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 Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 6:47 am
Takes place directly after 'Cause it isn't over yet and In the cobwebs and the lies Several days before Christmas, 2021.
"Thank you for meeting with me so late. Please forgive me for being direct, but we may have a problem," he said as he lifted his head to meet her gaze. His own complexion was a bit paler than usual. The information itself wasn't necessarily alarming. It was what they didn't know.
"Cymophane just informed me that the White Moon may have something more than the smoke bomb that was used to prevent Aquamarine from teleporting or using his magic. He spoke with a Page of Jupiter named Empyrean. We suspect he has close ties to Ganymede. He implied that the attack against Aquamarine wasn't just for revenge or to send a message, but a test run as well. He offered Cymophane guaranteed protection if he wanted to defect-- purify as they call it. Said what happened to Aquamarine would seem like a minor event soon."
It was possible that the Queen already knew about this threat, but Jet didn't want to just assume. He did frown after a moment to pause and asked, "Are we certain the Velencians aren't still helping the White Moon?" Because it seemed very convenient that they would have the ability to potentially threaten the Negaverse with something soon after the Velencians showed up.
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:53 am
They always had a problem. Laurelite didn’t seem shaken to hear that Jet had found another one, but her smile faded just slightly as he spoke. It would have been the perfect mask if she didn’t look just slightly agitated behind it. Time was of no importance to her; three in the afternoon was no different than three in the morning, but Jet being here now spoke of the gravity of his concern. His pallor only amplified it. “The Velencians would be foolish to attempt any such thing given how easily it would be for me to take it out on their Commodore. I spoke with him not so very long ago and he gave me no reason to believe they were allied with the White Moon. He’s been working on a project to amplify the energy we gather. He wants to provide us with a method to replace starseed collection. He’s investing in our long term success, it would be contradictory to also try to sabotage us. I don’t think he’s that clever.” She pursed her lips together and leaned forward a bit at her desk. “I suppose it’s possible. I’ll keep an eye on him and see what I can dig up. They don’t suspect Cymophane, I take it? I don’t want him getting hurt. Did they tell him anything else?”
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 6:33 pm
Jet nodded when the Queen reassured him about the Commodore’s dedication to being their ally, yet there was always the chance that maybe he was just biding his time, or setting it up to sabotage them. He hoped he was wrong, but he couldn’t bring himself to fully trust these aliens.
But there were more important matters at hand.
“Cymophane gave his Senshi name, Plisetskaya, to another Senshi he spoke with earlier this week. This Empyrean knew the name. It seems like word travels faster than I thought among the White Moon. He also knew about Ochre’s fate. He knew Aquamarine’s name without being prompted. When Cymophane told him that I would make an example of him just because he was a Jupiter Page, he told Cymophane that he wasn’t afraid of me, and that there were ways to stop me.”
He said it matter of factly. There was no boost or decline in his ego from knowing someone was or wasn’t afraid of him. Whether they were or not, it changed nothing about how Jet would handle the situation.
“I would like to try and find out what they’re working on. With your permission, of course, Your Majesty,” he said, standing a little straighter with determination as he spoke. “If they think they have ways they can stop me, then they have ways they can stop others. I would rather not put anyone else at risk.”
Which meant that he had to go into the metaphorical lion’s den himself. He wasn’t sure how or when, but if they were confident enough to tell Cymophane that they could protect him, then surely it would be soon.
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 7:04 pm
Laurelite considered his answer as much as she considered how he delivered it. “You have my permission,” she began, but there was something weighted in her words, “But not at the expense of your own well-being. I’m not going to lose you, General. I won’t let you be a martyr. If you’re going to go into this, you’re going to go into this prepared. Don’t let your emotions get ahead of you.” She wasn’t saying no, but she was firm. “You don’t know how many of them are involved, and you’re too smart to fall into a trap. I doubt they’ve told Cymophane everything. For all you know, they’re using him to rile you up. Get a team together, get some level heads. For backup, if nothing else.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 7:28 pm
Jet was silent for a few moments, his jaw tight as he considered the Queen’s words. He had no choice but to listen, of course, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hear Aquamarine in his head already.
She said don’t go in unprepared. You’re not prepared. She said don’t make yourself a martyr. They’re going to kill you as soon as they see you.
Maybe he would just tell Aquamarine that she gave him permission and nothing more.
“Based on all the information we’ve collected about Ganymede, she has not killed a single agent,” Jet replied, confident in his research about the Princess. “Her husband, the Jupiter Knight, Valhalla, can barely fight. The other Jupiter Knight, Sessrumnir, will be more of a challenge if he’s involved. I’ve fought him before on a few occasions. I will put together a team that will be able to handle them, plus several others as backup,” he said, already trying to decide who was going to be best suited to face off against who.
And if they would agree to help him.
“But…” he paused and frowned again, because he knew that he was going to say basically what she told him not to do. “My intention is to be caught by them. If they have something that will prevent teleportation and the use of magic, we can’t risk them using it on others, Your Majesty,” he said imploringly.
“I don’t know when, but when they try to bring Cymophane to Ganymede, he’ll let me know through a telepathic communication device,” he explained, pointing to the earring he wore. It was the second half, so theoretically as long as he was the only one wearing it, the other half wouldn’t run out of energy so quickly.
“He’ll teleport to safety and I’ll let them take me. I’ll use the earring to send information on where I’m being taken. And it can’t be anyone else. Arles-- my personal youma --and I can communicate in a similar way. If we can’t use our communication device, and as long as it’s safe for him to do so, he can search for whatever it is the White Moon has that makes them so confident and send a message back to Aquamarine-- who, as far as I can tell, has the ability to receive brief messages from Arles --or if it’s too dangerous, they can send the team in to get me out.”
Jet hadn’t planned on more than Aquamarine to get him out, but he supposed the Queen was right in needing backup.
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:09 pm
For a long moment, Laurelite simply watched him. Her face was unreadable, not unhappy or upset, but contemplative. Without the usual smile on her face, something just seemed off. She wasn’t even pretending to be content with any of this. Finally, she nodded. “I don’t like it. But I don’t see a better alternative. I want regular updates. I want you to do everything in your power to make sure you’ve got a plan that ends with you getting out of there. I’m not going to lose you to Ganymede, or any of her little tools. Don’t push yourself into this just because you think you have to, do it because you know you can make it back to us.” She didn’t have to ask if he understood, she knew he would. Jet hadn’t let her down before. He wasn’t allowed to now, either.
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 9:09 pm
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Jet said with a bow of his head. He did understand. And he knew the risks. Ganymede could decide she wanted immediate revenge for what he did to Ochre. Sessrumnir could take out his anger on him for the little stunt he pulled with Pendour and her Senshi friend. So many things could go wrong, so they just had to keep hoping they had the advantage with them not realizing Cymophane wasn’t going to purify.
He had no intention of dying, but if in doing so he could prevent others from getting caught in whatever trap the White Moon had that would make what Aquamarine suffered through seem like a minor event? Then it was a risk he was willing to take.
The thought itself had his heart aching. He knew how distressed Aquamarine was going to be. From the very beginning, even if they didn’t always see eye to eye, Aquamarine had been loyal to him. Lovely had broken into his apartment when Jet was kidnapped with several others before, just to try and find out where he’d gone. Aquamarine had taken damage for Jet before, at the risk of his own life. He had been almost killed and left brutalized thanks to some a*****e Knight wanting to send a message.
“If it is okay for me to make a request…” Jet said after a moment, thinking about how torn up Aquamarine was going to be already. “I don’t want too many people to know until we have more information but… could we keep this from General King Axinite for now, please? He’s been more of a mentor to me than any of my previous commanding officers.”
If he could even call the others his commanding officers. He’d never really had a General to report to. None that were attentive. He did his duty and he was promoted for it. In just around a year, he was a General himself.
“I don’t want him to worry more than he already does.”
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Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 8:03 am
Laurelite again didn’t immediately answer. She took the time to seriously consider his request and weigh the options. “I don’t make a habit of keeping secrets from my General Kings,” she said slowly, but there was something in her voice that said she understood this request. That said she might even agree with it. She knew how he’d responded when he thought Faustite had been killed. She suspected she knew how he’d respond if something happened to Jet. “He’s the head of our information branch, it isn’t wise to withhold information from him. He’ll be cross with the both of us for deceiving him. More so, if something happens to you that he could have helped prevent. It’s playing with fire, Jet. I’ll allow it, but someone’s going to have to tell him eventually, and I’m thinking it had better be you. Preferably, when you get back in one piece.”
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Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:39 am
“I’ll take full responsibility, Your Majesty,” Jet agreed, because he certainly didn’t want Axinite getting cross with the Queen. “I have learned a lot, being in General King Axinite’s branch. He’s a good leader for it, and I appreciate that he takes everything very seriously. But we also need him for other things,” Jet reasoned, not wanting the Queen to think that he didn’t trust Axinite to be able to keep himself from getting too emotionally involved when necessary.
“He is easy to trust, and easy to go to with problems. He makes an effort to get to know everyone and wants to see them thrive. I haven’t told him as much, but he reminds me a lot of my brother. Maybe I’ll tell him when I return and apologize for keeping things from him. Even if I have your permission, I’m not sure I’d be able to say no to General King Axinite if he asked me not to,” Jet admitted. But he was determined to come back for more than just the Queen and Axinite.
Aquamarine had said more than once that he wouldn’t survive without Jet, and Jet wouldn’t put it past him not to walk into the Hall of Shadows if it meant not being alone. He couldn’t just ask the Queen to look after Aquamarine if something did happen to him, because that would imply that he didn’t expect to come back. The realty was-- he had no idea if he was going to make it back alive, in one piece or not. It wasn’t as though the Queen or Axinite would be able to do anything if he did end up getting killed, but he knew Aquamarine would be beyond devastated.
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Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:46 am
“I understand,” Laurelite said, and her smile shifted back into place. It wasn’t quite convincing, but she didn’t need it to be. She looked the part, and that was enough. “I’m sure it would mean a lot for him to hear something like that coming from you. I don’t think Metallia was wrong to keep him around. Some of his habits are unconventional, and there are things I don’t trust him to do. Not because he wouldn’t do his best, but.” She looked at Jet. “You know how he is.” And she knew that’s why Jet asked that this be done in secrecy. “I trust you, Jet. I’m counting on you to figure out what this weapon is, and help us figure out how to stop them from using it.”
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Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 11:33 am
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will be sure to keep you informed every step of the process,” Jet said with another bow of his head, still on edge knowing that the White Moon had something that could be worse than what they used on Aquamarine, but with the Queen’s support he was sure they would figure out something before anyone else could get caught up in the mess.
The Queen trusted him, and he had no intention of letting her down. He would have to worry about apologizing to Axinite later. It was a bit of a relief that maybe Axinite wouldn't worry himself sick in his absence, if only because he wasn't told.
And maybe he would leave something of a will, just in case anything did happen to him. Somewhere in his office where Aquamarine wouldn’t find it easily, but would leave instructions on how to reassign his recruits. They deserved to be taken care of, even if he wasn’t as hands on as others.
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