Awakening the Lightforged

Koruuksi pushed through the flood of people as he navigated the tunnels of Last Shadow's sprawling base. Lysanda and Nomlana followed close behind. The crowd was headed toward the large cave they used as a meeting area—the one the Remnant needed access to if they were going to have a chance at Svemakuu's plan working. It seemed the entire base was headed there, however, and Koruuksi found he had to restrain himself from brightening his greynodes and throwing people out of his way the few times the traffic came to a complete stop.

When he reached the cave, the slight slope down toward the open floor let him see Mahele and his entourage conferring on a makeshift dais before the growing crowd. Even with over a thousand people gathered before the dais and the eight aircraft in the back of the hall—three of them were new, with a few people still milling around two that looked like transports—barely a quarter of the cavern was filled. Koruuksi had passed by this chamber a few times, but still had trouble comprehending its scale. He’d seem caves of a similar size in Darkside’s mountains that had housed entire Kysuuri villages, sheltering the people from the Wastes’ harsh climate, but it still didn’t seem possible that something like this should exist underground.

He headed straight for the dais, elbowing and shouldering his way through everyone. When he reached the front, though, guards stopped him. Koruuksi blinked at that. Raima had always posted guards at the entry and exit points whenever they had a gathering, but never between her and her people.

She also didn't have to deal with this sort of fallout.

Koruuksi had also never seen his former commander in such bad shape as Mahele.

"I need to speak to Mahele," he told the closest guard, a man named Nobuuda by the mark on his mask. "I think I know what's going on and I might be able to help."

He'd heard a few bits and pieces of conversation on the way over. There had been so much of it that he hadn't picked out too much, but "Memfoso" and "Ironpeak" had been clear enough.

Thinking about what that, combined with this crowd, might mean made his stomach twist.

Auroras, please let Uuchantuu be alright.

Nobuuda studied him for a moment, then nodded and moved aside. "Just you, though."

Koruuksi blinked, then looked over his shoulder to see Lysanda and Nomlana just behind him.

"I'll find you after," he said. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Both nodded.

"Let us know what's going on," Lysanda said, before taking Nomlana's arm and disappearing into the crowd.

Koruuksi looked after them for a moment, then took a deep breath and strode toward the dais.

The second Paiz noticed him, her eyes blazed with anger. She stalked up to him, putting herself between him and her father as she jabbed a finger into his chest.

"What do you think you're doing here?" she demanded, then looked past him. "Which guard let you through?"

"Paiz," Mahele said. "Let him through, I know why he's here."

Paiz frowned at Koruuksi but stepped aside, letting him pass. He was surprised when a man next to Kytai turned toward him, and Koruuksi recognized him as Narvyk's brother Anarak. The bulky Samjati—a greyarm like his brother—folded his arms and glared at Koruuksi as he approached, but said nothing.

Koruuksi kept his expression neutral as he met the man's gaze, then looked to Mahele, "What's going on?"

Paiz answered instead. "The operation at Memfoso happened earlier today, just like you said it would."

Koruuksi resisted frowning at the woman and asking why she was mad if she knew he'd told the truth. As he took in the expressions of everyone else on the dais, though, his heart sank.

"I'm guessing it didn't go well?"

"Your sister and her people apparently made a mess of things," Kytai said.

Anarak grunted. "That's putting it lightly. The big man took a step toward Koruuksi. “That strike team Estingai recruited my people for, using my contacts in the town, blew it. Their previous attack on the Imaia trains must have caught someone's attention because a squad of Imaia soldiers showed up at just the wrong moment, the way my people tell it. Not only were we unable to recover the supplies we wanted, but my people had to collapse our entrance near Memfoso to keep the Imaia from finding us. As it is, they saw enough that the base is likely burned. Mahele has the space, so we're relocating here."

Koruuksi realized he'd clenched his fist, and drew in a deep breath. He’d expected something to happen during the Memfoso mission, but…

Uuchantuu will be fine.

He couldn't worry about her or his other friends right now.

One of them is the spy.

Looking back to Mahele, Koruuksi blinked at the older man's curious gaze, then glanced around and realized all eyes were on him.

They want to see if I'll defend Estingai.

But if he condemned her outright, would they believe that?

He had to play this carefully.

I need time to think. Go over which of the three has the greatest motive or some connection to Nightstone.

He’d already vetted the two guards that had been in the room that day, though Yktoron could have done something on Paiz’s behalf.

“If Anarak’s people are right and the Imaia soldiers showed up at just the wrong moment,” Koruuksi said, meeting Mahele's gaze, “no one could have planned for that. Estingai probably tried to, but there’s not much they could have done differently.”

Anarak snorted, stepping closer to Mahele. "I say we throw him out of here and start planning what to do about Estingai. She's become a more immediate threat to us than the Imaia."

Koruuksi's eyes widened.

"I agree, Father," Paiz said. "The Imaia will kill us if they find us, but at least that would be a quick death." She glanced at Koruuksi and narrowed her eyes. “Attracting the Imaia’s attention shows recklessness we can’t afford. If Estingai had prepared for extra Imaia soldiers, why wasn’t she there herself? There’s no place for cowardice in Last Shadow.”

Koruuksi dared a glance at Mahele. The man's eyes were downcast, jaw tight as he scrubbed his hands over and over again.

"Is that really what you want?" Koruuksi asked. All eyes turned toward him. All except Mahele. "You want us to fight one another? To kill one another?"

Anarak's jaw tightened and Paiz's eyes somehow narrowed even further, but neither spoke.

"Estingai miscalculated," he said. "Or—

“Miscalculated?” Anarak snapped, blue face growing purple. “My people are without a home again. They trusted me to keep them safe! She's trying to bully you into joining her because she's shit at dealing with people. That's no cause for war when we're already outnumbered and hiding in caves. Last Shadow has what, over twenty-four hundred people living here? Now you have nearly fifteen hundred refugees headed toward you. You’ll have enough trouble getting everyone here safely, much less getting them settled.”

Anarak frowned, and Paiz's eyes widened, jerking back as though he'd slapped her.

"If you disagree with Estingai, then join the other factions and rein her in," he said. "She was never a leader. She was a weapon that Raima and others directed to where she would be best used. If you fight her, you'll lose. Her body count speaks for itself. It would be far better for your people for you to direct her toward the Imaia. They're the ones that took everything from us."

That last part seemed to get through to them, as even Mahele nodded.

"You make a good point, Koruuksi," he said. "Infighting is the last thing we need. Especially when we're already so wounded."

Koruuksi smiled. "My friends and I can help get everyone settled." He turned to Anarak. "I know a fair number of your people. If you’ll let me, I’d be happy to help familiarize them with things here and make sure the rest of your people have friendly faces to look to when they get here. After that, I can make help sure everyone gets here safely and we retrieve any resources you had before the Imaia finds them."

Anarak blinked, studying Koruuksi with a frown for a moment, but nodded. "That… would be a great help. Though you’ll understand if I want a few of my people with you.”

Koruuksi nodded. “Of course.”

"Thank you, Koruuksi," Mahele said. “I think I’ll send a few people with you as well. Please seek out Kytai if you need any help with that."

He smiled. "Of course. I'll go get started. Unless you need anything else from me?"

Mahele and Kytai shook their heads.

"That is all, Koruuksi," the woman said. "Like Mahele said. Let me know if you need any help."

As Koruuksi nodded, then turned back toward the crowd—it had thinned a bit after so long with no announcement, though Anarak's outburst had likely carried enough that most had heard what happened—he heard Paiz and Anarak start speaking of resources and if they might be able to scavenge anything from around Memfoso, while Mahele and Kytai continued discussing what to say to the gathered crowd.

Koruuksi tuned that out, then stepped into a trot once some of Mahele’s and Anarak’s people fell in around him.

This is bad.

He'd diffused that situation, but didn't know how many more times he could do that before Mahele's good will ran out.

I need to step things up. Find the spy, spread some talk about Estingai, and get back home.

He just hoped Estingai and Uuchantuu would still be okay when he got back.

For now though…

He turned to one of the guards and smiled, extending a hand. “Koruuksi. What’s your name?”