Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ New Blood ❯ Capture ( Chapter 4 )

Another day greeted Gatty, marked by warm sunlight and a pleasant scattering of popcorn clouds on the horizon. The wind was sharper and colder than previous days, a sure mark that nastier weather, common enough by the sea, was most likely on its way. Fortunately, the temperatures were still just warm enough to be comfortable.

He rose as he did every day, moving without a single conscious thought through the simple ritual routine of morning. Little else was so welcoming as the prospect of just another day, especially with so much responsibility on his shoulders.

Still that worried him. Even as he calmly clipped his sword onto his belt and headed for the door, the sense of something being not right, something being missed, pervaded his thoughts. He'd spent most of the previous day - even during training itself - contemplating his mission. He'd come no closer. The evidence is there, he thought, placing one hand against the door panel, I just have yet to stumble across it…

The door opened to reveal the wickedly smiling face of one Gabriel Larent. Gatty raised an eyebrow, doing his best to look as uncaring and unamused as possible. "What do you want, Gabriel?" he sighed, walking past the still crazily smiling red-head, "I'm not fighting you again. I don't do rematches."

Gabriel strode after him, easily keeping pace and still smiling, "Oh, don't worry, Gatty. Fighting is the last thing on my mind. I understand you're trying to track down a certain traitor. Maybe I can help."

Gatty froze in his tracks, blinking in disbelief at the words. He turned suddenly, seizing Gabriel's elbow and dragging him down a side passage. He opened his mouth to speak, then froze and leaned aside to glance both ways down the passage. Gabriel leaned back smugly against the wall, mentally thanking Alexia for her last service to him. It must have been hard to play his ally and feed him the information he needed while keeping details and needed help away.

Finally, Gatty ducked back into the shadows. He cast one final glance over his shoulder, then leaned close, his voice a sharp, angry whisper, "How did you find out? No one was supposed to know. Just me, Folken, Dilandau, Reika, and Alexia…" Gatty slowed on that name, noting the sudden malicious glimmer in Gabriel's eyes, "Wait… Alexia…" he narrowed his eyes, "She didn't tell you herself…?"

Gabriel shook his head, "No, not me. She didn't have to. I overheard a conversation she was having with Dallet yesterday evening. Discreet as she tried to be, I hear more than anyone thinks." He smiled again at that, crossing his arms over his chest, "You'll be wanting my help now, I would suppose."

"If you're offering it, I'd take it. All I need is for you to tell me…"

"No." Gabriel waved a hand dismissively, "That's too simple. Alexia is protected by Folken, if you remember. We need something that he can't simply dismiss. Evidence, Gatty, evidence."

Gatty blinked and started to speak, but was cut off as Gabriel abruptly grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him off down the corridor, "But first, we need a little bit of back up. Come on."

Dallet slipped silently through the hall leading between Folken's chambers and the communications room, pausing at every available shroud of darkness to be certain that he was alone and safe before continuing on. It wasn't the first time he'd crept through these halls - indeed, he'd traveled the same path many times seeking information that only the privileged were normally allowed to hear - but it was no less risky than before. There were no guards along the particular stretch he knew so well, but the one person he could possibly run across was one he never wished to. After all, Folken knew possibly more of his past than even Dallet's most trusted friends. To explain himself under such scrutiny would certainly prove riskier than even his current actions. Especially given how he wasn't exactly a trusted soldier anymore.

But helping others called for risks to oneself sometimes, and he of all people was willing to take them. Last night's incident had only served to drive that point home. He was certain that others would have folded after such a run-in, but he was merely more determined.

Still, it was frightening that Gabriel wanted him out of the way so badly that he'd be willing to pull such a stunt as breaking directly into his quarters with intent to kill. Dallet thanked whatever deity he could think of that he had a decent amount of experience with being stealthy. The ability to hide convincingly in the smallest shadow was a wonderful trick to have learned when a madman with a sword was skulking mere feet away. He'd been simply lucky that Gabriel hadn't heard him breathing.

Certainly he couldn't deny that he'd asked for that kind of trouble when he'd first agreed to assist Alexia, though. He'd chosen this path and he was sticking to it.

A quiet whisper of rustling fabric from down the corridor caught his attention. He cast a glance over one shoulder and ceased his breathing before moving light-footed to the next dark doorway to flatten himself against the wall. Long moments passed in frozen silence. He kept his violet eyes locked on the hall to his right, senses alert. Distantly, the rustle resolved into footsteps and a shadowy shape melted out of the darkness. Dallet clenched a hand, worrying briefly that he hadn't pulled himself into concealment quite enough, but, to his relief, Folken's scarlet eyes remained fixed on the path ahead as he slipped past the dark alcove.

He remained frozen for thirty seconds after Folken was out of view - a practice he's begun on his second trip down these halls - to be certain that he was fully invisible to his target. Not that he needed to follow Lord Folken. He knew the way to the communications room well enough. It was just easier if Folken was ahead of him. Less hiding and nervous waiting on the final stretch.

Finally, he let out a slow breath and permitted himself a slow step forward to peek around the corners. As soon as he felt that the coast was clear, he slid back into the hall and continued along his original route.

Ahead, he could already hear the voices of the beginning conversation…

"This way, this way…" Gabriel beckoned with one hand down a dark side passage, "I saw him go this way. Come on, you two…"

"This is crazy…" Guimel hissed back, nervously peering over his shoulder every five seconds as he spoke, "We're missing training. If a guard doesn't come and find us, Dilandau's gonna kill the three of us later…"

Gatty paused to punch his friend lightly in the shoulder, "Guimel, hush up. If we back out now, there might not be a Dilandau to kill us later."

"Good point."

Gabriel crept on ahead, past Folken's chambers and down the forbidden hallway itself with a silent grace that seemed unnatural in the dim light. Guimel and Gatty hesitantly followed, albeit with a bit more clumsiness to their movements. All kept close to the ground and close to the shadows, their eyes and ears open for the slightest sign that they themselves were being tracked. Gabriel led always, followed immediately by Gatty and a few feet back by a nervous Guimel, who kept his hand constantly on the hilt of his sword for reassurance's sake. Not that it would help if they did run into trouble.

Guimel's footsteps slowed considerably as they rounded the next corner. Having been on the Vionne longer than all but two of the Dragonslayers, he was one of few who could spot the differences between sectors with ease. Here, a feeling of unease crept over him. There was only one corridor that looked this unfamiliar to him… "Gatty, isn't this…?"

"Sure looks like it," Gatty's tone was grim, "Figures that Dallet would enter here. I never trusted him."

Guimel shook his head, despite knowing that no one was looking at him, "Don't say that. You know that's not true."

Gatty paused at those words, turning to face his friend with a quizzical expression, "I've never seen you so doubtful, Guimel. What is it?"

Guimel's gaze flashed over his shoulder once again, "It should be obvious. We're acting against orders, skulking around like rats, spying on one of our own…" he met Gatty's eyes, "It's just not in the job description. It feels wrong. We don't even know if any of this is real and you're both so enthusiastic." He glared past Gatty's shoulder at Gabriel, "I've only heard you so certain about something like this once before, and that's what scares me."

Gatty blinked in confusion, "What?"

"When Alexia got a hold of your chain, so to speak. You were the same then. Certain you were right and that she was helping, not hurting. We nearly lost Dilandau that time too." He let out a sound somewhere between a cough and a whimper, glancing nervously up to Gabriel's retreating shadow, "Maybe we shouldn't be following Gabriel like this. I trust him a lot less than I trust Dallet. At least Dallet's always been loyal before this."

"But…"

"If you two can't keep up, I'll go it alone," Gabriel's voice echoed frighteningly loud in the stillness and Guimel winced.

Gatty frowned, glancing back over his shoulder at Gabriel's barely visible silhouette before turning back to his best friend with a sigh, "Guimel, I don't know what to say. I can't just let this go. I have to take any available lead or else I might miss something valuable. I have a responsibility. Now, I don't know why Gabriel dragged you into this but I do know that he's on to something. If you're needed here, then I'd prefer it if you stayed."

Guimel looked up, his face taught with worry.

"However, if you feel that this truly is the wrong choice, I'm sure I can make Gabriel understand, all right?"

"Gatty, I…"

A growl rippled through the air from behind them. At once, Gabriel was peering over Gatty's shoulder with a scowl a mile long, "If you two don't hurry up, we're not going to have a reason for being here at all. I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd stop whimpering and just tag along, all right? Guimel, calm yourself. You're a Dragonslayer and we're in allied territory. Dilandau won't kill you over one small absence, especially if we save his life in the process. Gatty, you're a fool if you're doubting me. Come on." He turned away before either could respond and slunk beck into the shadows, "No more talking from this point on. We're getting close."

Guimel lifted his head, "But…"

"Silence."

"All right."

Gabriel slipped ahead, vanishing into the darkness. After an exchange of worried looks, Gatty and Guimel reluctantly followed. The next several moments took them around confusingly identical passages and stairways, past corridors that looked as if they'd been cloned from any number of other regions of the ship, and finally, to the easily mistaken hall traveled so often by Lord Folken and no one else. Here, Gabriel froze abruptly, raising a hand to stall the other two in their tracks. He grinned like an animal, then turned back to whisper as quietly as possible, "He's here. Take a look. Little sneak."

Gatty and Guimel cautiously slipped ahead for a look and, sure enough, spied their comrade Dallet hunched down outside the communications room with his ear pressed to the door. His eyes were closed, all attention focused on the conversation beyond the wall.

"It's him, all right." Gatty whispered back, "I wonder what they're saying that's so interesting."

"Want to listen?" Gabriel sounded much too cheerful to not be questionable. With the quickness of a cat, he straightened and removed the access panel of a nearby air duct from the wall before stepping back. "Go ahead."

The two exchanged glances once again, then obediently stepped up to the duct. The voices were muffled and tinny, but audible.

"…Dragon is located within the Kingdom of Fanelia." Dornkirk's raspy voice thundered softly.

"My Lord," Folken's voice came through a little quieter, "it will still be some time before Dilandau's Dragonslayers are fully prepared. I've given him two months to complete…"

"In one month, it must be ready."

"Yes, Lord. I'll notify Dilandau of the change of plans. The final tests of the Alseides will be completed tomorrow."

"They had better…"

Gabriel sidestepped around his two companions, smiling to himself as he did. Tomorrow. Wonderful timing… He dropped silently to a crouch, one hand out in front of him, and watched Dallet with a calculating interest. It was all falling into place, for certain, if not in the way he'd initially planned. Alexia would pay for her treachery, but in her own due time. There was bigger prey to be had, and Dallet had unwittingly handed him the key to it.

Poor bastard… there's nothing more pathetic than an oblivious target… He drew back suddenly as Dallet abruptly opened his eyes and straightened. "Conversation's over. Here he comes, you two. Head for the doorway."

Gatty and Guimel scrambled across the hall at those words, leaving the duct open for all to see. Gabriel took a moment to press the cover loosely back into place, then followed, vanishing into the shadows of the narrow alcove just as Dallet skittered around the corner in an awkward pad-footed run. Gabriel's eyes tracked every step as the boy skidded a little too close to their hiding spot for comfort, maliciously considering delivering a swift kick to his skull… just enough to crack it would be all he'd need…

But that would take too much explaining. Reluctantly, he let his quarry escape, deciding it would be much easier to catch him on the second run. He waited patiently, hearing Folken's footsteps retreating in the opposite direction, then turned to smile smugly down at his cowering followers, "Time to move. We're not done yet…"

Far below the Vionne, two guymelefs - one red, one blue - were locked in battle. So far, neither was coming out on top, surprisingly, and the fight had been going for a good ten minutes. Periodically, echoes of curses and shouts rippled through the distance to those few Dragonslayers who'd cared to slump over the railings and watch, but to most, the spectacle was strangely uninteresting.

Among those bored enough to actually pay attention, dark haired Viole and blonde haired Ian were the most prominent. They stood straight, carrying on a lively conversation rather than catching much needed rest like the others, each working hard to keep hair out of their faces. The wind that morning was blowing something fierce.

"This is nuts," Viole commented, throwing his ponytail back over his shoulder for what had to have been the twentieth time.

"The wind, or the fight? Damnnit, why didn't I tie it back…"

"Or cut it off. You look like Princess Millerna with that ridiculous mop, I swear."

Ian glared back at him, "If I'm fighting you today, I swear, you're dead."

"Try me."

The wind whistled across the catwalk again and they both shivered.

"Too damn cold for training," Ian growled, "How does Shesta do that? He's a pushover with everyone else, but as soon as Dilandau picks a fight with the guy he's suddenly matching him. That's crazy,"

"No kidding. But then, he did beat Gabriel in that fight a couple of days ago."

"He didn't beat him. Just about though, you're right. Still, there's a big difference between Gabriel and Lord Dilandau."

"Yeah, Dilandau's sane." Ian leaned forward on the railing, glancing to his left just as one over-tired soldier collapsed to the deck with a thud, "Hey, where is Gabriel, anyway? I didn't see him come in."

"He didn't. Neither did Gatty or Guimel. And Dallet slipped out."

"No one thinks that's odd?"

"You kidding? I'd join them if I weren't trying to keep up good graces. I don't blame them a bit for walking out. I just hope they get back before Dilandau notices."

"Amen to that. Hey, look, Shesta's winning."

"Huh. So he is." Viole settled his head down on his arms, "Maybe this'll be interesting after all."

Dallet bowed respectfully to the skeptical red-haired young woman glaring at him from the doorway to Commander Reika's chambers. Behind her, he could see all fifteen of the troops lined up with a none-too-pleased Reika at their head.

"State your business, soldier." Growled the girl.

"My apologies for disturbing you all," Dallet straightened, performing his role as best he could while keeping an ear cocked for any sound from the corridor behind him, "Lord Folken requests an audience with Alexia Larent. I'm to report that it's urgent."

She stood silently for a moment, hard gray eyes looking him quickly up and down before, supposedly satisfied to some degree, she turned her back and repeated his message to a scowling Reika. Words were spoken that he couldn't hear and the girl was turned back to the door. She smiled like an angry cat as she approached and spoke with a curtness that was bordering on deliberately disrespectful. "Alexia will be there shortly. You may leave."

He bowed once more, "Yes, ma'am."

The door was promptly shut in his face. He let out a sigh and turned away, stepping off to the side to wait and worry. It seemed that was all he was able to do right now, and that in itself was enough to make him anxious. It was a good thing he was good at concealing his emotions.

Not well enough for Alexia, however. He looked up just in time to see her slip through the door and rush over as fast as her feet would carry her, already whispering out words of concern for his safety.

"Shh," he said softly, pushing away from the wall and lifting both hands to hold her back, "Calm down, Alexia. I'm fine. Really."

She nodded hastily, placing her own hands on his shoulders, "I'm sorry, Dallet. I just always get so worried when you say it's urgent… if something went wrong with this…"

"I know," He led her away from the door and lowered his voice just enough so as not to be heard, "Something did."

She lifted her gaze to his, her expression once more filling with that familiar fear, "Oh no… what happened?"

"Quite a bit, I'm afraid. Gabriel attacked my quarters last night. He knows. I don't know how he found out, but he knows. He's been following my trail this morning," he cast a wary glance over his shoulder, searching the motionless shadows, "I don't know how much time we have until he finds me here. I don't think I lost him all that well back there."

She grimaced, slipping away from him, "Oh, shit…"

"I know." He reached for her sleeve, tugging gently to lead her a little further down the corridor, "So I need you to listen to me. I've given you some time before they figure out that something's not right. It's just like we planned before. In and out, no complications. Understand?"

"What, now? It's the middle of the day, Dallet. I can't just waltz into a restricted area without clearance. Someone will catch on."

He smiled, "I know you're better than that, Alexia. Be convincing. You're good at deception. That's your whole job."

"Don't remind me."

"Sorry."

"But… why now? Why such a hurry?"

A scuffle sounded in the distance, and they both looked up. Dallet let go of her sleeve and slipped into the nearest dark hallway "No more questions. Just go."

"But…"

The whisper of retreating footsteps echoed back to her and silence answered. For a moment she stood still staring at where he'd disappeared before some internal sense of time snapped her back to the present. She shook her head and turned down the opposite passage, moving at a quick pace toward the heart of the Vionne.

Gabriel snickered, "This is perfect. Just perfect."

"What do we do now?" Guimel whispered, "They've split up. Who do we follow?"

Gabriel turned to face him, the half shadows masking his face giving him the look of a madman, "Simple. We follow them both. You can go after Dallet. Gatty and I will follow Alexia. They'll be safely locked away by dinnertime."

"But… what if… I don't think I can possibly…"

Gabriel snarled.

Guimel recoiled slightly at the animalistic sound that reverberated from his comrade's throat, then settled with a pained expression back to his former crouch. "All right." He let out a resigned sigh, casting a fearful look back to Gatty before slipping around the corner and melting silently into the shadows.

After a moment of silence, Gatty sneaked forward and dropped a hand onto Gabriel's arm, "Gabriel, this isn't according to plan at all. Folken didn't want us to take action. He told that to me explicitly. I don't see why you get so much control over this situation. I outrank you."

Gabriel smiled slyly, "Trust me, Gatty. Just trust me. That's all I need to say for now. Let's go."

The congregation of Dragonslayers on the catwalk had increased significantly over the last minute or so, Ian noted. Down below, flames erupted from Dilandau's guymelef for the fourth time, but succeeded in doing nothing more than producing a cloud of steam from the nearby river and singeing the fields around them. Shesta stepped back into range and proceeded to methodically pick his opponent apart, taking off a component here, slashing a piece there, gradually driving Dilandau to the river's edge.

"I can't believe that kid is pulling this off."

"They didn't switch him for Gabriel when I wasn't looking, did they?"

"Have you ever seen Dilandau take a hit like that?"

"Not in my life."

The disbelieving whispers were the same throughout the crowd and with good reason. Never in the brief history of the Dragonslayers had Dilandau ever been defeated by one of his own troops. Never before had anyone even come close.

Shesta swiped out with his guymelef's claws, throwing Dilandau into a stagger across the river bank that very nearly toppled him. Dilandau recovered, molding a blade from his Crima Claw and lashing out, forcing Shesta back a few thunderous steps. Shesta yelped, breaking the driving attack with two quick strikes and ducking nimbly out of the way. Still Dilandau pressed on, slicing sharply at the side of the blue guymelef, forcing it back towards the river. Their claws crossed, scraped, and sparked once again, followed by Dilandau's high pitched cackle. A few Dragonslayers winced.

"Oh, man…," Viole whispered, "And the kid was doing so well, too…"

Another clash of metal on metal and they both cringed, turning away.

"I can't watch…" Ian ducked his head behind his sleeve.

A sharp metallic squeal ripped the air, followed by a howling wail. All across the catwalk, gasps and cries of disbelief sounded. A few people cheered raucously. After a moment, Ian dared to lift an eye over the edge of his sleeve. He blinked incredulously, then straightened, laughing despite himself.

The red guymelef lay scuttled in the river, Dilandau clinging like a rat to it's side and screaming a blue streak of curses at Shesta's still standing and relatively unharmed Alseides. Between thrown insults and rude gestures, he managed to clamber his way safely to the top of the machine, irritatedly dragging his fingers through the sopping wet tangle of his hair and screaming for someone to get him out of the water.

Viole cackled, smacking Ian on the shoulder and grinning widely, "Well, hey, that Shesta kid is all right after all, isn't he?"

Dallet rounded the corner at a near gallop, not even daring to look behind himself. Guimel was so close behind him that he swore he could hear him breathing. If only he'd been paying attention down that last corridor he might have been able to get safely away.

"Dallet!! Stop!!" Guimel shrieked, boots screeching across the floor as he turned the corner in a sharp swerve.

"Not on your life!!" Dallet pulled his sword from its scabbard and vaulted up the stairs, gasping sharply for breath.

Guimel bounded up on his tail, blade flashing icy blue in the shadowy light. He screamed another challenge, hitting the top step in a leaping stride that easily caught him up with his opponent. Dallet whirled agilely and slashed down, driving his blade into Guimel's with a resounding crash. The swords shook in mid air but neither yielded.

"Guimel, you're making a mistake…" Dallet panted, arms shaking, "Don't do this…"

"I have to." The shorter Dragonslayer's voice held an unusual note of determination. He pressed back on Dallet's blade, then jerked it wide, slashing and crossing blades again, driving Dallet back several staggering paces.

Dallet swore aloud, pushing back hard enough to knock Guimel off balance, leaving him teetering on the stair, and leapt back, out of the way. He turned on his heel and fled before Guimel could recover, dropping his sword in mid dash without looking back. Guimel yelled for him again, hurdling back to the chase. "Get back here!! Coward!!"

Dallet swallowed hard, sweat trickling down his neck. He skidded awkwardly around the next corner and his ankle half twisted but he bit back the pain and ran on, desperately needing to get away. The door was just up ahead, but he couldn't go there now. The last thing he wanted was to be penned in by those wolves. Any of them would be glad to go as far as killing him if it would please Dilandau.

I need somewhere to hide…

Guimel whipped around the corner right behind him and Dallet felt panic rising. He cast a fateful glance over his shoulder, failing to notice the abrupt drop off in the floor. He screamed out loud as his injured foot struck the stairs and twisted with a sharp crack. His leg buckled and he toppled, straight forward and all the way down.

Ian was obliviously just starting up the flight and didn't even have time to cry out before he was knocked straight off his feet and down to the bottom in a jumbled tangle of arms and legs. He struggled to get up, throwing Dallet off and getting halfway to standing before Guimel crashed right into him. He abruptly found himself up against the wall with no clue as to how he'd gotten there. He watched without comprehension as Guimel leaped in, hitting Dallet hard enough to knock him sprawling. He landed hard on his side, blinking dazedly once before slipping with a whimper into unconsciousness.

Even as the silence fell, Ian still stood frozen, staring stunned at the limp form half in the shadows a few feet away. Guimel backed away, keeping his eyes locked on Dallet's face, his expression suggesting that he didn't believe what he was seeing any more than Ian did. A trickle of blood was slowly making its way down his cheek.

"What… just happened…?" Ian was shaking, "I didn't mean to… I was just on my way to the hangar bay and you just startled me and I… Wow, I hope he's okay…"

"He was going to attack Dilandau… I think… I… I didn't want to do that to him…" Guimel shakily sheathed his sword, "We're not supposed to take action.. what was I thinking…?"

"Guimel, I think his leg's broken or something. I heard a crack, but I was too stunned…" his hand nervously twisted a strand of his hair, "Dragonslayers aren't supposed to attack each other…!"

"I know, I know! But… But we'll just have to make the best of the situation." Guimel knelt down and slipped his arms under Dallet's, half lifting him off the ground, "Help me."

Ian fidgeted for a few more seconds, glancing around nervously, "Okay… I guess…" He stepped up, taking Dallet's legs as carefully as he could, still shaking with worry. This is so stupid…

Alexia's heartbeat thundered in her ears as she strolled down the hallways, trying her hardest to look normal. It was incredibly fortunate that she'd managed to avoid any other soldiers so far, particularly considering that these central corridors were the best guarded in the entire Vionne.

I should have stolen a soldier's uniform or something… she berated herself, plucking nervously at the bright orange patches along her sleeves, This is insane… Why the hell am I doing this now? Damn you, Dallet, why don't you ever tell me these things?

A quiet tapping noise in a nearby hall startled her to a quicker pace, but she refused to look in its direction. Her eyes remained locked on the line of doors three hallway junctions ahead. Beyond those were storage lockers for the most sensitive documents on the ship, including schematics for every piece of equipment on board, records of each and every soldier and crewman, and a few top secret documents belonging to Folken. She'd seen enough of his files already, though, and didn't care to go near them again. Almost everything in his interest had to do with her brother, it seemed. Certainly every document on those shelves did.

The tapping gradually grew to the reverberating tromp of several pairs of footsteps. Alexia swallowed her fear and slipped as quietly as she could into a side passageway, flattening herself against a shadowed wall. Within moments, four slate gray armored soldiers trudged past, none even thinking to glance in her direction. She waited patiently for them to pass, breathing slowly and quietly until the halls were once again silent. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief and slip once more into the passageway.

The rest of the trek was unnervingly uneventful. She found herself having to consciously force herself to stay calm, especially when the slow work of locating the proper door began. She hadn't yet had time to scout it out since Dallet hadn't originally planned this for another three weeks. She skimmed her finger tip along the raised lettering of each locker, briefly wondering what had made him change his mind. Something more than what he'd told her must have come up, that was for certain. Something big. Something important.

Something she should know.

She hated it when he kept secrets from her.

Minutes passed, but not a sound slipped down the hallways. She could hear the faint echo of her own breathing, it was so quiet. Still, she kept on, methodically reading over a label before stepping softly forward to the next. Every few steps she'd pause to glance around herself and listen, but each time she was greeted with nothing more than silence. It felt like a trap. Certainly her luck couldn't be that strong? Wasn't there some cynical natural law that stated that if something could go wrong it would? But what more could she do? There was nowhere to go and nothing to face but failure if she didn't follow this order. With a silent promise to herself that all was well and would end without trouble, she continued on her way.

Finally, after an incredibly long time, she scraped her finger across the words she was searching for. A small smile crossed her lips as her fingers fluttered rapidly across the access panel beside the door. Having both Lord Folken's trust and a good memory came in handy. His pass code immediately flashed the Gaean letters of 'accepted' across the grainy screen, as expected, and a moment later the door slipped open. Without hesitation she made a hasty retreat into the relative safety of the small room.

The hallway light blocked out behind her with a soft whoosh of forced air, bathing the room in only the dim light from a poorly placed window behind the shelves of folders and files stretching from floor to ceiling around every wall. After a moment to calm her nerves, Alexia stepped up and began an examination of the task that faced her. To her relief, she discovered that many of the documents in the room were, thankfully, still in the order they'd been placed. With a soft smile of satisfaction, she began a quick skim read of the labels along each shelf. Almost everything was shrouded in dust and cobwebs, making her search uncomfortable if not a little difficult, but nonetheless, still doable.

It was several long minutes and four shelves later before she found anything remotely interesting. After about a dozen incredibly fat folders containing documents on maintenance of the engine cores, she finally came across one small, lightly dusted envelope marked sloppily as 'Alseides' tucked half inside a neighboring folder. With a grin she reached out, yanking it free and stepping back. As she did, a single document scraped along with it, freeing itself from the file behind it and fluttering lightly in a trail of sunlit dust motes before settling purposefully on the toe of her boot.

A confused look crossed her face as she stared down at the lonely paper. Somehow it didn't look like a maintenance document. With the dull light glowing across the paper she was able to see the writing on the other side and what looked like someone's snapshot in the top corner. Her curiosity quickly got the better of her and she dropped quickly to a crouch. A flick of her wrist revealed that, sure enough, it was a misplaced soldier's record, probably shoved back into the wrong folder by some twit in a hurry. A quick glance at the image in the corner raised her curiosity even more. It wasn't just any soldier's file. It was Shesta's.

Alexia straightened and leaned back against the shelves, holding the paper up to the light. The small black and white shadowgraph image in the corner stalled her for a moment. The bright expressive eyes, neat feathery hair and soft face were all the same as she knew, but there was something unnatural to the way he looked out at her. All expression remained solely in those eyes; his face was as cold as any soldier's she'd ever seen. Intrigued, she lightly drew a finger across the lines of his face. That's Shesta all right, but not by choice. Where's that concerned little frown? He's never cold like that… A smile crossed her face, I would know. Hmm.

Her eyes drifted to the information written in neat script down the side of the page. It was all simple, unsurprising, and completely unrepresentative of the person it was referring to, of course.

Name: Shesta Garet Dallen

Date of Birth: Green, 12th moon…

Alexia smirked. His fifteenth birthday was in a mere four days.

The rest of the document wasn't much more interesting. Simple physical statistics and records from previous training and military assignments made up the bulk. The only odd thing was the final statement, obviously added a considerable time after the rest. Scrawled hastily across the last few lines of the record were the words "Accepted to the Dragonslayers on Future Precaution by Order of Emperor Dornkirk."

Alexia narrowed her eyes, scowling. Future Precaution? What in the hell does that mean? I've never heard that term in my life… She briefly read over the paper once more, looking for any clue to the cryptic message, but finally had to give it up. She cast it one final glance before turning and slipping the paper back into a random folder, leaving enough sticking out that the next person in the room would be sure to see it and replace it.

After a quick flip through the contents of the Alseides envelope to be certain that they were indeed what she was looking for, Alexia turned back to the door. It opened at her touch, the light from the hall brightening the room just barely. A quick glance around each corner revealed a fortunate lack of guards. With a confident smile she strode out into the halls. From this point on it would be a walk in the park. All she had to do was get out of the restricted access regions of the ship and back to Dallet. After that, it was simplicity.

She glanced once more down at the envelope in her hands before turning the corner into the darkened hallway she'd entered from. Between the dim light and her own distracting thoughts, she didn't hear the scuffle of feet behind her until the black gloved hand had already slipped over her mouth and the sword was at her throat. She stiffened, letting out a muffled cry of surprise, but restrained herself from her first instinct to strike out.

"Just stay calm, Alexia," a voice whispered softly in her ear, "I won't hurt you unless you give me reason to." He lifted his hand from her mouth slowly, then dropped it to her right wrist, pulling it behind her back as a precaution.

"Gatty," she whispered back, "You're not supposed to take action…"

"You don't know that, Alexia. You didn't hear Folken give that order."

"She wasn't supposed to, at any rate." A second voice broke the darkness. Just as startlingly, a hand slipped into the light to snatch both a small laser wire cutter from her pocket and the documents from her grasp, dumping them unceremoniously across the floor for all to see, "Planning a few modifications, are we, sister?"

"Gabriel!" she raised her head sharply to meet the sharp angry eyes in the shadows, nearly scraping her throat against the razor edge before her.

He stepped into the light, his hand this time going for the katana's blade. Gently he pushed it away, "I can take her from here, Gatty. No need to have you blamed for everything."

"Gatty, don't let him…" Alexia whispered back, even as Gabriel seized her wrist and pulled her to him, "This is a mistake. Don't trust him…"

Behind her now, Gabriel smirked.

Gatty met her eyes, then turned to the floor, speaking quietly, "You know I have to. I'm sorry. Dallet's waiting for you in a holding cell, just so you know."

She balked for a moment, then relaxed, letting out a soft sigh, "You outmaneuvered me, Gabriel… You've never done this before. Congratulations."

"Thank you. You did well yourself. I almost didn't suspect it." Gabriel's gaze flicked up to Gatty's still bowed head, "It's all right Gatty. You can head back. Notify Dilandau that we've captured our traitor."

"All right." He slipped his katana back into its scabbard and turned away, pausing only once to glance back before retreating down the corridor. The two stood silently until Gatty's footsteps faded completely before Gabriel took Alexia by the arm and they began their way to the detention center. He paused but once to bend down and swipe the thin silver tool from the ground, waving it mockingly in front of her face before pocketing it himself.

Alexia let out just the softest sigh and followed. What other choice did she have?

Shesta pushed his way through the milling crowd of his comrades, wearily acknowledging their congratulations with quiet smiles and as few words as possible. His hand was clamped to a profusely bleeding gash above his right eye from when a blow had knocked him headfirst into the command collar and the headache was overwhelming. He appreciated their joy at his victory, but right then he would have appreciated a nice long rest much better.

Finally, he pulled clear of them, slipping out the door into the relative quiet of the corridors. No one was in sight either way, thankfully, as he dropped back against the wall, pulling his hand away and swearing at the sticky red mess across his palm. Alexia had been right, he'd pulled it off after all, but he'd taken quite a beating in the process. He wondered if that would count against him at all.

Probably, knowing Dilandau. Ow… Maybe I should suggest better support as an improvement for that damn machine… I nearly broke my leg out there…

The vibration of several pairs of feet rattled the walls and lifted his attention from the stained glove. He looked up, spotting a curious procession a few feet down the passage. Four gray clad soldiers and one shining blue Dragonslayer were leading someone who he couldn't quite see down the hall towards him. He blinked, swiping blood from his eye again, and moved to the other side of the hall to get a better look.

"Gabriel?" he whispered. What the hell is he doing away from practi… The thought froze, unfinished, as he finally got a glimpse of the prisoner. Auburn hair, sad blue eyes, and a defeated expression. Shesta's injuries were abruptly and completely forgotten in that instant. He felt a sudden pain on an inner level, stronger than the throbbing of his eye or the dull ache of his leg. "Alexia? No way…"

She looked up at the sound of her name, visibly grimacing as she found herself face to face with the one she'd spent so much time gaining the trust of. Shesta merely stared, mouth partially open in shock, his wound trickling a scarlet trail down the side of his face unnoticed. She turned away after a moment, continuing her march without falter.

Gabriel grinned at Shesta as he passed, not saying a word but saying so much. It was a challenge, an insult, a mocking laugh that never surfaced. Shesta felt something deep inside break, staggering just barely and letting himself fall to the wall once again as Alexia was dragged out of sight around the next corner.

He swallowed hard, all the pain coming back to him twice as strongly, and leaped from the wall, bolting in the direction of his quarters as fast as his legs would carry him.

Dallet awoke slowly. The first clue he had that he was indeed awake this time was an incessant rapping noise that struck pain through his skull each time it sounded. He moaned, swiping halfheartedly at the air nearest him, but found nothing to strike. Finally, he forced his eyes open, cringing as he did. The room was nearly pitch dark, but even the small bit of light filtering in from the barred window on the door was enough to spike pain through his mind.

"Ow." He sat up stiffly, ignoring the headache as it faded back to tolerable levels. He took a moment to take in his surroundings, noting with some disappointment that the décor was obviously suggestive of a prison cell. Great. Just what I didn't need.

The rapping noise continued. He blinked a few times, then turned towards the door. Visible through the window was the furry red mess of Gabriel's hair. He'd know that unkempt mop anywhere.

Gabriel chuckled, continuing to tap the heel of his boot against the metal door, "Alexia," he called sing-song, "Your boyfriend's awake."

That got Dallet's attention. Against better judgment, he abruptly rushed to get to his feet, "Alexia? Alexia! Are y… Ahh!" He winced as his foot struck the floor, immediately throwing out an arm to steady himself against the wall.

"Dallet, are you all right?" Her voice was muffled, echoing from somewhere further down the hall.

Gabriel cackled.

"I'm fine," he said back, "I… my leg got… ow…. It's not broken, just… ow… a little twisted. I'll be fine." He lifted his head as another low laugh broke the air. The red head's shoulders were shaking. "Gabriel?"

"Hello, Dallet. Nice to see you awake." A solitary green eye peered back over the boy's shoulder.

Dallet let out a low growl,

stepping gingerly forward, "You did this, didn't you? You sneak. You're ruining everything."

"Ha." Gabriel whirled, his green eyes icy in the darkness. A lock of hair slipped out of place, dragging in a scarlet line across his cheek, "You ruined it yourself, you self important bastard. I could have been done with this a long time ago if not for you." His smile vanished, "You stole salvation right out from under me, Dallet. If you'd simply stayed out of the way and played your part Dilandau would have been out of the way and I'd be safe at home where I belong."

"Play my part?" Dallet scoffed, "What, you mean die so you can escape? Is that it? You wanted me behind these bars one way or the other, didn't you? You've always wanted me out of the way." Dallet's voice was cold as an icicle, anger in his eyes, "Well congratulations. You've done it. Get out."

"Dallet…" Alexia pleaded, "Dallet, don't. He's not well…"

"I'm as well as I'll ever be!" Gabriel snarled back at her, his voice lilting just slightly, "Just shut up and hide!"

"Gabriel…"

"SHUT UP!!"

Dallet hesitated then continued forward, "You destroyed it, Gabriel. Didn't you even see what we were trying to do? If you'd only done as Alexia had told you and kept quiet, we could have gotten you out, just as you'd wanted, without their being a need for cold blooded murder. You ruined it." His last words were a harsh growl, punctuated as he slammed both palms against the door with a bang.

"As if." Gabriel hissed, turning back to meet Dallet eye to eye, "What did you expect? That I could just walk away? Just up and leave? They'd find me, Dallet. I'm too important. They'd track me down like some animal and bring me right back here. Don't delude yourself into thinking its so simple. If I don't kill, I will be killed."

Dallet shook his head angrily and forced himself up to the door, his face mere millimeters from the cold bars, "Gabriel, listen to yourself. You're not thinking this through. They'd hunt you down anyway for killing another Dragonslayer. For being something they can't let go. Lord Folken lost his place as a sorcerer over you. He's not just going to let you disappear into society. The only way out is to run and to hide and to stay hidden. That's the only way."

Gabriel backed off a step, eyes narrowed, "How do you know all this?"

"Alexia told me everything when we both found out we were assigned to the Vionne. She told me all that happened to you, Gabriel. I sympathize, but really, this isn't the way to go."

A growl echoed in the still air, fingers tightening on the bars, "You shouldn't be talking. You don't have anything to do with this. With us. You don't understand. You don't have a family, Dallet. Not anymore."

Dallet frowned, looking away, "True enough."

"So how can you know? How can you claim to know what's right? How can you justify any of this? You have no right to interfere."

"I have every right," he raised his head, tossing his hair back and locking his bright violet eyes on Gabriel's pained green ones, "You're threatening my new family, Gabriel. My parents may be dead, but I still have people I care about. This group, these Dragonslayers - they are my family. You're threatening their lives and you're threatening me," he smiled, "You're also threatening Alexia, my friend. Or haven't you noticed how strained she is? She doesn't want anyone hurt, Gabriel. She doesn't want the commander to die, even if Dilandau scares her."

"He should die! He's not fit to be a…"

"You're also threatening the one she loves. That I cannot abide. Period."

Silence fell at those words. Gabriel glared darkly through the bars, then pushed away, scowling, "The one she loves?" His voice quavered in confusion.

"You don't even know." Dallet lowered his head, "Your own sister and you never even bothered to find out where her heart lead. Selfish."

"Shut up!!" Gabriel threw himself back at the bars, closer than ever, "Alexia isn't that weak!" he spat the word, "She wants to be rid of all this as much as I do!! Don't tell me lies!!"

"I'm not lying. Ask her yourself."

Behind them, Alexia whimpered something inaudible.

"What?" Gabriel hissed, glaring back at her, "You… you… I can't believe…"

"Hardship brings people together, Gabriel," Dallet interjected, "Shesta doesn't know it yet himself, but she cares about him very strongly. She told me herself. Tell me you'd tear that apart and I swear I'll hunt you down if we both survive this."

Gabriel's face took on a sudden look of disgust, "She loves that… that…" he whirled, turning to the cell no doubt housing his sister, "that weak, pathetic excuse for a…"

"Tell me you'd tear that apart and I'll kill you!" Dallet yelled out, grasping the bars tightly, "Hurt him and you'll die, I swear!!"

Gabriel was back at the door in an instant, his hands through the bars and wrapped around Dallet's throat before he could think to utter another word. He gasped soundlessly as Gabriel hauled him off the floor, hands clawing uselessly.

"Gabriel!" Alexia shrieked, her face appearing at the bars white and strained, tears streaking down her cheeks, "Gabriel! Stop! What are you doing?!"

"He did this!" Gabriel screamed back, "He wants me to fail! He made it happen!"

"Stop it! Please stop it!" her hand clawed the air, "Gabriel stop, you're hurting him!"

Dallet struggled weakly, seeing stars and darkness at the edge of his vision. He let out a strangled gasp, one bare hand digging into Gabriel's wrist until blood flowed.

"Gabriel, it's not him! Be rational! I'm the one who interfered with Shesta! Stop it! Please!"

Gabriel clenched his fist harder, watching Dallet writhe in pain before finally letting go. Dallet's feet gave out beneath him and he toppled out of sight with a clattering thud. A gasping cough rent the air, his hand shakily grasping the edge of the window as he struggled to pull himself up again.

Gabriel kicked out at the door. The crash echoed down the hall and provoked a weak yelp of pain from Dallet. Behind him, he could hear his sister sobbing.

But he didn't feel sorry. Not in the least.

"You both stole that boy from me. He was the perfect pawn. I could have manipulated him to do anything and we'd have all gotten away with none the wiser. Now I have to kill all of them." He spoke softly, turning to his sister's cell, "Dilandau will die tomorrow. So will Shesta. Gatty and Guimel know too much. I can't trust either of you. I may even have to kill Folken. This is your fault, Alexia. Now you'll all die. Because of you." He walked slowly to Alexia's door. Her hands were visible, clinging to the bars, but he had to look down within to see the top of her head. She was breathing in ragged gasps, punctuated now and again by a choking sob. "I'll make it quick, Alexia. You're family after all."

She nodded weakly, shivering uncontrollably even as his shadow left her and retreated down the hallway.

Dallet lay sprawled on the cold floor of his cell, eyes closed, teeth gritted more in anger than in pain. He could distantly hear Alexia crying, the sound tearing his mind worse than the pounding headache. "I warned you…" he whispered, the words hurting simply to leave his bruised throat, "if you tear it apart, Gabriel, I'll hunt you down… I swear…"

A grim smile broke through between coughs and he clenched his fist around the slender silver device he'd managed to snatch away.

"I swear it…"