The halls were dark and many rooms echoed with the carefree laughing. Cosimia ached to be hanging out with her friends, without a worry in the world. Of course, that could never happen as long as her last name was Nedias. She should be proud and grateful. Thousands of Minerva would kill to be the Commandant's daughter, but Cosimia had wanted anything else. But you can't change your birth.

"I'm thinking that we cut across and climb through the elevator chute so we can get to the garage quicker. Through the vents." Dominica looked around briefly and adjusted the straps of her backpack.

Mathias nodded in approval, causing a flush to spread across Dominica's face. Even though she didn't have feelings like Airlia did for Cosimia's brother, Dominica still sought his approval.

"I have access to the higher level garage platforms but I'm afraid that's the farthest I can go." Mathias said, lips twisting in apology. Cosimia pressed her back to the wall and peeked around the corner, darting around when she didn't see any guards.

"That's all we need. We can take it from there." Cosimia said in a loud whisper, determination sparking as she saw the elevator. But her heart dropped when she saw two particularly large guards blocking the entrance.

Cosimia inhaled and nodded at Nova, who stepped in line with her. Nova came from the second highest family out of the whole patrol, Cosimia included, so her title should give them some leeway. Hopefully. Mathias patted the dagger pocket on Cosimia's vest and frowned.

"Why do you have a knife?" He whispered.

"Just in case," Cosimia replied, not wanting to get into it.

"I thought we weren't going to kill people. This is an escape, not a kill mission."

Cosimia exhaled under her breath. "It is. Just in case anything happens." Mathias retreated, unsatisfied. He didn't believe in killing but understood that he had to during special times.

Cosimia straightened her back and sashayed forward, swaggering with confidence. She was surprised at how easy it was to exude confidence, considering she felt like she was going to collapse with fear.

The guards eyed her lazily but blocked the entrance anyways.

"Name?" The left one asked.

"Huntress Cosimia Nedias." Cosimia emphasized her title, raising her brow suggestively. But the guards just looked at each other and didn't budge.

"Sorry, Huntress, this level is for the crown prince, Commandant, and their Highnesses." Cosimia fought to keep the frustrated panic off her face. In a flash of dawn and dusk, one of the guards fell to the ground. The other one was taken aback for a few moments before rushing towards them. Cosima sighed and parried his haphazard strikes. She swept his legs out from under him and slammed her boot heel into the side of his head. He slumped instantly, unconscious. But alive. Nova pressed the button and gestured sharply for the rest of the patrol to follow.

"Couldn't that have been avoidable? Now whoever finds them will know something happened." Oralie tapped her foot quickly on the marble floor anxiously. The glass exterior of the elevator gave way to the whole Saturnus landscape, and looking at her home land Cosimia felt burning tears in her eyes. Who knows if Saturnus would ever be as friendly to her as it always had been. The Badlands cut an imposing, daunting figure across the purple filled landscape. Cosimia had never liked the Badlands even though she had never been there. And she never wanted to. Most people who got a life pass were exiled to the Badlands, thinking in relief that the Commandant and the monarchs were gracious enough to let them live. But being forced to live in the Badlands was worse. It was like a prolonged period of death.

Cosimia had learned from an early age what would happen if she didn't obey the precarious rules of the Minerva and Saturnus. They wouldn't kill a Minerva but the rest of their life for them and their family wouldn't be worthwhile. That she knew.

"Okay, we're on the highest floor." Isadora mumbled before pressing a few buttons on the elevator tablet. "This should make sure it doesn't open before the rest of us get out of here." Cosimia craned her neck to the high ceiling of the elevator pod, looking for the vent. Finally, she spotted it and Mathias laced his hands together to give Cosimia a boost.

He grunted as she stepped on his hands. Cosimia thumped her fist to the thin metal covering of the vent. It bent easily and Cosimia managed to pry it off. The vent went straight up but Cosimia could see a turn where it got flat.

"Mathias, how are you going to get up?" Airlia asked, twisting her bubblegum pink hair over her shoulder.

He smiled slightly as he pushed Cosimia into the vent. "I'll get there. Don't worry."

The vent was dark, damp, but loud enough that it would cover up their procession. Cosimia wrinkled her nose as the smell increased but pushed forward. This was nothing compared to what was going to come.

"Cosi, can you move any faster? We don't have the whole day!" Freda whispered from right behind Cosimia. Giving her an icy glare in the dark, Cosimia continued at the same pace.

"If we go faster somebody will hear us. This is the best pace to go." Freda grumbled something to herself but Cosimia couldn't hear it.

Distant murmurs sounded from beneath them and the whole line froze. Cosimia's heart was pounding so loud it was painful.

"Did you hear about the decree from the Commandant?" From the sound of the voice, Cosimia assumed that they were younger years. She held up a finger to signal silence.

"Yeah. I haven't seen her so mad."

"Did you hear what the reward was for finding the Huntress?" Cosimia's blood ran as cold as the ring ice, and swallowing her fear hurt. Her mother was... hunting her? Already? She thought that she would've at least been able to get to the garage before her mother caught word of their escape.

"No. But I do know that the crown prince is missing as well. There's no bounty on his head because, well, he's the crown prince and Queen Rhea doesn't believe he deserted." The voice faded and Cosimia assumed the duo had left. Everyone exhaled collectively as they left.

"Shit, what are we going to do?" Dominica said somewhere from the back.

"We have to keep going. We can't stop now." Cosimia infused steel into her voice, repeating it to herself until she believed it. She was the Huntress. She had to do this.

"Cosi, turn left. We're almost there." Mathias called. Cosimia heard the soft whirring of the jets and the overlap of voices from the sparse guards. Cosimia let herself relax slightly as she counted only 7 guards. If she were doing this by herself she might've turned back, but she had 7 other talented and skilled warriors behind her. This would be a good warm-up. As Cosimia quietly unscrewed the vent rafter she felt a familiar burn of desire and the urge to fight. Her weapons glowed in her backpack begging to be used. Inhaling deeply, Cosimia kicked the rafter and dropped like a cat to the floor.

The guards started but soon drew their weapons as the rest of her patrol and Mathias followed.

"Hi." Cosimia said before launching herself at the largest guard. He had a large club in his hand, the spikes gleaming dangerously.

"You." Cosimia glared at him mockingly.

"That's no way to address your Huntress, is it?"

He sneered. "You'll be nothing to me after I bring you to the Commandant." With that he raised the club and slammed it down. Cosimia spun neatly out of the way and punched him square in the face. He laughed wetly, a trickle of crimson carving a path down his face.

"You'll have to do better than that." Cosimia flexed her muscles.

"Oh, I know. That was just for fun." She drew Longi, the elongated sword lithe and thin. But deadly all the same. The guard stumbled to his feet, pursing his lips as he eyed his fallen comrades. The guards were still putting up a good fight but they were outnumbered now. Nova fists were bloody as she punched a guard's face to a wet pulp. Isadora neatly parried and ducked another guard's blows. Mathias stood over two fallen men, staring defiantly at the guard facing off against her.

Then he jumped at her, bringing his club down. She held Longi up but felt the impact of the attack as it rippled through her muscles. Grinding her jaw Cosimia kicked his knee with the steel edge of her boot and slashed his fighting arm, watching in grim satisfaction as he fell to the floor. The guard clutched his wounded arm, rolling back and forth. She could end his life so easily and he wouldn't be a problem anymore. The fire inside flamed up, roaring. Mathias grabbed her arm, snuffing out any flame. Cosimia shook her head to remove all the thoughts of killing from her head.

"Fight it, Cosimia. Remember, only when necessary." Mathias said, firm but gentle.

"I know, Matty," Cosimia scanned the garage landing for the vessel. Once she saw it, she jerked her head to gesture to the rest of her crew.

"She's up there. C'mon." They tiptoed towards the large ship, gleaning in all its glory. It was a purple and gray chrome, and huge. Cosimia knew that taking the biggest ship in the Minerva arsenal wasn't the best idea but it did have some pros. It had a shell that protected the travelers from any type of weapon. Which made it impossible to shoot down. And on many of the planets Cosimia needed to visit, large ships like these were quite popular which made it easy to hide.

Grabbing the handrail, Cosimia swung herself up and landed softly on the upper deck.

"Does anyone actually know how to fly this thing?" Freda asked, running a hand over the shining surface of the jet.

Oralie raised a hand halfway up. "My father was a pilot for the larger ships of the Royal Guard. He taught me how to pilot." She said, almost sheepishly. Cosimia's lips tilted up slightly. When they were out of the rings, she and her patrol needed to have some time to talk. About anything but the Minerva. Cosimia knew they had lives outside the Minerva.

They stood in silence before Isadora nodded. "Dominica, can you find the exit button? Oralie, get inside and figure out the controls. As soon as the door begins to open we need to leave immediately." Isadora commanded, voice carrying over the silent space. Dominica and Oralie disappeared behind the jet, out of sight.

Cosimia followed Oralie up the ramp, dropping her weapons bag in relief. She kneaded the tightening knots in her shoulders and looked around for anything that could be of use to them. The plane was stocked with supplies such as untarnishable foods and spare clothing.

"Great. So I lugged this bag up here for nothing?" Freda groaned, throwing it down. Oralie studied the panel of controls, fingers flitting briefly over select buttons. She turned to them.

"This model seems almost the same to the one Father taught me to use. This shouldn't be a problem." Cosimia nodded once and exited the ramp where Mathias was standing.

"I guess this is where you leave." Cosimia said quietly. Mathias smiled bitterly, glacier blue eyes drifting with thought.

"I can't come with you. Somebody needs to be down here to manage the situation. I'm the right person. You need your patrol." Mathias leaned on the handrail, gaze roving over the empty hangar space.

"I still wish you could come. This is a massive task to pull off." Cosimia said, gulping nervously. Around Mathias, she could drop her mask of confidence and confess to him. It was nice to have at least one person she could spill her feelings to.

"I don't doubt that. But if anyone can do it, it's you, Cosi. I know it." Dominica rushed around the corner, breathless.

"I found it and I pressed it. It will be fully open in 45 seconds." Stepping away from Mathias, Cosimia began to walk up the ramp when she heard Mathias whip his sword out. Dominica looked at her but Cosimia waved her away.

"Get the jet in the air. I'll help him." Cosimia whispered as she tiptoed down the ramp to get a look at her foe.

Geneva.

Cosimia almost dropped Longi but managed to get a hold on it before it clattered to the floor. Mathias was holding his sword at a tense position, ready to strike while Geneva was smirking as always. She could faintly make out their conversation.

"I always knew that there was something off about you, older brother. Now I know." Geneva's face hardened. "Just like my undeserving brat of a sister you have absolutely no sense of loyalty." The two faced off and pranced around each other leisurely, like a dance. Cosimia punched her thigh to prevent herself from leaping at Geneva. She knew that her sister was doing this to draw her out into the open but she couldn't give Geneva that satisfaction.

"How do you figure that?"

Geneva's face twisted into a nasty sneer. "You must be blind not to see it."

Mathias shrugged. "Possibly. Or you might be if you can't see that I have a deep loyalty. Just not to whom you do." He raised his sword this time. "Or what."

Geneva curled her lip, showing teeth. "If you aren't loyal to the Nedias family name then you have no pride."

"But I am promoting the Nedias family by becoming the next king. What have you done that is so helpful and noteworthy, little sister?" His voice turned deadly, dripping with cold poison as he mocked her. With that, as if he had struck a nerve, Geneva leapt forward with rage. As the fight raged on the plane began to lift from the ground, making the both of them stagger back from the force.

Geneva saw Cosimia on the floating ramp and snarled at her.

"You have nowhere to go, sister. Come down now and Mother will possibly give you mercy."

"No, I don't think so. MATHIAS!" Cosimia yelled her brother's name and with a lightning fast movement he tackled Geneva. The both of them tumbled around, fighting for the upperground. Geneva wasn't good at close combat wrestling so Mathias was making sure to keep her on the ground.

"GO!" He screamed at her, as Geneva aimed a well-placed kick to his head. Cosimia screamed, limbs aching to help her brother. But her patrol pulled her back, their words seeming far, far away. There was nothing she could do to help her brother now. Mathias was older so she had more experience but Geneva was incredibly persistent. A fair fight. She didn't know who would come out victorious. She could only pray that Dea Kali would assist her. Cosimia had a feeling that this would be one of many prayers to come.