Chapter 50: Visitors -------------------- Sascha stared at the strange woman in front of her who seemed to be having some kind of a laughing fit. "Do you have a problem?" she asked, arching an eyebrow coolly. "And, may I ask what you think you're doing in MY castle?" The stranger got herself under control quickly. "I'm very sorry Sasch-er, I mean my Lady..." she said in a soft voice, "but that's just so... funny! I never did like that place..." Sascha looked more closely at her. Where did this woman know her from? She stared at her face, and her armor... not even a glimmer... But that claw... familiar somehow? She had seen it before. Glistening in the firelight, slashing through the air at imaginary foes, as its owner related its exploits in battle... Was this soft-spoken creature the same spirited warrior woman who had inspired Sascha in her youth? "Miss... Seyla?" The older woman looked up quickly, as if startled. She seemed so nervous, so unsure of herself. "Yes, it's me," she replied, in that uncertain voice of hers. Sascha could recall when it had been full of pride and authority. "You recognise me?" Seyla said. "I must seem pretty different now." She smiled wanly. "You sure do... I always knew you'd make your mark on the world..." Sascha looked with concern at the woman who had been her childhood heroine. "Are you alright?" She asked. "Yes... I'm just... so very tired..." She sighed. It was obvious that something had happened to her since Sascha had seen her last. Where was the confidence? Where was the old bravado? The raunchy stories? "Seyla, what's wrong?" she inquired, taking her by the shoulders. "I know it's been a long time since last we met. We've both changed a lot. But I'll never forget what you were to me. You helped me so much, Seyla. Now let me help you. What is the pr-" Her sincere dialogue was cut off abruptly when she felt a tingling in the night air, as if it were becoming charged. Seyla looked around uncertainly. The feeling was as strange to her as it was familiar to Sascha. It was the environmental instability that always accompanied the approach of a cloaked ship. The Black Prince was here, and with it, Akfek. "Damn," muttered Sascha. She turned to the open door behind her. "Oliver!" she yelled (then regretted it when she saw Seyla cringe). Lieutenant Oliver appeared out of nowhere, energetic as always. "Show Miss Seyla to a NICE room. Bring her whatever she wants. And tell Garland I'll be back as soon as I can." She again turned to the older woman. "You're going to stay here with me," she said with a smile, "until we fix that defeatist attitude of yours! I'll come see you as soon as I'm done with Akfek." And, leaving Seyla to puzzle over the odd name, she strode down the dark hallway, her cape swirling behind her. * * * * * Sascha got to her throne room just before the Black Prince landed. Good,' she thought, she'd have a minute to compose herself. It had been a busy week... She had just settled into the large central chair when a young uniformed woman bounced into the room, snapped to attention, and saluted. She seemed to vibrate with youthful energy. "Archer First Class and Cutter Pilot Lieutenant Kimberley Hart reporting as ordered, SIR!" she said, very loudly. Such enthusiasm,' thought Sascha to herself. This one will go far...' "Lord Master Akfek is on his way here, SIR!" the woman continued. "Thank you, Lieutenant," she said, then smiled when the girl didn't move. "You are...dismissed." Lieutenant Hart snapped off another salute, turned on her heel, and marched back down the corridor. Her departure was followed closely by the grand entrance of Akfek, in full Kefka regalia. He looked somewhat agitated. "What is so urgent," she began, "that you had to leave Vector to tell me in person?" It would have been quicker, not to mention easier, just to send a note on a cutter. Akfek glanced furtively around him, as if he were afraid someone might be listening. "This information is far too sensitive to be delivered that way," he said, his tone deadly serious. "If a Returner were to intercept it... We could be in serious trouble." Sascha began to feel very uncomfortable, and paled visibly. "What is it?" she asked in a shaky voice. "What's wrong?" "Well," said Akfek, sounding slightly more positive, "it's not *all* bad...On one hand, we have acquired a reprogrammed' Returner, which could prove *very* useful..." "And on the other hand?" "On the other hand, one of the sets of airship plans have been stolen, and are in danger of falling into Returner hands." Sascha leapt from her chair. "WHAT?! How could this have happened? I hope the appropriate people were punished?" "Don't worry," said Akfek in a bitter tone, "the man on that watch has seen the error of his ways. Sloth is one of the seven *deadly* sins... But that still doesn't change the fact that the plans are gone. Of course, these designs would be useless to the Returners unless they had Elementals to power them with, but Shade has told me that there are some in this world who would not be so easily swayed by his... particular skills." "Well," said Sascha, "this certainly does suck. As I see it, we have two options: either get the plans back, or collect all the other Elementals, and one way or another make sure the Returners can never get them." She looked up suddenly. "In your message, you mentioned a man named Cardia. What does he have to do with all this?" Akfek's expression turned sour. "He is the one who stole the plans. I'm sure of it. He came to me with the instructions on how to reprogram the Returner, but said there would be a price... But this is not payment, it is theft!" He slammed his fist down on a nearby table. His rings left an impression in the wood. "Well," said Sascha, with an appropriately devious grin, "one good turn deserves another." She turned to the hallway. "Oliver!" she bellowed. No response. He must still be with Seyla. That left... "Lieutenant Hart!" The chipper young archer appeared in the doorway almost instantaneously. "Yes SIR!" she said, snapping to attention. "At ease, lieutenant," she said with a smile, "I just wanted your opinion. You've spent a lot of time in battle, haven't you?" Kimberley was flushed with pleasure at being addressed as an equal by her commander. "Why, yes! Yes, I have. It is an honor to fight for the Empire!" "Of course it is. Now, what I want to know," said Sascha, "is if you've remarked anyone with a special... talent for it." "Sir?" "You know... a sort of flair for... killing. We need an assassin." Kimberley's visage became pensive as she pondered the question. Then, her expression darkened. It might even be characterized as...fearful? "Well," she began, tentatively, "I have seen someone... it was at Jidoor..." "Well, who?" demanded Akfek, becoming impatient. Dictatorship'll do that to a guy. "Um, it's just that I'm not sure... whose side she was on." "What do you mean?" asked Sascha, a frown furrowing her brow. "She, ah, seemed to be stalking one of the captains. I'm pretty sure she was a professional killer... Captain Rozhenko never even saw her coming, and he couldn't hear my warning over the noise..." Kimberley looked at the ground, then noticed that her commanders did not seem perturbed by her revelations. Sascha was twirling a lock of hair around a finger, looking thoughtful. Akfek's fingers were steepled in front of him, and his face wore a look of cool calculation. "Do you have any idea who she is?" asked Sascha finally. "No... but other people have seen her too, at Zozo." Sascha looked at Akfek and arched an eyebrow. "You may go now, Miss Hart. Take the day off. You've been... most helpful." Kim beamed a smile at her commanders. Happy to leave such dark thoughts behind her, she snapped off another characteristic salute, and marched out. When she had gone, Akfek turned at once to face Sascha. "This woman sounds perfect for our little employment opportunity." "There's just one problem," sighed Sascha. "How do we find her? You know, the more I think about this, the more I think it doesn't matter..." Akfek's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" "I mean, we have other plans, right?" Akfek nodded. "And even if this Cardia person does give our plans to the Returners... and they build some airships... They'll be totally useless without Shade's magic to power them. These ships were designed to be compatible only with his power." Akfek nodded again. "But, we cannot allow the Empire's authority to be mocked like this!" He slammed his fist on the table again. By now the finish was beyond repair. "Well, perhaps the next time we are in Zozo, we will look up this person. But until then, we have more important things to think about. Like the war."