#the riskbreakers

Edge shook his head as he entered the boundaries of Sheshenewazi Springs. The sky was alight with brilliant crimson as the sun descended behind the distant peaks and the unnatural dome of dark lightning — but that did little to divert the sky's natural beauty. Even the ceruleum flames spewing into the air from the exhaust of the settlement's mining and engineering added a splash of color to the sky. After everything he had experienced with Garleans, he wasn't sure he would ever become accustomed to ceruleum, no matter how pretty it looked.

He found who he was looking for in the corner of the saloon: a pair of Hhetsharro (he had to keep repeating it in his head to avoid saying Miqo'te and possibly offending someone) with glasses of dark beverages he assumed to be whiskey.

"Hey, there," he said, putting on his warmest smile. "Mind if I join you? I'm a big fan of your show!"

The man, gruff and muscular enough that Edge suspected he had some Hrothgar (X'braax? Was that what they were called here?) ancestry like Nive, gave Edge a grunt. Based on what Edge had learned of their traveling troupe, he was the strongman. "We're not working right now," he said, swirling his drink in his glass.

The woman swatted him on the arm. "Nonsense!" In the show, she wore a frilly dress and performed a dance with other women that involved high kicks and showing off their legs. Now, however, her clothing was much more subdued. "Based on this dear's accent, he's from across the salt! We can't turn away fans who came so far to see us. Come and sit, darling."

The dancer scooted aside to allow Edge a seat at their table, and after he ordered a drink from a server, he joined her. "Thank you! I've got to say, your dances are nothing like anything we have in Eorzea — or beyond. I'm really amazed."

She swatted Edge's arm in the same way she did to the strongman. "Oh, you! I appreciate it."

"And you," Edge said, eyeing the strongman's muscles bared by his sleeveless shirt. "I thought I was pretty strong, but the way you lifted all those barrels was incredible." Of course, Edge suspected some trick to it, but he had to pile on the flattery a bit first. The man grunted and knocked back his drink, just as the server arrived with Edge's and the strongman's replacement glass. "One act we were hoping to see, though, was the sharpshooter. My wife thinks he's pretty dreamy," he said, exaggeratedly rolling his eyes. "We were sad to see he wasn't part of your last performance."

The dancer giggled, but waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, that Talon Oakes. Loves to boast, but in the two years he's been part of our troupe, he's never missed a show. I'm sure he'll turn up." Despite her lighthearted tone, Edge caught a flash of worry behind her eyes. "Your wife's not wrong, though — he's a total dreamboat, and his fans all know it!"

The strongman's face twisted into a scowl as he swished the whiskey around in his mouth. "Yeah, yeah."

"Though the boasting is all part of his on-stage persona, you know," the dancer said with a wink to Edge. "Just like his name. Think of it as a little behind-the-scenes secret. He's always been a little cagey, if you ask me. But I think that just adds to his flair. Everyone loves a bit of mystery, no?"

"Cagey?" Edge asked. "How so?" He gestured to the barman to send over another drink.

"He ain't native to Shaaloani," the strongman said. "Don't know where he came from, but it's somewhere north. Doesn't talk about his family, but lives with a sister. Big on antique trading, too — dunno where he gets the pel for it, since we make crumbs. Guess big sis holds all the money and he's just a mooch. Still makes more than me, though, for some reason."

"I sense some rivalry there," Edge said with a wink to the strongman, which made the dancer guffaw.

"Talon's always had more of a stage presence," the dancer whispered to Edge, loud enough for the strongman to hear and roll his eyes.

These two knew Talon for a while, apparently, so if the dome had only appeared recently, that indicated to Edge that the Shetona had not come from the world inside it. He was still a little suspicious of the man who came out of nowhere to approach Ashe and tell her about people who might be after electrope, so tracking down the rest of Talon's troupe was their only lead since Talon himself didn't show up to the meeting he made with Ashe.

"Did he ever show an interest in that electrope stuff?" Edge asked.

The strongman gave him an odd look. Maybe the question came too soon — he looked closed off again just as he was about to relax his guard. "Why would he? I told ya, he trades in antiques. Old things. Not weird stones from another world."

"Right, right," Edge said. Clumsy and stupid. He doubted he would get anything worthwhile from them now, if they even knew more.

"What, are ya writing some kind of exposé on him or something?" the dancer asked, flicking open a hand fan. "Honestly, I'm a much more fascinating subject, darling."

Edge grinned at her. "I believe it. But no, I was curious to see guns in Tural and all that they can do." Maybe he'd try to find Talon's sister, or one of his contacts in the antique trade. He did mention something of the sort to Ashe, if he remembered correctly. "I better get going, though. Thanks for letting me sit with you. My wife's going to be so jealous!"

As they said their farewells, Edge left the saloon and found his gaze drawn to the dome, as usual. Maybe Talon wasn't involved in any of this at all.

Or maybe he was in trouble from digging into something he shouldn't have, on behalf of the Riskbreakers.

Ashelia Riot glances at the woman to her right. There’s something familiar about her, she thinks—but she doesn’t have time to ponder it now.

Kharaa jumps down from her yol. “Ai!”

Ai gasps for breath. Her leg gave out shortly after scaling the cliff. Someone is calling her. She tries to remember who it is.

“Targets at the Peaks, Radiata, X 28, Y 28.” The magitek bit is insistent.

Ai Deahli: “Guh….a-approaching…”

Vision One gets a little closer. Her brow furrows from behind her visor. “Ai.”

Ai staggers.

Ashelia Riot doesn’t know what’s happening, but readies her gun all the same.

Ai Deahli: “Miss…One? Grand St-stssss—”

Ai Deahli: “T-targets confirmed. Readying a-attack pro-protocol.”

Vision One glances towards Ashelia and back. “Ai, we’re here to take you home. Back to the Sandsea…Please don’t do this.”

Ai Deahli: “F-for the glory of—the glory of the emp—Ahhh!!”

Ai rushes forward, slashing wildly. She readies Terminus Est, but it fires in the wrong direction.

Vision One: “Gh!” Kharaa jumps back, nicked by the sudden outburst. “Stop!”

Ai Deahli: “Activation long-ranged tur—turrets.”

Ashelia Riot fires.

Ai drops to her knee, winded. Ashelia Riot: “That’s enough.”

Ai Deahli: “Grand Steward…Th-rhank you for the r-room…Someday I’ll…”

Ai staggers to her feet.

Vision One: “You don’t have to do this, Ai…”

Ai Deahli: “Do yyyou have the lissst—A—Arae’sae Evvv----forgot to return a—to the library—”

Ai continues to wildly attack while uttering nonsense.

Ai Deahli: “Akeet made buuz the oth—other—”

Vision One rushes in, using a non-lethal Armor Crush to knock her down. Ashelia Riot shoots the magitek bit down.

Ai Deahli: “No…Finish the mission…For the glory of the—of—”

Ashelia Riot: “Enough. Two dead in Ul’dah? An attack on Rhalgr’s Reach? What did you hope to gain?”

Ai Deahli: “Must report to—protocols engaged—I must!” She attempts another attack, but misses and falls to her knees.

Vision One kneels at Ai’s side. “She’s a clone. Part of an imperial project. One that entered a terminal stage.”

Ashelia Riot’s blood goes cold. “A clone?”

Ai Deahli: “Argh! I’m so—sorry—Pl—go away..”

Ai Deahli: “Sssorry sorry sorryyyy…”

Vision One is undaunted, and she shakes her head. “I can’t do that. You’re not an imperial tool. You’re a Riskbreaker, and you need to return home.”

Ashelia Riot: “…Terminal. What does that mean.”

Ai Deahli: “H-home…? All personnel slated for elimination…going h-home…”

Vision One: “She’s been chosen to wipe out the whole project. Everyone involved in it, even any surviving clones. That’s what I hazard those deaths were.”

Vision One pulls out the tomestone she had been given. “Imperial intelligence is not as water-tight as they think it is.”

Ai Deahli: “Surviving—oh. I remember…”

Ai tears her visor off and throws it away before collapsing. Her eyes are strangely glowing red.

Ai Deahli: “Grand Steward. I should have said something but I thought I—I wish I had more time. You have been so good to me and I—”

Ai Deahli drops a crystal at Vision One’s feet. “My memories. I don’t know why she needs them.”

Ashelia Riot: “Who?” Her voice is softer now than it is when she is normally in battle.

Vision One reaches and grabs the crystal. “It’s not over, Ai. Believe me.”

Vision One smiles weakly at Ai. “You have been dear to me. I won’t let you go away so easily.”

Ashelia Riot looks now at Vision One, unsure for the first time.

Ai Deahli: “…Okay. I’ll treat you to tea. Next week. Both of you.”

Vision One: That sounds great. I’ll hold you to it.”

Ai wants to say something, but her breath catches in her throat. She looks up at the pale sky, and closes her eyes against the sunlight. She’s so tired.

Vision One looks away.

Ashelia Riot checks to see if Ai is showing any signs of life. She sees nothing, nothing at all that might indicate she is still alive. And in fact, she even sees, for the first time—sparks?

Vision One: “We stopped her rampage and brought her to her senses…but the inevitable end of this protocol was thereby triggered.”

Ashelia Riot stows her gun, no longer sensing any threats. “…I know you. You’ve been at the manse.”

Vision One: “It’s Kharaa. Kharaa Khatayin. I wish we could have met under brighter circumstances.”

Ai starts fading into hazy orange light, like the clouds around Azys Lla. Aetherochemical constructs breaking down.

Ashelia Riot: “What—”

Ashelia Riot can’t help but stare at the light, what it’s doing to the body that recently seemed so…organic.

Vision One: “…She was beautiful in spite of her—in spite of the imperial ‘masters’ who dare mock science. And the project had cursed her to a limited lifespan that she nonetheless lived to the fullest.”

Ashelia Riot: “But what happened?”

Ashelia Riot looks to Vision One. “Why all this? And why now, after so long?”

Vision One: “I’m not sure. It seemed someone wanted to erase all evidence the project happened in the first place.”

Ashelia Riot: “She said someone—‘she’—needs her memories. Could that be the person who did this?”

Vision One shakes her head and holds up the crystal in one hand, the tomestone in another. “I was approached by one Yun, who foresaw this eventuality and took measures to ensure her continued survival in another way. I admit, I myself struggled to accept it, as I wanted to find a way to extend the life of her given form…but I had to trust in Yun’s gift.”

Ashelia Riot does know of Yun Khatayin; she’s a contact of a few Riskbreakers.

Ashelia Riot: “But why would the Garleans have created a clone made to…expire? Why now? Why not have her betray us during the fall of Ala Mhigo?”

Vision One: “I’m not sure it was their intention to give them a deliberate expiry, for even their records could give just an approximation. No more than a flawed attempt at recreating Allagan technology.”

Ashelia Riot can’t help but grit her teeth and clench her fist; still, she has nothing more to say.

Vision One: “They have nothing on her time with your group. They wouldn’t have even known how to betray you. Until recently, Ai’s thoughts have been hers and hers alone. I doubt they will know anything other than the fact Ai has completed her mission.”

Ashelia Riot grits her teeth again—at the unfairness of it. Ashelia Riot: “Completed her mission. And they’ll simply keep doing…this.”

Vision One: “I hold no love for Garlemald. They learn from the past to commit a growing list of atrocities. I work for every opportunity to dismantle their efforts. Even as they brought Ai into this world, they dealt her a cruel hand.”

Vision One’s grip tightens around the crystal. “She was suffering so much because of their twisted science…at least now, no matter what, she’s free.”

Ashelia Riot: “Will she still be free even if—”

Ashelia Riot says no more, but looks at the crystal in Vision One’s hand.

Vision One: “Yun’s gambit relied on this crystal. Once I transfer Ai’s memories to the tomestone, I can upload the data into an artificial body.”

Ashelia Riot: “And they won’t be able to reach her again? They won’t be able to control her?”

Vision One nods to Ashelia Riot. “There won’t be anything to control. Whatever trigger they used to start the terminal protocol, is no longer part of her.”

Vision One: “It may not be all the same, but I can hope you can accept her again when the time comes. If nothing else, it would certainly assure the Empire can truly never touch her again.”

Ashelia Riot hesitates, then nods. “Good. Do what you must.”