Episode One, Part 3: 

P y r i t e

"We're pleased to announce the success of our last mission, everyone from the Bunker making it back safely. The welcoming ceremony should take place sometime in the upcoming weeks, until then, please help them to settle in to Basilisk's routines and rituals." Sol spoke out to the crowd of people that had gathered by the Sovereign's Quarters, curiosity beating around at where they had all disappeared to yesterday. 

"While I'm here, I'll also address the previous Bunker, because I know a lot of you are wondering what happened to them. Some of them were taken by Blood Riders." Sol was interrupted by the outbreak of whispering among the crowd. She was hesitant to admit it to them, knowing that the mention of Riders would unsettle people, but she didn't want them to have a reason not to trust her, especially when everyone was counting on her to do what was right. 

"But with the help of the people here, we managed to get them out of Riders. The result of this is we now know its achievable, and if it ever comes down to it, we know where to start if we need to get in. For the meantime, the people of the first Bunker aren't at Basilisk, but we still have those from the second that we aim to train and introduce to our lifestyle." Sol concluded her speech, reinstalling a sense of peace among the group, walking the short path back inside the Quarters, Kodiak and several guardsmen in tow. 

"Good job, Riv." Kodiak smiled, leaning against the counter. But Sol was distracted by what she saw across the hall, her eyes blinking to make sure she was seeing it correctly. 

"Riv.." Kodiak pushed for her attention. 

"Not now, Kodi." She dismissed him, already on her way over to Eryx. 

She smiled questioningly as she entered the room, a roll of the eyes from her father when he noticed her presence. 

"What's going on?" 

"We're just talking, River. Nothing for you to worry about." He was so patronizing to her, even in spite of her title - the one which declared that she had more power than anyone at Basilisk. Her anger for her father got the better of her, and she turned to face Zara and Atlantis, annoyed at the sight of them with him. 

"I'm sorry, but the Quarters are for authorized people only. If you have a problem with this rule, you can take it up with a Sovereign." 

Zara shot her a confusing look, innocently, "I thought you were a Sovereign?" 

Sol mustered up the most forced-looking smile she could manage. "I am, and this isn't really up for discussion." She walked over to the door, holding it open and leaning against the frame. 

Both Zara and Atlantis grew nervous, suddenly wondering what they had done to get on the wrong side of her. They looked to Eryx, but he was turned around in embarrassment, and so the girls took their cue to leave. 

"That was rude." Eryx spat at her. 

"They're not welcome here." 

"I invited them here." 

"And how is that any different to all those times when I wanted to bring someone here?" 

"Because-" Eryx cut himself off, knowing that he couldn't give her an answer. 

"Exactly." Sol said, her voice bitter towards him. 

"Don't start with me, I heard your speech out there." 

Sol had no clue what he was talking about - what fault he could have possibly have found in what she had said to her people. Knowing that she was oblivious, he answered before she could speak. 

"You told them about Riders! I must say, this level of stupidity, even for you, Sol-" 

"In case you forgot, I'm supposed to be their leader-" 

"You're supposed to be, yeah." 

She scowled at her dad, eyes filled with rage as every word he said felt like a stab to the heart. "I don't want to lie to my people, dad. I don't want them to not trust me.. That's a risk, and I'm just looking out for that." 

Eryx stormed his way over to her, dissolving the distance that had grown between them. He held a finger up to her sharply, towering over her. "Maybe I didn't make it clear enough all these years I've been training you: first rule of power, never reveal everything to the powerless." 

He sighed after a few moments, Sol refusing to speak. There was something that looked like regret, what she could hope was an apology for how he had been treating her. 

"I wanted to talk to you about the Bunker." He had calmed his voice now, but kept his eyes away from her so that he wouldn't match her anger. 

"Here we go..." Sol mumbled. 

"No." Eryx was quick to deny what she was thinking. "I wanted to say that... That you did a good job. You hit gold." 

"I did? Or was it you?" 

Eryx faced her, not even beginning to understand what she meant. 

"You completely took over my authority. You made me look like an idiot in front of everyone-" 

"I was just trying to help. These mission are hard, Sol, not to mention when you're just beginning your role as Nobel."

"I was doing fine." 

"You were, but I wasn't going to risk us all being killed. You know what happened last time." 

"Don't talk to me about it like that. I brought them back. Because of me, they're safe in the Bunker. I even managed to get us two snitches inside of Riders, and you'd know that if you stopped looking for all the reason to fault me." 

Eryx lit up at the mention of the snitches, unable to hide to impressed smirk meeting his lips. "You did what?" 

Sol rolled her eyes. "When I shot Lyra, she disappeared, but I didn't know if the wound would be fatal or not. Turns out Rogue had made some sort of deal with her that she and Wynnlow's mum would be killed if they didn't return with the people from the Bunker." 

"I'm not following..." 

"I know." She sighed. "Because Bas found out that his sister would be killed otherwise, he traded up going back to the Bunker to join her at Riders. I approached her with a deal: she takes two of our people and they'll be snitches for us, like the snitch from them that's here at Basilisk." 

"Whats in it for her? How does it solve her problem?" 

"Four prisoners escaped Riders that night, and Lyra returned with three. Olympia and Zayden are the two I sent inside, and they'll be posing as people from her Bunker. Seeing as Rogue nor anyone else there can actually identify everyone who was in there with her, they''ll believe it. And she'll use Martha's death - Wynnlow's mother as a final reason why they should let her in." 

"Because they forget their dead..." Eryx pieced it together. "How do we know she won't turn our two in? Olympia in particular is very valuable to us." 

"Because her brother's life would be at stake. And - believe it or not - she does care about Wynnlow, and the rest of them. She's just too cowardly to think about saving anyone but herself." 

"But how do we use that to our advantage? If they can't get out to inform us of what they find, then it's as good as abandoning them there." 

"Because Olympia has your radio - which Wynnlow took before he left." 

"That damn kid." 

"Dad!" Sol warned, a look of hurt soaking into her features. "Enough." Taking a moment to compose herself, she continued to explain. "I found out that the master radio can pick into all frequencies, not just the ones it's registered to like the other ones we have here. Not only can she listen in to all the conversations they have at Riders on the talkies, but she can also still radio and talk to us. As she has been since they arrived there." 

"What have you found out?" 

"It's not important at the moment." 

"Sol..." 

"Back off, dad." 

Challenged by her words, he continued to bite. "That was my radio." 

"Actually, it's the Nobel's radio, and last time I checked, you aren't the Nobel anymore." Sol realized that she might have pushed it a bit too far, but she couldn't take it back now. 

Eryx nodded, showing that he was listening to what she was saying. He wanted to speak more but he could see that Sol wasn't even looking at him now, that she needed her space from him to calm down. 

"Well, you seem to have things under control at the moment. I'll leave you to it, Nobel." 

Sol listened as her father walked out the room, turning around when his footsteps faded, half wishing he stayed for once. That he cared enough to not leave her feeling so angry at him. Taking his place, another man appeared in the doorway, watching Eryx depart down the hall. 

"Hey, Riverly." His voice was warm, aged eyes offering sympathy as he approached her.

"Hey Joren." Sol sighed, leaning into his embrace as he wrapped his strong arms around her from behind. 

"I wanted to congratulate you on your second Bunker." 

"It's not really that big of a deal." She shrugged. "There was only eight of them anyway, and we need them for the numbers." 

"No, it is." He corrected her. "You should be proud of yourself. I am." 

A peace floated its way into her chest, and she resolved a little at his words, knowing that he meant it without any selfish intentions behind it. 

"I can already see that you're going to be a better Nobel than both your dad and myself were, combined." 

"That old age must be really getting to your eyes then, huh?" Sol teased, laughing along with Joren. 

"You may be Nobel now, but I could still kick your ass if it comes to it." After a moment, he softened, observing how she seemed to be carrying herself. "How are you holding up?" 

"Honestly?" Sol asked. "It's like my dad only ever makes me feel worse about myself. I don't know if he even means to do it, but it always happens. He doesn't trust me; not as his kid, neither as Nobel. He always tells me that he's stepping in because he doesn't want me to fail, but he doesn't even realize how much I can handle. He raised me to be strong, you know, and I am. I am, whether he notices it or not." 

"If you know it, then why does it matter if he does, or doesn't? No matter what someone thinks of you, that isn't going to change the truth." 

She bit down on her lip, debating what he said. "Maybe you're right, and it doesn't matter. But is it too much to want someone to believe in you?" 

Joren shook his head. "Only if you forget about the ones that already do." 

one // part three

You hit gold.