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Arthur

We rushed with Damien to the flight deck once I was properly dressed. I honestly didn't care that I was missing my communicator or my weapons. Seeing Falk again made my heart do a little tap dance.

Where had he been? It had almost been over two weeks since he set off on his mission and no one had heard any contact from him or his group, only making us all the more nervous. He wasn't one who just dropped off the face of the planet without leaving a trace, so we were more than surprised to hear that he was only a few miles from the fleet. From the way Damien described it, he didn't sound so well but added that he came with more than his squad.

I don't know what Damien meant by that, but I knew Falk had all the answers we wanted. I wondered if he was in bad shape. Was he seriously wounded or being held captive? Damien remained silent for most of the jog towards the docking bay section of the flight deck. Whatever he was keeping from us wouldn't stay hidden for much longer, and I could finally punch Falk in the chest for making us worry about him so much. Zoey had been worried but never seemed to show emotion about it since she was just that good about hiding her emotions at crucial moments. She made it abundantly clear now, breathing quick and sharp as we hurried as fast as possible. There was no time to be wasted now.

Why hadn't I been so worried about him just as much as the others? He was as much of my friend as Zoey was and deserved no less, but I didn't feel worried about him ever since he disappeared. Well, I was worried about him for some time but ever since the attack, I hadn't thought much. The dream only made matters worse for me. I had been more worried about my own being than anyone else. That wasn't normal. I'd sooner worry about a soldier I've never met than worry about myself. Falk was no random soldier. He was one of my closest friends--an ally, a good person, a Revolutioner.

And I wasn't worried about him. Was it because I knew he'd be alright and find a way to come back to us? I knew he was no superhero, but I had a feeling he could get himself out of tight situations, but I could only hope that he wasn't desperate to do stupid things. Damien wouldn't just assign him for this mission if he didn't think Falk was capable enough to do it, so I had faith that Falk was fine and victorious.

At the docking bay with the nearing ship stood Shock and Lucian. They turned towards us once we neared them, stopping shortly close by just to catch our breath. We may have been hard-trained Special Ops soldiers who went through some tough shit, but we weren't invincible to exhaustion. The day before had really worn us out, and by the looks of it, we were still tired and weak. Lucian looked a little sore himself, occasionally stretching his muscles just to get the blood flowing back throughout his body, yet Shock looked the best out of the three of us, standing at attention with relaxation and ease.

We waited until the ship docked, sending out its wide metal platform for people or soldiers to walk across. Once the locks were fastened to the deck, we watched as dozens of men clad in orange jumpsuits walked from out the doors of the ship, heading right for the platform.

We all looked to Damien who just stared at the massive amount of men coming towards us. He leaned in to our ears and told us to ready our weapons, yet I was the unfortunate one and left my weapon back in my bunker. Oh, just perfect in case another gunfight broke out. None of us had any close as to who these people were, but we could all see that they looked strong, tough, and cold as if they were ready to start a manslaughter.

However, they all stopped a few feet from the platform. We were about to question them but they parted way and allowed someone through. It looked like a wolf--a wolf who looked like he was worn out and tired beyond all measure.

He was a wolf who happened to be one of my best friends.

I surged forward with Zoey and met halfway across the platform, the both of us wrapping our arms around him nice and tight just to make sure that it was him and not someone else. Despite smelling like he hadn't showered in a week, he looked like the Falk I remembered. He was a bit thinner since I last saw him, but he was still Falk and that was all that mattered. I could hear Zoey sobbing and sniffling softly just as he returned the hug. His touch was soft yet firm, letting us know that he was still well enough to remember us.

We stayed with arm arms wrapped around each other for a few minutes, just trying to re-kindle our bond together before Damien walked up right behind us and let out a little cough. The three of us quick parted our ways and allowed our friend to speak since we had cut him off.

Damien held out his hand. "It's great to see you again, Falk."

Falk smiled and shook the fox's hand. "Likewise, sir. I'm glad to be back."

"Well, I must say," Damien added. "I didn't expect this much out of your return." He gestured to the large crowd of men behind him.

Falk sighed. "I know, but I can explain."

Our general held up his hand. "Do not worry about that right now. What matters is that your safe and you've brought back some more people than you thought."

"Sir, if I may," Falk intruded. "The ship we used, it's a Revolution ship."

The fox nodded. "I know. I sent it to aid you."

My friend shook his head, closing his eyes as if to say that our leader was wrong. "Sir, this ship wasn't one under your rule. This was a Revolution ship that had been captured and made into a smuggling cruiser that transported slaves, ammunition, supplies, and crew aboard to who knows where."

The shock of disbelief in Damien's eyes was a sight I hadn't seen in months. He fixed his gaze on Falk then proceeded to turn his attention to the crowd of men, and then back to Falk. I think all three of us were shocked. I turned my attention to Zoey only to see her mouth agape yet silent just as Damien's was, only furthering the disbelief in Falk's words.

This ship was a captured vessel? The general had told us that he personally sent a ship to fetch Falk and his squad, and possibly David, from the prison even if he had to do it with brute force. None of us expected that he stole a different ship and came back just to tell us that the ship we sent was a waste of resources and time. Great, just what we needed. We had another problem that needed fixing.

I saw Damien shake his head, getting himself back in the conversation. "Are you sure that it is not the ship I sent."

"Sir, as I said, this ship had slaves held captive in the storage area by metal cuffs and chains. I can show you proof."

He turned around and beckoned someone from the crowd to come forward. I watched as a leanly built dragon walked forward out of all of them looking nervous and a little scared by my trained eyes. He wore a white shirt and a pair of slacks, though I had a sneaking suspicion that he once wore less than that for a time before Falk came to his rescue. It was something the Task Masters did to save a little bit of money, and they sometimes skipped out on clothes completely and transported slaves bare and naked. I heard stories of slaves freezing in the storage areas halfway before the trip was over and there were some cases were they even died of heatstroke.

It was carelessness on the operator's part thinking that a person could survive practically three to four days in very hot temperatures with little to no food or water, and it was another reason why they lost profit. That's why we have coolers and heaters below there so our supplies get the appropriate temperature. If one of our ships gets hijacked and everyone on board gets killed, which I really hope does ever happen, and then whoever takes control has to figure out how to operate everything by hand. Some things like our coolers and heaters need codes to be changed, and it's the reason why food goes bad and how slaves die of either heatstroke or by freezing to death.

It was such a sad and horrible way to die. Just thinking about dying like that made my skin crawl and my fur stand on end. It was a slow and painful, sickening way to die, and I wish that it never happened to anyone. I knew that it was still happening right now, though. There was still no stopping it from happening until this war is won by us.

The dragon was about Falk's height and possibly the same age, maybe younger or older since looks lie, and stared at us with his scarlet red eyes which almost seemed to glow towards us. I noticed that he had some sort glowing tattoos that fell from the underside of his eyes like three lines of tears under each eye, stopping at the cheek. Though he looked strong even with a lean body type, I could tell that this man had suffered for a long time before Falk came around. The pink scars that showed on his obsidian scales told me how many times a whip had been cracked against his body. Making a closer inspection, I finally caught sight of the small pink brand on his right shoulder--S87. By legal standards--terrible standards I might add--he was an official slave that could be transported anywhere across the world, and it was legal.

It was just another thing I hated about society right now.

He stood in front of all of us. I could see the look of nervousness in his eyes, wondering if he could trust us after all the crap he's probably been through. I could understand that he was nervous, so I decided not to bombard him with an array of questions that would leave him frazzled.

The same couldn't be said about Damien.

He held out his hand. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my esteemed sir. My name is Damien Isthen Ghost, and I happen to control this entire fleet."

The dragon didn't even take his hand. Instead, he knelt down to one knee and bowed his head, fisting a fist over his heart. We all stared awestruck at the display for the next few moments while he mumbled something under his breath, eventually standing back on his feet and looking Damien in the eyes.

"My apologies," the dragon spoke slowly with an accent. "My esteemed, high, and superior General Ghost, it is a great honor to be standing in your presence after such a long time. I have heard wondrous legends of your valiant efforts to equate this lawless and dirtied world. It humbles me just to be looked upon you."

My jaw dropped. Zoey's jaw had to have hit the ground. Falk's had to have reached China by now. Shock and Lucian stared at the man with looks of disbelief and...well, shock! Everyone who heard and saw him stood with their mouths agape and their eyes fixed right on him.

I gave the man props for flattering Damien enough to make him blush underneath all that white fur. It wasn't an easy task to make him go speechless, but I was sure our general was at a loss of words--in a good way.

After a few minutes of drastic silence, Damien returned to reality, clearing his throat before speaking. "Ah, right. Yes, I am the same Damien you speak of." He almost fumbled through his words. "It honors me to meet a respectful, young, and honorable man such as yourself Mister...?"

The dragon bowed his head. "Emilio. Emilio Dante."

Damien cleared his throat once more. "Mister Dante. We're you indeed a slave held captive on this same ship?"

Emilio nodded. "What Falkread speaks of is true. For the past two days, I have been a prisoner aboard that ship heading towards the next location of my most recent...buyer. I have been a slave since my first breath, and I am now twenty-one." I knew he was about to say "master" but he held himself from saying that crude word. "Your skilled soldier Falkread and his friends aided me in escaping from my restraints, and I am forever indebted to him because of that." He looked at Falk with a smile. "Whether he likes it or not."

Falk shuffled from foot to foot nervously, looking away from the drake with a blush. If there was one thing I knew about Falk that others didn't it was that he hated to have someone in his debt. He was a person who believed in freedom without debts, so when someone told him that they were in his debt, he generally wasn't too happy about it. I don't know what this Emilio is thinking, but he was pretty ballsy saying that to him, even in a teasing manner.

Damien simply cleared his throat once more. "I see. I will not argue any further on what is true or what is false. All I know is that you are now in safe hands so long as you stand inside this fleet. I humbly welcome you."

Emilio bowed his head. "It is more than an honor, my good sir. If you would, I would love nothing more than to join your ranks and pick up arms in order to combat against the Overlord and his vermin. Only if you will have me."

I saw Damien smile kindly. "I shall grant you permission to join my number. When this meeting is adjourned, I will have one of my specialists register you into our number and soon you will begin your training. I wish you the best, Sir Dante."

The dragon smiled before taking a few steps back, allowing Falk to return. "Right. Now that that's out of the way, what did you mean by another ship? Did you send another?"

"He did," Zoey intruded. "That was supposed to be the ship that helped you escape, but I guess we were wrong."

Damien held his hand up. "It's quite alright. I'll contact the ship I sent indefinitely and have them return, but not before I gather intelligence from this rouge ship. If what you say is true, then I will have to report this ship to the other fleets who may have lost it so we know who to send it back to once we have fixed its current state. It looks like its seen better days."

Falk nodded. "I understand, sir. But that's not all I have to show you. The prisoners behind me are going to need shelter and safe passage so they can leave. I've already talked with them. They're not interested in joining our cause, though I wish they did."

I saw him take a quick glance at the large crowd eventually making eye contact with one of them. Following his gaze, I found the buffest, strongest, tallest, and scariest Doberman I had ever seen in my life. He looked like a menace that we should just take care of, but I could see that Falk merely sighed while the guy crossed his arms and looked away. It was anyone's guess what was wrong with those two, but I'll bet that they weren't exactly on the best of terms but were still ready to work together even briefly. It had to have been a common interest then.

Damien placed his hand on his chin, closing his eyes. "If possible, do you think that they could stay close to the fleet for the time being? This might be a stretch, but I might be able to give them the ship considering its age and how much it might cost to bring it up to speed. If they can wait a few days, we can provide supplies that can keep them safe for a few weeks, but once they run out then they are on their own. I'm sorry."

I saw Falk turn his gaze to the Doberman before meeting ours. "I'll see what I can do. It's a possibility, and I think they'd appreciate that."

Damien weakly smiled. "Alright, if there are no more surprises then--"

"Oh, wait!" Falk intruded, quickly blushing after interrupting the general. "There is one last thing I forgot to mention. This involves you, Lucian."

I turned towards the hare much like everyone else. He turned his forest green eyes towards my friend and met his gaze, immediately grabbing the attention of Falk. How Falk knew that this was Lucian was my guess. Maybe he remembered what the hare looked like when we all first saw him as a hologram and never forgot his face since then. That was a possibility.

At least there didn't appear to be any hostility in either of their eyes. Despite Falk's aggravated and exhausted look, he looked at the hare with contempt while the male merely raised his brow in confusion. Whatever Falk was hiding, it had to be important to Lucian somehow.

Falk stepped forward towards Lucian, barely even throwing a glance Zoey's way or my way, let alone Damien and Shock. He looked confident yet also full of gravity that could only be matched by Damien when he wanted things done pronto and to the letter.

He stopped a foot in front of the hare and stared right into his eyes, smiling weakly. "Any second thoughts you have about us now mean nothing, Revolutioner."

Without another word, he walked away.

I was shocked. Zoey was shocked. Damien was shocked. I could see the confusion in Lucian's eyes as well as Shock's, who turned from where Falk was standing and then followed his gaze into the crowd of once-imprisoned people. I saw his eyes go completely wide while his jaw dropped.

Zoey, Damien, and I followed his gaze quickly and finally saw what he was seeing. Single-handedly, Falk had just given a golden opportunity to change the tide of this war for the better.

Standing right in the middle of the crowd was another hare just as identical to Lucian. He shared the older male's forest green eyes and slim body, wearing one of those jumpsuits the others around him wore, yet he looked the cleanest and most normal one out of the entire bunch. As far as I could see, there were no cuts or scratches on him or any scars that would make Lucian think twice about joining us. Even if he did, he now had no choice but to join us.

Lucian wasn't paying any attention to him but was still focused on the wolf walking away from him.

"Dad?" the boy spoke hoarsely.

Lucian turned his head towards the direction of the voice, the look on his face matching that of disbelief and shock. He was stunned right where he was, too shocked to even move a muscle. I could tell that he was still trying to accept who he was looking at because quite frankly I'd be just like him if I hadn't seen my own son for the past seven years.

He took a shaky step forward with his son mirroring his father's moves. They both looked like they could believe that they had finally reunited with each other, but it was happening and they couldn't do much else than believe it.

Both Hares finally sprinted towards each other. Lucian quickly fell on his knees and opened his arms while David jumped into them, quickly being enveloped by his father who then spun around a few times while keeping his boy close to his body no matter what. I could hear and see both of them crying their hearts out and watched as a flood of tears streamed down their faces, making large drops onto their clothes. I knew they didn't care though. I would be the same way, and I'm sure that Zoey would agree as well.

Honestly, I don't think I had ever seen Lucian cry since we had met him. He was always so stolid and calm that reading what he was feeling, unless he decided to make them clear, was near impossible.

I saw him pull away from his son just to look at us with tear filled eyes. "You have my unyielding gratitude...general. Count me as one of your own."

Before Damien could speak, I placed my hand on his shoulder and cut in. "We're glad to help you, but it's Falk who you should be thanking, not us."

He nodded. "I'll be sure to show him my gratitude as well, for you are right. If it wasn't for your friend...my son might not be home now. Just...thank you and your Revolution, general. You don't know what this means to me."

This time, Damien cut me off. "I can only guess, but I'm glad we could help you out. I'm also glad for your support. With your aid, we can finally change the tides of this war for good!"

With that, he turned around and looked at all of us. "Let us leave them in peace. It has been years, and I am more than sure they could use the music of the ocean to soothe their aching souls."

Zoey nodded. "Agreed. We still have a ship...well, fleet to repair anyway. I think we all could use a distraction, don't you think Arthur?"

I nodded with her. "Yeah, I think so."

She placed a hand on my shoulder as Damien walked away with his guards. "We'll talk more about it later, okay? I know you still have a bit of struggling to do, and I think a little counseling will help ease the pain of it."

Once more, I nodded, walking away from the two Hares with her. "Yeah, that sounds nice. I'll let Falk know about things once he's settled down."

We nodded in unison and walked away from the emotional scene behind us, ready to go back to work repairing our crippled fleet once more. Though I was still tired and sore from yesterday, we couldn't waste any time wandering around waiting for something.

Even though I barely noticed before we all broke up, I didn't even realize that Shock was long gone before we even disbanded.