Chapter 20

From their contacts within Lexandar’s inner circle, the Loyalist Elementals learned of a plot to supplant the Pureskin Nobles and crown Lexandar as the first Emperor of Tarrus. Master Toramir and Sifa, both feeling highly conflicted, snuck into Lexandar’s fortress in the dead of night. With their combined skill and power, they were able to circumvent the guards without taking life. They found Lexandar in his bedchamber and took him by surprise, subduing him with a new government creation for containing Elemental powers, an invention that would eventually take the form of suppressant ropes. Lexandar was captured on the eve of his hostile takeover. However, Toramir and Sifa knew that they were walking a razor’s edge.

The ship was called the Venture, a prototype designed for deep space travel. Atlantis was a distant world in another galaxy. Travel there would usually take weeks by ordinary means, but by the reports, the Merfolk could not wait that long. The Venture was commissioned to journey to the farthest reaches of the universe in a fraction of the time that even the fastest ships could travel. In many ways, it was like the North Star in terms of speed. Fortunately, the trip would be much easier than the trek through Black Star given the reliable Gateways surrounding Tarrus which connected to Atlantis.

As Éclair and the others made their way into the large Water Ministry hangar, Éclair took a moment to appraise the vessel. As a mild engineering enthusiast, she was curious to evaluate the ship’s design, especially considering that it likely came equipped with underwater travel abilities as most Water Ministry starships did. The vessel was large, not quite frigate class, but definitely larger than the North Star in her base form. The ship had a pleasing blue color plating with intricate silver etchings of the ancient tongue lining the hull. It was reminiscent of a falling drop of water with a cone-shaped front and a rounded back. At the rear of the vessel were long, rotating rudders that resembled tails, or perhaps even the tentacles of aquatic creatures like squids or jellyfish. The Water Ministry had attained their engineering techniques from the Merfolk due to their ancient relations with Atlantis, so it was no wonder that their designs evoked the wonders of the ocean.

As Éclair admired the make of the Venture, Leon seemed less impressed as he commented beside her, “What a garish monstrosity.”

Éclair frowned at him. True, she preferred the North Star overall, but she thought his comment to be a bit rude, especially if some of the Water Elementals overheard. “Really? While I wouldn’t say it’s the most practical ship I’ve ever seen, I think the design is quite lovely.”

“Exactly,” said Leon as if it were obvious, scrutinizing the vessel with his dark, keen eyes without facing Éclair. “A starship should induce a certain intimidation factor, something that a teardrop doesn’t quite convey. There is a place for elegance, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of military efficiency.”

Given his macho sensibilities, that’s something that Ryan would probably agree with, Éclair thought to herself, unsure of when she started comparing Ryan and Leon together so often.

“Well, excuse me for admiring aesthetics,” came a snooty male voice from a Water Elemental approaching their group rapidly.

The newcomer – who wore the same blue uniform that Squad 99 had been assigned - was a young man, probably about the same age as Leon. Though some older high-level Elementals attained a youthful exterior, she knew this was likely not the case as this person lacked that timeless quality of Victor or Erica. He had dark, tanned skin and longer than average blond hair that was clearly not genetic. His hairstyle was slightly disheveled which rendered him a certain eccentric quality. His dark eyes blazed with passion, but his soft face lacked the angular quality of Leon and Ryan, making him seem more boyish than manly. He was also more on the scrawny side than the fit side as his blue uniform clung to his slender frame. He was a few inches shorter than Leon, putting him at around Éclair’s height. Éclair supposed that some girls liked effeminate-looking boys like that, but she certainly didn’t see the appeal. While Leon didn’t have the same machismo as Ryan, there was no denying his masculinity as his uniform outlined his sculpted biceps.

“And I suppose an artistic dullard like you would have us flying around in boring triangular or rectangular-shaped vessels. Not altogether surprising that someone from the Fire Ministry is as lacking in culture as he is in manners,” said the blond boy in a dramatic voice with an equally dramatic flourish of his ridiculous hair. If Éclair hadn’t known any better, she would’ve thought the young man was auditioning for a play by the way he was overreacting.

I wonder if all Water Ministry boys are this ... colorful.

Leon smirked at the newcomer, looking quite amused as he adjusted his glasses and said, “And I take it you are the engineer of this quaint little ... vessel.”

The flamboyant boy put his hands to his slender hips, drawing himself up as if he were striking a pose. “I was part of the design team, yes. Final aesthetic decisions went through me. The Venture was meant to evoke the elegance and splendor of the Water Ministry while also capturing the essence of the deep sea. What say you to that, stranger?”

Leon’s grin deepened. Éclair knew from experience how much Leon enjoyed ruffling other people’s feathers, especially when they presented him with a clear and exploitable weakness. “I’d say that this ship is as ugly as it is inefficient. The design of the hull is all wrong for dogfights as you concentrate most of the bulk in the rear, creating far too much drag while not rendering enough protection to the cockpit where the pilots will be located. Also, I would prefer a vessel that made my enemies think twice before attacking me. Most marauders would take one look at this ship and laugh before plundering it for all it’s worth. And given the gaudy and obviously expensive plating, it’d be worth quite a bit as it’s stripped for parts and sold on the black market.”

Éclair sighed, shaking her head at Leon’s callousness, though she did find herself smiling slightly. Even if he was arrogant, it was nice to see that Leon hadn’t lost any of his edge in their time apart.

The blond boy’s face seemed to go stark red with rage as his lips scrunched up and his head quivered, making his hair shake in a way that was quite comical.

“Careful what you say to Dawson. He may not look like much, but he tends to take these things real personal,” said a deep voice as a Water Elemental man and a blonde-haired girl came to stand on either side of the first boy.

The newcomers wore the same blue uniforms as Dawson, but that is where the similarities ended. The young man who had spoken was tall and rugged with fair skin and blond hair done in a buzzcut. He was about the same height as Leon, and he looked just as toned with an athletic build. His green eyes possessed that military edge that the first boy seemed to lack as he assessed Éclair and Leon with an almost threatening intensity.

The girl was a little thing, much shorter than Éclair as she barely came up to five feet. She had long blonde hair done in pigtails that went past her shoulders, and her pale face had a kind of mousy quality. She looked young, perhaps even younger than Sharon, with a petite build that still seemed to possess the softness of adolescence. Her physique and hair rather reminded Éclair of a doll, making her imagine a frilly, pink dress on the girl that probably wouldn’t look out of place. There was a dullness in the girl’s blue eyes, as if she were bored. Éclair imagined that teachers all across the Empire saw that same vacant expression quite often in their teenage students.

“Captain Jack,” said Dawson in his silly voice, still quivering with rage. “Let it be formally noted that I am very close to attacking this most insolent person on the grounds of his blatant disrespect for our Ministry.”

Jack, looking amused, brought out a datapad from his utility belt, as if he was actually logging Dawson’s bizarre statement. “Noted. But it will be logged that this person is a special guest of the Water Ministry, so I’m pretty sure command won’t be too sympathetic when they court-martial you.”

Dawson gave a high-pitched scoff, looking away in dismay. “Oh, Jack. Must you always bring me crashing back to reality with your cold rationale? Rose, surely a fellow dreamer like yourself can understand my grievances in this matter?”

“I don’t care,” said the girl in a deadpan voice, seeming oblivious to all around her as she studied the floor.

Dawson scoffed once more, putting a hand to his chest as if he were reciting a pledge. “Is there no one with the decency to defend the sanctity of art in this age of drudgery?”

“Please, don’t discourage the boy’s passions on our account,” said Grafael as he, Tork, and Torsha took up position at Éclair’s and Leon’s rear flank. “It’s been a rather dull trip thus far. A good scrap would do marvels for my nerves. Long flights tend to sour my mood, so we might as well have a little fun while we can.”

The blonde girl suddenly seemed interested as her eyes shot up to look at the Dragons and the Werewolf with obvious fascination. By the curiosity and alarm on her face, Éclair began to wonder if the girl got out much. “So it’s true. Squad 99 really does have a lot of Demihumans on their team. Does the variation interfere with your squad’s efficiency? It might be difficult to coordinate stratagems with so many diverging backgrounds.”

Éclair almost flinched, not knowing how to respond to such an insensitive statement. She supposed the girl didn’t have much social skills, so she immediately started thinking of ways to diffuse the situation. Fortunately, Grafael and Tork didn’t seem offended as they just chuckled a bit. However, that wasn’t the case with Torsha as she frowned at the girl and crossed her arms.

“Our team’s ‘efficiency’ is doing just fine, or haven’t you heard of all the awesome stunts we’ve been able to pull off over the last few years,” growled Torsha a bit too harshly for Éclair’s liking. “I’d like to see an all-human cast accomplish what we did.”

The girl resumed her apathetic face, though as she looked away, Éclair got the sense of discomfort in her bearing. “I’m sorry. I’m just not accustomed to Fire Ministry culture. I didn’t mean any offense.”

“Not my fault that the education here is so backwards,” grumbled Torsha under her breath, though loud enough to be heard.

Seeing the look of hurt flash briefly across the girl’s face, Éclair clicked her tongue at Torsha. “Most denizens of the Water Ministry come from District 9, a largely homogenous corner of Tarrus. District 9 features a mostly human community of Tarrusians with strong family ties. They make up the largest percentage of aqua farmers in the Empire who are the backbone for the terraforming of dead worlds. The locals of District 9 and the Water Ministry are among the oldest and most loyal citizens of the Empire, and are as deserving of respect as any people.” Éclair kept her tone even, showing her dissatisfaction for Torsha’s lack of tact.

Torsha looked suitably abashed as her ears lowered. Glancing between Éclair and Rose, Torsha dipped her head and said in a quieter voice, “The Monastery teaches us to accept all races as children of the Caretaker. Sometimes that way of life can sound like self-righteousness and snobbery to those who think differently. Forgive me for my own insensitivity.”

The girl glanced at Torsha nervously, only giving a slight nod of acknowledgement. From the way she positioned herself behind the tall boy, it looked like she was trying to hide, making Éclair feel all the more sympathetic to the poor girl.

The tall one, most likely the leader based on how the others regarded him, seemed a little annoyed as he frowned at Leon. “We’re not off to a great start, are we? I’d hope that you would have a better handle over your men, Lurranna.”

Leon seemed equally annoyed as he stepped forward. “So you’re the Water Ministry stooges accompanying us on this mission. Bit of advice. Reign in your own subordinates’ impulsiveness before you lecture me on mine.”

Éclair didn’t like the way things were heading as the tall man stepped forward himself. “You’re the ones accompanying us. This was our mission before you Fire brats butted in.”

“Oh, we’re just the backup, are we?” sneered Leon snidely with a sarcastic nod. “Backup for all three of you. Tell me, is it standard protocol for the Water Ministry to contribute the minimal amount of effort in a time of crisis?”

Now the one called Jack looked offended as his lips clenched. Before things could escalate any further, Éclair stepped between Jack and Leon, putting her hands on the chests of both men.

“My friend from the Monastery brought up the issue of incivility earlier,” Éclair said diplomatically as she kept her focus on Leon. “It would seem that such incivility is in ample supply these days.”

“Oh, good to see the children getting acquainted,” Éclair heard Erica say as she and Victor came up from behind. The two Wielders had stayed behind to change into their uniforms, although Éclair wondered what had taken them so long.

The tightly fitting uniform showed Erica to be quite muscular for a woman, even more so than most female Elementals. Though her bosom was mediocre at best, at least when compared to someone like Saria. Still, not even a blind man could deny Erica’s obvious beauty given her elegant facial features. And Victor looked very different outside of his red armor, his outfit likely pinching his tall frame given the way he fidgeted a bit. At about the same height as Erica, and quite shapely himself, Victor was no less diminished at her side. Éclair was curious as to why these uniforms were so necessary for the journey to Atlantis.

“Still, aren’t children supposed to play nice?” Victor asked Erica rather sarcastically.

“Quite right, Victor. We may have to separate the tykes if these tempers don’t cool.”

The three young Water Elementals immediately came to attention and saluted Erica. Not one to be outdone in a show of discipline, Leon did the same for Victor, and the other members of Squad 99 followed suit.

Erica regarded Leon with that steely gaze that was just a bit too suggestive for Éclair’s liking. “You brought up the issue of the Water Ministry’s resolve, Mr. Lurranna. Let me assure you, it is not our commitment to resolving this crisis that is in question here. We would’ve gathered a larger task force, but the Merfolk have forbidden it. They gave strict instructions that only four Elementals from our Ministry would be permitted to enter their space, and of those four, only one Fourth Level or higher would be allowed.”

Leon, still maintaining his stance at attention with his arms behind his back, gave a slight twitch of puzzlement. “Really? Whatever for?”

Erica looked away, her face evoking displeasure. “Don’t know, but I intend to find out when we’re brought before Queen Amphi.”

“The presence of Squad 99 and myself is only tolerated because the Atlanteans didn’t specify if the Water Ministry was forbidden from bringing allies from other Ministries,” Victor added. “Although, we shouldn’t push our luck with such a loophole. Many among the Merfolk are wary of Elementals outside of the Water Ministry. Therefore, the brunt of the negotiating will be up to Erica and her team.”

“But you shouldn’t doubt the effectiveness of my subordinates,” Erica said with a slight tinge of venom in her feminine voice. “They are all at Level Three, handpicked from Squad 84, the most prestigious team of younger Elementals in the Water Ministry. Squad 84’s reputation for results is on par with your own squad, Mr. Lurranna. And having trained these Thirds myself, I can attest to their skill.”