FSE

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The moment Kajjex recomposed next to the stream near Desider Atum, he made a mad dash across the bridge and towards the market outpost, barreling past a floating messenger golem and knocking it to the ground. The sky was already dark, a dim glow receding in the west slowly being replaced by the moonlight in the east. Yet it was not so late for the market to be closed, and the sounds of the blacksmith's hammers still rang in back of the settlement. He reached the top step of the first flight into Desider Atum and looked back down the road, his keen night-eyes detecting no movement on the western path. He muttered a curse, his nerves tingling as he turned and sprinted toward the Telumarx krewe crafting stations.

He spotted a pair of his krewemates setting up a rifle rack on the second level balcony. "Poola, Millo!" he cried out, skidding to a stop. "Have you seen Preeke?!"

Millo looked up, her brow creasing. "Kajjex? What are you doing here? Bronk said you had the day off today."

"Have you seen Preeke!?" he repeated.

"What? No, we--"

"What's all the commotion here?" a voice grunted nearby. Master Bronk was climbing the steps up to the outer forgeworks. "Kajjex? What are you doing here, lad?"

"Master Bronk, have you – any of you – seen Preeke on the roads?!" Kajjex pressed, trying to push down his panic. "H-he would have been traveling on foot north with a group of others, five in total including him – one of them would have been riding a chocobo!"

"A choco-what?" Bronk repeated, bewildered.

"A cho-- the oversized bird we thought was a moa! The one that made a mess of the market stalls yesterday!" Kajjex explained quickly. "He was leading a group to scout the Inquest's Northern Complex!"

"Preeke went to the Northern Complex?" Bronk repeated, eyes going wide and his brow furrowing. "What is he doing, heading somewhere so dangerous?! Did you involve him in something, Kajjex?!"

"No! I mean, technically yes, but-- it wasn't--"

He trailed off at the sounds of faint pops peppering through the air, all eyes and ears directed to the north. Kajjex's blood went cold – the gunfire report was distant, but sounded like more than a dozen rifles going off at once. A few noises of fear and worry could be heard at the market. Kajjex let out a curse, grabbed a rifle from the nearby rack, and slung it over his shoulder before taking off.

"Where are you going?!" Bronk shouted as he left. "Where's Preeke?!"

"I'll explain later!" Kajjex shouted back, jumping from the second floor to the landing just beneath it. "Meet me at Arterium Haven! Bring Peacemakers!"

In seconds he was sprinting back out the entrance to Desider Atum and heading north up the road, his nerves tingling with adrenaline and fear. No nighttime predators could be seen or heard as he traveled, and he guessed the sudden gunfire had scared off any of the usual fauna prowling the walkway. Before long he spotted the tower and surrounding battlements of the Lionguard outpost, with torch-bearing figures ahead. Ahead, the gunfire seemed to get louder, though also more sporadic. At the gate was a bronze-skinned human female soldier in tarnished gold armor, holding a brazier and an axe at the ready.

She spotted Kajjex as he neared the outpost. "Halt, traveler! I am Sheriff Kol of the Lionguard! What business do you have on the roads?"

He stopped short, holding up his arms and panting. "Business that might have to do with that gunfire in the distance! Did you see five travelers heading north towards the Northern Complex about half an hour ago?"

She frowned, nodding. "Yeah, I saw them. Strange bunch I'd never seen the likes of before. One of them looked like a giant lizard. They were led by a blue-haired asura with a hammer. Are they causing trouble?"

Kajjex shook his head, holding back a groan. He was far too late. "No, but they might be in trouble! I'll need to flag them down and guide them here – we need to ask you for asylum!"

"Asylum?" she repeated, looking surprised. "This is asura and hylek territory, you don't need to ask for asylum to take refuge in this outpost, unless you're Inque--"

"The other travelers aren't asura – they aren't even Tyrian!" he interjected, moving around her and continuing up the road. "It'll take too long to explain! Just please be ready when they come, the Inquest is probably hot on their tails!"

He could hear her calling out to him as he left, but he pressed on down the road, holding his borrowed rifle at the ready. The shots were getting closer, with shouts mixed in between the gunfire. To the west he could see the Luminates Plant, its inhabitants scurrying up the steps to avoid the incoming Inquest force. It was too lightly defended to make a stand. Ahead, he could see the massive structure of the Northern Complex looming over the tops of the trees. He stopped halfway down a clear stretch of road, catching movement coming out of the shadows of the canopy.

Three figures were moving down the road, all of them taller than any asura; behind them were what looked like more than a dozen Inquest and golems giving chase, their gunfire narrowly missing their marks. It didn't take long to identify the trio. Deisel brought up the rear, holding a shield up to draw their fire; Sybil was at the lead, throwing stray firebolts to keep the Inquest advance from closing the distance; and Rico was riding Kobb, firing a few shots from an arcane pistol. Dusya and Preeke were nowhere to be seen. He pushed back his concern for Preeke for the moment, kneeling and taking aim at the nearest Inquest agent and squeezing the trigger. His first shot whizzed just over their shoulder. His second shot scored a hit on their leg, tripping them up. The Inquest started to slow down, clearly not anticipating a third party to stall their advance. It gave Kajjex enough time to mark another target, taking them down just as the trio reached him.

"Thank goodness you came for us!" Sybil said, slowing down and panting. "These Inquest are relentless!"

Kajjex let off one more shot before getting back to his feet, guiding them up the steps. "Where's Preek and Dusya?!"

"We got separated!" Deisel growled, throwing away his hole-riddled shield. He had several gunshot wounds in his hide, though it didn't seem to slow him down. "Ain't seen 'em since we busted outta the complex, and there weren't a single Ivalician in sight there!"

"I saw them being surrounded by some golems!" Rico said, turning in his seat and firing a couple more shots. "Dusya was injured and Preeke was covering her when she told us to run!"

"You left them behind?!" Kajjex cried out. But there was no time to argue or get more information as the Inquest got in range, opening fire on them. One shot grazed past Kobb's feathers and the chocobo reared back with a panicked squawk before Rico got control of him. "Fuck, nevermind! Follow me, I know where we can take refuge, but we need to hurry!"

"What about the Ivalicians?" Rico said. "We can't leave them!"

"They're not at the Northern Complex!" Kajjex told them as they jogged back down the road. "I'll explain once we're safe, but we need to move!" He took the lead, guiding them towards the Lionguard haven and glancing back every few moments to ensure all four of them were following. Deisel had a grimace of pain, but his eyes were alive. Rico's armor was dinged up in a few places and he had a busted lip. Sybil seemed fine, but looked tired and out of breath. Kobb looked fearful and frantic, though he kept pace. The haven was now buzzing with activity and its massive stone doors were wide open, though no guards were posted at it. Kajjex led them through the gate, slowing to a halt at the sight of a more than a dozen figures with readied weapons.

He looked around at the armed defenders, a few of which were raising their weapons towards him. Eight of them were Lionguard soldiers with gold armor and nocked shortbows; four of them were rat-like skritt with blunderbusses, their black eyes fixed on the newcomers; seven of them were Peacemakers armed with arcane rifles. The last figure was Master Bronk, holding his cane in one hand and a pistol in the other, aimed at the bangaa.

"Er... yeh sure we're good here, Kajjex?" Deisel asked uncertainly, raising his claws. "They don't look much pleased to see us."

"Stand down!" he shouted, getting in front of them and holding his arms up. "They're not the threat here, they're under attack just like us!"

"I want an explanation from you, Kajjex," Bronk growled, lowering his pistol and gesturing the rest to do the same. "If Preeke is in danger because of you--"

"I'll take full responsibility and do all I can to get him out of it, Master Bronk, you have my word!" Kajjex interjected. "But now is not the time! We need to repel the Inquest now before they try to overrun us!"

"You think they'd be so bold as to attack this outpost?" a voice said from on high. Sheriff Kol stood above the gate, looking between all of them.

"With all due respect, ma'am, they have a dangerous interest in otherworldly visitors, like us," Sybil cut in. "The Inquest have already trespassed into our world to kidnap people, I'm sure they have no compunctions against murdering anyone else who gets in their way."

Bronk's eyes narrowed, but he grunted and nodded to Sheriff Kol. She turned her attention to the rest. "Get the gate closed! Lionguard, Peacemakers; to the wall, eyes north and east! Be on the lookout for Inquest!" The gate doors swung shut and locked as everyone got into position. She nodded to one of the skritt, a slim, white female with a rifle in her claws. "Rikkiti, take your scratchmates through the postern burrow and flank them from the trees. If they pick a fight, we'll need you to harass them where they're undefended."

"Yes ma'am, missus sheriff lady! Those mean ol' grey-ears won't know what hit 'em!" she squeaked, slinging her blunderbuss over her shoulder and scampering towards the back of the outpost. A trio of her fellow skritt followed closely, looking keen-eyed and excited. The Lionguard and Peacemakers spread out and lined up on the battlements looking north and east, while a couple of younger guards passed out rifles.

"Can we trust the vermin?" Rico muttered skeptically.

"Watch your words, cotton-ball!" Sheriff Kol warned him. "Skritt are shiny-driven, but they're loyal and good in a scrap." She looked to the rest of the foreign visitors. "This asura is willing to vouch for you, but we may need extra fighters to defend the gate. Can I trust you to hold this position, in exchange for asylum?"

Sybil nodded, drawing her rapier. "We've trained for situations like this in our world. You can count on us."

"Good. The Inquest doesn't typically attack our outposts as a rule, but they've done it before when they've wanted something badly enough. We're fighters to the last, and better at it than the Inquest." She nodded to Kajjex. "Your friend did well to bring you here. Their numbers advantage will be diminished if we hold them at the gate. I'll be watching from above, calling out targets."

"How will they come at us, Kajjex?" Sybil asked as the sheriff left to join her comrades above. Deisel and Rico stood with their weapons ready, looking grim but ready.

Kajjex suppressed a shudder, trying to push back haunting memories of the first and only true battle he'd been in. It took him a few moments to answer. "The Inquest won't do any work that a golem could do better. They'll stick to their standard blitz tactics, using heavy units to break up resistance while bringing shooters and mage support from the rear. It usually works against other krewes – but the Lionguard aren't other krewes."

"We have the advantage of position," Rico said quietly. "That's something, at least. You were at least spot-on about how they fight, the few tin-cans we put down at the complex weren't that tough."

"Speak fer yerself, runt," Deisel grumbled. "Me arm's still smartin' from when that thing clobbered me from the side."

"Come with me, Kajjex," Bronk grunted, grabbing his shoulder. "You lot, wait down here out of sight." Kajjex nodded, reluctantly following the older asura up to the battlements. Once they were at the top and out of earshot of the Ivalicians, Bronk spoke in a low voice. "I don't know what is going on and I don't much care. But I gather that Preeke was being his usual, altruistic self; and that you're trying to do the right thing, if you're pinning your reputation and risking your neck for these... strangers. So whatever happens in the next few minutes – deal with it. I know Preeke. He would never let you back down from the things you fear. If I have to, I will force you to handle whatever trouble is in our little neck of the jungle. Understood?"

The younger asura winced, but nodded. "Yes, Master Bronk."

They reached the top of the battlement and Kajjex stared out into the clearing. The Inquest were marching out the northern jungle with at least a dozen golems supported by more than three times that in Inquest. Kajjex's hands shook badly, his grip on the hilt of his weapon feeling loose no matter how hard his fist clenched around it. It was like wandering in the marshes again, the anticipation gnawing at his nerves. They nearly snapped as a sharp voice pierced the night air, louder than any asura would normally make. At the head of the group, standing upon the shoulders of a combat golem, was an Inquest soldier in a chemical mask, using a voice amplifier.

"Lionguard! Stand down and surrender to the Inquest!" he snarled. "If you release your asylum-seekers, you will remain unharmed!"

Sheriff Kol stepped forward, holding her torch high. She needed no such device for her voice to carry, speaking with a tone of confidence that seemed to ease Kajjex's nerves. "Inquest! You have no authority in Metrica Province, and less in the strongholds of the Lionguard! Depart at once, or your presence will be taken as an act of aggression!"

"Neither of us need nor want such a fight!" the Inquest soldier replied. "We know you are harboring fugitives in your fort; rogue experiments who are guilty of killing our scientists and vandalizing our labs! We are willing to exchange prisoners in return for the sentients you're harboring! We will give you ten minutes to hand them over; do so, and we will leave you in peace! Refuse, and we will raze your puny outpost to the ground!"

"Well that's just lovely," Bronk grumbled. "They were nice enough to send their idea of a 'diplomat' this time."

"What do the Inquest want with your friends?" Sheriff Kol asked Kajjex. "We're no strangers to the Inquest beating at our door, but it takes something pretty big for them to bring out combat golems." When Kajjex hesitated, she folded her arms, her brow furrowed. "I suggest you be honest, lad."

Kajjex sighed, looking away. It wasn't uncommon for people to seek asylum with the Lionguard, including those fleeing from the Inquest, but they were not primarily peacekeepers. It was their job to protect the trade routes of Lion's Arch throughout mainland Tyria; defending the financial interests of thousands of merchants, dozens of towns, and all six major cities – not to fight on everyone's behalf. He hoped that this outpost was among those which believed in doing the right thing, or at least was pragmatic.

"They're... from another world," he finally said. "Ulta Metamagicals breached into their realm during an experiment. The Inquest found out and sent agents to kidnap people for experimentation." He looked down to where Sybil, Deisel, and Rico were standing, weapons at the ready. "They're just trying to save their kinsmen from the Inquest, it makes them no different from a Tyrian trying to do the same." He clenched his fists, staring the sheriff in the eye. "If that's a problem that calls on you to kick us out, then you'd better send me out there, too. I aim to take responsibility for them."

Sheriff Kol gazed at him a little longer, as if studying him, but then shook her head with a half-smile. "And let you have all the fun? I am norn – and a norn never backs out of a challenge. If the Inquest are keen to throw down, then the Lionguard will not deny them. I'm not going to hand your friends over just over a promise to avoid a fight. There wouldn't be much point."

"Indeed," Bronk nodded. "They'll try to kill us anyway to keep your friends a secret, and keep what prisoners they have. A promise from the Inquest never amounts to much, if anything at all."

Sheriff Kol leaned over the battlement. "We have collectively decided to refuse your offer, Agent, so stop wasting our time!" she challenged them. "If you're going to fight this out, then have at it!"

"So be it!" the soldier snarled up at them. "Inquest – burn this outpost to the ground! Capture the Ivalicians! Leave no one alive!" A war cry rose among them and the golems began to beat the chests of their chassis, as they moved in on the walls.

Kol sighed, shaking her head. "Fools, every last one of them." She turned to the rest. "Lionguard! Peacekeepers! Open fire!"

A barrage of gunfire erupted from battlement, peppering the incoming force and surrounding terrain. The Inquest agents took cover behind the advancing golem bulwark, though a few were caught in the open and fell. The Inquest returned fire, their rifles chipping at the high stone walls and keeping a few heads down. The golems raised their glowing hands towards the battlements, and a salvo of rocket-fists launched in unison, exploding against the wall before returning to their wrists. A pair of Lionguard cried out in pain, thrown down from the battlement and into the courtyard, looking shaken but alive. Kajjex looked back out on the Inquest force, his head swimming in anxiety as he say a quarter of golems reach the entrance, pounding their fists against the gate.

"Get down there, lad!" Bronk barked at Kajjex, firing a few shots into the advancing column. "If they break through that gate, your visitors are going to need help!"

Kajjex grimaced and sprinted for the steps, descending back into the courtyard and reaching the Ivalicians just as the gate started buckling from the golems. He drew his blade, though his hands shook badly as he approached.

"Sounds like negotiations failed," Rico noted dourly, drawing his sword while Kobb bounced anxiously from foot to foot. "How many are there?"

"More than a dozen golems, and thrice as many Inquest agents by my rough count," Kajjex admitted, trying to control his breathing. "Alchemy curse them, it shouldn't have come to this. I should have..." He trailed off, wincing. To bring up his mistake now wouldn't help things. He stared at his trembling hand, trying to force it into stillness.

"Regrets later, fight now," Deisel told him, thumping his back. "Ye ain't fightin' by yer lonesome 'ere. Just stick close an' do yer thing. All ye can do right now."

"Deisel's right," Sybil said, drawing her rapier while her free hand glowed with flames. "Don't focus on your nerves – focus on your enemy. Eyes forward, Kajjex, they're about to breach!"

He would have swallowed if his throat wasn't so dry, yet he held his blade up in a ready position, trying to calm his breathing. The hinges on the gate buckled and bent under the combined fists of several golems, and Kajjex tried not to think about what those same knuckles might do to him. They crashed again and the gate let out several sharp cracks. One last volley, and the bottom half of the gate bent inward, detached from the hinges. The gate groaned and cracked, before bursting inward and spraying the courtyard with thick wood splinters. A pair of golems tumbled through the gate, and in their wake a trio of Inquest agents charged him and took firing positions. Kajjex's eyes widened, frozen in place with fear and uncertainty, even as he saw the nearest agent aim directly at him.

But the Ivalicians were ready, far more prepared than Kajjex was. While he gaped at the destruction before him, Deisel had stepped in front of him with his shield up, catching the volley with a grunt. The asura gasped and backpedaled, shaking himself out of his inattention. Deisel glanced back at him with a worried look. "Snap outta it, lad! Ye wanna live, then ye gotta put th' sword to 'em!" He turned back just in time block a golem's fist, slamming it back with a snarl. The golem rotated on the spot, the other fist swinging around at Deisel's unguarded back.

It was like a switch had been flipped: one moment Kajjex was frozen in fear; the next moment, he was sprinting headfirst into battle, swinging his blade up and severing the golem's arm cleanly. Deisel swore, realizing the narrow miss and bludgeoning the golem again, this time staggering it back several feet. Kajjex charged in again, leaping and thrusting his blade into the golem's frame. The crimson command gem flickered once before doing dark, the frame reduced to scrap as it crashed to the ground. Another golem fist swung at Kajjex and he wrenched his blade away, rolling off the scrap. Deisel was on him in a flash, punching the golem with his shield and hacking away at it.

"Hit it below the command crystal!" Kajjex shouted. "The armor is weaker around the crystal setting!"

"Right, on it!" Deisel shouted back, jamming his short sword into the golem. The construct shuddered and went dead standing, until Deisel kicked it away and started moving to Sybil, who was backing away from another construct. Another golem lumbered towards Kajjex and he sprinted towards it, juking its overhanded swing and sweeping his blade through its leg. Unbalanced, the golem toppled over, lifting its arm to shield itself. Kajjex's blade punched clean through its wrist and into its command crystal, dislodging it and deactivating the unit.

A barrage of gunfire erupted from the gate. A trio of spread-out agents gave the incoming golems covering fire, the courtwards defenders taking cover behind the scrapped golem frames. Kajjex swore as a shot blew past his hip, cutting a gash just above his leg. He dropped to the ground, still trying to draw his sword out of the golem's heavy arm as another golem approached. Bracing one foot against the limb, he wrenched the sword back out, groaning as the new injury sent white-hot agony through his side. The golem's fist burrowed into the earth he'd just been laying in, the asura rolling away. Kajjex staggered to his feet, ducking the followup swing and stepped into its range; with a trio of slashes, the unit backpedaled. The final blow shattered its command crystal.

His hip burned in agony and he knelt behind the destroyed golem, bringing a hand to the wound. Cold fear seized his heart as he brought it back up, covered in fresh blood. Too much of it. He could feel the wet warmth beginning to leak down his legs, and found himself trying to fight back his panic, hoping an artery hadn't been damaged. Any normal warrior would have been able to heal such a wound fairly quickly, channeling magic to accelerate the recovery. He grit his teeth, wiping his bloody hand on the ground and getting to his feet.

Nearby, the Ivalicians remained locked in combat, slowly giving up ground. Deisel was keeping one flank guarded, jabbing at the golem weak spots. Rico had dismounted, but at some point had stolen an agent's rifle and was keeping their heads down, while Kobb was squawking and kicking back golems with his powerful legs. Sybil had a bad cut on her calf and cheek, but neither slowed down her footwork nor magic, as her blade jabbed into the golems' joints and her bolts of flame exploded against their armored frames. Above them, a handful of Peacemakers and Lionguard were injured or dead, still trading fire with the agents beyond the wall. The remainder had shifted their base of fire above the gate, but the Inquest agents were still returning fire, using the golems as cover.

Kajjex limps to the Ivalicians, hacking the nearest golem's leg. Kobb's talons tore through the frame with a powerful kick, shattering the golem to pieces. "Keep the wreckage between you and the shooters!" he called out. "We need to hold that gate!"

"I'm on it!" Deisel snarled, puncturing another golem and lifting it up with his shield. With a roar, he rushed to the gate and hurled the wreckage into a pair of agents, partially blocking the entrance and cutting off the agents and trio of remaining golems that had made it in.

"How many left outside?!" Rico shouted, taking shots at the agents and forcing them to take cover.

"No idea!" Kajjex answered. He took a step towards the next golem, but a click to his left made him leap back. A crack rang out to his left, the bullet whizzing overhead and grazing Kobb's wing. The chocobo screeched in surprise, uninjured but frantic, lashing out at another golem and unaware that the rifleman was lining up another shot. Fury burned in his chest as he charged. The agent turned, spotted him and fired – the shot went wide. With a panic he knew the agent was also feeling, he darted to the side. The next shot whipped past his leg, mere inches away.

Less than five meters between them and the gunner fired again. This time the bullet tore through Kajjex's shoulder, stalling in for a moment as his brain registered more pain. With a desperate cry he lunged ahead, getting within striking distance and swinging as the agent aimed right at his head.

His blade caught just under the barrel and sliced like a knife through jelly, the shot close enough to make Kajjex's hair flutter. The end of his sword caught the underside of his helmet, slicing through the strap and sending it flying while the agent fell to the ground with a cry. Kajjex was on him in the next moment, his blade angled at the agent's heart – and for a moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl, long enough for the scene to burn into his memory. He could see the shallow cut on the agent's chin, his hand reaching for a pistol, halfway up. The tension in his body, still wracked with pain, and his eyes...

... Fear?

It was over in half a second. The next thing he knew, his sword was plunged deep into the agent's chest, the fear in his eyes lingering even as the light of life flickered away from them. Kajjex backed away, drawing his weapon free as a sensation of cold shock overtook him. The world around him seemed to go silent as he stared at the motionless corpse of another asura. Dead. By his hands.

A shot rang out and he coughed, feeling a horrible kick in his chest. He staggered back a step, staring down at his coat. A hole had burrowed through the protective lining, and was now leaking red. His eyes flicked back up just as a second shot struck him in the midsection. His eyes went wide and his legs collapsed beneath him, leaving him prone on the ground. Somewhere above him he could hear a storm like thunder, his vision beginning to blur. He reached at his wound, trying to remember how to form a healing channel, his hand shaking violently as he gasped. Warmth pooled in his palm, energy flowing from his palm. So very little. Not enough. Blood continued to issue from his wound. He strained, groaning, trying to force more magic through his hand.

"... Pathetic. Useless progeny."

Kajjex coughed and nearly retched, feeling the taste of bile and copper in his mouth. Not good. His vision blurred further, yet not so much that he could recognize the asura sprinting towards him. Bronk's bearded face lowered over his, his eyes wide as he shouted something. Kajjex's mouth moved, trying to apologize, halfway to asking Bronk to repeat what he said – it sounded so distant, so muffled.

Another face floated into view. Sybil bent over him, saying something quiet, her eyes focusing on his body. A green glow flickered somewhere beneath his vision, causing him to close his eyes. The pain flared for a few moments, then vanished, and for a moment Kajjex couldn't tell what was happening. He hadn't touched his waypoint key, nor had it activated. If he could just--

Something inside of him burned and he gasped, his back arching for a moment before he rolled onto his side and retched. Bile and blood poured past his lips for but a moment, as another cough shook him. He felt a hand patting his back, and Sybil's voice next to him. "That's it, Kajjex, let it out. You're safe, now," she said gently, rubbing his back gently.

"What... happened?" he gasped, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "I didn't... my waypoint fob, it--"

He reached for his side to dig into his coat pocket and felt the hole where his hip wound had been. On the ground beneath him was a single bullet, and the remains of his waypoint fob. A chill shook him to the core, realizing how close to death he had come.

"After this, I will personally pay for your sub-dermal waypoint implant," Bronk sighed, putting a hand on Kajjex's shoulder. "You took some bad hits and you weren't healing. Thank the Alchemy this wonderful young woman was here to tend to your wounds."

Kajjex groaned, but nodded, getting to his feet despite the nausea. "Thank you, Sybil," he sighed, putting a hand on his midsection. "That was uncomfortably close." He stared around at the battlefield, frowning at the bodies and golem frames. "We won?"

"You and your strange friends did a fine job holding the gate. You bought us more than enough time for the skritt to flank them." Bronk gestured to the gate. "The remaining agents have retreated. We took only five casualties. Come now, we need to discuss our next move."

Kajjex nodded, spotting his sword a few feet away and stooping to retrieve it. He spared a look at the dead body of the asura he had killed, feeling a deeper nausea nearly overwhelm him. Kajjex couldn't help but hope he hadn't suffered long. He shook himself out of the thought, forcing himself to keep step with Sybil and Bronk as they approached Rico and Deisel. The moogle and bangaa were arguing, looking very out of place among the Peacemakers and Lionguard. Nearby, the skritt gunners peeked over the ruined golem frames, curious at the discussion.

"He froze up like a coward, even while we were in the middle of a fight," Rico scoffed, folding his arms. "Skilled or not, he's not up for this. He doesn't belong here."

"There's somethin' wrong wit' a lad if he's itchin' t' put his own kind down," Desisel scolded. "And it's not like you never froze up when you've ended a life while fightin' in a jagd. Hell, the first day wit' us ye didn't kill nobody, an' ye were nearly pissin' yerself in combat, and Siro had to save yer ass!"

Rico's cheeks burned and he glared up at the bangaa. "I'm just saying, a real warrior like you and me wouldn't have locked up entirely like that, much less drop from a few gunshots," Rico retorted. "I took three hits in both fights and I'm still moving. He wasn't even channeling magic to defend himself, like he was a novice!"

"It took ye a few stabs and slashes to put just one of those tinker-toys down!" Deisel growled. "They ain't exactly easy to deal with, and we do this nonsense for a livin'! That asura lad's been keepin' pace with the rest of us without total magic control. T' me, that sez he's gettin' on well enough wit grit and stones."

Kajjex frowned, his ears burning from the discussion, a flare of irritation burning in his chest. "Why yes, I love having the shameful secret of my lack of magical control ARGUED ABOUT in front of over a dozen people!" Kajjex snapped. "Let's talk about my club work next – or maybe focus on what the hell happened at the Northern Complex!"

Deisel flinched and rubbed the back of his head, looking awkward; Rico only gave the asura a look of mild contempt, leaving Sybil to answer. "Preeke brought us to the facility and we scouted it as carefully as possible. Security was light, so Dusya suggested moving forward with the operation. We got to the labs without being seen, and far enough after that to check their holding cells and vivisection wing, but apart from some oozes trapped in stasis pods, we saw no other prisoners. We were in the middle of pulling back when one of their golems detected us and sounded the alarm."

"Aye, the lil bastards were on us inna trice," Deisel growled, kicking a golem limb out of the way. "And once they saw us they weren't keen on lettin' us go. Heard one of 'em shout orders to 'contain' us. That's about when they stopped shootin' to kill and started to divide us."

"Dusya got hit by a firebolt and Preeke went to help her," Rico told them, glaring at Kajjex. "But Dusya told us to run and get back to you. She seemed to think you might still be able to help, so you better the hell be of some u--"

"Enough, Rico!" Sybil snapped, standing between him and Kajjex. She gave him a pleading look. "We need your aid, Kajjex. Please. If you know anything at all..."

Kajjex hesitated, his ears drooping as he looked away, shame-faced. He spotted a white-furred female skritt, and a thought occurred to him. "Give me a second," he told Sybil. He approached the skritt, digging into his other pocket and fishing out a single gold coin. The skritt's eyes lit up and followed the coin as he lifted it up, then closed his fist around it. "Rikkiti, right?" he asked, beckoning her closer.

The skritt female chirruped curiously, climbing over the golem. Her eyes flicked to his hand, then him, a glint of hopeful eagerness curling along her muzzle. "Yeh, that's me! Nice to meetcha!"

He flipped the coin, her eyes following the piece. "The pleasure is mine. I have some questions for you," he said. "Your skritt scratch is here in the haven, right?"

"Right, right!" she chirped, her tail flicking excitedly. "Missus Sherriff Kol lets us guard all the shinies, and we get protected from the frog-men and mean gray-ears! Er... no offense," she added, grinning sheepishly.

"None taken, I don't think any of us care for those mean gray-ears," Kajjex told her. "But that's why I need your help. I know skritt scratches keep their ears open for fellow scratches around here. Have you heard any word about skritt being captured by the Inquest, in the last few weeks?"

Rikkiti blinked, then scratched behind her ears with a thoughtful look. "Umm... don't think so? Only skritt that gets caged up on the regular are the ones around that lab down the road. They're jerks, but they don't hurt skritt any. No bamming noggins."

"That'd be the Brill Alliance," Kajjex nodded. "But you've heard nothing else from the lakeside scratches? Maybe from the Anthill, near the Inquest city?"

She shook her head. "Naw, them skritts around there have a bigger scratch, so they're smarter! Too smart for those mean gray-ear dummies!"

"What would them having larger dens have to do with intelligence?" Sybil asked.

"Skritt are a sort of hive-mind species," Kajjex explained, holding the gold coin out the Rikkiti. She squeaked and snatched it from his hand, flipping away and dancing, holding it above her head. "A lone skritt is... simple. Clever, but easy to manipulate and unable to process more complex information. Get half a dozen in one place and they'll be on par with a typical human's intelligence. Gather fifty to a hundred, and they'll rival the output of a medium-sized asura lab, with none of the academic squabbling."

"Fascinating," Rico muttered, rolling his eyes. "But so what?"

"I had to be sure," Kajjex sighed, leaning against a golem frame. "The Inquest often use skritt for their sick experiments, but they're smart enough to only take a couple at a time. I thought that..." He trailed off, silently cursing himself. "... I think I know where the Inquest took the kidnapped Ivalicians. I think they're at the Funhouse."

"The Funhouse?" Deisel repeated, tilting his head. "But ye said they were up north, though."

"Preeke did, yeah, and I agreed because his logic made sense," Kajjex replied, holding his hands up. "But after you guys left, I started thinking about something I'd seen before you guys arrived. After the malboro fight I had a few weeks ago, Preeke and I saw Inquest moving downstream from the north. I heard voices squeaking as they were taken up to the Funhouse gates."

Rico's eyes widened, his gaze hot. "... You knew?!" he shouted, taking an step towards him. "You had us traipse the entire way north into a trap?!"

"I didn't know!" Kajex insisted, backing up a step. "I didn't even know they were kidnapping moogles from your world until you told me last night!"

"But you knew they kidnapped someone!" Rico accused him, lunging and shoving Kajex back. The asura stumbled against a golem frame, trying to form a defense, but Rico cut him off. "Did you even try to help them, or did you just let it happen?!"

"I-I went after them!" Kajjex answered. "They reached the Funhouse gate and sealed it before I could reach them!"

"And then what!?" Rico pressed, his glare white hot.

"I... Preeke and I we..." But the words he wanted to say made him feel disgusted. He hadn't done anything else. Even then, he felt like he could have done something, yet he did not. "We... there wasn't anything we could do," he said quietly. "They kidnap skritt constantly, so even if we had told the Peacemakers, they wouldn't intervene. They aren't... th-they weren't..."

He trailed off, horrified by the words he now never wanted to say. There was no defense here, not even if his perspective was different; not to someone like Rico, who could only see Inquest in every asura face. He glanced around at the few Peacemakers watching them, and not a single one of them didn't look guilty or shame-faced, unable to look Kajjex in the eye. Even Bronk remained silent. Sheriff Kol had her arms folded, regarding the argument with rapt interest, as the rest of the Lionguard muttered amongst themselves. Sybil and Deisel looked hesitant, as if unsure that intervening was the best move, or even possible right now.

When he spoke, Rico's voice was quiet and cold, such that Kajjex wished he'd shouted instead. "So you didn't intervene any further because that's just how things are in Tyria. A skritt's life is worth less than anyone else's, so you just accept that they're bagged, tagged, and cut open, all in the name of science?" Kajjex opened his mouth – and found no defense, his ears drooping as the words sank in. Rico regarded him with a look of disgust. "... I was wrong about you, scholar. You're not a fool. You are smart. Smart enough to recognize the systemic injustices in your own culture, to acknowledge that it's wrong, and too much of a fucking coward to do anything about it."

Deisel frowned. "'Ey, that's a low blow--"

Rico whirled on him. "Shut up, Deisel!" he snapped.

"Rico! Enough!" Sybil, grabbing his arm.

"I'm done pretending to be civil to this weak-spirited novice!" Rico spat back, wrenching his arm free. "He may not be responsible for our people being kidnapped, but stop pretending that he's any better than the monsters that are! I might not think much of these skritt allies, but it takes a sick mind to value their lives less than ours!"

At that, Kajjex stirred from his guilt, a spark of anger reigniting his defense. "I am nothing like the Inquest!" he shot back. "And I came here to help you! To make up for my mistake! Is that worth nothing to you?"

Rico didn't answer immediately, his eyes flicking away in thought, before returning to the asura. "... Maybe it is," he finally admitted, grabbing the hilt of his sword. "Maybe you're not that big of a coward, if it means making up for your screw-ups." He drew his blade, holding it loosely in his left hand. "You came for us, when you didn't have to. I acknowledge that if you hadn't been here, we'd be dead. But that doesn't earn you my thanks, nor my respect, nor my trust, nor your penance. So draw your sword and plant it in the ground, because I'm going to make damn sure you stick around till the bitter end."

The moogle held his blade out at Kajjex, who hesitated. Making sure he moved slowly enough not to suggest any hostile intent, he drew his longsword and planted the tip into the dirt. Rico stared at it for a moment, then reached out with his right hand and grabbed the blade. Without a hint of pain, he slid his hand down the razor-sharp edge, slicing a deep gash into his palm. "Grab my blade and do the same, scholar," Rico demanded, giving him a serious, solemn look.

"For... what?" Kajjex asked, swallowing.

"I don't know what you and your people do in order to secure a promise to do right by one another, but to a moogle, a blood oath is not something we take lightly, especially when performed by a Moogle Knight like me," Rico scowled. "We're operating in a Judgeless world with a high risk of death. I can't trust your word, your culture, and I can't trust you – yet. So if you really are a race that values intellect, then you'll understand a contract." He lifted his palm up, still dripping red. "Blood for blood. I need a promise you can't break. If you can't do this, then I don't care what Sybil says – you have no place among us."

"Rico," Sybil said softly. "We need him."

"Then give me this, Sybil," Rico said steadily, locking eyes with Kajjex. "For Siro. For Dusya. Now... are you going to do it?"

Kajjex's eyes flicked to the moogle's blade, then to Bronk. The elder asura nodded, his face grim. Kajjex reached out, placing his right hand on the blade and sliding it across the edge. A sharp sting shot through his fingers and along his wrist, but after the pain he'd endured, it was trivial enough to ignore. The moogle held his hand out and Kajex took it, their bleeding palms clasped together. Rico held his hand steady, his grip never wavering. "Swear in your heart, on whatever you hold dear – family, ideals, what dignity you possess – that you will help us tear the Funhouse apart. That you will help us find every innocent soul from my world that was taken by yours. And that you will help us rescue Dusya, or avenge her. Or give your life trying. Fail in this... and I'll make sure your life is forfeit."

Kajjex met the moogle's gaze with his own. This was no fairy-tale promise, no juvenile pinky-swear. There was no doubt in Kajjex's mind that Rico took this deathly serious. He nodded solemnly. "I swear it on my life... and Preeke's."

As soon as he said the words, he felt a rush sweep over him. Of what, he could not say for certain. It didn't feel cool or warm, or like the brush of wind along his hair. It was something deeper. Ancient. Like a wave of understanding a bond that both of them understood without word or deed, something Kajjex could never take back. He'd only ever read of the magical nature of oaths, rituals of binding that humans sometimes performed, but this was the first time he felt an oath's significance and potency.

The hatred in Rico's eyes faded ever so slightly, until they were hard and determined. They held hands a few moments longer, the moogle's grip locked firmly with his, before Rico nodded back and released.

Sybil stepped between them, looking pale but resolute. "Your hands, both of you. A blood oath won't help anybody if you're too injured to handle your swords." They obeyed, holding their bloody palms out to her. She sighed, a white-green aura flowing from her fingertips to theirs. Relief washed over Kajjex's hand and he sighed, flexing his fingers as the wounds resealed. "Dusya would never have let you do something like this," Sybil told them, drawing a pair of clean cloth rags from her satchel.

"Dunno 'bout that," Deisel muttered, failing to suppress a smile. "If it got these two to stop bickerin' an all...? But we need to figure out what to do next."

"That's simple," Rico said, wiping his hand clean. "We get to the Funhouse, kill any Inquest, and rescue our people. Kajjex comes with us."

"Then we'd better get prepared," Bronk said suddenly, turning to the Peacemakers. "I need a pair of volunteers ready to move out!" he barked. "We are heading into Inquest territory." Two of the officers saluted and jogged through the gate.

Kajjex blinked, looking between them. "'We?'" he repeated.

"If you think I'm going to stand idle while my former protege is being held captive, you are mistaken – especially now that you've sworn on his life," Bronk said, folding his arms and giving Kajjex a smoldering look. The younger asura winced, dread settling into his nerves while Bronk addressed the Ivalicians. "If you've been spending any amount of time in his company, then you know Preeke is a good sort, the kind to help a stranger in need. I put little stock in 'blood oaths' the way humans and you folk do, but Kajjex owes him. I aim to ensure the debt is repaid in full."

"Then we should move quickly," Sybil said. "If they know that we're active in Tyria, it won't be long before word gets out and they start tightening security. Let's start by figuring out a safe place to take everyone when we rescue them." She faced Kajjex. "Preeke isn't with us, but I don't think he'd object to using the club to shelter our people."

He nodded. "I doubt he would. I'll need to talk to the others, I'm sure they'll agree. Especially once they hear Preeke has been captured," he sighed. "Alchemy, that's going to be a nightmare to explain. Preeke's Peek is probably the safest place in Metrica Province. The Inquest has a presence there, but they have to abide by the city's laws."

"We'll need supplies, food, clothes," Sybil added. "If we can contact Tekki back at the club, we use their gate to pull some reinforcements from our clan to help us when we look for Dusya and Preeke. We'll need all the help we can get."

"Let's not count our graduates before the commencements," Bronk warned them. "Planning for the future is well and good, but if you have little time left before the Inquest prepare themselves, then you should be planning on how to infiltrate the Funhouse first, before they reinforce that position. They aren't going to open the gates just because you knocked."

"Then we just bash down the door an' rush it, yeah?" Deisel said.

"I don't doubt your strength, warrior, but you'd need charr-grade explosives to put a dent in their gates," Bronk replied, shaking his head. He looked up at the sheriff. "I don't suppose you have any explosive shipments you'd be willing to part with?"

"Afraid not, old man," the sheriff said with a thin smile, tapping her foot against a dead Inquest agent's helmet. "Though you're welcome to anything they might have had – it'll mean less to clean up. And before you ask, miss," she said to Sybil, "I'm afraid we'll have to sit this one out. Another scuffle with the Inquest sounds like a blast, especially with the dirty work they've been doing, if I'm understanding your conversation right. But I have a duty to this part of the province, and part of that includes taking out the Inquest trash so it doesn't attract predators on the road. If you need shelter in the future, though, you are welcome to it here."

"Thank you, ma'am," Sybil said gratefully, bowing to her. "For your hospitality and your valor." The norn woman saluted to her and nodded to the rest of the guards.

"Generous of her to let us pilfer through the dead, but it won't amount to much," Bronk sighed as she left. "Most Inquest agents never carry access codes, and I saw the leader run off back to the northern complex."

Kajjex stared at the golem frames, kneeling next to one of them. The command core had been gouged out, but the unit was mostly intact. A thought occurred to him. "Maybe we don't need them. Inquest golems carry the codes in their data cores, it lets them patrol between labs," he pointed out.

"For what little good that does us," Bronk replied, creasing an eyebrow. "The command cores are damaged or destroyed on each of these."

Kajjex smiled, feeling hope bloom in his chest.

"You're right. And I know just where to get a working one."

Lambda-level, Indigo sector was still active when Kajjex reformed at the waypoint, holding Bronk's waypoint fob in his hand. Preeke's Peek was closed, but it was only one of several major establishments in the sector. Only a few eyes flicked his way as he stepped into the open; but when Rico reformed a few moments later, the nearby asura stopped in their tracks and stared. Unlike earlier, no attempt was made at trying to hide the moogle's face and features. Now everyone in sight saw that he was not a native to this land. Kajjex sighed, pocketing the borrowed fob and moving past them.

"The hell are you all looking at? Clear out, don't crowd the street," he grumbled, pushing past a few stunned Peacemakers. "You didn't have to come with me, you know," he added to as the moogle followed.

"You said Rata Sum was the capital of intellect in Tyria, so I'm doing the smart thing and making sure you don't run off," Rico retorted. "Just because you agreed to a blood oath doesn't mean I trust you not to chicken out and run. Besides, it's a little late for discretion. If the Inquest think we're here, they won't think we're somewhere else, right?"

"Fair point," Kajjex conceded, as they neared the doors to the club. The moment he pushed them open he held back a groan, spotting Mykksa and Myrreah sitting at the bar. Mykksa was the first to notice them, jumping out of her seat and running to the pair while Myrreah followed behind. At the other side of the stage Raxio was overseeing Tawdd's practice session, stopping at the sound of the club doors shutting.

"You're back!" Mykksa exclaimed, stopping and giving him a tight hug, before pulling back and looking him over, going pale at the state of his clothing. "Alchemy, you're a mess! Is... is that--"

"My blood, yes," he admitted, his ears drooping. "Mykksa... it's Preeke. He's..."

"What happened?" Myrreah pressed. "Where's Preeke?"

"He's alive, but captured," Rico said quietly. "Along with our clan leader, Dusya. He stayed with her when she fell behind and told us to retreat."

"You... you left him behind?!" Mykksa cried out, tears forming in her eyes.

"They didn't have a choice," Kajjex told her. "And it's... it's my fault. I should have figured it out sooner, this never would have happened if I wasn't so damn blind."

"What's going on, kid?" Raxio said, as he and Tawdd approached them. "You said Preeke was captured?"

"By the Inquest," Kajjex said, trying to push past his guilt. "Along with Dusya. We don't know where they're being held, but I know where the captured Ivalicians are. They have to be at the Funhouse, and the clan needs to get in there. I swore I would help them the way Preeke wanted to, so I'm going with them. Even if it means fighting and killing other asura."

Mykksa's ears drooped, a worried furrow in her brow. "Kajjex... are you sure? This is the Inquest, they won't hesitate to shackle you to a vivisection table."

He nodded. "You told me to consider which regrets I can live with. This is one I refuse to live with, without having done all I can to correct it."

"Then why are you here?" Tawdd asked, frowning. "Just to tell us?"

"I need to grab something and get back to everyone else," he told him. "I also needed to let you know to keep the club open until we're done. Once we find them, we'll bring everyone back here, the kidnapped Ivalicians included. We're gonna turn the club into a shelter for a bit."

"We should hurry," Rico pressed. "We might not have long."

"Then gimme five minutes to get my equipment. Grab what you need and we'll head out," Raxio growled, walking past them. " I'm comin' with you."

Kajjex's eyes widened. "W-what? Raxio, no, you can't--"

"I'll get our gear, Myrreah," Tawdd said abruptly, heading for the door.

"You don't understand, this isn't--"

"Kajjex, we understand perfectly," Mykksa cut him off firmly, her grip on his arms like a vice. Her green eyes stared hard into his, silencing him. "You're doing this for Preeke because he's your best friend. We understand that better than anyone else – because he's our friend, too. We owe him a debt for helping us when we needed it most."

"But—" Kajjex started to speak.

"No 'buts!'" she interjected. "We're going to help with the Ivalicians. Not just because it's what he would have wanted, but because it's the right thing to do. I doubt any of us want to live the the regret of not giving shelter to those who needed it. There are too many in Rata Sum who don't give a damn about anyone but themselves – so we'll be the ones who do, especially if you're going out there."

Kajjex felt his eyes burn, and for a moment he couldn't speak. "I've been an official part of the club for only a day... yet you're willing to go this far for me?"

"Hell yeah, we are," Myrreah told him, putting her hand on his shoulder and grinning. "You're our friend, too. We may not be able to fight like you, but we're not going to let you face the Inquest alone."

Difficult though their words and loyalty had made it, Kajjex swallowed and smiled back. "Thanks." He took a breath, then turned to Rico. The moogle looked curious, his arms folded. "Think Sybil will mind the extra help?"

Rico looked between them, then shrugged and sighed. "I don't feel right putting civilians in the way, but it's not my place to say no. I respect you guys taking some risk to help Preeke and my kin. Just remember, you're the one who has an obligation," he added, giving Kajjex a critical look. "So we'd better get what you came for."

"Right," Kajjex nodded, pulling away from Mykksa. "I need to get to my apartment. I think I have a surefire way to get us into the Funhouse without raising the alarm."

"Do you need a hand?" Mykksa asked, following closely.

"Right now, I need your help the most," he told her, leading her and Rico towards the back. "We need to repair and prepare a golem."

"Are you ready, buddy?"

"Systems – operational. This – unit – is – ready – to – begin," the golem said. "Awaiting – orders."

"This had better work," Raxio grumbled, hefting his club. The charr bouncer had shed his usual t-shirt and jeans, now adorned in chainmail and plate bearing the silver and blue tones of the Iron Legion.

"It'll work," Mykksa said, gripping her pistol and shield tight, looking visibly nervous. "The golem only needed a command core to execute what's still in its memory. Kajjex's idea is sound, and I know what we needed to do. It will work. It has to work."

A dozen stood at the gate of the Funhouse. At the rear was Bronk and two Peacemakers, their rifles held at the ready; then Myrreah, Mykksa, and Tawdd, carrying backpacks with supplies. Raxio and Deisel stood at opposing ends, armed and armored, looking ready for a scrap. Leading near the front was Sybil, flanked by Rico riding Kobb, and Kajjex, their weapons unsheathed. At the head of the group stood a tall, slightly damaged golem with a yellow command core glowing at its center. The unit moved up, it footfalls thumping in the dirt as it approached the gate, stopping and turning to face Kajjex.

He nodded. "Do your thing, VAL-A."

"Acknowledged. Submitting – access – codes." It faced the gate and raised a hand. A series of beeps sounded from its wrist, then silence. Kajjex breathed in, steadying his nerves and trying not to imagine what horrors they might find ahead. Tension stifled the air around them, a feeling of suffocation that Kajjex was sure all but VAL-A could feel. Before it became too much to stand, the golem lowered its hand. "Access – granted."

A metallic hiss sounded from within the gate, the sound of its inner locks sliding out of place quiet enough to miss in the otherwise silent jungle. The gate creaked open a bit more audibly, their heavy groan echoing into the cave ahead; when the gates locked into their open position, the resulting boom shook Kajjex to the core. Yet the light fixtures ahead did not not flicker red, and no alarm blared around them.

"Good work, VAL-A," Kajjex sighed. "Stay with us and scan for Inquest."

"Acknowledged," the golem replied, lumbering ahead and taking point while the group moved behind it.

"Never been in an Inquest lab before," one of the Peacemakers muttered. "Always heard it was the stuff of nightmares, amoral geniuses doing Alchemy-only-knows-what to asura and non-asura alike."

"All the more reason to shoot any you see," Rico said, his eyes hard.

"Practice some restraint, lad," Bronk told him sternly, his pistol held steady before him. "Keep at least a few heads intact. We'll need information on where Preeke and your clan leader are held."

"Master Bronk is right," Sybil told them. "Kill if you must, but keep senior staff intact for questioning and arrest. VAL-A, can you detect where Ivalicians are?"

"Negative. Accessing – Funhouse – blueprints." The golem kept moving ahead at a steady pace, leading them around a corner. Ahead, the cave walls ended abruptly with asuran architecture, though the floor remained buried in dirt. The hallway consisted of shaped stone arches forming right angles above their heads, with magitech field viewports filling the space between, with a vestibule at the end of the corridor. "Prison – cells – located. Ground – Level. Two – hundred – meters – ahead – and – to – the – west."

"That close?" Rico muttered. "This place must be small."

"The Funhouse is a relatively new lab, built within the last year," Bronk explained. "But I'll wager my life savings in gold they must be using this as an initial processing hub before they send their victims to other labs. They'll have an asura gate connected to larger Inquest facilities. We haven't seen any guards or golems, so we still have the advantage for now." He tapped the golem's arm. "VAL-A, locate the closest asura gates and control consoles."

"Processing." Another pause. "Gate – active – on – Sub-level – One. Gate – active – on – Ground – Level. Main – gate – console – located – past – primary – labs." The golem stopped, raising its arms to the side, and everyone halted. "Inquest – personnel – detected."

Kajjex bit back a curse, pointing to the vestibule. Without a word the group divided and hid behind either side of the entryway, while VAL-A lowered it's arms and mimicked an idle golem. "Had to happen eventually. I've got a plan, if you'll hear it."

Sybil nodded. "I'm open to suggestions."

"VAL-A has the Inquest's security access codes, so he can lead the Peacemakers to the gate console and shut both gates down, along with their security systems. The rest of us engage the Inquest and break out the prisoners. Once we're done, we can reprogram the gate to send us back to Rata Sum directly, instead of hoofing it all the way back."

"Sounds solid," Sybil nodded. Her ear twitched and she held her hand up. "Quiet. I hear voices."

Kajjex peeked around the corner, spotting movement coming from the left side of the main chamber. A high pitched yelp and whine echoed against the walls, as a small, furry being fell into view. Kajjex's brow knitted in confusion; the being wore little, dressed in rags, and was clearly neither asura nor moogle. In a strange way it seemed to resemble a bipedal fox, with long ears and a bushy tail. But what disturbed Kajjex most was the fear in her pale yellow eyes, and the specimen tag stapled in her left ear.

The fox tried to scramble away, only for a large metal hand to grab her by the leg and lift her off the ground. "No, no! Put me down!" she yelped, trying to flail out of its grasp. The golem holding her stepped into clear view, bringing its free hand around and clouted her across the muzzle. The fox went silent and limp, her eyes glazed over and a trickle of blood issuing from her nose.

"Careful with that specimen, you stupid golem!" a voice snapped from nearby. An asura strode into view, dressed in a black and red lab coat. "You've already messed up the experiment by letting her squirm out of your grasp, I don't need you to foul it up more by killing her! We've already gone through enough test subjects as it is!" The golem dropped the fox and he bent over her. After a few moments he sighed. "Good, she's still breathing." He turned and shouted down the corridor. "I need security over here, now! I don't trust this golem not to crush her spine carrying her back to the cell block!" The sound of rushed footsteps pattered across the floor, as a quartet of Inquest guards converged on him.

Movement in Kajjex's peripheral vision drew his attention, as Rico flicked Kobb's reigns and startled the bird. The chocobo was self-aware enough not to make a sound, but Rico's sound broke the silence. "We need to move, Kobb! Now!" he hissed. The chocobo gave him an annoyed looked and let out a strained cry, sprinting through the vestibule as Sybil called after him.

"Rico, no! We need to--

"Forget it, it's too late!" Kajjex cut her off, breaking cover and running ahead. Kobb's sound had gotten the guards' attention, but they were on the back foot and slow to realize what was happening. "Everyone, move in! VAL-A, get the Peacemakers to the gate console!"

Kobb reached the guards, lunging through the air while Rico leapt from his seat. The chocobo spun and swept its leg out, catching all four asura and knocking them away, while Rico landed on top of the golem, plunging his blade into the golem's command core. The scientist shrieked and tumbled back, unaware of Kajjex sprinting at him until he was within striking distance. Before he could get to his feet, Kajjex brought down the pommel of his weapon hard against the researcher's skull, knocking him out with a single blow. With the scientist out of the way, Kajjex moved to the fox and picked her up, carrying her off to one side while VAL-A and the Peacemakers rushed ahead.

"Is she safe?" Sybil called out. Kajjex gave her a thumbs up. "Set her aside and I'll tend to her – get to the prison cells and break out the prisoners!"

He set the fox aside, leaning her against a stasis pod just as the sound of footsteps reached his ears. A curse broke past his lips and he turned, drawing his longsword. Down the stone steps descended a trio of Inquest guards, hefting their energy shields and electric batons. Spotting Kajjex, they charged down the last steps and let out war cries, winding up and swinging their clubs in unison.

And hit nothing.

With a simple, calculated backstep, Kajjex slipped out of their kill-zone. His brow furrowed as he watched them over-extend, their forward momentum throwing them off balance. Almost comically, they stumbled over each other's feet and broke apart, turning to face him again. The tension in Kajjex shoulders eased away. His practiced fighting stance relaxed into something more casual. The nearest guard rushed him, snarling in frustration as he lunged with windup, putting all his strength into a telegraphed vertical swipe. Kajjex simply leaned away, the club whistling harmlessly an inch past his nose.

A second guard advanced on his flank, sweeping his club at Kajex's temple. Without even shifting his feet, Kajjex parried, his silver blade catching the shaft halfway. The blow jolted through the guard's arm, cause it to flinch and flail back, while his baton flew out of his grip and clattered across the floor; the guard swore and disengaged, chasing after it.

A strange sensation of discomfiture crept into Kajjex's chest as they "fought." This was not warfare or fighting. It was a joke. As he parried and blocked, dodging away from every swing, it became more and more apparent these guards didn't know the first thing about proper defense, proper footwork, or attack vectors. The only things they had – the only things keeping him from immediately going on the offensive – were their number and their tech; and neither could outpace his feet or simple blocks. It took less than a minute of this farce to leave them winded, and it was then Kajjex made his move.

He pressed the attack and stepped into the gap of their sluggish rhythm, driving the flat of his blade behind the first guard's knee. The joint buckled and crumpled with a snap, dropping him to the floor. Kajjex followed up with a smooth, heavy kick to his jaw, silencing him before he had the chance to scream. The remaining two panic-swung, unleashing a flurry of wild strikes. None met their mark. To Kajjex, they might as well have been progeny flailing with sticks. One guard tripped over the other's foot and toppled over a console. Kajjex was on him in a flash, his blade sinking past the soft padding of his armor and cutting a deep gouge through his side. The maimed guard coughed, dropping his baton and clutching his side, before toppling over.

The final guard looked to his fallen comrade, then to Kajjex, his trembling hands going slack and dropping both his club and shield. With a growl of anger Kajjex ran after him, up the steps into the cell block. He swung his blade low and around, flinging it at the guard's legs. The hilt caught his boots with a heavy clang, followed by a yelp as he face-planted into the floor. Kajjex sprinted and pinned him down, grabbing his arm and twisting it.

"You're not going anywhere!" he snarled, wrenching him up to his feet.

"P-please, let me go!" the guard cried out.

Kajjex looked around the prison, made up of angular cells embedded in the wall, some of them ten feet off the ground. Several moogles peered out fearfully between the electrical emitters, whispering to each other. Among them were more of the fox-like creatures, a short bangaa, and a pair of humans. Not a single one of them looked unharmed, wearing meager rags and bandages. Pity welled up in the asura, but was outweighed by his fury. "Yeah, I bet you'd love that," he hissed, walking him to a nearby console. "How many times did these poor souls beg you for the same thing!? You're a fucking disgrace to asura!"

"I-I'm just doing my job!" the asura wailed. "Just doing what they say!"

"If you want to live, then you'll do what I say!" he snapped, shoving him into the console. "Open the cells!"

"W-which one--"

"All of them!"

Without another word the guard complied, his hands shaking violently as he punched in several commands in succession. The cells around them hissed, as the emitters receded into the ceiling. Hopeful voices muttered from within, as the prisoners poked their heads out. Kajjex yanked the guard away from the console and threw him to the floor, kicking his sword back into his hand and holding the point to his chest. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Rico and Sybil enter the cell block.

"Are these the only cells in this facility?" he said in a low, dangerous voice. "Don't you dare lie to me. I'm not in the mood."

"Y-yes, these are only ones!" the guard trembled. "I swear on my thesis, this is the only cellblock here!"

Kajjex glanced at the viera. "How are we doing out there?"

"Raxio and Deisel are holding off the security golems, and Mykksa says VAL-A has disabled the gates and alarms," she said, peering down at the guard. "We've already rounded up their security in the stasis pod chamber."

Rico walked past them, sighing in relief as some of the moogles spotted him. One of them had a look of glee on their face. "I know you!" she cried out. "You're Rico, from Clan Kanopy!"

"That's right," he nodded, managing a strained smile. "We're here to get you out of here, and back to Ivalice." His brow raised at the humans. "Didn't expect to see humes here, though. Or these other beings," he added, staring curiously at the foxes.

"We're vulpera, from Vol'dun," one of them said. "Our world is Azeroth."

"We should have figured that Ivalice was never going to be enough for the Inquest," Kajjex fumed, glaring down at the guard. "You've been breaching into other worlds for victims, is that it?"

"I-I don't know!" the guard whimpered. "I-I'm just a guard here, I got transferred to this site last week! If you want answers, you'll need to talk to Director Bocc!"

More footsteps ascended the steps into the prison block. Raxio approached them, hooking his mace back to his belt. "The facility is secure, we've trashed their golems and got their security guards bound up. All in all, this was a pretty smooth op, kid." He smirked down at the guard. "I'll get this one for you." Kajjex nodded, sheathing his blade on his back and watching as Raxio tucked the guard under his arm.

Sybil gasped and stiffened, staring into one of the cells. Before Kajjex could ask what happened, she ran towards it, calling out to everyone. "Rico! Kajjex! She's here!"

Kajjex's eyes widened and he ran after her, with Rico in tow. A few moments later Sybil emerged, aiding an elderly nu mou out of the cell. Dusya winced, her left eye looking swollen and her fur singed in a few places, but managed a smile all the same. Rico didn't stop until her had embraced her waist, looking close to tears; the clan leader hissed slightly in pain, but did not push him back. Instead, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder, speaking gently. "It's okay, Rico. I'm alright," she murmured.

"I thought-- we thought..." he sniffled, wiping his face.

"I'm a little more bruised than I normally get after a clan battle, but I'm fine. Though I'm curious how you were able to locate me so quickly," she mused them. She looked up, smiling warmly at Kajjex. "Ah, I see... somehow I knew you would come to our aid, one way or another."

He managed a weak smile. "I'm glad you're safe, Dusya," he said, and he meant it. "Preeke... is he...?"

The nu mou's smile faded and she looked away shaking her head. A cold, awful feeling flowed through Kajjex's blood, dreading her answer. "I'm sorry, but he's not here," she said. "He refused to leave me to my fate, and was captured with me. But shortly after we arrived here, he and I were separated. I only overheard that they were moving him to another facility, and planned to transport me to a separate lab."

Kajjex's fist clenched, fighting back the wave of guilt he was feeling. If he'd only been faster. "He... he could still be alive," he forced himself to say, though even to his own ears the words felt hollow. "They would have killed him on the spot if he were pointless to their experiments. If he was captured..."

"Then they still have use for him," Bronk finished for him, stopping nearby and resting both hands on his cane. His eyes were dark, his face lined with a calm anger. "Not that it helps us, if don't know where he's been taken or how long we have to find him. We'll want to question the lead scientist here." His eyes scanned the prisoners. "For now, we should get these poor souls somewhere safe. They've suffered enough in this Alchemy-cursed facility."

"E-excuse me?" one of the vulpera said, raising her hand. "I don't if it'll help, but they mentioned a lab just around the corner from the cells. They... they took a few of us and they never came back. But... maybe...?"

The chill in Kajjex's veins surged, heralded by a shudder. He broke away from the group and jogged to the end of the cell block, peering around the corner. Sure enough, embedded in the stonework behind the cells, was a pair of double-doors with an access panel. Upon closer inspection he realized the lab was not locked. One hand drew his blade again, while the other hovered above the panel, dreading what he might find beyond the doors, then activating the controls. The double-doors hissed and swung outward. A brief draft followed, carrying a sickly stench, like an over-sanitized lab trying to cover the stench beneath it; a stench that made Kajjex's stomach turn and his nerves tingle with dread. His blade held forward, he stepped inside.

It took only a moment for him to wish he hadn't.

His unprepared imagination had envisioned blood and corpses, sinew and bone; a grim nightmare borne from his limited experiences on the battlefield. But even after a close shave with death, his coat still stained with his blood, and having taken lives, nothing had prepared him for something so cold. There were no guards. This was no battlefield. Just the dull hum of refrigeration units, the cold steel and stone of autopsy tables, and the blinding glow of overhead lighting. An industrialized processing floor, devoid of any warmth or feeling while crimes of heinous magnitude were committed.

A dim memory of his progeny years flickered in his mind, of his boyhood years studying the anatomy of already-dead fauna. Typical of asuran upbringing, it was a way to appreciate the intricacies and frailty of nature; giving them precious insight and knowledge, to respect and regard death as a natural part of life. His head swam as he stared at the barely visible shapes hidden in stasis jars or swimming in formaldehyde containers, listed with the scientific names of various viscera. His stomach cramped at the sight of a moogle cadaver, lifeless and cut apart – but not butchered. In an awful way, Kajjex would have preferred if they had been, as opposed to surgically separated and divided for their parts to be catalogued.

A bitter wave of nausea struck him and he swayed to the side, his longsword clattering to the floor as he braced against the wall. His chest and throat tightened, his eyes bulging as his breathing accelerated. Hot tears trickled down his face, blurring his vision, yet this did nothing to erase the sight of the lab out of his mind. The image was burned into his mind and heart, fueling the grief and fury, the only thing that kept him standing – and in a strange way, he wanted to carry that memory forward. A memory of victims who had been treated with a heartless, soulless level of surgical precision; cut apart without any care for their fear or their pain. A memory of the Inquest's crimes, committing merciless, emotionless murder borne from a desire to seize knowledge. It was a cold evil that bespoke how little the Inquest felt as they engaged in the atrocity.

If they felt anything at all.

"Ancestors save us," Sybil whispered behind him, gazing in shock and horror at the lab.

"Monsters," Rico murmured, looking too sickened for anger. "They're monsters."

"I need... I can't be in here," Kajjex gasped, stooping to collect his blade with a trembling hand. Myrreah and Tawdd approached him, but he did not stop to talk to them nor hear their horrified reactions. His feet felt heavy as he plodded past everyone, his eyes barely registering the movement of the prisoners as they were guided into the main chamber. The was an overall numbness in his limbs, as if his spirit was remotely guiding his body like a rusty, asura-shaped golem. Beneath that was a growing heat, anger and rage that was trying to burst its way through his skin, fueling that golem forward – if it did not explode, it would lash out soon.

He looked ahead to the far wall of the main chamber, spotting several unconscious guards, wrecked golems, and the researcher he had knocked out. The scientist 's hands were bound, but he was on his feet, kept in place by the Peacemakers, Raxio, Deisel, and VAL-A surrounding them. Deisel noticed him first, approaching with a look of concern.

"Alrigh' then, lad?" he asked gently. "Yeh look like you've seen a ghost."

But Kajjex ignored him, his glare leveled at the scientist, who had just spotted the prisoners as they were guided to the side. "Wait, stop that! You can't just abscond with those specimens, I have more experiments to run!"

The word "specimens" felt like Kajjex was slapped in the face; the follow-up "experiments" felt like a Dynamics student had chucked a reactant into an open flame. Kajjex could only hypothesize what happened afterwards: one moment, the scientist was sneering at Kajjex – the next moment, he was on the floor and Kajjex's arm was held out, the back of his hand aching from the blow.

"Shut up!" Kajjex snarled. "I saw your laboratory, you sick bastard!"

The scientist groaned and spat on the floor, glaring up at him. "Hmph. Did you. I suppose you don't appreciate real investigative work and deep research, then. Let me guess, you're a muscle-brained Statics graduate, field-testing weapons like some kind of soldier?" He got up, dusting off his shoulders and adjusting his nametag, labeled "Bio-analyst Bocc." He smirked at Kajjex. "No, a moron like you wouldn't have graduated."

"We know this is a processing hub," Kajjex seethed. "Where is everyone else?"

"You think I'll give up Inquest secrets like that just because you asked?" Bocc cackled. "For your sake I hope your blade isn't as dull as you are."

"No, I think you'll give them up to avoid what I will do if you don't give me answers right now," Kajjex shot back, grabbing him by the neck and squeezing hard. Bocc's eyes went wide and his hands grabbed at Kajjex's wrist, to no effect. "I want to know where the other prisoners were sent, how many you've kidnapped, and what your aims are. And if you don't give me an answer that doesn't satisfy me, I'll give you the same treatment you gave your victims." He drew his blade, holding it to the scientist's shoulder. "Fair warning... it's not as clean as your scalpel."

"You... wouldn't dare," Bocc gurgled.

"You performed unspeakable atrocities against innocent victims from other worlds, and you have the fucking gall to tell me what I wouldn't dare to do to you?!" Kajjex roared, his grip tightening.

"They'll... kill me!" he choked out, his eyes bulging.

A hand touched Kajjex shoulder and he flinched, but he had the sense to lower his blade before he noticed Bronk at his side. The elder asura had a look of cold hatred, but there was an air restraint that seemed to calm Kajjex down, just enough for him to release the scientist. When Bronk spoke, it was with a tone of disgust. "I fail to see how that makes any difference to you or your guards," he spat, nodding to the restrained security team. "If you think your Inquest allies won't have the lot of you slaughtered for failing to prevent a prison break, and losing all of your 'specimens' in the process, then you have no business trying to judge another asura's intellect."

"Yeah, your best bet is submitting to Peacemaker custody and hoping they can afford to put you into a witness protection program," Raxio smirked, folding his arms. "Count yourself lucky, you little shit – if you were in the Black Citadel and the Adamant Guard caught you, I'd just kill you and be done with it. So use your smarts and leverage that information to survive."

"I'll talk!" Bocc rasped, holding his neck with his bound hands.

"Then start with how many victims you've taken!" Kajjex demanded. "Tell us how many worlds you've breached!"

"Just three so far!" the scientist cried out, shielding his face behind his arms. "Ivalice, Azeroth, and Faerûn! I don't have an exact number, we only processed the few specimens we got from Ulta Metamagicals! We don't do reality breaches, our facility is too small!"

Kajjex frowned, glancing behind him at the rest. Sybil and Rico had rejoined him, looking shaken. "You're saying that the Inquest has world-breaching tech?"

"We had more than enough time to replicate Ulta Metamagical's work," the asura told them, peeking from behind his arms. "The Inquest didn't care about their patent because they didn't expect anyone to find out in the first place. Even if someone did find out, they'd never be able to shut the project down."

"To what end?" Bronk pressed.

"The only end that matters: knowledge," the scientist told him, lowering his arms. "The reality breaches represent the most important discovery Tyria could ever learn, that we are not alone in the multiverse! It represents a potential wealth of science, magic, and discovery if we harness these opportunities effectively. Think of the data, the materials for research and economy – think of the riches to be earned for every new world we penetrate and investigate!"

"That's not what you've done," Sybil said, glaring at him. "You've stolen people from their homes, their families. Some of the will never return to either."

"And you've done it to asura in the past as well," Bronk added, stepping in closer. "As recently as tonight, in fact. So tell us where you sent the last asura you captured."

The scientist frowned. "The last-- who, the asura male? What about him?"

"Tell me where you've taken my grandson!" Bronk snarled. "Tell me where you've taken Preeke!"

Kajjex could almost hear his heart drop to his stomach at Bronk's words. It was bad enough knowing his best friend was imprisoned, perhaps even dead, but now he understood why Bronk was risking his own safety by joining everyone else. Now he knew that he owed it to the older asura to do everything he could to see Preeke returned to him – or avenged.

The scientist glanced between them, brow knitted in confusion. "The blue-haired one, right? I'd considered euthanizing him to study his above-average physiology, but I was given orders almost immediately to isolate him and have him sent to an unidentified lab. I don't know where, but it was a direct order from the project leader."

"And who is the project leader?" Kajjex pressed.

"Director Torkk," the scientist told him, smirking. "A new addition to the Inquest, a man of incredible genius and talent."

"I should have guessed," Kajjex sighed, shaking his head. "Now I get why he didn't care for me interfering at Ulta Metamagicals."

"He understands the value of our goals," Bocc nodded. "All that matters is getting discovery rights to the flora, fauna, and sentients we acquired."

"You mean 'kidnapped and mutilated,'" Rico growled.

"Call it what you want, I'm a scientist!" he snapped indignantly. "And I will not be beholden to archaic ideas of morality as I stand with geniuses on the cusp of scientific discovery! Nor will I be talked down to by sub-sentient, extra-dimensional anomalies like you!"

"Shut your mouth!" Kajjex snarled.

"Get it through your thick skull, you imbecile!" He glared at Kajjex. "You might be a simpleton among asura, but even you must understand the value of scientific investigation, and the cost of seizing that knowledge! You think your ethics really matter to the broader picture here?!"

"I never needed to compromise my morals to do my own research!" Kajjex shot back, his rage building by the second. "Nor have most asura!"

"Don't give me that!" the scientist snarled back, seemingly getting his nerve and arrogance back. "A field-tester like you must know blood must be spilt and lives must be lost in order to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge! You carry around that blade like it makes you different from us, but how many lives have you taken!? Just tonight, how many asura lives did you end!? So long as your hands are covered in blood, don't you dare judge me for my work, for my studies, for the lives I've ended in our pursuit of knowledge!" He took a step forward, screaming into Kajjex's face. "They weren't even asura!!"

Something broke in Kajjex at that very moment. The echo of those words stung, mirrored by the ones Rico had uttered an hour earlier. The accusation that he would ever consider another sentient's life as lesser to his own – that he bought into the systemic injustice of having little, if any, value of the lives of other races – only inspired disgust and hatred toward the scientist. He didn't argue or scream back. He didn't bother to grace Bocc's defense with dialogue.

He reacted.

It wasn't an explosion. It felt more akin to a jolt in his system; a hot flash of anger and energy surging through his nerves in the space of a microsecond. The thought and intent was there, but the reflexes were a step ahead, his arm and wrist lifting his sword and sweeping over Bocc's shoulders. It caught the researcher's neck cleanly, and cut just as thoroughly, with the same surgical precision Bocc had employed on his victims. Bocc's body went slack and toppled to the side, while his head tumbled to the floor and rolled away.

Kajjex stood there, his breathing ragged and his hands shaking as the fury ebbed away and the adrenaline drained from his veins. He stared at Bocc's corpse for what seemed like hours, though it could have only been seconds. In that time, he tried not to think of how many lives he had ended, trying to rationalize it, make sense of it – hoping there was a point to it all. He turned to walk away, only to stop at the sight of his companions. Mykksa, Myrreah, and Tawdd looked shocked. Bronk bore a frown, staring at Bocc's body with disgust. Dusya and Sybil bowed their heads, their faces marked with disappointment at the scientist's arrogance and defiance; while Deisel and Raxio merely shook their heads.

When he met eyes with Rico, there was a difference. He could see skepticism, as he had before, but now there was something else there. Respect. Approval, perhaps. Whatever it was, it was enough for the moogle to give him a curt nod. Kajjex swallowed and turned his eyes away, back to the security team. They cringed as his gaze fell on them, until he sheathed his sword.

"We should... get out of here," he said awkwardly. "The Inquest patrols between their labs. We need to be gone before the next one arrives."

"What about them?" Dusya said, gesturing to the guards.

"We're turning them over to the Peacemakers," Kajjex told them all. "We need to configure the gate and get the prisoners to safety. The Peacemakers can stay behind and use it to teleport directly to their HQ."

"Word will get out," Mykksa said, looking at the guards. "The Peacemakers can't keep the Inquest from visiting or conducting interviews."

Kajjex shook his head. "It's like Rico said, we're past that point already. There's not much we can do now but help who we can, and stay quiet about it for as long as we can."

Bronk nodded. "Indeed. For now, locate any data crystals in the area. We can analyze them later. With any luck, we might get some information on where they're keeping Preeke."

"Wait," Sybil said quickly. "What about the..." Her voice broke for a moment and she swallowed, biting back a sob. "The remains. We can't leave them here."

Dusya nodded, touching her arm. "Let Raxio and Deisel take them. We will make sure their remains are given a proper send-off."

Everyone dispersed, moving quickly. The Peacemakers, Bronk, and VAL-A got the guards to their feet, while Mykksa, Myrreah, and Tawdd went to tend to the prisoners and configure the gate. Raxio and Deisel followed Sybil and Dusya back to the lab. Rico and Kobb stayed behind, staring at Kajjex.

"You proved me wrong pretty quick," the moogle sighed, running a paw through his hair. "I may not like you... but I might be able to trust you after all. Here's hoping you can keep it up."

Kajjex didn't answer at first, staring at Bocc's headless corpse. Preeke had told him he wouldn't lose himself, that as long as he was never truly okay with taking lives, he wouldn't lose himself. What differed then was he'd been having a minor panic attack, hours after fighting for his life. Yet now Preeke was not here, and he could not find much pity for the live he had just snuffed out.

"... Is it supposed to be easy?" he finally murmured. "Killing, I mean."

Rico's brow furrowed. After a moment, he shrugged. "Other people? No. Never." He glanced at Bocc's head, his eyes hardening. "... But monsters, on the other hand..." He looked back at Kajjex, then turned to where Sybil and Dusya had left. "Don't beat yourself up over it," he told him. "Don't spare them a thought. Not for monsters."

As Rico and Kobb left, Kajjex clenched his fist and shivered. No matter how the night ended, there was no question he would be left with regrets.