"Look, I don't know what to do! This hasn't happened before!"
  "Adam, calm down. That's the first thing you have to do. Don't do anything hasty." The old man on the screen instructed. Sky sighed and took a deep breath and the man continued. "Good. Now, how long has she been your apprentice?"
  "About five months."
  "Good, another rookie. And you like her?"
  "Well I don't hate her."
  "Well, I didn't hate you either did I?"
  "You kinda did."
  "You drove a plane through my office, my opinion was justified."
  "Yeah but... Yeah..." Sky looked away as he realized the old man was right.
  "How long have you known she was gone?"
  "About twenty minutes." Sky said, leaning on the desk beside him.
  "What are the demands?"
  "Exchange her for me."
   The old man rolled his eyes. "Typical." He muttered.
   "Right?" Sky agreed. He cleared his throat. "So what do I do?"
   "What did I always do?"
   "You found me."
   "So what's stopping you from going and getting her?"
   "A lot of things actually." Sky ran his fingers through his hair.
   "Like what?"
   "Like Skyhold being under attack by the Teuthidans!" Sky raised his voice, gesturing behind him as though Skyhold was there.
  "Requesting urgent assistance?"
  "Requesting urgent assistance."
  "Damn..." The old man sighed. "Look, rookie, the way I see it, you're just gonna have to fight for Skyhold and then find her."
  Sky sighed back, bowing his head slightly. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that..."
  "You have a duty to-"
  "Yeah, yeah, duty to the innocents of the world. I get it, CV, I've been Commander long enough to know tha-"
  "Commander!"
  Sky froze. He his head turned to see none other than his brunette apprentice run into the room. Thalia stopped and tried to catch her breath, balancing her hands on her knees. "Why is the Ome-"
   She was cut off as she straightened up and Sky hugged her. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" He shouted he pulled away. "Are you alright? You're not hurt are you? They didn't hurt you?"
   Thalia stared at him. "...Who, Clancy and Vern?" She asked. She glanced behind her at Vern standing in the doorway, who shrugged in mutual confusion. "Uh... No. No, I'm fine."
   Sky stared at her. "Why don't you remember?"
   Thalia looked him up and down, taking a small step back. "Refresh my memory."
   "You were taken hostage by the squids, I just got a letter saying so!"
   "What - no, that was Logan."
   Sky stared at her. "Hah?"
   "I got knocked out for a bit and Logan took my place saying he was me - that's what I was saying when I came in. Ginger's been captured, we gotta get him back!"
   "Hang on, back up." Sky said. "How the hell was Logan Keyes mistaken for you?"
    "He wasn't mistaken, he took my place." Thalia replied. "To protect me and you."
    "How does that protect me?" Sky asked.
    "To be blunt, he's less import than Thalia." Vern said, joining the two in the center of the room.
    "Vern." Thalia said scoldingly.
    "Only stating reality, Miss Kal." Vern said. "As the Commander's apprentice, you hold much more urgency to be freed than your average recruit; Logan in particular."
    "What's that supposed to mean?" Thalia asked. "He's just as valuable as you and me and Clancy!"
    The old man smiled a little. "I like her."
    Thalia looked up at him on the screen, face timing Sky from hundreds of miles away. "Thank you, sir." She said. "Who are you exactly."
    The old man smirked. "Very straightforward."
    "Oh, um... Sorry."
    "No no, don't apologize. Don't ever apologize, young rookie, it's a sign of weakness." The old man said. "Besides, it was a compliment."
    Sky smiled. "Thalia, this is my old man. Commander Lawrence Void. Well, former Commander." He said. "CV, meet Thalia Kal, my apprentice."
    Void smiled, and Thalia looked at Sky for guidance. As she looked away from the screen, Sky saw Void glance down at her wrists and back up again, meeting Sky's gaze. Sky smiled a little and shook his head. Void nodded, leaning back in his chair. Vern, who had noticed the exchange while Thalia hadn't, cocked an eyebrow.
    Thalia shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "So what's going on? Why is the army scrambled, why is my dad here and why on earth is Venom blind?!"
    "Wait whoa - what do you mean Venom's blind?!"

Ten minutes earlier
   
    Thalia ran ahead of Vern and Clancy, and accidentally ran into Ty. "General!" She said. "Where's Sky?!"
    Ty looked at her like she'd seen a ghost. "Uh-"
    "Just tell me!"
    "Er... Conference Room. But Vaerin, he's talking to Commander Void-"
    "Thank you!" Thalia took off again.
    "You go with her, I'm gonna take this to the lab." Clancy said.
    "Maybe I should go with you." Vern said.
    Clancy rolled his eyes. "Trust me, I'm not going to blow it up."
    Vern stared at him knowingly. "Last time you said that, you were sore for a week."
    Clancy's face flushed in embarrassment. "Vern!" He said. "Not in public!"
    Vern smirked a little. "Heh... Maybe later, Barlow..."
    Clancy glared after him. "If you're lucky." Then he turned and ran off down the corridor, past fast moving recruits, to the lab.
    When he got there, he immediately noticed loud shouts coming from the Infirmary next door. He set the diamond down curiously and went to check it out, wondering if there was any drama to watch. There usually was when the base was scrambled.
    But when he peered through the door, he was met by a familiar sight. A very old friend was sitting on the side of a bed, looking panicked.
    Clancy's eyes widened. "Gene?!"
    The room quieted. The three around the medbed looked over at him in confusion.
    "Who said that?!" Venom asked, more hysterical than Clancy had ever seen.
    "Is she...?!"
    Wolf sighed. "Stun grenade..." She said. "Blinded her."
    Clancy shook his head in awe. "No way..."
    "How do you know her real name?" Kevin asked.
    "Knew her back when it was her only name." Clancy walked over to her and took her hand. "It's okay." He said when she tensed up. "It's Clancy, remember me? I was your neighbor, before you ran away."
    "O-Oh..." She relaxed a bit, but she didn't seem any less scared. She looked straight ahead with sightless, white eyes. "I-I can't see anything. I can't... I can't see, it's all black."
    Clancy looked at Seto. "Can't you fix it."
    Seto sighed. "Technically I could create something that could give her at least crude sight; like an alloy that could fix her perception."
    "Then do it!" Kevin said, and Wolf nodded her agreement.
    "I can't." Seto said. "It would take massive amounts of energy that we just don't have."
    Clancy hesitated, then glanced back in the direction of the red diamond. "Yeah..." He said. "We do."

"Let's take this from the top." Sky said. "Yesterday, we got two letters. One saying the squids had you held captive, and one from Skyhold requesting immediate assistance."
    "What?" Thalia stared at him. "What's going on at Skyhold?"
    "Teuthidans attacked them for some reason." Sky said. "So I can only think that they have one conclusion. They're not just trying to get us yet, they're trying to get the whole world. They're going for other armies too."
    "The Teuthidans sent an assassin to get me and when he took Logan, he dropped a note. It says he's being held and Skyhold." Thalia looked at him. "Commander, let me take a team to go after him-"
    "We're already going, Thalia." Sky said. "We have a treaty with Skyhold, it's our duty to help them. I only hope we get there in time..." Sky cleared his throat. "I got about a hundred recruits. I'll call for them to board the Omega in an hour."
    "Make it tomorrow morning."
    Sky looked up. "Clancy, I can't do that-"
    "Please, Commander." Clancy said, from the doorway. "I'm not serious about many things, but I'm serious about this."
    Sky didn't waver. "Why?"
    "You just have to trust me." Clancy said. "Please."
    Sky sighed. "Please, don't make me regret this, Barlow."
    Clancy nodded. "I won't."
    He ran out of the room again.
    "Sky, do you know where my dad is?" Thalia asked.
    "At Skyhold."
    "Skyhold?"
    "Yeah, he's at Skylord."
    "The Omega is his ship, if he's not flying it who is?"
    "Skylord Lysander is." Sky said. "Apparently your dad's too busy to leave."
    Thalia sighed. "Yeah, go figure."
    Sky smiled sadly. "This'll all turn out alright in the end." He said. "It always does."
    Thalia just nodded. "Yeah..."

Thalia, instead of getting a good night's rest, went to visit Venom and see if the rumors were true.
    Kevin had fallen asleep by her side. Thalia smiled sadly and was about to try to wake him up when she heard metal clatter to the floor in the lab. She looked up curiously and followed the sound.
   The lab was deserted aside from one familiar Brit, working at a lab table. "Clancy?"
    He didn't look up. "Yes, hello, I don't have time to talk right now."
    Thalia blinked and approached. "What are you doing with the red diamond...?"
    Clancy sighed. "I'm using it."
    Thalia stared at him. "For what?"
    "I'm making a thing so Venom can see." Clancy shook his head. "I'm almost done, so if you aren't going to help, please leave. I need to concentrate."
    Thalia hesitated, then nodded. "I'll help."
    Clancy looked up at her. "Thalia, you do realize we just went on a week and half - long mission to get this and I'm using all of its energy at once to fix your friend."
    "That's exactly why I'm helping, now what do I do?" Thalia asked.
    Clancy smiled a little and got back to work. "Hand me the smallest hammer on that wall over there for me."
    Thalia retrieved the hammer as quickly as she could.
    The two worked for two hours before they finally finished. It was a crude silver lump, about the size of a quarter, that had been attached to a string. "It's not much but I can fix it after she comes home... Make it cool like she likes."
    "How do you know that's what she likes?" Thalia asked softly.
    "We knew each other." Clancy explained. "A long time ago."
    He picked up the crude necklace they'd made and walked into the Infirmary. "He put it around her neck as Thalia woke Kevin up. "Hey Kevin, look."
    Kevin opened his as and stretched as he sat up. He looked at Venom sadly. "Look at what...?" He asked tiredly. He looked at Clancy in confusion and Clancy smiled, shaking his hand. "Clancy Barlow, by the way, I'm a Cadet. And very old friend of Venom's."
    Kevin eyed the necklace. "What's that?"
    "Well, let's see if it works before I get your hopes up..." Clancy shook Venom's shoulder gently. "Venom? You gotta get up now."
    Venom slowly opened her eyes and then blinked several times. "Wh... What...?"
    "Hey, take it slow." Clancy said. "You could damage your eyes even worse if you go too fast."
    Venom looked at him. "Clancy?"
    "Yeah, I'm here. Don't worry, you're fine." Clancy helped her stand up slowly. "Okay now stay there..." He took a few steps away. "How many fingers?"
    "Two."
    Kevin looked at her in shock.
    Clancy stepped further away. "How about now?"
    Venom didn't need to hesitate or squint. "Four." Clancy stepped out of the Infirmary and across the hall. "Two."
    "You can see?" Kevin asked.
    "It's all black and white." Venom said. "I-I don't understand... How...?"
    "I don't quite understand it." Thalia said. "But the stone connects to your brain and your optic nerve and lets you see without color. As soon as you take it off though... You go dark."
    "...You did this so I can fight?" Venom asked Clancy, her voice higher than usual.
    Clancy rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "E-Er... Well I um... Yeah."
    Venom hugged him suddenly, and he seemed surprised, like he didn't know how to react. He smiled finally and hugged back. "You're welcome, Gene."
    "Thalia." Clancy followed Thalia into the hallway, stopping her before she could walk off. "Where you going?"
    "I'm curious." Thalia said. "I wanna ask Sky something about the base..."
    "I wouldn't wake him up before a battle." Clancy said. "Tell you what, there's this guy. Probably. He's blonde, and tall and stuff. He can answer more questions about the base than Sky can, and that's a fact. Kid adores base history. He's the night shift librarian, should be there now."
    "Thanks, I'll do that." Thalia walked off with a small wave.
    Upon arriving, Thalia looked around, but didn't see anyone.
    "Hello?" She called, but the big library was completely deserted. She walked into the room, pacing through the columns curiously. "Anybody here?"
    She finally shrugged, and was about to leave when someone slid down a ladder behind her.
    She turned around to see a boy sorting through the few books in his hands. "God damn, stop shouting already. The acoustics in this place are way too good, you can hear a whisper from like the other side. You could like film a music video in here."
    Thalia smiled a bit.
    The boy shelved one of the three books and turned around, his head down as he looked through the two remaining titles. "So, what can I do for..." His voice trailed off as he looked up and it appeared as though he lost his words. "you..." He cleared his throat. "What can I do for you?" He asked, looking her up and down.
    Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Just wanted to ask a question about the Commander."
    "Which one?"
    Thalia blinked. "How many are there?"
    "Nine." The boy said, and gestured for her to follow as he walked across the isle. "You know, I hardly ever get any company down here. It's nice seeing someone."
    "So... Are you the librarian or something?" Thalia asked.
    "One of them." The boy said. "I'm the night shift. Moon Moon takes the day shift, ironically enough."
    "Moon Moon?"
    "His name is literally Moon Moon. His parents named him Moon and his last name is Moon." The boy said. "If you tease him he just goes with it, he's absolutely done about the whole thing."
    Thalia laughed. "Well that's interesting."
    "What about you, you got a funny name?" The boy asked. He leaned against on of the towering shelves after shelving the last two books.
    "Vaerin Kal." Thalia said, holding out a hand.
    "Vaerin? You're an apprentice?" The boy asked. He squinted at her. "Don't tell me... You're not the Commander's apprentice, are you?"
    "Yeah, I am." Thalia said, not moving her hand. "You got a name?"
    "Charlie Spring." The boy smiled and shook her hand. "Ooh, firm shake."
    "Yeah, well, my dad's a Skylord."
    "And that means...?"
    "I was raised independent."
    "Yeah, I know that feel." Charlie said. "My dad's a Shiplord."
    "Really?" Thalia said. She shook her head to clear it. "Well anyways, I really need to ask a question."
    "Well, I most likely have an answer." Charlie said. "But I'll make you a deal."
    "What sort of deal?"
    "We'll take turns asking each other questions."
    Thalia looked at him warily. "You'll answer all my questions no matter what?"
    "No matter what."
    Thalia hesitated. "Prove it."
    Charlie thought for a moment, then held up a pinky. "Pinky promise?"
    Thalia rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, how old are we?"
    Charlie smirked. "Come on, you wanted me to prove it."
    "Alright fine." Thalia smiled and locked her pinky with Charlie's. "Pinky swear."
    Charlie grinned. "Alright, let's do this." The two moved to a dimly lit table in the library.
    "Ladies first." Thalia said.
    "Ouch, my pride." Charlie rolled his eyes sarcastically. "You go first."
    "Okay, fine." Thalia said. "Why does Sky call Commander Void CV?"
    "It's his initials. Commander Void, CV." Charlie said. "So, why do you want to know?"
    "I already told you, I'm Commander Sky's apprentice." She hesitated. "Does Sky have any siblings?"
    "Well, see biological or like spiritual?"
    "Both."
    "Okay well he has there biological siblings. An older brother and an older sister. But General Ellis was pretty much raised with him, just next door, and they always treated him like one of them anyway. Then there's Arya and she was practically a sister."
    "Who's Arya?"
    "Hey, my turn." Charlie said. "How long did it take you to become his apprentice?"
    "Um... Four days I think?"
    Charlie snorted. "Funny. Took Sky like four hours."
    Thalia rolled her eyes. "Okay, now, who's Arya?"
    "A squid girl who went back against her kind because she had a big conscience. She got lost in a snow storm during Christmas break and Sky and Void let her stay in the base. She saw how nice it was there and chose to stay. I met her once, sweet girl. Or she was..." Charlie looked up. "So... Are you single?"
   "Single? Yes. Available? No."
   "Oh come on, that's hardly fair."
   "Hey, we'll see. Buy me a drink first, blondie." Thalia said. "So what do you mean 'was'?"
    "Well, she sort of... She just grew up I suppose."
    Thalia looked at him, but didn't pursue the matter.
    "So, where you from?"
    "Mistral City."
    Charlie snorted. "Liar."
    Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
    "Mistral burned down four months ago."
    "Yeah, that's about the time I found the base. I was born and raised in Mistral City."
    "What happened to your family?"
    "One question at a time." Thalia said. "What about you, where are you from?"
    "North Spire. It's a kingdom down south."
    "A southern kingdom called North Spire?"
    "Ridiculous, isn't it?" Charlie said. "So, what about that family of yours?"
    "I have a brother, a dad, an aunt, and a cousin. That's pretty much it. What about your family."
    "I have six sisters. All younger than me."
    "Wow, that must be interesting."
    "Yeah, you could say that..." Charlie sighed a little. "So... What's it gonna take to get you on a date?"
    Thalia raised an eyebrow. "I dunno, maybe make me want to actually go on a date with you?"
     "You're a tough catch."
     "Yeah, says you." Thalia stood. "Goodnight, Mr. Spring. I think I've learned all I needed to know."
     Charlie just smirked. "Night, Miss Kal."
     Thalia waved leisurely as she left the library, finally going to sleep in her quarters.