"DAD!"
    "Thalia wait, don't!"
    The assassin's eyes widened as he realized he hit Thalia's father instead of Thalia. Her eyes were wide with shock, but Logan held her arm to keep her from running forward. The assassin appeared to be visibly shaken by this turn of events for some reason, and he took a slow step back, shakily putting his gun back in its holster.
    Thalia stared at him. "Who are you?!" She shouted. "J-Just leave us alone!"
    The assassin stared back at her, his green eyes wide. "I-I'm sorry..." Then he turned and leapt up onto the railing and to the other ship and disappeared into the crowds.
    O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
    Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills
    Thalia yanked herself from Logan's grip and fell to her knees beside her father. "Dad?" She called, shaking him. But he didn't make any response. He didn't appear to be breathing. Thalia felt tears touch the corners of her eyes. "Dad!" She shouted, but he still didn't hear her. She collapsed into tears, resting her head against his chest. "D-Dad... I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." She whimpered under her breath.
    The team watched incredulously and uncertainly, none sure of what to do. None of them had seen her like this. Then Logan slowly stepped forward bravely and knelt next to her. "Thalia-"
    "Don't touch him!" She screamed suddenly.
    For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding
    For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning
    Logan hugged her tightly, ignoring her as she tried to pull away. But she clearly wasn't trying to hard, because if she were, she would be able to get away easy. She eventually gave up and broke down, hugging Logan back as she sobbed into his shoulder. Logan sighed quietly, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, TK..."
    Thalia just cried harder, her father lying still beside the two.
    Here Captain! dear father!
    This arm beneath your head!
    "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." She kept repeating over and over. Logan said nothing the whole while; didn't try to comfort her, because he knew it was no use. He just stayed there with her and gave her a shoulder to cry into.
    It is some dream that on the deck
    You've fallen cold and dead...
    Across the deck Sky just kicked the last squid of the Omega over the side. He looked around the deck and when he saw no other squids, he was about to swing over to a different ship to get the squids of that one. But then he noticed his apprentice sobbing on the ground.
    His eyes grew wide.
    Sky shouted out as he was suddenly shoved out of the way. He had no idea what was happening, and he didn't remember who had done it, but when he looked up, his Commander was on the ground. He gasped and ran to his side. "CV, no!"
    Sky took a step back, then hesitated. He didn't want to relive history, he never did. But it was like he was watching it play out in front of him like on old war film. He took a deep breath and ran forward quietly. Logan looked at him in confusion as he approached, but Sky signaled for him to be quiet and he carefully took off Damon Kal's aviators before backing away again.
    Logan was confused, but he did as his Commander told him and remained silent.

The squids retreated back to their ships after a few hours; but the fight want far from over. The ships still hovered in the air as night fell. It was like there was just a pause in the battle, and the killing would resume the next day. The recruits and Skylords docked again, and took refuge on Skyhold until the fighting started again.
    Logan, Jack, Kevin, Venom, and Wolf all sat around a round table in the Great Hall quietly. There was little talking, and no one seemed very hungry. Kevin sat, playing a few quiet notes on his mandolin.
    Damon had been moved off of his ship for now, but would be buried later. Thalia sat on the roof of the Great Hall, her legs curling in close to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees staring out at the black sky and the stars above in silence.
    She was there for several minutes before she heard a voice behind her.
    "Damn it's cold up here."
    She didn't look up as Sky sat down beside her. He sat silently for a few minutes before he sighed. "Well, it could be worse you know."
    "How could it be worse." Thalia asked, her voice low
    "Both your parents could be dead."
    "Both my parents are dead, Commander..."
    "I know..." Sky sighed. "I knew your mother."
    Thalia looked up at him. "What?"
    "I did." Sky nodded. "And I was there when she died."
    Thalia's eyes widened.
    Sky sighed a little, looking up. "Her name as Higgins." He said. "Higgins Kal. I never knew her name, actually. But she knew mine. I was an apprentice back then. The base was under attack, as per usual. And she took an arrow for me."
    Thalia stared at him in shock. "Really...?"
    Sky nodded. "She was so nice. I stayed by her as she died. I was panicking because I was so young and she was the one comforting me! telling me it was her duty and that life would go on."
    He hesitated. "Did you know my dad's dead as well?"
    Thalia shook her head.
    "Well... He died of a disease called Schronzia. I was too afraid to go in and say goodbye to him... And I still regret it today. I was never close to my mom, I'm still not today. But I've found when you lose someone, you need to find someone to takes their place in your heart or you'll be empty. It may seem wrong at first, knowing someone is standing where he stood. But it's what has to be done if you ever want to move on, every want to grow from the pain."
    Thalia stared at him for a moment, then sighed and hung her head. "Skylord Kal was the leader of the ships. What are we supposed to do now that he's gone?"
    Sky shook his head. "Stop thinking strategically, Thalia."
    "But-"
    "Just take a break, rookie."
    "There's a war on. You know I can't."
    Sky sighed. "You're just like I was."
    Thalia didn't respond.
    Sky waited a moment before he held out something bronze-ish gold. "Here."
    Thalia looked down and blinked in surprise. "O-Oh..." She slowly took her father's aviators from him. She closed her eyes and squeezed the goggles tightly. "What am I supposed to do...?" She asked softly.
    "You fight." Sky replied. "Fight for him, fight for the Skylords, fight for your team. Then decide your fate when you're done."
    Thalia sighed. "Yes sir..." She hesitated. "Can I ask you something?"
    "Of course."
    Thalia hesitated. "Clancy told me something interesting... And I was wondering..." She looked up. "Can I call you CD?"
    Sky's eyes widened. "Oh..." He swallowed a little and looked away. "Sure, rookie..." He said quietly.
    Thalia stared at him for a moment, but then she heard some shouts arise from within the Great Hall. She blinked in curiosity and slid down the roof, jumping down and walking in. Sky was close behind.
    A lot of people were arguing loudly, and some even fighting. Sky's eyes narrowed and he brushed past Thalia. "Hey!" He called, but only some of the people heard him. He sighed. "HEY!" The room fell silent, everyone suddenly looking to him. "What the hell is going on?!" Sky demanded.
    Of course, the only one brave enough to stand up to him was a Skylord. "We've lost our ship leader, we don't know what to do!" He shouted. "We're all gonna die, and we know it! There's nothing else we can do!"
    Sky cocked an eyebrow. "I thought Skylords were braver than this." He said.
    They started to murmur, then argue again.
    Sky sighed. "This is useless..."
    Thalia couldn't help but agree. It seemed hopeless to fight now. They lost their ship leader, and they had no idea where to go from there.
    Then, as Sky was about to get their attention again, Thalia heard a familiar voice manage to project over the voices of the Skylords and recruits.
    "This story..." Logan, who was standing on top of the round table paused as the people in the Great Hall all looked up at him, the murmurs and shouts dying down. "This story shall the good man teach his son... And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by from this day to the ending of the world." Everyone stared at him as he spoke with passion, like he was on stage. "But we in it shall be rememberéd." He glanced down at his team. "We few." He shot a look at Thalia and smiled a little. "We happy few... We band of brothers." He looked back up and raised his voice louder than before. "For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. Be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition: and gentlemen in England now a-bed shall think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day!" Several people murmured agreements, a few cheering. "My sovereign lords..." Logan said, to the Skylords. "Bestow yourself with speed. The French are bravely in their battles set, and will with all expedience charge on us. All things are ready, if our minds be so!" At his next word, he raised his staff high above his head. "Perish the man whose mind is backward now! Now, soldiers, march away; And how thou pleasest, dispose the day!"
     Recruits and Skylords all over the hall raised their weapons and cheered. They knew the ginger was right, they knew they had to take a stand. Skyhold was their home. It had defended them through the years, and now they would defend it till their last. The Skylords of Skyhold would stand, and they would fight.
    Sky smirked up at Logan and nodded at him. Logan nodded back as he hopped down.
    "The ships are advancing!" A Skylord shouted from the door, but no spirit was tarnished. They ran out and onto their ships, taking off. Thalia started to follow, but Sky stopped her.
    "Rookie, wait."
    Thalia blinked. "Sir?"
    "Stay here." Sky instructed. "You're too depressed to fight effectively, trust me."
    "No I'm not! I need to fight!"
    "Don't think strategically, just rel-"
    "Don't you dare tell me to relax! People are dying!"
    "Even more could if you do something irrational. I'm not going to tell you again. When you became my apprentice, you swore you would do everything I told you."
    "But-"
    "Stay!" Then Sky turned and ran out.
    Thalia groaned in frustration once he was gone gripping her head.
    Suddenly, after a few seconds, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "You're not gonna stay in here, are you?"
    Thalia glanced behind her and realized her team was still there. She hesitated, then smirked. "Never."
    "Yeah, she's back!" Kevin cheered with a laugh.
    "Alright, what's the plan?" Jack asked.
    Thalia bit her lip and looked away, her mind racing. It was hard to push back the sadness of losing her closest family member - who ironically wasn't very close at all - and she could see why Sky wanted her not to fight. But she decided that he had underestimated her.
    She walked outside, peering out the door. The ships had already risen up, and from what she could see, they were stuck on the island itself.
    Thalia chewed her lip as she looked around for an idea, but none came. She was too distracted. She growled in frustration and looked at Jack. "Do you have a ponytail?"
    Jack blinked. "Uh... Yes?"
    "Can I have it?"
    Jack shrugged and pulled his makeshift ponytail holder out of his hair, handing it to Thalia. Thalia quickly put up his hair, Kevin just now realizing that Jack hadn't cut his hair over the past four months.
    "Dude." He said. "You look like Aragorn."
    Jack rolled his eyes. "I'll take that as a compliment."
    Thalia looked around, her hair now in a high ponytail. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She took another deep breath, and another. She pushed the worries out of her mind, and simply focused on the task at hand. She cleared her mind all except for that.
    Then she opened her eyes. She turned to face her team. "Who can fly a plane?" Besides herself, only Jack raised his hand, Kevin indicating he sort of knew how on a good day.
    She set her jaw. Then her eyes widened. "Perfect." She smiled. "That is brilliant!"
    Jack raised an eyebrow. "What?"
    Thalia looked away again, ignoring his question. She looked around the places at Skyhold and she found a place for everyone - then she noticed the bell tower. The light at the top was on. Strange, it was never on. That was Skylord tradition. Never turn on the bell tower light. Which meant someone, not a Skylord, was up there. Her eyes narrowed. Then she got an idea.
    She snapped. "Alright nerds, listen up." She smirked at the six of them, all in one place for the very first time. "I got an idea."

Having an Enderman on the team was very helpful, Thalia thought as she examined her glider, which she named Caerulem. Jack had teleported onto the Omega and grabbed her flying device before coming back and giving it to her. She sat on top of the Great Hall, watching the air warfare above. Two ships had gone down since the team had split up; one from each side.
    The Omega was still attached to the Skydock, since its captain had gone down. Logan was on board, and had dragged Damon's body below deck as she requested.
    Thalia sat quietly, waiting patiently for the signal.
    Meanwhile, Wolf and Venom were inside the Signal Shack, as the Skylords had come to call it. It was basically a little lean-to filled with explosives, lights, and fireworks.
    The two teens dug through it and dragged them outside, sticking them into the dirt and bickering all the while. Wolf used a lighter that Jack had given her to light the fireworks and they shot up, exploding in the sky with bright green and blue colors.
    Thalia looked up and stood as she saw hear the cracking booms that echoed through the empty Hold, but none were the signal yet. She gripped Caerulem tighter in anticipation holding completely still.
    Wolf and Venom waited, but none of the squid planes flew towards them.
    "We need more..." Venom said.
    Wolf looked around, then back at the shack before she got an idea. "Okay, stay there.
    Venom sighed. "You're gonna blow the whole thing up aren't you."
    "No. All but this one." Wolf tossed Venom the signal rocket. "That one you'll set off after the shack blows."
    Wolf turned and started to head into the shack when Venom grabbed her arm. "Wait."
    Wolf turned and raised an eyebrow at her. "What's up Spidey?"
    "I told you not to call me that."
    "You know, the longer we bicker, the more chance there is that somebody's gonna did."
    "Yeah, but you could get blown up in there if you're not careful."
    "I'm always careful."
    "You are never careful!"
    "Does it matter?" Wolf asked. "If I'm gone, your life wouldn't change at all. In fact, it might just get better!"
    Venom just stared at her silently, her gaze steady.
    Wolf sighed. "Okay, look, just tell me one thing, just in case I do blow up." She smiled a bit crookedly. "What's your name?"
    Venom stared at her a moment longer, then looked away. "Gene."
    Wolf nodded. "See you in hell, Gene." Then she turned and ran into the shack. Thalia watched as the shack suddenly exploded massively, dozens of fireworks shooting into the air and blowing up one after the other in rapid succession.
   In the plane yard across Skyhold, Kevin couldn't help but laugh. "If that didn't get their attention, they're deaf and blind."
   The squid planes indeed were attracted to the light and sound and flew over as Wolf and Venom took cover in the storm shelter.
   Thalia face-palmed. But then the signal appeared in the sky. It was a gold firework, the crest of Skyhold. The smirked and unfolded her glider, then held it up as she took a running jump off of the Great Hall. She drifted the twenty meter gap between the Hall and the bell tower, landing skillfully on the roof. She closed Caerulem again as she ran down the stairs. She ignored the light room, knowing she didn't have time, and pressed the button on the radio. "Attention all Skylord ships, this is Thalia Kal, come in."
    There was a pause before she heard Lysander's voice. "Hello, Kal."
    "Let's skip the pleasantries, Admiral." Thalia said. "My team and I are taking over."
    A few other Skylords on the line murmured amongst themselves in confusion. "Can she do that?"
    "Who is this kid?"
    "Is that even legal?"
    Thalia ignored them. "In exactly three minutes, all ships will fly upwards."
    "Or what?" Lysander asked.
    "Or you'll be blown up with the squid ships." Thalia said. "Stay if you want, but I really wouldn't recommend it."
    Then she heard the inevitable.
    "Lysander, lemme see." A dim voice said.
    Thalia smiled a little. "Hello Commander."
    "Vaerin, I told you to stay on the ground-"
    "Well, I didn't listen." Thalia said. "You've all been warned. Three minutes. Fly up. Thalia Kal, over and out."
    "Kal-"
    Thalia switched off the receiver and ran out. She bolted to the Skydock and onto the last ship docked; the Omega. It had no crew. Only a certain confused ginger. "Er... Which one's the docking line and which is the mooring line?"
    "The longer one is the docking line."
    "Are you sure?"
    Thalia looked at him.
    Logan blinked. "Right, yes you are." He untied the longer rope and the ship pushed away from the side. Thalia run up to the helm. "Get below deck and load all the canons, I'll watch your back!"
    "Aye aye!"
    "One aye will do, ginger." Thalia said.
    "Just call me Cap'n Keyes!"
    "Logan, go load the canons."
    "Harharharhar!"
    Thalia rolled her eyes as he ran down the stairs to the lower deck and she close and locked the hatch behind him. "And don't forget to put gunpowder in it!"
    "I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid!"
    "Can you drop the pirate voice?!"
    "Nay, milady!"
    Thalia groaned and steered the ship. "We're going too slow..." She said. "Ginger, turn on the thruster!"
    "The what?"
    "Thruster, it's the engine!"
    "How do I go about that?"
    Thalia sighed. "Okay this is very simple. On the right side of the lower deck, look at the second pedastal. Are you looking at it?"
    "Yeah."
    "Do you see the big sign that reads 'Thruster Ignition' in bold letters and the arrow pointing down to the red button?"
    "...Yeah."
    "Push it."
    "Yes, a great big threatening button." Thalia sighed as Logan laughed loudly. "Thrusters on full Scotty! I'm givin' her all she's got, Captain!"
    "Keyes!"
    "Alright, alright!" He pushed the button. "Ramming speeeeed!"
    The Omega shuddered and started forward faster, going up and through the Skylord ranks as Logan tried to include every instrument as he sang the Helicarrier theme from the Avengers a cappella.
    "Heads up!" Thalia called. "Get ready!"
    "To what?"
    "To fire!"
    "Oh right!" A canon boomed from under the deck. But since they were still within the Skylord ships and not among the mass of squid ones, it hit the bottom of a Skylord ship, luckily harmless.
    "LOGAN."
    "You said fire!"
    "I SAID GET READY TO FIRE."
    "Oh! Oh..."
    Thalia sighed. "Great going Captain Keyes!"
    "I'm sensing hostility."
    "Just get ready to fire!"
    "Alright, alright!"
    Thalia steered the ship into the squid ranks. "Okay... Ready...!"
    Logan saw the squid ships outside the portholes. "Uh... Kal, I should probably fire..."
    "Wait, not yet." Thalia said. "Okay, aim..."
    Logan watched the ships nervously as they loaded their own ships. "Erm... TK..."
    Thalia hesitated a moment longer until the squids started to swing over to the deck of the Omega, then pulled out her sword. "Fire!"
    "Does that mean fire or get ready to fire-"
    "IT MEANS FIRE."
    Logan finally fired the canons one after the other. The first hit the ship on their left, making most of the squids that were swinging over fall off their ropes. The next caused great damage, Logan getting a lucky shot.
    Thalia left the helm and ran down to the main deck. She swiped the one squid of made it's sword out of his hand and stabbed him through. On the other side, three more squids made it before Logan hit the two ships on the right.
    They tried to surround her, and she ducked down, spinning around and knocking all their legs out from under them. She stabbed one as he fell, but just missed the sword of another as both stood. She kicked him hard in the chest and he stumbled back and over the edge of the ship. The last squid stabbed here just barely missing her as she dodged to the right. She tried to hit her, but the squid parried. Thalia tried once again, but their blades locked between them. The squid smirked at her a little through the blades and Thalia felt herself losing the battle of strength.
    Then she glnnced down and got an idea.
    She ducked down, dropping her sword as she rolled out of the way. She grabbed the pistol that the assassin had dropped on the deck after murdering henry father and stood up, pulling the trigger. It was a lucky shot. It hit the squid in the chest, and she fell over dead. Thalia picked up her sword and te sheathed it with a sigh, deciding to hold onto the pistol for later. Suddenly, the whole Omega shook as a canon hit their ship; and she fell as the second hit as well. She gasped. "Logan, you okay?"
    "I'm alright!"
    He fired another canon and Thalia stood and looked around. She could see all the squid ships being directed towards them. The Skylord ships were all heading upwards. She turned towards Skyhold and gasped. A hydroplane was already underway.
  She ran to the stairs and unlock the hatch quickly. "Logan, topside, now!"
   "Has it been three minutes-?"
   "Hurry up!"
    Logan realized she was serious and run up onto the deck as she quickly unfolded Caerulem. "Hold on to the bar here, we're gonna dive down, then even out."
    "Is that safe?" Logan asked cautiously, grabbing hold of the bar beside her.
    "It's safer than staying here, now run!" She pushed forward and Logan was forced to follow the ginger nearly tripping clumsily.
    "Jump!" The two both jumped over the rail and Thalia pointed the top of the glider downwards. They dove down beneath all the airships as the hydroplane shot at the Omega, which had been loaded chock full of gunpowder.
    The mighty airship exploded as the hydroplane flew up again.
    The big explosion effects the gunpowder and canons in the squid ships and they blew up too, causing a chain reaction of exploding ships. Due to the fact that the Skylord ships had flown up, they were safe.
    Thalia glanced back and watched as her father's ship burned as she and Logan descended down to the cold waters below Skyhold. She smiled sadly. "Bye dad." She said.
    Logan watched her for a moment, then nudged her as she looked frontwards again. She looked at him and he smiled sympathetically. She smiled back a little. "I'll be okay, Ginger." She said, and she sighed softly. "It's a fitting end. The captain goes down with his ship."
    "He would've wanted it this way." Logan said.
    "I know." Thalia replied. Then she heard the cheers coming from the Skylord ships as they realized they won. Thalia and Logan glanced back and beamed. Thalia cheered back up at them and Logan joined in. Then he looked down and sighed. "And I was having such a good day."
    "Huh?" Thalia followed his gaze and groaned. A second later, they both hit the water gently, Thalia folding in Caerulem and using the wood instead to float. They both gasped as they treaded the water. "Oh my gods, that's cold..." Thalia hissed.
    Logan laughed and tossed up the paperboy cap he'd been given, then caught it again because he quite liked it and didn't want to lose it. Then he splashed Thalia with the water gently.
    Thalia looked at him. "Oh, you wanna play that game, huh?!" She pulled her goggles down over her eyes and splashed him back so hard he was buried under the water in the wave of water. Thalia laughed as he resurfaced coughing.
    Behind them, after a few minutes, the same hydroplane that shot down the Omega landed on the water. The door opened and Kevin leaned out, while Jack stayed as far away from the water as possible in the back of the plane. "Hey dorks!" He called.
    Thalia looked up at him and beamed. "We did it!"
    He smirked back. "I know, TK, I was there."
    Kevin, Thalia, and Logan all cheered while Jack just laughed nervously in the very back of the hydroplane.

Kevin, apparently, only knew what he knew about flying a plane from a plane simulator game. So Jack did practically everything besides shoot, which was pretty sketchy. Thalia was able to pilot the plane back up to Skyhold after a few minutes of draining water out of the engine, which was due to a shaky landing, and Jack took copilot.
    She was flying upwards as she felt something on her shoulders and glanced behind her to see Logan smiling at her. He'd put one of the two blankets on her shoulders that they'd put in the plane before exercising the plan. He had the other wrapped around him. Thalia smiled gratefully and drew it in around her before going back to focusing on not crashing.
    They were oddly quite aside from Kevin singing the ending song from Dora very loudly.
    By the time Thalia and Jack were actually able to land the plane, the ships had all docked and the traditional festivities had begun. Skylords and recruits alike were dancing around the Hold and celebrating life, Venom and Wolf dancing with them. Both seemed alright, although Wolf had a burn mark on her arm.
    Kevin was the first one out of the plane, flinging the door open wide and leaping out extravagantly. "You guys got music or what?!" He asked.
    Jack teleported after him as Thalia hopped out casually, looking around with a smile. She took a few steps as Logan tripped ungracefully out of the plane and fell face-first onto the grass behind her.
    Thalia rolled her eyes as she heard the thud, and was about to turn to face him when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned towards it and froze. "Oh... Hi..."
    Sky crossed his arms.
    Logan stood and watched them closely from behind as he stood.
    "Um... I'm aware you told me to stay..." Thalia swallowed nervously. "But I'm not sorry for what I did, and I'd do it again too. I understand whatever punishment I'll get."
    Sky rolled his eyes and pout a hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Thalia." He said.
    Thalia blinked in surprise, then smiled and hugged him. "Thank you, Commander."
    Sky smiled a bit sadly as he hugged back. "Whatever happened to CD?"
    Thalia rolled her eyes, then Logan tapped her shoulder. She let go and looked at him. He smiled a little. "The team's waiting for us."
    Thalia smiled, and looked at the Commander.
    He shrugged. "I think you earned a day off."
    She beamed and took off in the direction Kevin and Jack headed, Logan grinning and following after her.