570 Irony

"No..." A disembowelled voice came from the crimson War Jack. "It is... I... Dijon... Here to... claim my... dues!"

"What?" Everyone present in the Chamber was dumbstruck as they stared at the huge metal golem. "But Lord Dijon had disappeared for over a year already!"

"Don't worry, we rescued him from the Protectorate who taken him and our Princess as prisoners!" Mills stepped in and said. "It's a long story so don't ask!"

"Ho-?" Akron's mouth hung open as he was about to ask how he was saved. He shut his mouth and ogled at the towering metal golem that was supposed to be Dijon and wondered should he believe them or not.

"Impossible!" Fleet Master Tediore yelled as he pushed his way to the front. "There is nothing to even prove... this... thing is even a person!"

Dijon shifted his chassis and looked at the speaker and certain information appeared within his mind. He stared at the Fleet Master for a moment in silence before he turned his entire metal body to face the Council members. "Lord Urthom... me and my... brothers... used... to sneak... into your... shipyard... to play... and you scolded us... for it..."

"Master... Beckett... You asked... for a favour... two summers ago..."

"Lord Agnes... Your son... served... in... my fleet... ever since... he was... of age..."

One by one, Dijon pointed out to members of the Council and said things that only they knew. Fleet Master Akron and Tediore's expression turned darker the more Dijon listed things out with people who knew him.

Mills checked his watch and frowned as Dijon continued to drone on and he rapped against the armour skirt of his legs and cut in, "Dijon, I think it is enough to convince everyone here of your identity..."

"Well, for one, I am really surprised and happy to see Dijon still alive!" Akron suddenly said with a wide smile on his face while he gestured to the metal body of Dijon. "I am sorry for not recognizing you, old friend."

Mills rolled his eyes at the change of tone of Akron and stepped back, letting Dijon handle his own affairs. His job was to escort Dijon to the Council Chambers in one piece and allow Dijon to take over the Council or at least bring them to the UN side and disrupt whatever plans Megan has.

"Enough... with the... act," Dijon replied without bothering to turn and face Akron. Akron's smile dropped and he gave an awkward cough. Dijon continued on without skipping a beat, "I know... what you... and Megan... planned..."

"You planned... to use... the Cartel... to kill off those... against you and... Megan..." Dijon said in an emotionless tone. "The First... Fleet Master... Kose..."

"The... Fifth Fleet..." Dijon added. "And those... still loyal... to me... in the Third Fleet."

"N- nonsense!" Akron snapped angrily. "You can't come in here and slander me! This is an outrage!"

"Furthermore... You all want... to claim that you were... the ones... that defeated the... Cartel..." Dijon said as he stood there unmoving. "And... take... all the credit... from the ones who truly... defeated... the Cartel..."

"Guards!" Akron turned to the rows of idling guardsmen. "Remove them away, this instant!"

Dijon remained at his spot unmoving as the guardsmen nervously advanced forward while Mills smiled. The dozen Marine Raiders readied their weapons as the guardsmen approached. Suddenly another voice came from Dijon, "- wanted the Dwarans to think they are saving us from the UN-"

Megan's voice could be clearly heard saying. "-hile at the same time, force the UN to send their fleet ove-"

"-ut we could have asked them for help?" Next Akron's voice was heard saying, "Oh... you wanted to control the information the Outsiders would have of the UN!"

"Yes... If the UN had met the Outsiders first... They might establish friendly contact... and where does that leave us? Picking up their scraps again?" Megan's voice replied. "This way, we can control information about the UN to the Outsiders. Creating an unfavourable impression of the UN to them-"

"And when the UN sends their fleet over..." Megan's voice resumed. "We can create a 'misunderstanding' between the two forces... while we watch from the sides."

"And reap the rewards later!" Akron's voice said again. "Like the hunter stalking the peco and the wyvern!"

The entire Chamber was in silence as the audio recording spoken by Akron and Megan was heard by all. All eyes were on Akron and his face turned ashen. "How... wait! That's not true! This must be some kind of trick or magic!"

"The words spoken... by... you... and Megan... and the plans..." Dijon's tone did not change but there clearly a hint of threat in his tone. "You both... instigated the... Cartel into... a war with the Isles..."

"You both... caused the deaths... of thousands..." Dijon took a heavy step forward, his feet cracking the polished marble underneath with a mighty thump. "And caused... the deaths of... both Fleet Master Kose... and Marshal..."

"Do... you dare... swear... upon... the Sea Gods... that... this... is false?" As Dijon step forward to stand before a trembling Akron, the guardsmen between the two parted to give space for Dijon. "Do you... dare...?"

Akron stepped back nervously as he looked left and right, trying to find some help or way out of the situation. But all the people edged away from him, none wanting to have anything to do with him. Even Fleet Master Tediore stepped away from him quickly and he tried to hide behind the crowd.

"You!" Akron cursed Tediore who had ran away before he turned back and faced Dijon and sneered, "You know nothing! You only know how to kiss the asses of the Un An! We are doing things for the betterment of the Isles!"

"But you?" Akron spat to the side. "You only know how to bootlick the Un An! Did you do anything for the Isles?"

"What we are doing here, will make the Isles greater and stronger than ever!" Akron snapped. "Kose, Marshal, you... You all have no ambition... No dreams of a great future! All you do is fawn upon the Un An... Making them throw scraps at your feet! And like gnawers... you pick up the scraps and flatter the Un An!"

"But... to sent... thousands to... their deaths...?" Dijon asked, his tone unchanged. "And... those... whose homes... destroyed... by the Cartel...?"

"NO! We have plans to become a nation that no one dare treats us like dirt!" Akron's was almost particularly screaming. "To become strong! There will of course be sacrifices! They will be forever remembered as the ones who gave their lives for a greater future!"

"You... are crazy..." Dijon said simply. "The Isles... do not... need to kill... its own... people to... become strong..."

"The strong will always eat the weak!" Akron growled. "This has always been the truth of the world! If we do not become strong and become lackeys of the Un An... One day, I guarantee... one day... The Un An will eat us! And the glorious history and culture of the Isles will be gone... FOREVER!"

"I heard... enough..." Dijon replied. "Take him away... and all his... accomplices..."

The guardsmen hearing the deeds done by Akron, grimly stepped forward and grabbed him. Akron struggled in their grasp yelling, "I am the Fourth Fleet Master! Unhand me at once!"

"Take him away and lock him up for trial!" Suddenly a member of the Council shouted out which soon was followed by many others, all clamouring for Akron to be locked away. "Lock him away!"

Mills shook his head as he watched Akron get dragged away from the Chambers. He gestured to his radioman who hurried over and he said in a low voice. "Tell Venny that the matter with the Council has been settled."

"Yes, Sir!" The radioman nodded and he started fiddling with his radio set.

Dijon walked until the head of the table that was for the five Fleet Masters and he stood at the head. Suddenly with one might swing of his arm, he smashed the thick table to pieces. "From now on... The Council... of Masters... will be... disbanded!"

-----

UNS Vengeance, Admiral Bridge

"Sir! Magister Thorn is on the line!" The comms operator called out to Commander Ford and handed the handset over. Ford took the handset and answered the call, "Magister?"

"Ah, Commander!" Magister Thorn sounded joyful over the phone. "I got a great discovery to inform you!"

"What is it?" Ford frowned as he knew that any great discovery by the eccentric old mage usually does not end well in the end.

"Oh... We found out who was controlling the ship!" Magister Thorn said excitedly. "It was Plee all along! She somehow has the ability to affect control of the ship!"

"What?" Ford was shocked. "You mean before when the ship's controls were locked was done by her?"

"Yes!" Magister Thorn sounded pleased. "And just now, she took control of the ship's guns!"

"Fuck me..." Ford hissed as the words hit him. "I am really hating gods more and more..."

"Huh? What did you say?" Magister Thorn asked. "Anyway! Plee's power is amazing! She can-"

"Hold it, Magister!" Ford quickly cut him off before he started ranting on. "Where are you guys now?"

"Oh, we are inside the hangar deck A," Magister Thorn replied. "Together with the dragons and Dr. Sharon."

"Stay there! Do not let Plee out of your sight!" Ford ordered. "I am sending some people down now!"

"O-" Ford tossed the handset back to the comms operator and hurried to the Command Bridge and gestured for Captain Nimo over to one quiet corner where the crew could not hear their conversation.

"It's that little god girl taking over the controls of the ship!" Ford told Nimo. "And that time when the ship changed course and the controls were locked!"

"She can do that?" Captain Nimo was very surprised. "How? This is an object of steel... How can she control it? Isn't she a god of volcanoes or fire?"

"I do not know!" Ford answered. "Anyway, she is being watched over by Magister Thorn and Dr. Sharon down at Hangar A. I am going to send some more people down to watch her and make sure she does nothing again! Once we hit land, she will be getting off this ship as fast as a bloody cannon shell!"

"Hmmm..." Captain Nimo frowned before he made a suggestion. "Sir, do you think we should consider letting her stay onboard instead?"

"What? Why?" Ford was surprised at Nimo's suggestion. "We can't let something like that taking control over the ship without any reason or warning! It not only jeopardise the ship and also the crew!"

"But Sir," Captain Nimo gestured out to the viewport at the dying air fleet in the distance. "She can fire the main guns at such accuracy that all nine shells landed right together is something super amazing!"

"If she can undergo training..." Hinted Captain Nimo. "I believe she can make an awesome gunner..."

"You want her to be your gunner?" Ford blinked rapidly in surprise. "You want to put your trust, including the lives of your men and this ship in her hands?"

"Yes, Sir," Captain Nimo nodded. "I believe if we trained her and given the proper guidance, she will become a valuable asset to the Vengeance! Sir!"

"Oh my god..." Ford mumbled to himself. "I know we did pray for a god to be on our side... But having a small girl who is still an unknown to become the gunner of the most powerful warship in this goddamn world..."

"The irony..."