Superlative

EPISODE FIVE

{ THE CONFEDERATE | DIVISION BETA | COORDINATES: X-1021 Y-2343 | 6TH SUN, 11TH MOON | 10:57PM}

There were a lot of things in Dawn's life that she didn't quite particularly understand, but sometimes she just swallowed the questions and obeyed because that was her duty. She didn't do this for all things, mind you — just for the people she explicitly trusted, and that included Eclipse.

Eclipse was not always named "Eclipse," the way Dawn wasn't always named "Dawn." Like Nightshade, Eclipse had a secret: his face hid behind a golden plague doctor mask, and those lucky enough to hear him speak with his real voice were either dying or dead.

It should probably bother Dawn that the two people she trusted the most in her entire life didn't trust her with their real identities. But it didn't, not really, because she understood what it was like to want another skin; another face, another name, another identity to throw away the weakness and wear the bravery instead.

Nightshade and Eclipse gave her bravery.

They had to be their own source of bravery.

Dawn watched Eclipse pace the observation deck, hands clasped tightly behind him as he mulled something over. They were both looking over the scene outside the rebel base, separated by an extremely thick and reinforced one-way glass: A few feet below them stood Nightshade and Knox, facing the platoon of rebels.

Something in the exchange between the two outsiders and their own people had struck a nerve in Eclipse. The man wasn't fidgety — unless he was nervous, and he was never nervous. Dawn had never known him to have a habit of pacing, but then again there was a lot she didn't know about Eclipse. Especially these past weeks, where he had been acting...off. He had been more secretive than usual, making reckless plans and handing out unusual orders that seemed to baffle most of the rebels (like the bombing and kidnapping yesterday). But they didn't dare question Eclipse, not after the man had almost single-handedly built the whole rebellion from the ground up.

Dawn, I have had enough, said a monotone and choppy voice that seemed to come from the ceiling, resonating in the room. It was Eclipse's form of communication; something in his mask connected within the circuitry of the room, making it so that the man barely left its four walls.

Eclipse stopped pacing, turning to face Dawn. The pointy beak of the mask gleamed at her under the dim lighting of the observation deck. Bring them in.

Dawn's brows drew together, and they've known each other long enough for them to communicate in the way they do — Dawn by her facial reactions and Eclipse by his mask. Yes Dawn, I am sure. If we do not bring them in they will simply force their way in. Nightshade does not take too kindly to closed doors.

Nodding in understanding, Dawn headed to the lift in quick strides. She quickly stepped in and jabbed at the buttons to close, because in the time it took her to get there casualties were sure to arise. Neptune was quite hotheaded, and he had never been Nightshade's biggest fan. Nightshade was obviously angered by yesterday's incident, and Knox all the more.

When Knox had approached Dawn at the night of the ball, she was surprised. She knew Knox was from Alpha, but she didn't know he was of high enough status to be attending the Galactic Army's ball. Then he had taken her bomb and dismantled it with no effort at all, leaving her wondering about how much she didn't know about not only Knox, but about the entire situation she was caught up in. She would have panicked about having her first on-site field mission sabotaged by a friend (because she and Knox were friends, in some way), but she had seen Mars leaving the hall with their target Coraline so the bomb had actually become unnecessary.