army had stopped, too, and they cleared a path as the Rogue Knight stepped forward until he was just a few yards in front of Mali. Though she could not see his face, the corners of his eyes pulled up wickedly. 

“You’re here for the girl,” he said. “Well, isn’t that just unlucky for you? She’s not here.”

Arlo’s heart stopped. “What?” he hissed.

From behind, Maurice and Django sprung into action, but the Rogue Knight lifted an arm and a ring of fire erupted around them. Flickering flames stretched nearly two stories tall, blocking the six of them from the rest of the world. 

“How very considerate to bring me two more knights,” the Rogue Knight continued. “I’ll be sure to thank you by making your deaths quick and painless.”

He thrust his palm out to his side and the ring of fire burst forth, knocking Maurice and Django several yards back and sliding against the sand which smothered the fire that nearly engulfed them completely. 

The ground erupted suddenly, scattering the AIs and armed soldiers violently in all directions. Their gazes turned to the figure that stood before them, twenty yards away. Kahli’s dark hair blew in the wind, her arm stretched out to the side, gripping the obsidian blade tightly. She wore black, military styled boots over tattered jeans and a black shirt that bore the symbol of Duvos.

The Rogue Knight leapt backwards and sprinted towards Kahli, throwing a palm out and causing another ring of fire to erupt in a large circle around them, preventing any one from providing Kahli aid. The flames stretched upward and moved outward, spreading, stopping Maurice from running to his daughter’s aid, and all they could do was watch in stunned silence as the Rogue Knight ran towards her with blade in hand.

The armed soldiers pressed forward. The AIs closed in around them. Maurice thrust a palm out, bringing the barrier around them to life once more as the firefight broke out. 

Kahli gripped her sword in both hands, then leapt forward, sprinting towards her enemy with blinding speed. But the knight jumped to the side, his palm outstretched as he sent a scorching hot ball of fire towards her. The attack hit her just as she came to a stop and knocked her violently backwards. She landed hard on the ground, skidding across the sand. The action had doused the flames that she was engulfed in just a second earlier, but she was too stunned to return to her feet.

She looked up as the Rogue Knight came into view, smiled, then closed her eyes as an invisible force shot out in a circle around her. The Rogue Knight was sent through the air, landing almost fifty yards away, skidding through the sands as she had. A searing pain shot through her head, but she ignored it, taking the opportunity to get to her feet quickly. She swayed momentarily, then dashed forward, closing about half the yardage between them before thrusting her palm out. The Rogue Knight was pulled violently in the air, and she swept her arm to the side, causing the knight to collide against the large boulders by the oasis. 

Before she could close the remaining space between them, however, the Rogue Knight caused a second ring of fire to erupt around him. The flames stretched toward the sky, higher than they had before, and the heat of the flames caused a wind to pick up suddenly, violently disturbing the sand around them. 

A tremor shot forth from the Rogue Knight, knocking Kahli off her feet. Between the sounds of the cracking flames and firefight that had erupted around them, Kahli could just make out the sound of an engine. She turned over, looking up as a helicopter flew in low, losing sight of it in the sand and smoke and flames, but she knew the Rogue Knight had made his escape when the helicopter rose up once more and took off over the horizon.

What remained of the army of rogue AIs had closed in around the others, and with Everglade and the Rogue Knight gone, Kahli got to her feet, rushing towards the group as quickly as her rapidly tiring body could manage. She charged forward with her sword out to the side, slicing through several AIs with ease, and when she neared the group, she thrust her palm forward once more, causing the AIs to erupt into pieces and scattering them across the desert. She stood before the group, now, and turned on her heels as the remaining soldiers fired their weapons. She thrust her palm upwards toward the sky, erecting a barrier around them, and the bullets ricocheted off. With the last of her strength, she pushed the barrier out forcefully, causing it to expand and explode violently, wiping out the remaining army once and for all. 

The world around her was silent. She could still see the flickering flames from where the Rogue Knight had stood. The sand had settled. Rogue AIs and Duvos soldiers lay scattered all around them. She could sense movement behind her, and though she could not hear them, she could practically feel the vibration from their voices as they spoke. But the corners of her vision were beginning to darken. Her head spun sickeningly, and she could not force her eyes to stay open any longer. The sword dropped to the ground beside her. She swayed; her eyes rolled. She dropped to the ground, and her world darkened.

Chapter Text

“You can’t stop them.”

“She’s dangerous!”

“Get away from my daughter!”

Kahli’s eyes fluttered open and she gasped. The world was suddenly very bright and very loud.

“Kahli!”

She tried to push herself up, but her wrist was jerked back as something cold and hard dug into her skin. She whimpered and dropped back down.

“Let her go!”

“Arlo.”

“Let me go!”

She opened her eyes again, blinking until they adjusted to the light. She heard so many sounds. Voices spoke quickly to one another. A beeping sound she couldn’t get out of her head, and the more she heard it, the quicker it beeped.

“Heart rate rising.”

Her eyes searched until she found a face. Two faces came into focus, one on either side of her. Their gazes were hard. They wore uniforms. Military? Duvos? No, she had heard Arlo’s voice. Hadn’t she?

“Take it easy now,” one of the faces said to her.

She tried to move her arms once more, but she realized then that she was handcuffed to a bed. Her pulse quickened.

“Move! Now!”

Her father came into view. He met her gaze. He smiled at her.

“Hey, kiddo,” he said softly. “Everything’s all right, yeah?”

The beeping slowed. She swallowed and nodded. Her brain felt as if it were throbbing violently, pressing up against the sides of her skull.

Maurice looked up, past one of the uniformed men, his gaze hardening. “Get them out of here.”

“She -”

“She won’t hurt anyone,” Maurice snapped. 

A light shone in her eyes. She groaned, blinked, and turned her head away. The men disappeared from either side of her, but Maurice remained. She could hear footsteps moving away. A door closed.

“Maurice.” Mali’s voice. “We don’t know -”

“I know.” Maurice met Kahli’s gaze once more and he smiled. “There. Feeling okay?”

She felt the handcuffs move and loosen, then fall away from her wrists. She sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Arlo was in view. She met his gaze, and his face softened.

She searched for her voice, clearing her throat, then sighed again. She licked her lips. Her throat burned. “What… happened?”

“You made one hell of an entrance, that’s what happened.” Sam came into view, and she grinned. “Welcome back.”

Kahli forced a tired smile in greeting and closed her eyes. “I… I don’t remember…”

Maurice frowned. “What don’t you remember?”

She swallowed and tried to think. “How… I got here…”

“You don’t remember saving our asses?” Remington was in view beside Maurice now.

Kahli shook her head. “How… how did you… find me?”

“There will be plenty of time for questions,” Django said. He looked past the group to where Mali stood alone, her arms folded. “For now, you should get some rest.”

“Maurice.” Mali’s voice was on edge. “A word?”

Maurice held his gaze on Kahli for a moment and patted her hand. He looked across to Django, and the two of them disappeared from her side, moving across the room. The door opened, then closed once more. 

Kahli’s brow furrowed. “What… What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Sam said. Her smile wavered slightly. “You should get some rest. We’ll check in on ya later, k?”

Kahli watched as Sam and Remington left, leaving her and Arlo alone in the room. 

Arlo sat on the edge of the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms, resting his forehead against her. He breathed in deeply, then sighed. Kahli’s hand found his, and their fingers clasped together.

She didn’t know how long it had been since she had last seen him. She didn’t know what she could possibly say to him, but she supposed it didn’t really matter. She was too tired to think of anything, happy to simply be in his arms once more. And he seemed content enough with the silence.

Their momentary peace was fleeting. And it could be the last moment they had together. 

*****

Kahli had drifted into an unconsciousness that didn’t quite feel long enough or rejuvenating enough to even be classified as a nap. Still, she was groggy when she awoke to Arlo’s movement beside her. She blinked, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light in the room, and she met her father’s gaze from where he stood at the foot of the bed. He offered her a small smile.

“Hey. How are you feeling?”

She blinked in an attempt to dismiss the grogginess. “Swell,” she said. She frowned. “Why… why didn’t you tell me?”

Maurice hesitated. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “Kahli -”

“Say it,” she hissed. “For once in your life, tell me the truth.”

He pulled his gaze away. “What do you want me to say?” he started. “What difference does it make if you already know?”

“Because I could have done something!” The strength behind her voice startled her, and she felt Arlo’s hand on her arm. Her shoulders heaved, as if her outburst had taken what little strength she had left. Her gaze hardened on her father. Her vision blurred and her chest tightened. 

“All this time… I could have done something. I could have prevented all of this. Or at the very least, I could have fought back. I could have fought… I could have… I should have…” 

Maurice put a hand on her foot but did not meet her gaze. “I know,” he said softly. “I’m sorry. I wanted to keep you out of this life. As far from it as I could. I did everything I could…”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “I know,” she said. She swallowed. “I know everything, Pa.” Her father met her gaze, and she held his gaze as she continued. “About us. About the knights.”

“How much control do you have?”

She took in a breath. “None,” she said.

Maurice was silent for a moment. “Mali will have questions.”

Kahli’s lips pressed together. “I know. I will help. I will fight.”

“Kahli-” Alro started.

“Pa.” She ignored her husband. “I can’t… Will you teach me?”

“Yes,” he said quietly. 

“Right,” Arlo started. “I’m not here. I get no say in this.”

Kahli turned to her husband. “You’ll need all the help you can get.”

“Why is it that you always find a way to get involved?”

She smiled. “This time I won’t be a damsel in distress.”

Arlo sighed and frowned. “I just got you back.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“You do have a habit of surprising me.”

“Gotta keep you on your toes.”

The door opened, and Mali walked in. She met Kahli’s gaze and smiled.

“Ah, you’re up. How are you feeling?”

“That depends on what you want,” Kahli said.

“Glad to see Duvos hasn’t changed your charming personality.”

“You would be disappointed if they did.”

“I do have some questions for you,” Mali said, turning serious. “Being a hostage and all raises some serious security concerns that we need to take care of before I can let you out of here.”

“Will you let her rest for -” 

But Kahli interrupted her father. “I’m fine,” she said quickly. “I’d rather get this over with now.”

“Good,” Mali said with a nod of approval. “I’ll have you escorted. I hope you can understand the heightened security.”

“I could be a secret agent for Duvos, after all they did to me,” Kahli said dryly. 

“I’m sure you’re not,” Mali said. “Still, we have questions you may just have the answers to.”

Chapter Text

Kahli allowed herself to be escorted out of the room. To her relief, Maurice and Arlo did not follow. She let the guards guide her down some dimly lit hallways until they arrived at a small, square room with a mirror against one wall. A simple table sat in the middle with a few chairs around it. 

Mali sat across from Kahli. She frowned.

“I know you’ve been through a lot these last few months,” she started. “But you must understand our concerns.”

“I do.”

Mali nodded. “I’ll try to keep my questions brief.”

Kahli inhaled. “Okay.”

“Let’s start at the beginning. What happened the day you went missing?”

Kahli looked down at the table. She folded her hands on her lap. “Everglade and the Rogue Knight found us and attacked. Sam and I tried to stop them, but there were too many of them. We were overwhelmed.” She pressed her lips together. “They pinned me down, cuffed me, put a damn sack over my head, and threw me in their plane, I guess. There wasn’t anything I could do. I don’t know how long we traveled, but when we landed, it felt as if we walked forever. They finally threw me in some cell and left me there for a while. I didn’t see Everglade or the Rogue Knight for a while after that.”

“What happened while you were there?”

Kahli sucked in a breath. “They asked me questions at first. Asked me about my father and the knights. They thought I knew something. I told them that I had no idea he was a knight, or if there were other knights.”

“Did you see any other knights there?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t see anyone besides Duvos soldiers, Everglade and her crew, and the Rogue Knight.”

“Tell me about everyone who was there.”

Kahli shrugged. “Not much to say. I didn’t interact with them. The Duvos soldiers came and went. They weren’t around as often. I mostly interacted with Everglade, the Rogue Knight, and the other pirates.”

“When we found you, you were wearing a Duvos uniform.”

“I stole it,” Kahli said frankly. She glanced at Mali, then looked past her at the one way window behind her. She could only see her reflection, but she could guess at who was on the other side. She pulled her gaze away and looked back down at her hands. She began to pick at her thumb nail. “When I escaped. I needed something to wear besides… a bloodied shirt.”

Mali continued. “Did they ask you anything else? Did you give them any information?”

“No,” Kahli said. “I had no information to give them.”

“You were in their custody for months,” she said. “Did they do anything else besides interrogate you?”

She hesitated. “Yes.”

“Explain.”

“They… did some kind of… experiments, I guess.” Her brow furrowed. “I’m not really sure what exactly. But I think they were trying to… see if I had the same abilities as my father.”

“Can you describe what they did?”

“Not really.” She paused. “They… injected me with stuff. I don’t know what.”

“Did they drug you?”

Her pace quickened. “I don’t know,” she said softly.

“How did you feel after they did that?”

“I don’t… remember. It’s… fuzzy. I think mostly I blacked out. Sometimes… I felt… funny.” She shook her head. “I can’t really describe it. It was like… an energy… something pulsing through me…”

“What happened after they did that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember anything?”

“I would wake up after. I don’t know how long after. I just… woke up and was in the cell again.”

“How did you feel once you were awake?”

“Sick, mostly. Sick and tired. Exhausted.”

“And you escaped?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I… don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

She hesitated. “I… it was after one of their… tests.” Her brows knit together as she fought to remember. Bits and pieces of the moment flashed in her mind. “Some of the last tests they did on me… I remember more of it. As if I… woke up… during random moments. I remember feeling… not myself. Angry. Pissed. I attacked Everglade. But she took off.” She paused. “I remember running… trying to find a way out… attacking everyone who tried to stop me. I searched rooms…” Her hand moved to her pocket as the memory came to her. She shoved her hand inside and pulled out a disc. She placed it on the table. “I found this.”

Mali looked at it carefully, then slid it across the table towards her. “This is a data disc.” She met Kahli’s gaze. “What’s on here?”

“Files,” Kahli started. “Of every knight they’ve found so far.”

Mali stared at her. “Light,” she muttered. “Continue.”

“That’s it,” Kahli said. “I managed to find my way out, I guess.”

“And that’s all you remember?”

“More or less,” she said. “I kind of remember attacking some AIs. I think… I think I fought the Rogue Knight…”

Mali nodded. “You did. They escaped, but you managed to save our asses, then you passed out. We brought you back to Atara.”

“Atara,” Kahli repeated softly. 

Mali stood, the data disc still in her hand. “This could be incredibly valuable, Kahli.”

She nodded once. “Yeah. I… I think… I must have known that.”

“We’ll need to see if we can open these files right away. I need to discuss this with my superiors. Sit tight for a few minutes.”

Django stroked his beard quietly as he stared through the glass, unbothered by Maurice’s pacing behind him.

“I’ll kill them,” he muttered. “Every last one of those Duvos bastards.”

“This complicates things,” Django said. “We can’t be sure exactly what they did to her.”

“We know exactly what they did to her,” Arlo hissed.

Django shook his head. “This could make her very dangerous,” he explained. “If she cannot control her abilities -”

“I’ll teach her,” Maurice said. “She just needs proper training.”

“Perhaps,” Django started. “Or, she may never be able to control it. It seems she’s barely aware of what’s happening. I’m not sure if that can be changed.”

“It can,” Maurice said fiercely. “I just need time.”

Django’s lips pressed together and he turned and met Maurice’s gaze. “And what if you can’t help her?”

Maurice stared at him. He didn’t have an answer.

“We could try to protect her,” Django offered. He sighed. “I don’t know.”

“I know,” Maurice insisted. “Just give me time.”

“Mali will put her in maximum security prison if she finds out,” Django said. “Needless to say, this does not get back to Mali. I will not breathe a word.” He met Maurice’s gaze. “But your abilities - her abilities - are too dangerous to be out of her control. For herself, and for those around her. You know this, Maurice.”

Maurice turned away from him, but at that moment, the door opened, but Mali did not step through. She beckoned to them with a hand.

“Let’s check out this data disc, hm?”

She moved to the adjoining room. She opened the door, then nodded to Kahli.

Kahli stood and followed her into the hallway where Arlo, Django, and her father waited, but she offered them no greeting, only meeting their gazes briefly as she continued to follow Mali down the hall and into another room.

There was another woman in the room, standing behind a large table in the center of the room. There was a large screen behind here where the contents of the data disc were displayed. She did not greet them as she entered, her fingers tapping away rapidly at the keyboard. Strings of text sped rapidly down the screen for a moment, then several folders pulled up on the screen.

“What did you find?” Mali asked as they gathered around the table. Their eyes turned to the screen as the woman spoke.

“Files,” she muttered. “Lots of files.”

One by one, the files opened. Each one showed an image of a person. The images seemed to vary from security images to candid photos. Beside the photo was a name. A date of birth. A last known location. And other varying details. Some had more information on them than others, including the names of parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren. And some of the names of the children had their own files with their own images and their own information.

But as the files were swiped through, one by one, one sickening detail stood out above everything else. In bright red letters, stamped diagonally across each file was the word DECEASED.

Deceased. Deceased. Deceased. Deceased. Deceased.

File after file. Image after image. Life after life. Deceased. Killed. Murdered.

By the Rogue Knight? Everglade? Someone else from Duvos? Or coincidence? Natural causes? Something else?

They didn’t know. Those answers weren’t contained in the files. And there was a good chance they would never find out exactly how all those people had died.

Another image caught their attention. Particularly Kahli and Maurice. An image of a young woman with long, black hair. She was smiling, her eyes closed, but Kahli could see her eyes so clearly; emerald green, and just as sparkling. She didn’t need to read the name to know that the happy woman was her mother.

Her eyes scanned the details written under the image. Each word felt like a knife in her chest, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at her father, who was likely now reliving every painful moment of his wife’s death.

The first words had been scribbled over, but she could still read the question: Cursed Knight?

Last known location: Portia

Spouse: Maurice

Descendants: ?

A chill ran up Kahli’s spine. How many of these files were people just like her mother? People mistaken as knights. People caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. An innocent life ended. And for what? A purge of the experiments they created hundreds of years ago?

The file was swiped over to the next one.

Maurice.

The Cursed Knight.

Last known location: Portia.

Descendants: Kahli.

Current location: Portia.

Kahli swallowed. The file changed.

Django.

The Storm Knight.

Current location: Portia.

Descendants: unknown.

The file changed.

Wynn.

Winter Knight.

Last known location: unknown.

Descendants: unknown.

It changed again. 

Kenji.

Death Knight.

Last known location: unknown.

Descendants: unknown.

The file didn’t change again. The room was quiet for a moment - tense - until Mali finally broke the silence, asking the questions that were on all their minds.

“Is that it?” she said, a snap in her voice. “A bunch of dead knights?” She turned to Django and Maurice, as if they would have the answers for her. “Is that all of them? Are these the only two left?” She turned to Kahli, her gaze hard. “How recent is this information? Were they still searching for more?”

“Mali,” Django started. “We know as much as you do.”

She scoffed and began to pace. “We need to find them before Duvos does,” she said. “We need to figure out if there are any others out there that they haven’t found yet.”

“They’ve been searching for the knights for years,” Maurice said. “This is likely years of research. Years of combing through old files, tracing back family trees, and scouring any and all footage they could get. It’s highly likely that we’re all that are left of the knights. If there’s a knight out there who doesn’t have a file here, he’s hiding very well. If they couldn’t find any others, we won’t.”

Mali pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. 

“You weren’t really putting everything into having an army of knights, were you?” Arlo asked.

Mali stared at the screen. “I don’t see how we can win this without them.”

“It’s that bad?” Kahli asked.

“Duvos is the largest country with the highest technical advances. They don’t hesitate to use force to get what they want. They have the largest armory of all the other countries and city-states and have a long history of using that to their advantage. The last war over the Lucien ruins nearly destroyed all of Lucien. The only reason this war hadn’t started sooner is because Seesai refused to get involved in an attempt to keep the peace.” She rolled her eyes. “Seesai still refuses to acknowledge that we’re at war. But Duvos has been lurking around the Free Cities for years, slowly chipping away at our defenses without us even realizing it. And now it may be too late for us to do anything about it. We’re at a severe disadvantage. Without the power of the knights…”

She fell silent. She turned to the woman at the computer, nodded once at her, and the woman left them alone in the room.

“I have one or two other cards up my sleeve,” Mali continued. “It may not amount to much. We need to consider the very real possibility that this will be a war we cannot win.” Mali turned to Maurice and Django. “What do you think?” she asked. “Is it worth tracking down these two knights?”

“I fear you won’t have the resources for such a task,” Django said. 

“You’re right,” she started. “But what about all of you? You have the most experience with the knights. If anyone will have any luck finding them, it’s you.”

“We’re also your best defense against Duvos,” Maurice pointed out. “You’d risk leaving yourself exposed to an attack?”

“Despite their years of hunting and slaughtering knights, they haven’t made any moves to publicly attack and start an all out war. People are nervous. They’ve crept in around the border, making their presence known. It may only be a matter of time before they strike. But for now, our focus is on keeping the border secure. Some refugees have started to move further back. We’ve been helping to set up camps to accommodate as many families as possible in preparation for an attack. But we won’t be the ones to make the first move. It’s in Duvos’s hands. And I don’t think they’ll attack until they know we don’t have any secret weapons on our side.”

“Kahli escaped,” Maurice said. “By now, I’m certain they know that data disc is missing. They’ll know that we’ll be looking for those last two knights. Do you really think they’ll waste their time trying to race us to them?”

“They’ve spent a lot of time, money, and resources searching for those knights,” Mali said with a nod. “I think it will buy us some time.”

“And then what?” Django asked.

“Well,” Mali started. “Regardless of who finds them first, Duvos will attack. We will need to defend the border. We will need to prepare for war in every definition of the word. Duvos won’t wait any longer.” She paused, letting her words hang in the air for a moment. “For all we know, three of the five remaining knights are right here in this room. Duvos knows that, and it could be enough for them to strike sooner if it means taking the three of you out. We need all the time we can get. We can get that time by racing Duvos to find the final two knights.”

“We’ll find them,” Maurice said.

Mali nodded. “I hope so.” She turned to the computer and retrieved the data disc. The screen behind her went blank, then turned off. 

“This sounds like an impossible mission,” Arlo said. “Where are we supposed to start?”

“Go to Vega 5,” Mali said. “A lot of our top classified research is done there. It’s very high security. I can get you access.”

“What makes you think Duvos hasn’t been sniffing around there?” Maurice said, his gaze narrowed. “Everglade had no problems intercepting your messages and infiltrating Portia.”

“I’m confident Duvos doesn’t have access,” Mali said. “You’ll have to trust me on that.”