Theo was the one tasked with rowing back. It had been rhythmic and calming and the opposite of what she felt inside. In her boat had been Fjord and his father, she had ensured their safety and it felt like the only thing that had gone right. She had ridden back with them and had poorly contained her anxiety over Cooker– who had already been rowed away from the beach when she got there. Fjord tried to check in with her, but he was ignored.

Even with no interaction, from what she had observed of the two people in her boat it was hard to say that Fjord's father was okay. Neither of them was physically harmed but there was something not right with the older man. There was a haze over his expression, Theo couldn't tell if it was shock, disorientation, or lack of care. His face was sunken in, and his wrists and ankles were bony and frail where they peaked out of his clothes.

Fjord didn't mind Theo much aside from the occasional attempt to talk to her. Instead, he spent most of the time rowing back worrying over his father. He tried to coax him to speak, update him on what had happened, or interact with him but his father was not present. She remembered Oceane had told her about her worries with his health and his mind previously and she could see that the situation had only worsened from a length in prison.

It was making her more unwell. Seeing the hopelessness of the situation and the understanding that whatever was happening wasn't good further upset her. By the time they arrived at the ship, she was bursting at the seams. As she hopped onto the deck, Theo was positive she was harnessing every negative emotion a human could possess. Her poorly contained frenzy had quickly earned her a home outside of the infirmary, unable to stay with Cooker during whatever procedure was happening. She was strung out and feared she would kill anyone that came close to her.

It was no surprise that she had gotten herself banned from the room. The healer wasn't Tuni and wouldn't put up with her hovering or critiques. Morgana and Agnes were allowed to stay inside and while she was bitter that she couldn't be in there with them, she was thankful her antics were not enough to get everyone kicked out of the room.

If she couldn't direct her energy toward helping with Cooker, Theo knew exactly where to expend it, but she had to wait a bit longer. Kao had yet to row back, he was doing damage control on the island. But Theo's eyes were trained on the edge of the ship, waiting for him to arrive. She had forced herself to look away from where Cooker was being held because she was afraid her heart would beat so fast from the anxiety that it would burn out.

There was a large field around her that no one dared to enter. Perhaps they thought that crossing an invisible boundary and getting too close would cause her to bite their head off. And honestly, she had to appreciate it. She wasn't sure she wouldn't take it out on some of the other useless crew members that Kao brought. She knew she needed to calm the anger inside her, but she wasn't interested in doing that.

If it was her crew or a relationship she cared about she might have been more inclined to approach the upcoming conversations with calm and composure, but this wasn't her crew or a relationship she cared about. She would never work with Kao again– if he was even allowed to continue working with the revolution after the fiasco that had just occurred. But Xyra would want her to be civil. So would Cooker. And this was just the lack of control that had gotten her in a world of hurt a length before.

It wasn't productive.

Theo was trying to count her breaths. Hoping some repetition would help calm her down but nothing helped. She was itching for Kao to show his face so she could have someone to rip into. They had settled on no explosion. They went back on their arrangement, which was only made after Theo found out about the secret addendum to the plan. It wasn't looking good for their involvement in whatever Brandon Cooker was leading.

But it was still up for a vote. It wouldn't be up to her; it would be up to the crew. All she could do was provide the most accurate information on the way the mission went.

She was distracted by thoughts of future votes and how to explain what happened that night to everyone back on the Lightbringer and on the new island when Kao crossed her line of sight. He looked wrecked. His eyes were red-rimmed and almost every step dragged behind him. By the time she had followed him into his room, he had already grabbed a bottle.

Theo marched through the threshold, and she couldn't contain it, "You fucking bastard piece of shit."

"I had no idea he would do that," Kao shook his head and popped the bottle open, not looking Theo's way.

"How convenient."

He took a moment to drink, and Theo thought he would stop after one sip but he didn't. After several gulps, he pulled the bottle away from his lips. He looked like a ghost, his soul sucked out of him, "He is dead, Captain Theo."

She had nothing to say to that.

"My brother is dead..." He took another drink as he walked behind his desk. Once he set down the bottle he turned back to her, rage or distress or something else bubbled up inside him and he yelled, "Do you think I would have allowed my brother to die?!"

"I don't think you expected him to," Theo replied without missing a beat.

"Cooker's losing an arm, he lost his life," he spat back, "have some fucking compassion or understanding."

"He lost his life and took hundreds of others with him. I know how many were down there, I had just seen them. There is no compassion to have when he took all of those lives with little justification," Theo scoffed with a shake of her head, she couldn't even look his way, "You demanded that I go back to the ship because you didn't want me to see just how few survivors there were. I am not a fool."

"I sent you back to the ship because you were hysterical and were ready to strangle anyone in your path," Kao argued.

"Because your brother blew up innocent fucking people and put my crew in harm's way!"

"It was a prison. They were prisoners," he shot back and his true feelings on the matter shone through.

The animosity with which he said those words clued her in that he did not see the dead as hundreds of lives lost but rather hundreds of lesser people being eradicated from the world. Perhaps all those deaths added up to merely a dozen or so to him. She couldn't know his logic or how he viewed those forced into cells, but she knew he did not view them as having the same level of importance as his brother.

She couldn't argue against someone like that. She couldn't raise her voice; the wind had been taken out of her. The rage from the statement urged her to reach for her handcannon and aim right for his chest so he could slowly die out, feel the pain anyone trapped in the rubble might have felt. But she didn't. She stopped herself. She didn't know what the consequences would be but there was sure to be some. She couldn't let her crew suffer for any actions taken out of heightened emotions. Theo took a moment to collect herself and she took a few deep breaths before she felt up for speaking.

"It was a prison filled with children. And people who were falsely imprisoned. And people who were rightfully imprisoned under Baethan law for shit that shouldn't be illegal. Less than a quarter of those prisoners were dangerous or violent. Much less than a quarter."

Kao didn't reply, he picked up the bottle again and took a sip. From the handful of stressful situations, she had seen him in, she could tell that this was him at his worst. He had just lost possibly the most important person to him and was being faced with the senseless act of mass murder he had– or had not– orchestrated. Theo rarely got to see people this low and yet she felt he deserved as much.

She scoffed when her comment had gone too long without an answer, "You last name rebels are all the fucking same, you preach wrongdoing on behalf of The Center then default to their values the second it fits into your own desires. Prisoners being deserving of poor treatment or death is a tired narrative. Prisoners being morally bankrupt is a tired narrative. You are a tired narrative, Lord Kymlie."

"Some survived," he ignored the use of his proper title and her jab.

"How many?"

"A few dozen."

"Out of hundreds," Theo spoke. He finally managed to catch her eye and they stared each other down. Theo's breathing was calm and focusing on that was the only thing keeping her at ease enough to not make an example out of Kao on his very own ship, "What did he even do? How did he manage that many explosions? Why so delayed between the two blocks?"

Kao shrugged, "I don't know."

She believed him. He looked like he truly didn't know that Clay would go rogue. There was nothing left in the conversation except screaming expletives at him and she didn't know if that would do her any good. Theo knew she should have said she was sorry for his loss. She knew he was probably dealing with immense guilt and pain. She knew he had lost his Cooker. He had lost his blood. He had lost the person that was never away from his side from the little time she had spent with them.

But Cooker was in pain, Cooker was almost killed. She could still die and many more already had. Taking down the prison was a strategic move, sure, but not worth the casualties it brought about. Not worth the harm that would come to that city. She couldn't bring herself to find the will to display any outward sympathy. She left the room with only thoughts and questions about their future continuing to float around.

When she looked across the deck she saw Agnes outside the infirmary, smoking sard. Walking closer, Theo could see her hands were red and her clothes were specked with dust, dirt, and blood. Her hands were shaking, and Theo suspected they hadn't stopped since they had first found Cooker. She approached and couldn't bring herself to ask for an update. The fear that she would hear something she didn't want gripped her.

"They took her arm but she's alive. Stable," Agnes whispered, sensing her question, "Just a matter of waiting. Hoping no infection takes her."

Theo closed her eyes and put a hand over her face as she dropped into a squat. She took a moment to let the bit of relief blanket over her. There was still a long road to being in the clear, but Cooker was still with them. She heard Agnes' sharp intake of breath above her and snapped out of her own mind. She stood up and took sight of the disheveled woman in front of her. Agnes had brought her free hand up to cover her face as her shoulders shook. Her bloodied hands were dry, but it was a stark contrast to her pale face.

Theo brought her into a hug and Agnes accepted it. Holding the sard away from them but using the rest of her body and ability to wrap herself around Theo. At that moment, Theo let herself feel her worry and her dread. She knew Agnes was doing the same and it felt good to not be alone. Theo felt the love that Agnes held for Cooker, and she had known they were serious, but Cooker had downplayed just how infatuated with each other they really were.

It made her dread worsen. Cooker had just begun a life with someone. She deserved that. She deserved to be happy. Now, they didn't know if Cooker would live to see that flourish into something greater. Theo pulled away from Agnes, even though they both could have used some extra time in the embrace. She had to go find a spot to pray. She had to hope that Riva could help protect the people she loved as Riva had always tried to do.

—----------

Theo was awoken by a jostle of her shoulder and as she came to consciousness, her lips felt dry, and her throat felt course. She brought her hand up to her face to rub it and try and bring herself to the present. But her eyelids felt heavy, and her body felt tight and in pain. She managed to open her eyes and that is when her situation came flooding back.

She was on the deck, the sun beating down on her as she slept halfway slumped over. Why had she been so stubborn? She would have gotten good quality sleep inside her quarters instead of trying to prove something. When they had kicked her out the night before, none of that logic had been present. She wanted to make them see that if they kicked her out to get proper rest, she would just be in discomfort elsewhere.

She finally fixed her sights on the person hovering over her, the person who awoke her. Agnes.

"She's up," Agnes said once they locked eyes, looking down at Theo.

"She's up?!" Theo scrambled to her feet, the last of her sleepiness wiped from her mind, "Awake and active?"

Agnes nodded with a small smirk, "Quite funny. The first time you are away from her bed in seven suns is the first time she is awake enough for a full conversation."

"It's not funny. Her body probably did it subconsciously cause she's an asshole, even when she doesn't know," Theo grumbled and went to take a step forward, but Agnes stopped her, "Move. I am not above throwing you in the brig."

"I am too connected for you to get away with that," Agnes teased.

"I don't care who you are fucking or who your sister is, if I want you arrested I will have you arrested," Theo joked back and tried to get Agnes to move over but she didn't budge.

"Did you get a bite to eat before your nap?"

Theo rolled her eyes. For the most part, the time Agnes had spent on her crew had been incident free. She wasn't ever too worried about Theo nor did she ever take issue with what Theo did or how she chose to spend her time. That was before. Since leaving Niveal, she had been around more often and had already adopted the officer's duty of worrying about her.

Which was unfortunate.

"I told you that kicking me out would do nothing."

"It was not me. It was Morgana and she thought that it would give you an excuse to eat something fresh and warm and sleep in your bed," Agnes re-explained what had already been told to her.

"It was pointless. She knew that when she did it, she was just sick of me being in the infirmary with her and wanted me away from her area," Theo accused with a chuckle.

"I mean, you were constantly outside of her room, stressing out. I can't blame her."

"Tuni's not even here. Morgana has no claim to the healers' room in the infirmary. She is kicking out our actual healer and making him take up a cabin inside the ship," Theo complained as she attempted to go forward.

Agnes just laughed a bit as she continued to block the way with her body.

"Can I go inside?"

"Can you behave?"

"I can," Theo took a deep breath and then let it out, relaxing her shoulders. She pulled her hair out of her face and then did another round of breathing, "I am calm. I won't agitate her."

Agnes nodded, "Come on in."

Agnes reached back and opened the door, letting Theo in first.

She stepped in, looking around to see that nothing had changed from the night before except Cooker's eyes were now open. Not only that, but she was also alert and sitting up. Cooker smiled her way and gave her a nod before her expression soured with concern. Theo glanced behind her to see what had happened but there was nothing.

"Theo... Your face," Cooker gasped a bit.

Theo looked between everyone in the room and then looked back at Cooker, "What about it?"

"You look so different. So much older. What's with that new scar?"

Theo searched Cooker's face for any indication of what she was talking about, but she didn't have a clue. She wasn't aware that anything had changed on her face in seven suns. She turned to a mirror but looked different than she had that morning. Theo's stomach sank, had Cooker undergone some sort of head trauma? Did she not remember anything?

"Cook, I told you it wouldn't be funny," Morgana said.

Theo looked between the two of them and Cooker still donned a slightly distressed expression.

"She's been doing this memory loss thing with everyone," Morgana filled Theo in.

Cooker broke into a laugh and Theo shook her head, her eyes rolling so hard it would give her a headache in a few minutes.

"Are you fucking kidding me? That's not even funny," Theo scoffed and crossed her arms.

"We tried to tell her," Agnes hummed.

"Whatever. I have only one arm now and I'm recovering from a life-altering injury. I get to tell whatever jokes and laugh at whatever I want for at least half a length," Cooker frowned, unamused that no one was allowing her antics.

"You get three cycles at maximum. That's the rule," Morgana played along.

"You'll give me more though, right?" Cooker turned to Agnes in hopes of being pampered by at least one person.

"We'll see," Agnes teased.

"You will all be dying to continue to fawn over me in three cycles time, I'm not even going to worry about it," Cooker chuckled and then looked back over at Theo who had been silent, "Give us the room, yeah?"

Everyone listened and quickly shuffled out. Theo had still not said anything after a minute of solitude. She really wasn't sure what to say, all she wanted to do was cry at the sight of Cooker being alright with little else hindering her recovery except her overwhelming stupidity.

The relief Theo felt at seeing her smiling, joking, and talking was monumental.

"I've lost an arm and you've lost the ability to speak with me," Cooker teased with a smile and Theo couldn't help but laugh.

She nodded, "You look better. The past few suns you've been too pale for comfort."

"Sorry for scaring you," Cooker said then paused before adding, "again."

"It was supposed to be a priority of yours to not get yourself in this situation," she reminded.

"It was. But sometimes priorities fall to the wayside if bigger things come up," Cooker replied, "you know, like saving people."

Theo finally stepped away from the entrance of the room and walked to the seat she had been sitting in throughout Cooker's recovery. She chuckled a bit at Cooker's nonchalant attitude.

"How are you feeling? You've been out of it for quite some time," Theo sat down.

"I feel like they hacked my arm off a third of a cycle ago," Cooker said with a slight laugh but it faded quickly, "it still hurts but I've asked them to start weaning me off the sedatives. Probably can't be good to stay on them too long given my history with that kind of shit."

"Aye, good call. But monitor yourself. If it is too much to handle, we can discuss a different plan," Theo reached out and took her hand, squeezing it a bit, "I don't want you suffering through this."

Cooker shrugged her good shoulder. She waited for a moment before switching their topics of conversation.

"What's on your mind?" Cooker asked, sensing there was something irking her.

"Nothing," Theo closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, "Nothing. I just-"

She pulled her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. Theo shook her head, unable to put together the words to describe what she was feeling. Cooker got the hint, that she wasn't hiding anything but that she couldn't bring herself to find what needed to be said.

"I don't think I'll be going by Drokian anymore," Co my oker joked, filling the silence, "haven't found the best of luck there."

Theo laughed at that, but it was caught in her throat. Quickly after, her bottom lip began to tremble, and she could feel all the stress and panic over Cooker's well-being bubble up to the surface. There was no hiding it or pressing it down anymore, the emotions were trying to find their way out of her body, and she had to guide it through. She leaned forward and pressed her arms to either side of her head as she let everything off her chest. The crying was short-lived, she let a few waves of it wash over her as she was crumpled in on herself.

The emotions didn't need time to sit with her, they had just demanded to be felt before they left her. Once she had let it out, she slowly sat back up and removed her arms from around her head. She sniffled a bit and wiped her face with a frown.

"Sorry," Theo cleared her throat as she focused back on her friend who looked to have also been crying.

"Ah, fuck," Cooker's hand quickly rid her face of tears and she cleared her throat right after Theo, "you know I can't see you crying."

Theo laughed a bit and Cooker did too. They looked at each other with a familiarity that only came with a dozen lengths at each other's side. Theo couldn't imagine where she would be without Cooker. She couldn't imagine what she would have done if the outcome had been different in Drokian.

"How are you? Like, actually. Past all your avoidant commentary on it."

Cooker faltered for a second then shrugged it off, "Don't know. Going to take some getting used to. But I can't say I wasn't prepared. I have been planning for this moment my whole life."

"Fuck off," Theo rolled her eyes, knowing where it was going before Cooker could even get to her punchline.

Another grin broke out on Cooker's face, "At least it was my fighting arm. My fucking arm is fine. I told you, I always said training each of them for different purposes would come in handy. Look at me now."

"Now you can't fight. You should have spent that time training both arms to do both," Theo criticized.

"No, it doesn't work like that, Cap. If I trained both, neither would be at full power. The way I did it made it so that I was at capacity with my abilities.

"So, now that you've lost your fighting arm, are you saying that you won't train it out of fear that your ability to fuck lessens?" Theo teased.

"We'll see what I end up doing," Cooker said, a bit less of a jester than earlier in the conversation. The mention of the loss of her arm so bluntly had taken her aback, even though she had started the joke.

Theo watched as their reality settled in and the jovial energy behind Cooker dissipated a bit. She began to frown, and Theo didn't know how to make her mood better. It wasn't something she could fix. At that moment, she realized what she hadn't been able to put into words before.

"I am worried that our luck is running out," Theo said as she looked down at her hands, avoiding eye contact, "There are only so many more times we can come close to death before we can't escape its clutches any longer."

"I know," Cooker said solemnly. The tears returned to her eyes rapidly and a few slipped through, she didn't make any moves to intercept them as they ran down her cheeks, "I don't want to go. I'm not ready. I won't be ready. I've got a family now."

"You've always had a family, dickhead. What were Xyra and I?"

Cooker smiled, "You know what I mean..."

"I do," Theo returned the smile, "she was worried sick about you."

"I know. I heard you were too."

"I was enraptured by my hysteria." Theo joked.

"You always have been like that," Cooker laughed and shook her head, "I get that way too. Xyra's the only one that approaches danger directed at one of us with any sort of calm."

"I haven't written to her about you yet. Morgana said you had managed to say that it wasn't something you wanted the night it all happened," Theo said, "want me to send her something now that we know you are alright?"

"No. No, I don't want her to worry. She'll see me when she sees me and can figure it out then."

"She won't be happy," Theo warned.

"She's never happy," Cooker teased, and they both had to laugh at the accuracy, "how far out from the rendezvous are we?"

"Business talk can wait," Theo said.

"It waited for seven suns. You always make us speed up your recovery to get back in action. I want the same treatment," Cooker requested and then added a reminder, "I get my way for three cycles, at the very least."

Theo couldn't argue with the self-granted authority, "We are half a cycle out. We should probably refresh what we want to go through with Brandon before I leave so we can ensure the best results from the meeting."

"You aren't going alone."

Theo ignored her, "I sent Xyra word of what the rebellion did at Drokian. They were set to have a vote on the matter any sun. I asked that even if the vote was had, for them to recast their choices after my witness statement had been read."

Cooker shook her head, "Fucking swaying it in your direction? How righteous and moral of you, Captain."

"I only said what happened, not what it did to you or any of my own opinions. I laid out the scenario. Xyra hasn't gotten back to us with the results of the vote on their side but we should hear back before the rendezvous," Theo rejected any accusation of biasing the results, "In a few suns, when you feel up to it, we can host our own vote and combine the results with the island's once that information is delivered. You will get to speak and make your case there. Whatever the outcome, I can communicate it to Brandon"

"Theo, I'm going to the rendezvous too," Cooker reiterated, "There is no way I am not going."

"It's a journey there, Cook. We have to anchor far out, row in, and trek through the jungle to avoid having the ship logged anywhere near Brandon's."

"I don't care about the logistics. If you are worried about my health, we can bring a healer along with me but by the time we need to leave I will have been past any worry of infection and fully capable of my duties," Cooker argued.

Theo could tell it wasn't a battle she wanted to win. She would have preferred to, but it would have cost her too much. She didn't want to upset Cooker nor make her feel any less than before Drokian. She was worried, but she couldn't coddle Cooker. Saying no would just break trust between them and Cooker would find a way to slimy her way to the rendezvous anyway.

"Fine."

"Fine?" Cooker smiled, "Really?"

"You get three cycles of this and not one minute more."

"I'll end up getting more," Cooker said, her cocky smile back on her face, "what's the word among the crew?"

"About you?" Theo chuckled, "No one is calling you a hero so looks like you went through all this for nothing."

Cooker laughed, "No, asshat, about the vote."

Theo rolled her eyes, "Let's not."

Cooker nodded her head with a smile, "Just what I wanted to hear."

"I at least thought that this would sway them. I thought you would have a fight to the end and have your work cut out for you to convince them all to come around," Theo scoffed and crossed her arms, "but it's the opposite."

"I've been indoctrinating them for a long time. The bulk of my work has already been done," she teased.

"They are discussing how the events at Drokian prove we need to get involved instead of pull away," Theo explained and it really was not something she had expected, "something about being a voice of reason. Being looked to as examples. Setting examples."

"They are right."

"You can't know that for sure. A seat at their table doesn't guarantee a voice in their discussions. We could be politely invited to every meeting but shut out from the decisions even if we are there," Theo argued.

"That won't happen," Cooker shook her head, "I have to believe that Brandon at least wants to do this the right way. I'm just not sure he knows how to do that by himself."

"Aye, Cook, but I'm fucking sick of having to be the moral compass for all these self-righteous bastards that think of themselves as heroes and yet know nothing about what it takes to be one," she frowned, frustrated at her future.

"That's the role we are needed for, regardless of how we feel about it," Cooker said, not helping Theo's mood, "how have you been behaving?"

"About the vote?" Theo asked and Cooker nodded. She just shrugged and looked down at her feet, "I've said the facts and nothing more. No opinion or emotion is embedded in the report from Drokian. Did you doubt my neutrality?"

"No," Cooker chuckled and sat up slowly, putting her feet over the side of the bed, "enough talk about my inevitable victory of persuasion. Take me to my crew. I want to see my people."

"Have you been cleared?"

"Does it matter? Three cycles of unquestioned agreement," Cooker motioned for Theo to help her up.

"It's not unquestioned agreement, it is simply giving you things I might not have in the past," Theo warned and helped her up, "I'm going to question your every decision, fear not."

—--------------

Brandon had not done much to brief Ava on what was occurring. What she knew about the rendezvous she had remembered from Theo's retelling of their agreement and the little that Cameron had brought back to her. She didn't know the reason, perhaps it was to avoid any suspicion. The two of them interacting frequently would raise questions, which was not at all helpful to their goals. In the end, she was left in the dark knowing little else except how far away they were from the chosen rendezvous city and that Theo and Cooker had succeeded in the mission.

Oceane's father was safe, according to Cameron and Ava had been quick to pass along the message. In addition to that, she knew that at the rendezvous point, she would have an opportunity to see her father before Fjord escorted them up North on land to settle in with her sister. Of course, the news was met with joy. But there was also a hesitation in Oceane stemming from fear of what a length alone in a prison would have done to him. Ava had tried her best to comfort her but there was not much to say.

When they had docked in the rendezvous city, Lord Cooker had promptly headed out a half a sun's travel to the west to visit an old acquaintance. The frequent stops along any journey she used to take with her family used to annoy her. Travel for one purpose always ended up being a tour of the area with appointments, parties, and invitations abound. Now, she was thankful for the habit. Lord Cooker had many people he needed to see and it had provided them the luxury of being able to stop for Theo.

She would engage in a million more parties at villas if it meant she could see Theo's face for a single minute.

No additional engagement was necessary though. The only politicking and socializing arranged for her all trip had passed when they left the Minrah's villa. And even if any future invites had arisen, Lord Cooker had quickly learned that bringing Ava along with him was not the political tool he had imagined. She had her own goals and that had become clear to him after the Minrah's party.

It had taken a few hours after docking before they were able to get off the ship. Brandon had not communicated the schedule even after they found themselves lounging around aimlessly, which frustrated her. Even if there were eyes on them, surely he could have found a way to get some shred of information to her. Her annoyance drove her to the crow's nest where she sat for at least an hour before Mallory was calling her down to the deck.

Brandon had invited them all to lunch. It was the story they had chosen to go with and the meeting would be had in the small restaurant in town. That much she had learned prior to leaving Niveal.

Her stomach was a bundle of nerves from the moment Mallory had called for her until the walk to the restaurant was over and Brandon was holding the door open for them. Once they were all inside, Brandon asked the owner for a private room and they were quickly accommodated. She noticed that as they were guided into the room, the guards stayed outside and the owner quickly exited as well. The routine seemed familiar to everyone involved, the owner was an ally of their movement.

As her eyes scanned the room, she took in the two people that had arrived separately. Already awaiting them were Theo and Cooker. She almost couldn't contain the gasp that threatened to escape as she set eyes on Cooker. She wore a long sleeve shirt but one sleeve was tucked into her pants. Her arm was gone and next to her, Theo looked incensed, her brows knit together and arms crossed in her seat as she refused to get up to greet them.

Cooker didn't stand up either but her expression was not one of anger, instead, she was oddly amused.

Ava shook her head as she took in the two in front of her. How hadn't she been made aware of this? She was no longer mildly put off by the lack of communication but furious. Turning to face Brandon broke some of that anger down. One look at him revealed that he knew nothing. He was aghast, mouth slightly open as he took the appearance of his sister in. A frown grew and he shook his head.

"I heard from Kao about the mission but he didn't tell me this," Brandon looked like he was the one that had gotten injured by the distress emanating from him.

"We asked him to omit that from communications. If it got intercepted, we wouldn't want anyone knowing that we are traveling across the ocean with a key vanguard member recovering at the moment," Theo shook her head with a sigh and a shrug, "What a shame, right? How unfortunate a thing it is when people keep crucial information from those they've agreed to work with. It's a trait some of us in the room seem to hold though."

"Captain Theo, I-" Brandon paused as the words came to him.

"You what?" Theo didn't give him the chance, "You want to give me a reason for some of the choices that have been made? Do you want to explain why there was something in the plan that was not passed by us? An addition that caused Cooker to get her fighting arm blown off."

Everyone looked over to the person in question who just raised her good arm and gave them all a wave with a delighted expression on her face. Ava couldn't help but laugh at the grin despite something of such a magnitude having happened to her. What was sobering was the verbiage that Theo had used.

Blown off.

Had it been shot off? Had there been some sort of bomb? What was the plan that had been kept under wraps?

"What happened?" Ava finally spoke up.

"He didn't tell you?" Cooker asked.

"He didn't," Cameron spoke up and Ava's head turned to face him. It surprised her and there was a bit of contempt on his face aimed at his brother.

"For whatever reason the revolution decided they would add a final step to our mission, blow up the prison," Theo scoffed a bit and threw up her hands, "I mean, was this not supposed to be a trial run for our full involvement? Is that the best this rebellion has to offer? Is this an example of the movement? Morally corrupt and horrifically violent when it's supposed to be at its most exemplary?"

"We would have never had another chance at this, Captain. It was strategically the best move at the moment. There were not supposed to be that many people still inside," he admitted.

"There were though," Cooker said.

"I know and Kao assured me that you all had agreed that there would no longer be any effort in bringing the prison down," Brandon informed Theo, "He said the plan had changed when you objected. Clay acted alone."

"Suitable cover now that Clay is gone and can't rebuttal that," Theo hummed and looked to Cooker who nodded along.

"He worked by himself on this," he assured them.

"Then you can't control your people," Theo accused.

"Of course I cannot. And neither can you. Not when it comes to matters like this. This is partly an ideological war and some people will just go off on their own. It's a side effect. It will happen."

"You seem pretty indifferent to the fact that hundreds of people were murdered," she continued to press.

"I am not! It is a serious issue but you are forcing me into a defensive position about my revolution!" Brandon argued back, finally snapping.

Cooker leaned in to whisper something into Theo's ear and there was a smile that crossed her face before it was wiped off.

"We will drop the matter for now," Theo said, "anything else before we move past the Drokian conversation?"

"Thank you for securing Parrot. He is safely en route to Dove Island with Kao," Brandon acknowledged as he walked toward the table, "I heard that you managed to extract your prisoner."

"Aye, he and his son will be on their way inland to Nefriti," Theo cleared her throat and sat up a bit, "I prefer if we cut to business. Still with many contingencies to be discussed, word from the rest of my crew has come back and the crew with me has voted and we will join your revolution. Before we even get into discussing any of that, you should be warned we have nonnegotiable points that must be met or we walk."

"Our views and ethics are often aligned, Captain Theo, even if you choose not to believe that. I will likely not see a problem with your demands," Brandon nodded.

"Then we may begin negotiations," Theo motioned to Brandon to take the conversation in his direction.

Ava was surprised. Her initial assumption when she heard Theo retell what happened in Drokian was that the partnership was dead in the water. A blatant lie, one that cost hundreds of lives, was told to them on what was allegedly a trial mission. If that was them at their best, Ava was afraid of what the rebels could be capable of outside of prying eyes.

"Let us sit, let us eat, and then let us come to an agreement," Brandon walked forward to pull his chair out from the table and waited for others to do the same. They all sat down and the food was brought in shortly after.

Ava had to be subtle about her and Theo so she could not protest much when she did not get the spot she had been hoping for. Instead of sitting right in front of Theo, she got to sit with Cooker.

"Where is your associate, Lord Furdash?" Theo asked.

"Ignaci has important business to attend to with reclassification almost upon us. He is in Aeliz," Brandon explained as the food had finished being set on the tables. Once the waitstaff left he asked, "How was your journey?"

"Inconvenient," Theo chuckled, "we had to row forever and then ride in from a different city."

"I do apologize for that. I could not be very flexible with my timing or locations," Brandon bowed his head in an apology.

Theo caught Ava's eye with a slight smirk and Ava could read it easily. She loved it when whoever she was in business with was scared of saying the wrong thing in front of her– especially if it was a man of means. Instead of answering the apology, Theo began to serve both herself and Cooker from the dishes in front of them.

"If you don't mind, we've had a long journey and are famished," Theo said.

"Please, by all means. I am overjoyed you show no hesitation, I thought maybe some fears of poison were going to impede a lovely dinner," Brandon attempted to joke.

Cooker reached her arm out and placed it over Theo's arm to stop her from serving more and Theo complied. They both blinked at Brandon, expressionless. Cooker narrowed her eyes and Theo began to set down the bowl in her hand.

"Well, now they will," Theo said.

Ava laughed and so did Cameron next to her. She served herself from the same bowl and took a bite from the food.

"I think we are safe to eat," Ava said once she had swallowed and Theo shot her an obviously smitten smile as she finished serving herself and Cooker.

After a few bites, Ava wiped her mouth and looked up at Cooker, "How are you doing?"

"You know, it could have been worse. I could be facing many more obstacles but I planned for this. Even in our short time together, you learned my motto."

"Different arms, different purposes," Ava joked.

Cooker laughed and then held her hand up, putting up two of her fingers in the air, "Can you guess which one didn't get blown off?"

"Nothing got blown off," Theo corrected with a chuckle, "I said that before but for dramatic effect. You can't claim that."

"Don't fuck this up for me, Theo," Cooker teased, "saying it blew up sounds much cooler."

"What happened then?" Cameron asked from the edge of the table and Cooker looked over.

"I'm sticking to my story," Cooker chuckled, "it got blown off."

Cameron laughed along with the answer, "Does it hurt?"

"A bit," she nodded, "nothing too bad. I once had a rash from a jellyfish that lasted a cycle and hurt worse than this."

Cameron shook his head, "I can't imagine going through either. The most pain I've been in was when I accidentally poured a pot of tea on myself."

Cooker laughed as she jutted her chin toward him and shrugged a shoulder, "And how are you holding up with noble life? Honeymoon going well so far? Politicking coming naturally?"

"I cannot complain."

"He can complain," Ava teased a bit and they exchanged a slight look, permission for him to speak freely.

"I can complain. I don't like it too much," Cameron acknowledged, "I prefer to have to think less at every moment."

That earned him a laugh from most of the room and Ava wasn't sure he knew what was so funny.

"If you ever want to think about nothing at all, come join us. We could always use someone of your height on deck," Cooker teased but Ava knew that he would be accepted if he tried to run away.

Brandon took offense to the offer, "He will be staying in Aubermasse."

"He can do what he wants," Cooker said.

"I am not losing another sibling. He is staying where I can monitor him," Brandon bit.

Ava looked over to Cameron and reached under the table to squeeze his hand, flashing him a smile. He returned the squeeze and kept out of the conversation. The tense moment hung in the air, neither of them re-engaging. The sound of utensils filled the room and Ava pulled her hand from Cameron to begin eating. In front of her, Cooker was struggling to cut her food into manageable pieces. Theo was next to her, watching but not getting involved.

Brandon took it upon himself to say something though, "Cooker, I can help you."

He reached for the plate but she pulled it away from his reach and glared at him.

"I prefer that you sit with the discomfort of having to watch the collateral damage of thoughtless attacks," Cooker bit, challenging him in a tone that had quickly turned nasty.

Theo's jaw was clenched, looking quite upset as well and Ava would have hated to be there when everything had occurred. Whoever was in Theo's path must have been trampled on that night.

Cooker finished cutting her food and then put a bit in her mouth.

After chewing as she stared Brandon down, she turned her attention to Ava, "Red. I think we should tell him. Theo's on board. I'm on board. The crew's on board. We are committing. It's time."

Ava nodded and straightened up, dabbing the corners of her mouth with her napkin. She cleared her throat, "Of course. Should I or should you?"

"Do the honors. It was your discovery," Theo said.

Brandon looked over at her, "What do you know?"

Ava tried to keep her smile at bay. It was useful to have a discussion on how they would proceed in the rendezvous if everything went well while they were in Niveal. They had decided on their demands, and their plan of action, and approximated the best way to lay it all out. But even further than the usefulness of it, it allowed them to catch Brandon off guard.

The look of surprise on his face was worth the mental stress of a late meeting with all of the officers the night she had arrived in Niveal. It was a meeting that made her feel like she was still a part of the crew. It gave her a glimpse of her past and what she hoped to be her future. Even then, with Cooker and Theo deferring to her for the explanation, she felt like a part of them once again.

A noble by disguise, but a pirate at her core.

She should have been more apprehensive to share her biggest secret but it felt less monumental than when she had discovered it. Even if Brandon ended up betraying them and spreading the word, who would believe him? What could even come of it? Would it even come as a surprise to anyone that was paying attention to the world around them?

"Being heir has provided me with a certain knowledge of the way our government works," Ava hid the exact details of her finding out and her adventures in The Vault. She turned to look at him, "There is a group of nobles that have been around since the beginning that are pulling the strings. The Ten never gave up power, for the most part, they just changed their names and relinquished power to one of their kin. Some of those in this group overlap with current, sitting Councilmembers. They always do. They are strategic about it and stack The Council in a way that is favorable to them without drawing too much attention. But the power is with them. It always has been. It is not the whole noble class, it is not the whole Council, it is just these seven houses. That is who we need to target."

Brandon was shaking his head, not saying anything. The look on his face indicated to her that he did not believe her.

"Vaiths are one of them. El-Umandi's. Barthes. Four others. Total of seven of them. The other three have been lost to time," Theo listed off.

"Aye, and as I mentioned the heads of those houses control who gets on The Council. But they also have input in reclassification, like who gets blocked from power or dropped from it. They have a hand in all the crucial decisions when it comes to the way higher society is structured and how power is shared," Ava continued, "The government, Baethos, all of its institutions, all of that is held up by them. It is not enough to simply weaken Baethos as a whole. As long as they are alive and able to carry out coordinated plans, The Center will not fall. I think we need to bring them down."

"Given this information, we have our first nonnegotiable, this is not just any revolution. We need to play this like a jester's rebellion," Theo presented the first of their terms.

"It's the closest we've ever come and we have that opportunity again. It is the right strategy," Ava backed Theo up.

Brandon–still silent– raised an eyebrow and looked between everyone. Bewildered. It was quite a different reaction than anyone else she had told. It was the same shock she felt. Perhaps, the ruse that her father and his allies crafted worked better on the nobles than it did for anyone else. Those closest to the source were the blindest.

Brandon had most likely spent lengths crafting plans, strategies, and solutions that the revolution would be based around. This new information changed everything. He continued to shake his head and dart his eyes around the room.

"Jester's rebellion was a two-front approach. We have some people working on the inside to derail the government and crumble it while others work to confront The Center on the ground and engage the army," Cooker explained when he still hadn't answered.

"I know what it was," Brandon said, "It didn't work last time. There is a reason it hasn't been attempted again."

"We didn't have this kind of knowledge," Theo argued, "we can be precise with our plans and our targets now. We also didn't have this kind of access. A handful of noble and greater houses does not compare to having the heir to the Vaith house and Council seat at our disposal."

"The navy, the ground troops, the attacks, the physical fight will be the jester. It will act as a distraction. It will draw out their resources, and their mental energy, and sow doubt in the people's heads that The Center can continue to protect them. Then, a few of us work on bringing The Center down from the inside. Tear down the institutions they use to function. Force them to their knees," Cooker argued, passion clear in her tone and face.

"You suggest that we kill our own men just to distract," Brandon accused.

"We are not sending anyone to their deaths; it is a distraction, not a sacrifice. We need both approaches. That is why the other one was so successful. One branch of the plan does not work without the other. But only one will be in the spotlight," Cooker shot back.

Brandon didn't answer, he was deep in thought. He slid his chair back and stood up, putting his hands behind his back as he narrowed his eyes. Ava would have paid to know what he was thinking. He began to walk around the room, most likely processing what was happening.

"The need for a jester's rebellion brings me to my next non-negotiable. We need complete secrecy about it. No one can know who we have on the inside or even that we are working from the inside more than usual. Red will only be involved in the work at Aubermasse, not with the rest of the revolution, and no one but a select few can know what she is doing or that she is with us," Theo presented the second of their terms.

"And who would that be?" Brandon asked from one corner of the room.

"Our crew. Some pirates I trust. The people you trust the most. Not many others," Theo stood up too so she could get a good view of Brandon.

"How do you plan on bringing them to their knees from the inside, as you say?" Brandon asked.

"We don't have that figured out yet," Cooker admitted.

"You expect me to pitch a complete overhaul of our established way forward without even knowing how you will manage a victory?" Brandon laughed, "I think I have overstated your importance to the revolution, I cannot swing that."

Theo took a few steps toward him, "We are presenting to you our terms, and if they are not met we walk. I am not saying you need to do this. I am saying if you don't, we will not work with you. And you didn't overstate anything, you didn't need to. I have seen the state of your navy, I know you have no choice but to swing it with your friends."

"We don't know what to do yet. But that is what Red will figure out when she gets back to Aubermasse," Cooker also stood up, trying to mitigate a potential fight, "she can be a source of information in the meantime as she searches for the answers on how to deteriorate their institution."

"Absolutely," Ava agreed, "I will continue to grow my relationships and see how to best approach taking them down. In the meantime, I will know what The Council and other nobles are planning to do as retaliation once the revolution strikes."

"It has already struck," Theo frowned, "the prison explosion in Drokian will be on their minds now. They will know it was strategic. We have lost the advantage of surprise."

Brandon knew that Theo was right by the slight grimace on his face when she spoke. He nodded, coming around to everything that had been suggested.

"And on the jester's side? On the side where we will need the most support, do you plan on helping? You are committing to this revolution?" Brandon clarified.

"We are, I just told you at the beginning of this conversation that we are on board," Theo crossed her hands in front of her, "the crew has ruled."

"And you accept the position as head of our Navy?" Brandon asked.

Theo hesitated and Ava could see the struggle in her, her lips twitched downward but she recovered and maintained a stone face. Her chest rose as she took a deep inhale.

"My crew voted to be involved, I will be involved," Theo framed her answer to her liking.

"Do you have a clear answer to the offer on the table, Captain? Will you accept the position as head of our Navy?"

"I have more caveats."

"This is negotiation. It is the right time to air out whatever you want to say," Brandon said.

"No needless death for our people. And the utmost care to not take civilians' lives in the process of our revolution. Save whatever argument you have as to the vagueness of that request or the subjectivity of it. Preventing needless death is my top priority," Theo stared him down, looking for any sort of protest, "What happened in Drokian? That was needless death, all around."

"I agree."

Theo raised an eyebrow, head flinching back slightly, "At what point did that register? Before you made the plans or after."

"After," he admitted and Theo didn't look too convinced. He didn't let her sit with it too long, "you have other things to mention?"

"Once I am done making sure you understand what constitutes needless," Theo tested, narrowing her eyes a bit, "I want no one to be thought of as collateral damage. I want no one to be thought of as a pawn. They are not just bodies we can throw in front of the fire as we attempt to put it out."

"I am in complete agreement with that," Brandon nodded, "I will have that at the front of my mind. And with your advice, we can do better moving forward."

Theo turned to Cooker and shot her a look of annoyance. Cooker acknowledged her with a nod and Theo turned back. Ava covered her mouth as subtly as she could to not laugh. She had heard Theo complain many times about hating to be in partnerships with men. She never felt they pulled their load and Ava couldn't blame her.

"And I want the penalty of breaching that standard to be death," Theo stated.

She let the statement hang in the room as Brandon fumbled over the words.

"Surely-" Brandon scoffed a bit, "Captain Theo, surely you do not expect us to simply hand down a death sentence to anyone that incurs a civilian casualty."

"No. Not everyone," Theo shrugged, "just those that intentionally cause it. Or those that take risks knowing it can harm bystanders and do it anyway."

"That is a highly subjective matter. We cannot rule what is or is not intentional," Brandon called out, falling right into what Theo had said she didn't want.

"Then they are detained while an investigation takes place as to their intentions and risk assessment," Theo stood her ground, "if the penalty is high, I promise you people will be going out of their way to avoid it."

Brandon opened his mouth to respond but Cooker spoke up instead.

"I wouldn't push it, mate. You are lucky you got her to agree to this shit after what you pulled," she advised, "agree to her terms and be thankful there aren't more."

Brandon nodded, a nonverbal concession to the request.

"But I will not be calling for Kao's execution. He did not know that Clay was going to act alone. I know from him and from those who have written to me that are around him that he is despondent. He would not have allowed his brother to die in that way," Brandon argued in his favor.

"He doesn't need to die. But remove him from the field," Theo proposed.

"I cannot."

"He failed the mission."

"It was a success at the end of it. It incurred too many deaths but it was a success. We extracted both our targets."

"We did not do anything. I extracted our targets. I delivered. He failed. His mission was to get me to join and he did nothing but push me away. If it wasn't for Cooker convincing the whole crew to vote in favor of joining, this would be a different conversation. He failed to control someone he had to know would try some shit. That was his brother, he knew Clay would do it. Even if he didn't hear the words or know of the plan to go ahead with it any way he had to have known something would be up," Theo accused and Brandon did not defend him.

No one could argue with that.

"He will struggle, undoubtedly, in his brother's absence. I feel for him, I do. His priorities will not be in line. You said it yourself, he is despondent. He needs to grieve and heal, the other deaths are also going to weigh him down. The revolution would be better with him in another position, outside of the action," Theo put it more gently that time, taking an empathetic approach, "I am not saying purge his existence from the ranks. But I think what he has gone through is a lot."

"You went through the same thing," Brandon pointed out.

"Barely. I had nothing to do with the explosion. It weighs heavy on my soul but not my conscience."

"But you were there. You dealt with the aftermath. Would that logic of grief and vengeance not fuel you?"

Theo just chuckled and shook her head. Cooker did too. Ava filled in the blanks.

They had experienced mass death before. Nobles and greater house members were less equipped for something that jarring. She knew that firsthand.

"Terms are agreed? Theo's moral demands have been met?" Cooker asked and Theo rolled her eyes.

They were Cooker's demands too. Everyone in the room knew it.

"Yes," Brandon promised and extended his hand to Theo, "Welcome, Captain."

Ava considered for a moment that Theo would slight him but she took the diplomatic route. She took his hand and shook it. She nodded but said nothing in return.

"You good?" Cooker asked.

"Aye," Theo pulled her hand away.

"So, where are we right now? Numbers, structure, needs," Cooker turned to her brother.

"We need more. More manpower, more funding, more connections, more weapons, more resources. We just need more," Brandon walked back toward the table and rested his hands against the back of his chair, "but that is not to say we are not in a good place to build. We have got the people that matter. We have the support of most townspeople we come across, We have a vast network of sympathizers and allies. We have cells everywhere that have risen up organically and are looking for a central cause to unify them."

"We've met some of them," Theo recalled the hired ride into Dricaster when they had infiltrated the Ammyrett's ball, "but with groups that formed prior, it can get dangerous. They have their own ideals."

"That is what we have and the best we could probably ever do," Brandon responded, "at least we know they cannot be bought by The Center."

"That is true," she conceded.

"Now that you have agreed to join. I was hoping that with your connections and experience, you could get the right people involved. Those that could stand to benefit from a world free of The Center and are somewhat aligned to the cause," Brandon made the request, "Traders, roamers, and pirates. We could use their expertise and their resources. They have routes on land and at sea that would be invaluable as well. Do you have the capability to bring them to our side? Or at least pitch them this idea of a revolution?"

Theo and Cooker turned to each other and spoke in whispers, a foreign language filling the silence. The fluidity with which Theo spoke clued her into it being Aelizan. Brandon seemed miffed that he could not understand what they said but he kept his attitude under wraps. After a minute, they disentangled themselves and looked at Brandon.

"We will work on it. I can't make any guarantees but I can raise the idea of a revolution to them and see who wants to join," Theo said.

"Who is them?" he asked.

"The people we know and trust. The scumbags that rise to the top when thinking of scumbags," Cooker teased, "those we trust. Ones we know are good–for the most part."

"And if they do not join?

"They don't join. We hope they keep their mouth shut but if they don't then The Center knows and that is fine too. It can't be kept a secret for long anyhow, they know something is brewing. Might as well confirm to them we are planning something. In fact, it's better that they know a revolution is about to break out. It makes them nervous. Gives Red a better chance to gain trust within her circles," Theo strategized.

"How soon do you think you can make that happen?"

"Getting them on our side? Or at least trying to," Cooker confirmed and Brandon nodded.

The two pirates turned to each other once again and Ava chuckled to herself. Looking around the room as they discussed in Aelizan, she saw both Mallory and Cameron paying close attention to what was happening but neither of them had said anything.

Theo cleared her throat to pull their attention and when everyone granted it, she motioned to Cooker.

"We need five cycles. That would give us enough time to reach out to our people on land and have them start on the logistics of everything. We will send out our request for a meeting to people we hope to ally with. It will take a few cycles just to arrange communication to go out and then at least another three cycles to allow for travel once they are in receipt of the letters. Five cycles total," Cooker said.

"And this meeting, where will it be located?" Brandon asked.

"Our haven. There is a nice secluded spot a few miles away that people can anchor near and we will escort them to our island on dinghies," Theo divulged, "It's in Aeliz. So, it'll be up north but still central compared to other places we could have the meeting."

"I thought Corinspe was closer to North Efriti?"

"I'm not talking about Corinspe," Theo said.

"We left Corinspe. We are no longer Corispian pirates. We ventured off on our own," Cooker provided, "we've settled elsewhere and that is where we will host those we reach out to."

"Was that an important part of our arrangement?" Theo tested.

"It would have been useful to mention, but no. It was not critical to the offer," Brandon replied.

"Good. This gives us more autonomy anyway. Better for the revolution in the long run. But Corinspian pirates will be there," Theo assured him.

"I also need to be there. I have to be covert but I want to be present," he put forth his own demand.

"We expect you to," Cooker said.

Brandon nodded and Theo turned to Ava who had been quietly observing.

"Anything to add?"

Ava shook her head, "No. The plan seems good. But nothing is set in stone."

"No," Theo confirmed, "you try and find the path forward in your arena and we will try and find the path forward in ours and hopefully we can solidify something soon."

"Fair enough," Ava said with a smile and it seemed like they were lost in their world the moment they had locked eyes, "how will we exchange information? I am sure that I will need to know what is discussed on the island and you all will need to know what I find is our best approach."

"Perhaps Brandon can make sure that whatever is decided on can be relayed to Cameron and Cameron can share it with you?" Theo suggested, looking at the parties mentioned.

Brandon shook her head, "Maybe in the future but not this time. I will need to leave straight from Aeliz to my estate. I cannot be gone for long and with reclassification inching closer, I must go home."

"You can write to us," Cameron finally spoke up and Ava felt bad.

It was going to get shot down. But he would be alright, she had dealt with the same things many times before.

"Exchanging intelligence verbally is the only way we can guarantee that the Vaiths are not getting ahold of whatever information we are passing along," Brandon shook his head, "whatever we write to each other needs to be above board."

"And what if we send the letters through underground means? Are there no secret systems for that kind of thing?" Cameron looked to Cooker then back to Brandon.

"It incurs too many risks. And there are too many people involved in letter exchanges. They can't always be trusted," Theo noted even though the question wasn't addressed to her.

The reminder made Ava angry although she had already told Viv she would move on from it.

"Since Brandon cannot make it to exchange information, can you?" Ava asked.

"I think so," Theo nodded.

"Are you fucking mad?" Cooker laughed and looked over at her, "You'd be walking straight into the Vaith's lair if you traveled to Aubermasse."

"Being right under his nose is probably our best bet," Theo waved Cooker's concern off, "I'll take proper precautions and cover my tracks. Do you have any ideas for meeting up, Red?"

"I have a few that come to mind," she nodded, "we can discuss logistics after negotiations and lunch have concluded."

"Very well," Theo said with a nod and turned to Brandon, "Best to keep you out of those plans, aye? Keep your hands clean. Gives you the ability to deny you know what is going on."

"I am alright with that," Brandon agreed.

"Good, then that is settled," Theo sat down, finally. Everyone that had stood up followed suit, "And as for the sun-to-sun revolution, the on-the-ground approach where we will be involved, we need to talk strategy. We can't meet them in an open environment."

"We need to wear them down. We cannot play by their rules," Cooker tacked on.

Theo continued, "This is not really a requirement but this is our official recommendation. We engage in guerilla tactics, not taking them head-on. If we do that, they win every time. We need to be sneaky. We have to hit them where they are and where it hurts. We need to weaken them and distract them but we cannot do it in traditional war or combat."

"We attempted that by taking out the prison in Drokian. Kao wrote to me about how you reacted to it at first," Brandon pointed out, "he said that you thought it was a monumentally bad idea."

"Because it was," Cooker laughed and spoke in place of Theo, "what was the logic behind it?"

"Shut down their largest holding facility. Shut down the trade of prisoners across South Efriti. Stop arrests," Brandon argued, the same thing the Kymilies had said.

"Who thought this was a good idea?" Cooker asked.

"Everyone who has input on missions like this. Dozens of people."

Cooker and Theo fixed each other with a look and Theo rolled her eyes, holding her hand out and communicating something nonverbally to Cooker. Even Ava couldn't tell what it was.

"Not one person thought of any of the negative possibilities? Or the fact that things wouldn't work out that way? No one considered that in the absence of an ability to arrest, they would just kill whoever they considered a nuisance," Cooker asked as she stared her brother down, "Did no one ask what the fallout would be for the citizens of Drokian? Or how that would increase the soldier's presence in the area?"

Brandon stayed quiet. He took a slow, deep breath and still could not speak after it. The questions had left him speechless.

"How?" Theo laughed and pushed her hair back, crossing one leg over the other, "how did the danger to people not cross anyone's mind? Dozens of people and not one had the fucking experience on the ground to think through any of that."

"We have people that have experience on the ground, in the thick of Baethos' violence," Brandon defended.

"So you've surrounded yourselves with out-of-touch rich last namers or bloodthirsty rebels bent on nothing but revenge, no thoughts toward the long term," Theo assessed, making sweeping claims made to incense.

And it worked.

Brandon shook his head and held a finger out to her, then retracted it. His jaw was tight and Ava had wound him up like that before, "You are making it really hard to want to listen to what you have to say."

Theo shrugged a bit.

"People say diplomacy is your skill but I see none of that," Brandon said, "I hope you are able to be on better behavior with those you invite to your island."

"Felt good about that? Is it out of your system? Now may we discuss some potential strategies of how to carry out an insurgency while minimizing death?" Theo asked.

Brandon took a moment to compose himself, then he nodded, "We may."

—----------------------------------------

Discussion on strategy and approaches had lasted more than an hour. Discussion of other details lasted yet another hour. And by the time the plates had been cleared and the agenda had been run down, it was mid-after morning and about time for them to start heading back.

Brandon had left the room to settle their bill. Cameron and Mallory had taken up a conversation in the corner of the table with Cooker. For just a moment, they had been left somewhat alone. Theo got out of her seat and found her way to the chair next to Ava. She pulled Ava's chair a bit closer to her.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Theo asked.

"Running away. Definitely, running away," Ava laughed.

"You and Mallory?" Theo squeezed her thigh.

"Talking. Being nice to each other. I haven't pressed for too much information about her plans. I am leaving that alone," Ava divulged and reached down to tangle their hands together, "are you proud?"

"Did you do it just because you thought I would be upset if you didn't?" Theo laughed softly, trying not to draw attention.

"Partly," Ava teased and then looked at Theo, a hint of worry crossing her face, "keep her safe. Please?"

"I promise," Theo nodded then glanced over at them, "Do you think Cam's going to take Cooker up on her offer to leave?"

"No. I don't think so," Ava looked over toward them and then back to Theo.

They locked eyes and were silent. It was a tender moment and Theo wished she could have more. She wished she could go back to a time when having Ava around was a given, not a luxury.

"Guess I will see you at some point in the next five or six cycles," Theo brought them into reality, "and hopefully you have information on a way to bring it all down and I will have successfully negotiated an underworld alliance."

"No pressure," Ava chuckled.

Theo glanced around as she rubbed her thumb over Ava's.

"It's inappropriate to kiss right now so this will have to suffice," Theo whispered and Ava smiled, squeezing their hands a bit. The people in the room were fine to be witnesses but Brandon could walk in at any moment and neither of them wanted him to know.

A tug of her hand brought her attention back to Ava.

"Be safe, please," Ava pleaded, "do not put yourself in harm's way."

"I seem to have luck on my side, I'll be good."

"You've got the help of gods you don't even worship."

"O worships Pelas enough for the both of us," Theo joked and brought up Ava's hand to kiss it, "I'll just be sailing and meeting with people I know on my own turf. You have to face your father."

"I will be fine. I think I am understanding how to work him," Ava admitted.

"I know you don't want me to worry because I can't control anything but I have been thinking about the repercussions of Drokian since before it even happened," Theo shook her head, "O's father being one of our targets isn't a coincidence. How much does your father know about him? And with you being so close to the action because of your visit to Safriti... Now, the explosion-"

"I can handle it," Ava assured her, no disdain in her tone toward Theo bringing up her anxieties.

"I know... But this is your father we are talking about," Theo stressed, "Thousands of people go to sleep just to be plagued with nightmares of him. I was one of them."

"I understand that. But there is no way for them to even know who was taken anymore. The explosion covered the tracks, they don't know that the revolution even took anyone out. They might have just thought it was an attack on the prison. And I will act upset, make them believe that Oceane's father was still there. I am not worried."

Theo nodded, "That makes one of us."

Ava rolled her eyes slightly but there was a smile on her face, "And how do you feel everything went this aftermoning, General?"

Theo laughed and pulled her hand away, "I'm not a general. I am heading their navy."

"The head of a navy is often called a general," Ava hummed, a smirk on her face.

"Then as a general should you not treat me with more respect?" Theo teased, "And I suppose this aftermorning went fine. You were the best part of it."

Ava reached out and put her hand on Theo's cheek. She instinctively leaned in a bit, smiling at the noble in front of her. The touch spread warmth through her chest and she closed her eyes for a moment. Opening them back up, Ava was no longer smiling. The worry once again rested with her.

"You will have enough struggles as it is. Do not let doubt be one of them, yeah?" Ava said.

Theo felt the words sink into her chest. She was taken aback for a moment. The intuition of a quartermaster hadn't left her. Perhaps, it wasn't even that of a quartermaster but the intuition of someone that saw her, that understood her. She gave a weak smile in return.

"My lady, that is impossible," Theo took Ava's hand off her cheek and held it in both of hers, "but at the very least, I will avoid doubts about myself."

"What other doubts do you have?"

"About the choices I made regarding being involved in this," she admitted with a slight whisper, shaking her head, "I can't say for certain that I made the right decision. Or that I acted in the interest of my crew by staying neutral during the vote."

"That is what you have always done."

"And I am wondering if that was the best route to take."

"I think you know that it was," Ava assured her and Theo smiled a bit.

"Maybe you are right," she took a deep breath, "either way, there is no way out of it now and I will never get to see you because we both made the moral choice instead of the right choice."

"Good and moral are the same thing," Ava lamented but there was a smile still on her lips, "and stop being so dramatic. I'll see you in five cycles, Captain."

"And how are we going to see each other again? We don't exactly run the same circles, so do you have anything in mind to solve that, powerful Lady of the house?

"Luckily for you, I do. We meet at the Aubermasse loungehouse. I will go once every few suns randomly, to avoid it being an obvious pattern. When you are ready to meet with me, come to the loungehouse. When you go, ask the front for the private room in the South Hall. When I go, I will always ask in code if that room is taken by you, and if it is they will tell me and I will find my way to you. Just be patient and wait for me I will find you there eventually. If I don't come one sun, I will come the next."

"How did you manage that?"

"I haven't. But I will. I will get someone I trust to work there. Or find a sympathizer of the revolution through Brandon who can help," Ava said and Theo couldn't help but laugh.

"Will you be allowed to leave so often to the loungehouse?" Theo asked.

"In five cycles, yes. If not, something has gone seriously wrong. And, I might ask for brothel workers and establish of a pattern of allowing them in. I have a strategy so that we can be together in the estate if that is possible. Sneak you in as one of them. Use our tunnels. Viv knows how to. She's indicated that to me quite recently," Ava said.

"You like to gamble with my life?" Theo pulled Ava's chair a bit closer and raised an eyebrow.

"You love the risk," she challenged.

"I do love the idea of being under your father's roof and him being none the wiser," Theo hummed and couldn't help but have her eyes drop to Ava's lips.

Without warning, Ava pulled them into a kiss and Theo's eyes fluttered closed as she let it happen. Their lips moved together for only a moment before they had to separate. Brandon hadn't come in and the other three were none the wiser. Theo shook her head with a slight laugh and Ava joined in.

"I'll have to come in from a different city," Theo noted.

"Aye, it'll be quite a journey for you to come to see me," Ava smirked a bit, "but I am worth the effort."

Theo chuckled a bit, "How are you feeling about going back to Aubermasse? Prepared?"

The smile fell off her face, "You know I'm going to have to do things that are not me."

"I know."

"Like fucked up shit. My father is going to continue to lean on me for difficult things to test me. And if I am playing the role I need to for the rebellion, I need to do those things and keep his trust," Ava laid out what Theo already knew.

"Red, I understand. I will advocate for you to the crew," she promised, but she knew it wasn't too reassuring.

"After this..." Ava said and took Theo's hand again.

She nodded, "Aye. After this, we are selfish. The Center falls and we're out. World tour on a little ship."

Ava laughed and shook her head, "That's not how it will work."

"Nothing can stop us."

"I will hold this conversation against you when everything stops us."

"You're fighting with me and we have such limited time with each other?" Theo teased.

She was going to risk it and go in for another kiss but the door opened before she could. She pulled away and put a slight bit of distance between them. Brandon didn't look their way though, he nodded over to Cooker and beckoned her to him. Cooker peeled away from her conversation and took up the opposite corner of the room from them with Brandon. Theo didn't take her eyes away from them. It looked amicable; Theo wished she could hear what was being said.

"I almost forgot," Ava said and Theo forced herself to pull away from spying.

She looked over to Ava as she pulled out a book from the bag she had brought along with her.

"We have forgotten at every point," Ava held it out for her, "my brother's journal about your parents."

Theo took it and held it up with a nervous smile, "Good that we've forgotten in the past, proves I can not obsess over it."

"You have more self-control than anyone I know. It was never a question for me," Ava complimented but Theo could name many other people that had way more self-control than she had.

She looked at the book in her hands, then at Cooker, and saw the two siblings exchange something. She couldn't quite tell what it was and that made her stomach twist.

"I should go..." Theo said, unable to wipe the concern from her face.

"Go," Ava said, tracking her eyes to the pair of siblings in the corner. Ava didn't have all the details, Theo hadn't told her, but she was astute enough to know Theo didn't trust Brandon.

Theo stood up, putting two fingers under her tongue and whistling, "Oi, Cooker! We need to be going now. It's getting late and we should be heading back to the ship."

Cooker gave her a nod and turned back to Brandon to wrap up his goodbyes. Theo turned to Ava who was standing up and already looking her way.

"See you in five cycles, Red," Theo said then leaned in slightly to whisper, "Stay safe, yeah? I love you, exal."

Theo didn't get a chance to hear the words repeated back to her because Cooker had joined them and began to pull Theo away.

"Goodbye!" Mallory waved at them and Ava looked over with a roll of her eyes.

Theo saw the exchange and chuckled to herself as she exited the room with the same sinking feeling in her chest that she had when she had left Ava in Niveal.

"Have anything to tell me?" Theo pressed before they were even out of the building.

"About?"

"What did you chat with Brandon about?"

Cooker shrugged with a slight sigh, "Just offering me a spot as his right hand again. Which I had to reject, again."

"That's all?"

"Have anything you want to bring up?" Cooker asked.

"I saw you exchange something with him," Theo admitted.

Cooker opened the door for them and Theo walked out.

"I gave him a bag of loli. He had given me one after our meeting in Niveal and I had kept it as a test. Just to see that I could do it," Cooker offered up without much pressuring.

Her step faltered slightly as she looked over to her friend with slight shock, "That is incredibly stupid."

"Sure, had it gone badly. But it didn't. I passed the test," Cooker reasoned and when Theo opened her mouth to protest, she was cut off, "Do you not believe me?"

"I do believe you."

"Good. Then I will accept no further discussion on the issue as decreed by the power I hold for the next three cycles," Cooker reminded.

"You are much closer to two cycles," Theo reminded her but Cooker ignored her and walked into the alley near the building and began to trace their steps back to their ship.