[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

[distressedude]

Anise...

[He feels torn between not wanting to frighten or worry Anise more than she may already be, and wanting her to know exactly what it is they're up against. Fighting back on Auldrant was one thing, but war was different.]

[In the background, the sound of all the journals in the house still ringing can be faintly heard. How long has it been now? Ion shakes his head.]

...we don't have much time now. We... should get ready to leave with the others.

[lastfonmasterguardian]

[The fact that Ion doesn't finish that last thought worries her, too, but she'll push it away for now. They've only got a few minutes left, and dealing with some rusty old robots wasn't at the top of her to-do list, either.]

Yeah, we should get going.

[She starts to stand up, but makes sure to grab Ion's hand for comfort as she does so.]

Stay close, okay? We won't let anything near you.

[distressedude]

All right. [He holds onto Anise's hand tightly in return, as though it were a lifeline, keeping him calm.]

...thank you, Anise.