The Fire Within a Ninjago Soldier

Chapter 56 - Switching Alliances

Chapter 56 - Switching Alliances

Skylor felt like she had just been punched in the gut. She sank into the guest chair. "But...Daddy...why not?" she managed to gasp.

"Skylor!" Chen barked impatiently, startling her. "For years I have put up with your immaturity! I know I wasn't around much to discipline you, and your mother was the type to spare the rod. But when you were little, your torment of Captain Kadanhan's daughter with those snakes caused me a year's delay in getting promoted to Lieutenant."

He picked up the whiskey bottle and filled the glass once again. "And after your mother died, I was really angry when you got kicked out of Lightly Boarding School for breaking one too many rules, especially because in order to afford the tuition for that hoity-toity school in the first place, I had to sell my prized Anacondrai sword!"

"Good thing that the next school had a theater curriculum that kept your interest," he continued after gulping a swig of whiskey. "And when you started using your wiles to recruit supporters for the Purple Army, I thought you were finally starting to grow up. It pleased me when you accepted Clouse's marriage proposal - I thought you realized that becoming his wife would forge an alliance with a powerful fast-rising star in the Purple Army and protect everything I've worked hard for from my rivals and challengers."

Chen emptied the glass and set it down. "And by the way, Clouse certainly saw the advantage of aligning himself with a high-ranking Purple general. He's quite the opportunist. I like the way he thinks!" He smiled to himself.

Just as quickly as the smile appeared, however, it vanished, and the general pointed his index finger at the younger Chen. "But once again, Skylor, you've ruined things, just like you always have. Now, the support I was counting on from my future son-in-law is in jeopardy, my best friend is dead, and my own daughter has betrayed the Purple cause by defending his murderer!"

"Daddy..." Skylor covered her face with her hands and began to sob. "Why are you being so vicious?"

Chen strode toward the office door, ignoring her question. "I'm taking away your officership powers, and I'm summoning soldiers to arrest you," he announced, "and you're going to reveal where that murdering bastard lover of yours is, so he can be arrested, too!"

Skylor's head snapped up. No! He can't do that to Jules!

She jumped up from the chair and grabbed his forearm. "Arrest me if you want, Daddy, but leave Jules alone!" Skylor wailed. "I'm the one who convinced him to ride all the way out here to western Ninjago!"

Chen shook off her grasp. "Let go of me! You're worth less to me than a kabuki girl!"

His exclamation suddenly triggered a memory in her mind. For an instant, she was once again a little eight-year-old girl in her nightgown, hiding at the top of the stairs while her parents argued downstairs in the parlor of their home. It was the first time she'd heard her mother become upset with her father. And the last time. It was the night her mother died...

"How could you?!" her mother wailed. "Not just one kabuki girl! And not just two! THREE kabuki girls!"

"Well, Mary, what do you expect?" Chen retorted. "I need variety and you don't want to give that to me."

"You mean you were serious about those disgusting suggestions?" Mother exclaimed in horror. "I thought that was just the liquor talking! I can't believe you actually wanted to try those...methods!"

"I'm not a saint, Mary. You knew that when you married me."

"But I thought we had a special relationship!" she shrilly lamented.

Chen sighed. "I didn't intend for you to find out about these women, Mary."

"Don't you love me?"

"No," Chen said calmly. "I don't."

After a pause of what was only several seconds but what seemed like hours, Mother responded in a low measured voice. "One who cavorts with the devil will spend eternity with the devil!" she seethed.

"Well, then, dearie," Chen replied quietly, "I'm off to do some more cavorting." Without another word, he opened the front door and exited the house.

Though little Skylor was not able to see inside the parlor from her vantage point at the top of the stairs, the girl heard her mother begin to cry and angrily thrash around. Suddenly a loud crash was heard, as if a liquor bottle was being smashed against a table. Very shortly thereafter, a thud was heard, and her mother ceased her vocalizations. The eerie silence scared the young child, and she retreated back to her bedroom to hide under the covers. She had not been allowed to enter the parlor for days after being told of her mother's death...

Skylor once again reached out and grabbed her father's forearm. "Daddy, don't you love me?" she asked with gritted teeth.

"No," Chen said calmly. "I don't." Once again he shook off her grasp.

Skylor wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Mother would say that one who cavorts with the devil will spend eternity with the devil!" she declared.

Chen stopped in his tracks, hand on the doorknob. Five seconds of silence passed.

Then, without turning back to look at her, the general talked to the door. "I will give you two hours to run. Then I will send out a posse after you, and your fate will be out of my hands. In the meantime," he continued quietly, "I'm off to do some more cavorting."

Without another word, he opened the office door and, leaving it ajar, disappeared into the bustle of scurrying soldiers in the hallway.

Skylor stood there motionless, utterly stunned at what had just transpired. She felt like the most stupid fool in all of Ninjago, having believed that her father actually loved her more than he loved his career.

She noticed the whiskey bottle on the office desk. In a daze, she poured herself a drink and downed it quickly in an attempt to drown the pain of rejection by her father.

Her father didn't like her. Uncle Oliver hadn't liked her. Jake didn't like her. They had only put up with her because of her usefulness to the Purple cause.

Well, may the Purple cause be cursed! I want nothing more to do with these people! In fact, I hope they lose the war!

Skylor poured more whiskey in her glass to distract herself from the hurt as she tried to keep in mind that there were people in her life who did genuinely appreciate her - her late mother, and Kai Smith, and sweet Jules.

She slammed down the glass after emptying it a second time. So, Daddy, you like to talk about alliances! Well, I'm going to form my own! Alliances with people I care for and who care for me!

With chin held high, Skylor strode out the office door - and promptly bumped into a civilian female who apparently had just descended the nearby staircase.

They stared at each other for a moment.

Skylor spoke first, slowly. "Aren't you Nya? From the saloon in Ninjago Town?"

The expression on the other woman's face, which had first registered fear, and then annoyance, now displayed shock.

"Skylor?! What are you doing here?!" Then, realizing Skylor was wearing a Purple uniform, Nya narrowed her eyes and sneered, "Oh. You're one of them. Good thing Kai didn't end up marrying you!" The raven-haired woman attempted to walk right past Skylor toward the kitchen.

"Wait, Nya!" Skylor blocked her path. In a low voice, she said, "I have information about Kai to give to Sam!"