Inevitable Ascension

Chapter 12 - Long Live

The group finished coordinating their plans and dispersed to make the necessary preparations. Violina eyed the men and women as they exited Central Command. As dissatisfied as people were with the rule of Forge, she knew odds were slim that everyone would unanimously accept the girl who randomly showed up and killed their leader as their new commander. She would have to be wary lest someone attempt to remove her in a similarly violent fashion.

"So, that little get-together went a bit differently than I was expecting," remarked Lux.

"You don't say," replied Violina, leading the way down the stairs and into the main chamber.

"You should really put some thought into a title! Maybe 'Queen' or 'Empress'!" Lux appeared genuinely excited at the prospect.

Violina stopped in her tracks and turned to Lux. "Okay, so in no way am I disputing that a catchy title is a must-have, but 'Queen', or really any royal-type name, carries a connotation of gluttony and being better than everyone for no reason other than so-called 'divine right'. All I'm trying to do is save everyone's lives. Well, excluding Forge and the Separatists, naturally."

"Touché," conceded Lux. "I just thought it sounded pretty."

The girls opened the door to the refuge's laboratory and found Gideon at one of the workbenches tinkering with the targeting system.

He looked up as they approached. "Look, uh, it's not ready yet! It'll, uh, be at least another half-hour or so," he stammered. Violina was unsure whether he was nervous because of her newfound authority or the upcoming all-in operation. It was likely a mix of the two.

"Relax. We're here because we need to manufacture some weapons," explained Lux.

"What kind of weapons? Did you not listen to me in there? You don't want anything that emits a signal!"

"I'd prefer a crossbow," Violina informed him, "but given our time constraints, a longbow will suffice."

"A bit archaic, don't you think?" His tone then turned from skeptical to anxious. "I mean, yes, of course! I, I can see the brilliance in that. I'll, uh, put a couple together in no time!"

Lux snickered and patted him on the back. "Gideon, buddy, pal, my Gid-muffin, you need to relax!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

Looking taken aback by his snappy reply, Lux added, "Er, okay, suit yourself... Really though, the worst is behind you."

Violina wasn't sure whether that was entirely true, but supposed that scaring him with the reality of the situation would do more harm than good.

"We'll be back in a short while then."

"Wait! I swiped something from the morgue you might be interested in." Gideon held out a pocket watch. "It used to be Forge's, but I figure it's yours now."

Violina picked it up and stared at it a moment. "Oh, uh, thanks." She then stowed it in her pack and left.

Lux seemed unable to contain her excitement. "Well, I'd say it's pretty official now! Queen Violina! Oh wait, no. Scrap the Queen thing. Benevolent Dictator Violina!"

Violina couldn't help but laugh. "Really, Lux?"

"I'm serious though! Contrary to the notions of those who haven't put more than thirty seconds of thought into it, dictators aren't all bad by default. A dictator is just someone who rules with absolute power. But what if such a person has solely the interests of the people at heart and knows how best to serve them? They would transform the world into a paradise for everybody!"