The Council of Knights surround the sisters in the council room. There are three flags with different emblems on it. One has an Eagle on a orange flag carrying a bundle of weapons. Another with a skull on a black flag with a red jaw and a bullet hole in the very top of the skull. And the last one with a feather crossed with a knife on a blue flag with five stars surrounding the feather and knife
"You have shown us your skills, sisters." Councilor Strikor said. "You have proven your worth as soldiers in the federation." The sisters began to smile at each other. "But, to us, you are not soldiers. None can be in your position right now, since your skills can outmatch them. We, the councilors of Knights, give you this humble gift of honor." The councilors began applaud the sisters.
"This is you task force emblem." Councilor Farris said. "You may choose, but one flag emblem and name as you please." Ashley's mind began to buzz. Her memories were starting to flood back in, but in obscured messages. Memories of people speaking started sound backwards, words started to show, but with little to no meaning, but one stood out farther than the others. Kaia-Lora. The words haunt her, yet it felt so comforting. Ashley felt a nudge on her shoulder.
"C'mon!" Her sister said. "You're the one picking, sister!" Ashley looked at her in confusion. Her head began to scream in pain. A large ringing sound began to sound in her head. The pain was large, but she could contain it.
"What's the matter, Ashley?" her sister began to worry.
"It's nothing," Ashley said. "I am honored to be here. And I am grateful for your actions for saving my sister and I in the past, we thank you and the dogfighters for our rescue, for that today marks the day Kaia-Lora rises as a team to save those in need of us or the federation." She walks to the flag with the feather and knife. "Now is the time for us to mark the generation's minds and claim the respect well deserved as we help those in peril." The sister and the council applaud her speech.
"We will let you claim your recruits, but for now sisters, make sure you're prove that you are what we think you are." Councilor Variks says as the rest of the council leaves. The sisters exit the room as Ashley carries the flag she chose.
As they exit the room, a long line of teenage recruits line up, many were tall and strong for their age, others seemed unbelievably small, and only three of the entire line were women. Ashley put her helmet on as the recruits turned their head to see their higher officials.
"You're putting that on now?" Her sisters quietly said.
"It's for protection." Ashley replied as she walked with the flag resting on her shoulder. They walk in front of the many recruits and watch them standing there, waiting to be told what to do.
"Many of you are ready!" Ashley said as it echoed in her helmet. "But many of you are not. We hope we choose the best out there, and we hope that most of you find your place in this federation."
"We will be asking questions about you," Her sister began to speak. "If you stutter on a word or hesitate on answering, we will not be accepting you." Talya looked at Ashley for a moment. "We only take the best. They looked over the line of recruits and started to ask what they can about them.
Talya saw a tall chubby recruit standing on stiff. She wanted to talk to this one. "What's your name recruit?"
"Xavier J. Monsivais, Sir!"
"Do I look like a sir, recruit?"
"No sir-I mean ma'am!" His eyes widened as Talya wasn't pleased.
"Get back to your quarters, recruit." As he left, she saw an empty spot in the line. She was curious and wanted to know the lazy recruit refusing to form a proper line. "Who's the wise ass leaving a gap in this beautiful line?" She shouted.
"That would be me!" a hand rose above the line. She came to see the recruit's face, and saw him reading a large bible encoated in black ebony wood.
"What is your name recruit?" He looked up from his bible and closed it as he got up.
"I am Joshua Hayden, but you can just call me Josh." He put his hand behind his back as his other hand was put out to shake Talya's. She grabbed his hand and shook it respectfully.
"Where you from, Josh?"
"Thadeous is where I'm from, why?"
Talya smiled and and patted him on the shoulder. "Welcome to the Kaia-Lora."
Ashley was looking, but known felt fitting. Some seemed to be lazy or too into the killing aspect of the job. One woman began to smile above the rest. He smile was like a glow amongst a dark hallway, so easy to see, but too hard to look away.
"Can I ask why you are smiling, recruit?" Ashley asked the smiling woman.
"I'm just happy to see I'm at where I am." She said happily.
"You know you could be kicked out of the federation if you aren't found by a team wanting you."
"I know, but I get to see my father again! I always loved him." Her smile started to shine instead of a simple glow.
"What about your mother?" Her smile disappeared.
"She will not be mentioned," she said in a sinister voice. "She put me in a hole I could not escape from, but in return she was put in an internal damnation." Ashley began to feel fear when she was in her presence. "But now, is a different time!" she said with that smile again. "I have a new life and now I can be with people I can love and trust!" Ashley began to understand her. She felt the same way, but not as much as her.
"Would you like to join the team?" She squealed and screamed "Yes!" and hugged Ashley. "Can I ask what your name is?"
"It's Rebecca! Rebecca Shinishi Lang!"
When the sister came to each other again after introducing themselves and asking each recruit, they questioned who to choose next. There were many, but none very willing to be in their team. There was no one. No one to fill the last hole to complete their team.
"Who should we pick?" Talya said.
"I don't know? Maybe that guy? I think his name is Newt."
"No, I caught him looking at my ass."
"What about about that guy? His name is Trench I think."
"No, we have to find someone fitting to our standards, he seems to tall for us, if you know what I mean." Without warning the doors at the long end of the room slammed open. A long silence too over the room as the entire line turned their head to the person entering the room. Footsteps echoed in the room as the person ran towards the sisters. The person stopped in front of them as he bent over exhausted and panting. His arms on his knees, his hair in a mess, and his clothes not on right. A few of the recruits in the line began to giggle as they watched the embarrassment that man has to face.
"Sorry I am late..." He said. "The name's Blake..." The sister looked at each other as this man continued to pant.
"Can you explain why you are late?" Talya said.
"My alarm was off. And most of my clothes were missing." Blake said. "I had to barrow a friend's." The few same recruits began to giggle uncontrollably. One could barely keep his stance.
"I can see it was those two." Talya said. "Do they do things like this to you often?"
"Who?" Blake said. "Those two? Yeah, but I would have to say they don't do much to humiliate me."
"You mean this isn't humiliating? Your shirt is almost too short for you!" Ashley cried out.
"I can handle pretty well with humility." Blake said as Matthew walked in to the room.
"We will take care of this, Blake" Ashley said.
"And welcome to this team," Talya said as she went to Matthew and told him all that has happened.
***
Ashley and her team were in their quarters enjoying a goodnight's sleep. Ashley was still awake. Her eyes kept opening as she tried to sleep. She could not sleep even though she felt the need to do so. She grabber her Ukelele from her special friend and played a small song. Her mother's melody could bring her to sleep. Her beautiful voice began to sing. This song was like a spell to her. It could put her to sleep and time of the day as long as it's played by her family.
She laid in her bed and closed her eyes without feeling a jolt pulling up on her eye lids. Her mind began to clear and go black, ready to dream. A beautiful feeling of relaxation. A red light began to shimmer in the black darkness in her mind. It lingered there, as if something was wrong. It started to get brighter as an ear piercing sound began to show in it's brightness. Then it got suddenly larger and screeched in her mind. She woke and found a pain lingering in her head. She looked upon her room and found a pitched black cat with glowing purple eyes in the ends of her feet on the bed. She reached out to pet it, but it began to emit the ear piercing sound in her mind. It spoke once as the sound continued.
"Shopkeepers to death, and on again."
These words began to echo in her head. It seemed as if she needed to know what this meant. The cat's closed, but the sound stayed, filling her mind. It got louder and louder as the seconds crossed by. She began to feel and a large pain her head and saw her mirror and found her eye was missing.
She woke in shock as her sister sat next to her. "What were you dreaming about?" Talya said.
"It was just a nightmare." Ashley replied.
"That explains the screaming, but why were you screaming about mother?"