The Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier

Chapter 40 - Kai's Christmas Supper

AUTHOR'S NOTE: 

I put in a small reference to Episode 40 ("Spellbound"). Can you find it?

In the chapter below, Kai and Skylor have their first conversation in well over a year...

Chapter 40 - Kai's Christmas Supper

"Skylor!" the Yellow soldier exclaimed in surprise, slightly limping as he strode across the room toward the Purple officer. "What are you...How did you get...I'm flummoxed!"

Skylor gave that entrancing laugh that he remembered - that warm, melodious laugh that sounded like the chiming of bells.

"It's good to see you again, too, Kai," she smiled, stepping up to greet him with a hug and a warm kiss on his cheek. As she did, he detected a whiff of that familiar floral scent she wore back in Ninjago Town.

She stepped back to undo her cloak.

"Here, let me," he said, taking her cloak like the gentleman he was, though he wondered if he should be thinking of her as an officer in the enemy army instead of a lady.

Skylor's vibrant green eyes looked back at him warmly.

"I've arranged for us to share a Christmas supper together while I 'interrogate' you," she said cheerily as they walked back to the festive table in the middle of the room. "I hope you don't mind."

She waited at the table while Kai continued walking to the fireplace with her cloak. "Of course not," he replied, "but isn't it forbidden for Purples and Yellows to socialize?"

He hung the cloak on the coat rack and turned back to look at her. Her fiery red hair was put up in a ladies' bun style, suitable for the military, but he remembered how beautiful it looked when she let it down - it was long and shiny and flowed like a red satin curtain.

"You're right - fraternization is not exactly approved," Skylor explained as he joined her at the table, "but today it's Christmas, and that annoying Colonel Doolverr is on furlough, so he won't know. In fact, the reason I'm here at Kryptarium right now is to take over his duties until he returns next week."

She continued. "And besides that, the three sergeants who know about you being here won't say anything, especially since I promised to recommend them for a promotion," she chuckled.

Since it was unnatural for Kai's gentlemanly self not to seat a lady first at a supper table, enemy or not, he went ahead and pulled out Skylor's chair for her, pushing it back toward the table after she sat.

"Thank you," she told him politely as he sat down himself, placing a napkin on his lap. "Would you be so kind as to fill our wine glasses?" she asked.

Her question seemed so familiar, and he suddenly realized why. She had made the request of him once before. On the night he had last seen her, nearly a year and a half ago back in Ninjago Town, they were sitting down to dine on a fancy repast, much like tonight. He had rented the upper alcove of the Morro Saloon, which overlooked the main floor, so that he and Skylor could enjoy a private supper together. A romantic, candlelit meal had been part of his plan to propose marriage to her that evening.

"Happy to oblige," he said, reaching for the bottle.

As he poured, his initial confusion about the current situation cleared, and he began to think of coherent questions for her.

She held up her hand. "That's enough wine in my glass, thank you," she said. He watched her as she put the glass to those full, cherry red lips he remembered.

"So how did you come to be an officer in the Purple Army?" he asked.

Skylor set down her glass before answering. "Well, it's not difficult to become a major in the Purple Army when your father is the commanding general of the Third Division."

Kai thought for a moment. The commander of the Third Division was General Chen. The name of the red-haired beauty sitting before him was...Skylor...Chen!

"Chen's your daddy?!" Kai exclaimed in horror, vigorously pushing his seat back.

Annoyance at Kai's reaction flickered in Skylor's eyes for a brief moment. "Yes, I am his daughter."

Kai furrowed his brow. "Wait! Then why are you going by the name of Major Amber?" He scooted his chair back to the table.

"For a couple of reasons," Skylor replied. "Could you please put a few slices of ham on my plate? Thank you. The name of Amber is my late mother's maiden name, and I want to use it instead of the name of Chen in order to avoid confusion among soldiers as to which Chen in the high officer ranks actually had given a certain order. I also want to build up a reputation as a commander that was separate from the influence of my father."

As Skylor talked, Kai filled their plates with servings of ham and side dishes. He caught himself filling his plate too full of food. Though the spread of food was more than he had seen in weeks, his stomach had only a certain capacity to hold so much.

"So I reckon you found out I was here by looking at Doolverr's prisoner list," he guessed.

Skylor nodded in affirmation as they began to eat their supper. "And I saw that Jay was a prisoner, too, up until a few days ago. Otherwise I would have invited him here as well."

The mention of Jay reminded Kai of his earlier contemplation of the war. "Skylor, you're an intelligent person," he began. "So why have you chosen the wrong side of this war? Don't you believe in freedom? Why would you want to put control of the government into the hands of one person, a king?"

"You can go ahead and claim that I'm on the wrong side," a somewhat indignant Skylor frowned, "but I can say that you're on the losing side. The Purples now control half of Ninjago, ever since western Ninjago fell to the Third Purple Division at the beginning of December."

"What?!" Kai paused his fork in midair. Was Ninjago Town, a strong Yellow bastion, now in Purple hands?

A sheepish look crossed Skylor's face. "I'm sorry. I forgot that you don't know the latest news of the war. Yes, we Purples control Ninjago Town now."

"And I guess I might as well tell you where the Third Division is camping for the winter," she continued. "Garmadon Ranch!"

The color drained from Kai's face as his fork remained in midair. Were his loved ones back home all right? How was Sam?

"I wasn't going to tell you until after supper, since I figured you'd react like that," Skylor admitted. "But you should feel better knowing that my source told me that the civilian prisoners there are being treated fairly."

"And who exactly are the civilian prisoners?" Kai managed to choke out, still in shock over the news he had just been told.

Skylor began to count out on her fingers. "There's Mr. Wu, of course, and the housekeeper. And Nya, who I guess finally got married to Jay after I left town. And their new baby boy..."

So Nya had the baby, Kai thought. But Jay won't be able to see them, now that they're behind enemy lines.

"...and a lady who I never met while I was in Ninjago Town. Her name is Samantha Smith."