Much like Galya, the public couldn’t believe that the accident that took her father’s life WAS just an accident, not after the sabotage. The media lapped the story up, practically reveling in the fact that someone had died. But, in one of life’s little ironies, the media sensationalism was what ended the ordeal. After her dad’s funeral, Galya walked the streets alone, giving herself time to think. She deliberately didn’t look at the headlines and kept herself deaf to the news broadcasts. As she was concentrating on giving her attention only to the walk home, a hushed whisper entered her ears. “Didn’t you see today’s paper?!” hissed a man. “There’s no way they’ll believe we didn’t cause that!”
“That will change with time, won’t it, Mr. Tuurk?” asked another man.
“Indeed, Mr. Talair,” agreed a third man. “We simply need to lay low for a while.” Galya’s ears twitched as she recognized those names AND the voices. She hid below the window of the warehouse the men’s voices came from.
“I can’t believe this!” hissed the first man. “I wanted revenge against Mechanicas and the public’s out for blood!”
“We’ll get revenge, we promise,” said the second man.
“Once the machines accept their place,” continued the third man, “productivity can return to its original status and violence against machines will stop.” Galya took her hat off and set it and her cane down near the building. She then looked through the windows to see a disheveled Tuurk and Talair talking to an Elf she remembered seeing during the Mechanica Trial. She couldn’t remember the name, but his face could be recognized over the comms.
“All right, but we need to change locations,” urged the Elf. “We can’t risk being spotted.”
“Too late for that,” thought Galya. She retrieved her hat and cane and tore down the street to the nearest public comms. She found the crystal ball sitting there unused and chanted for the operator. A human woman appeared.
“Grand Under-comms,” greeted the woman. “How can I help you?”
“Ma’am, I need you to call the Endeavor,” explained Galya. “Security Clearance Omega Nine Seven Tango, Galya Gronsar.”
“That high a priority, hm?” asked the woman. “All right, connecting now.” Galya had to wait a few minutes. “…Arsha’s taking the call in her ready room. Your call will be monitored for security purposes.”
“Fine,” said Galya. The woman’s face was replaced with Arsha.
“Dame Gronsar!” she greeted. “What can I do for you?”
“I have a lead on the sabotage case!”
“Tuurk and Talair?!” yelped Calandra once Arsha told her, Elmar, and Furnaf of what Galya overheard.
“And the Elf she described was Transhell Ulndrar,” replied Arsha, “a former Engineer aboard the Endeavor.”
“He left us while we were celebrating our victory in the Mechanica Rights Trial,” explained Elmar. “We haven’t heard about him since then.”
“Do you have any images of those three?” Furnaf asked Arsha.
“As a matter of fact, yes,” confirmed Arsha. “You need them for the wanted posters?”
“It would help the public watch out for them.”
“I’ll have the pictures sent over right away.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“Arsha, you’re still pulling off miracles,” praised Elmar. “I’m glad that didn’t change with my leaving.”
“Just fighting for justice as usual,” replied Arsha.
Not long after their wanted posters were spread all over the kingdom, Transhell, Tuurk, and Talair were found and arrested for sabotage. During the trial, very disturbing details were revealed about what happened after their original losses. For Transhell, after he left the Endeavor in protest of Endea gaining equal rights, he went back not to his wife, but to his mistress. He had an affair with a Succubus and his Elf wife found out, divorcing him. The Succubus, initially thinking that he was unmarried, left him alone. Last he heard, both women had a stable relationship with each other, their other twelve wives, and their husband on the Morgonthor Trenches Minimum Railway, one of the Underwater Railways in operation and boasting Mechanicas of their own. Transhell blamed Mechanicas for his downfall and wanted revenge.
Tuurk and Talair, the former heads of the Realmfleet Financial Board, also had a beef with Endea. They were trying to get rid of her in the month before the last Under-union Festival, but Realmfleet, in anticipation of the Final War breaking out, shot down their goals as they needed all in-service ships to be overhauled. After begrudgingly setting aside the funds needed for Endea’s overhaul and repairs, they asked Gorfanth’s brother Tornoth for assistance, since they learned he didn’t like Realmfleet as he thought they were taking his delivery jobs. After Tornoth was caught, he was bait for a trap set by Realmfleet to arrest Tuurk and Talair. The results of the trial sentenced the two men to life in prison and their wives divorced them on the spot. Like Transhell, they blamed Mechanicas for their downfall and wanted revenge.
The three eventually met when Tuurk and Talair were released from prison on the condition that they would fight for Realmfleet in the Final War. They took orders from the Ship-type Mechanica Captain of the Steamwind, Steawin. They all hated having to take orders from a machine but couldn’t say anything as they liked their freedom too much. They really hated how Steawin endlessly talked about his future with his lover, Endea. They decided that any area where the ship was would suffer their wrath.
The three devised plans for each kingdom that had Mechanicas and waited until the Final War was over to enact them. They learned where the Endeavor was docked and set about enacting their Galdredan Rail Plan. Having worked as a signalman in his youth, Tuurk would be the one to sabotage the points. Talair was the best when it came to casting the invisibility spell, especially over multiple people, and Transhell was very important in infiltration operations during the Final War, so his mastery of the camera scattering spell was most welcome. Talair and Transhell were most useful in procuring the mana barrel from the refinery and Tuurk knew where to puncture the barrel to have it spill all over the tracks.
Once they were caught and found guilty, the trio were sent to Realmfleet Max, boasting tighter security and greater countermeasures against a breakout after Remsu led the one that freed Reb and Melgem. Arsha sat in her quarters alone after the whole debacle. She was glad that the fiasco was over but saddened that someone lost their life before the Eternal Age of Unity really got going. …There was also something in the back of her mind that made her sad. She looked at the duty roster and made the necessary assignments for the ship and the area. She then heard the door chime. “Come in,” she called. Malnar and Gorfanth entered the room.
“Hey, Foxy,” said Malnar. Arsha stood up and hugged Malnar and Gorfanth, confusing the two.
“…Not that I mind, but wha-?” asked Gorfanth.
“When I leave the Under-realm, you two won’t be with me,” mumbled Arsha. The two Under-realmers then understood.
“Arsha, we’ll see each other again,” soothed Malnar.
“Do we even know when you’ll be crowned Queen?” asked Arsha.
“The announcement’s coming tomorrow.” Malnar ended the embrace. “Now, all the rulers of the Under-realm are needed, but you guys are certainly invited. I wouldn’t want you to miss it.” Arsha smiled. It was both a sad one and a happy one.