Splatoon: Old Hatreds

Inconsummate

Cap'n Cuttlefish's shack, Octo Valley

"Well... if it isn't the hero of Ark Pelaris, Captain Emily Vale."

Captain Vale had been called that many times in the past.

The young Octoling who worked her way up the ranks during the Salmonid war, where she went from being a recruit to being an Elite Octoling and captain of her own splatoon.

The one who led her battalion to victory at Ark Pelaris when her original commanding officer had died in combat.

The one called the hero of Ark Pelaris had seen her leader's face many times, but she had never seen it in such a pathetic state.

Octavio was cramped inside his snowglobe, where he could do nothing but sit with his arms crossed until the day Octavia came to rescue him.

"I never would have thought that I'd fade in and see you here. Did you finally get rid of Craig?"

"Cuttlefish is asleep, Inklings have always been heavy sleepers after all."

"Hm, I see... So why are you here alone?"

"I've had some trouble with Supreme General Octavia, or rather Acting Leader, as she calls herself now. The moment you were captured Octavia took command of the army and ruled with an iron fist, anyone who disagreed with her was cast out, such as yours truly." Vale explained, gesturing at herself.

"Hah, Octavia has always been ambitious, it's something you two have in common isn't it?"

As much as she disliked being compared to Octavia, Vale did agree that both of them were ambitious. In fact, Octavia usurping her superior was not something Vale hadn't already done in the past, though that was a story for another time.

"While that maybe true, Octavia has no plans to rescue you. Me on the other hand..."

"So this is your power play? You'll free me so I can give a royal beatdown to Octavia?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then why is your hand resting on the lock?"

"?!"

Vale didn't realise she was opening Octavio's snow globe, she quickly retracted her hand and stared at it.

Was this another part of that strange behavior she's noticed recently?

"What's with that? You are here because you want me to end Octavia's rule correct? You want everything to return to normal."

"I don't know..." Vale hated saying that, she hated being put in a position where she was stuck on her feet.

What did she want?

She fought against Octavia because the two had opposing thoughts.

She attempted to remove Octavia from power in order to save her subordinates.

These acts should have made her an ally of the Inklings, but she also planned to invade Inkopolis before, as well as free Octavio.

What was even her goal?

"Come on now, don't stress things too much, just do what your mind tells you."

"I don't know!" Vale quickly covered her mouth, as she realised she just shouted at her race's ruler.

"I don't know, everything is fuzzy. Sometimes I'm seeking help from Inklings to overthrow Octavia, other times I'm trying to stab those same Inklings in the back. Sometimes I hate the idea of working with Agent 3, other times I'm trying my best to keep working with him. I feel as if something is wrong with me."