Cinder

23 - Second Chances

A/N: Very important that you read this, so please don't skip it.

I've decided to continue writing 'Cinder' while simultaneously rewriting the series to be how I wish it had always been. This means that this version of 'Cinder' will be finished, but I'll be implementing some short-term fixes to a few chapters while 'The Architect Codex' is still being written.

This also means infrequent updates. It's very difficult for me to set aside time for writing currently, but I do find that it's cathartic and I enjoy it all the same. So please don't ask me for constant updates in the future as I simply cannot manage that at this time.

With all that aside, please enjoy the chapter and leave a review if you can.

...

This was the Embers' base, alright.

The clouds had obstructed their vision at first, and they'd had to proceed to the coordinates based purely on the ship's guidance controls and sensor input. Once they'd finally dipped below the skyline, however, it was clear to see that they'd come to the right place.

The surface of the planet was bleak, nothing but patches of dark green and fields interspersed among rocky and barren terrain. Beyond this particular region was a mountain range with several peaks stretching high enough to have their tips hidden within the storms that plagued the skies above. And littered around were pre-fab buildings, the only sign of civilization on the otherwise desolate world.

Judging strictly from the amount of buildings he could see, there were more Ember forces than Tobias had been expecting, but fewer than he'd hoped they could scrounge up. If this was all they had to throw against Spyglass ...

"I'm bringing us to their shipyard," Kay called out as the ship began to bank to the right.

"They have a shipyard here?" he asked incredulously.

She scoffed. "Well, it's more of an airstrip with a few guard posts from what I can see, but I don't think we can afford to be picky right now."

"Good point," he murmured under his breath. "A few ships is better than none-"

The radio suddenly began to spit out a voice. "Unidentified vessel, this is Captain Gates. I've been brought over to verify that Admiral Four is indeed upon that ship, so you better answer quickly if you don't want to be blown out of the sky-"

Quickly, he reached forward and opened the channel. "Elizabeth, it's me. I'd rather you not blow me up, if at all possible. Thanks."

He heard a frustrated sigh on the other end. "Why do you insist on being a smartass at the worst times?"

"This time, I'm not being a smartass," he muttered seriously. "Kay is still with me, but she's not hostile. Her condition is ... unusual. I need your word that she and I aren't going to be fired upon the second we leave the ship."

There was silence for roughly ten seconds as she processed what he'd just told her. He was almost about to speak again and confirm that the call hadn't ended when she spoke in a clipped tone, "You're lucky I've got Mayfair here vouching for what you say. Otherwise, I'm fairly certain that Fenrir would kill you both without a second thought after what happened on the frigate."

"Understood," he said professionally, acknowledging the severity of the situation. "Can you meet us at the landing zone? It might smooth things over a bit."