[Voice, locked to residents] --EMERGENCY--EMERGENCY--EMERGENCY--EMERGENCY--

[malnosso]

[At 2:15AM, the journals suddenly blare out an alarm, followed by this message.]

EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY. This is an emergency.

The following occupants of the Luceti enclosure must report to the teleporters in twenty minutes. You are required as reinforcements in Region 13. Bring all necessary armaments with you. You will be teleported directly into combat.

Anyone who fails to comply will be forcibly escorted to the teleporters by droids.

This is not a drill. I repeat: this is not a drill. You have twenty minutes.

[The message repeats twice more, the alarm continuing until the twenty minutes has elapsed. No questions will be answered.]

Comments

[House 56]

[lordhotman]

[Zuko is grabbing some nonperishables and putting them into a bag when he hears Aang. He turns and looks at the airbender before slinging the bag over his shoulder, his swords already strapped to his back.]

Hey. Guess I'll be gone for awhile.

[The words are glum, because... well. It doesn't sound good, and he really doesn't know what to expect.]

[House 56]

[savedtheworld]

I know. I... I saw. [And there's nothing either of them can do about it. Aang hates it.

There's so much that could be covered regarding the drafts but so little time. He averts his eyes.]

Are you okay?

[House 56]

[lordhotman]

[Zuko considers this question for a moment.]

I don't really know what to expect, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

But you know how hard all of us fought in the war. I'll be fine.

[It couldn't be any worse than that. ... Right?]

[House 56]

[savedtheworld]

Zuko...

[It's hard to find the right words to describe the draft, especially with how nervous he's feeling. Katara explained it a lot better... even if it wasn't easy to accept.]

Things can be... really, really tough out there. In ways that can't be imagined. You have to be more careful than ever. Because, the Cultists... They're scary in a way other enemies aren't. They can't be reasoned with at all.

[House 56]

[lordhotman]

[This gives Zuko pause. He trusts Aang, and he doesn't take his words lightly.]

What do you mean?

[Scary in what ways?]

[House 56]

[savedtheworld]

They're just... bad. Badder than bad. All they want is to destroy everything else, and they're so tough that it's really hard to beat them. But... We still gotta find ways to stop them.

[House 56]

[lordhotman]

[That description reminds him of something... but he has a feeling its even worse than that.]

Do they have any kind of weakness?

[House 56]

[savedtheworld]

Well... They have wings like us. The wings're bigger and stronger than ours and they can fly, but... the wings can still be weak points. So - so that can be a way to distract them so you can trap them. [He doesn't want to address the possibility of killing them.]

[House 56]

[lordhotman]

[Wings but bigger than theirs? Well that would make sense that they're a weak point if they're otherwise the same. Plus being bigger just makes them that much easier to damage.]

Thanks for telling me.

[He doesn't have much time though, and so Zuko starts heading for the door.]

[House 56]

[savedtheworld]

[There are a lot of complexities that are hard to address, that their wings can often be harder to damage, or that some of them wear armor over their wings. They'll still die from losing their wings. But there isn't time to go on about it. Aang just looks on sadly as Zuko starts to leave.]

You're welcome.

And... please be careful, Zuko.

[House 56]

[lordhotman]

[If there had been more time... maybe they could have discussed that. But there wasn't. Zuko pauses though and glances back at Aang.]

I will.

[And with that he walks out the door.]