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  After a minute, One of the Loyalist soldiers made some excited noises, pointing down the wall. Livitha ran over and looked. "It's ready - pull it up!" The Loyalist soldiers got to work turning a crank that reeled in the winch. The platform came into view now holding an industrial machine the size of a couple people and probably weighing a few tons. Everyone worked together to swing the winch platform onto the wall walk, where they untied the welding machine and fit it onto a rolling frame.

  "Take it over to the city winch." Livitha ordered, wiping sweat from her brow.

  They began to roll the massive device over to the captured city-side winch, but as they did, lights appeared on a distant section of the wall, and they were moving toward us.

  "Another patrol." someone whispered.

  But more lights appeared, and they were moving slowly - methodically sweeping every inch of the walkway.

  "No." Anderson said. "A search party. They must have noticed the last patrol failed to check in. Come - let us hurry."

  The Loyalists hurried to roll the welding machine over to the winch, then started to secure it to the elevator platform. The ropes creaked under the weight as they tested the knots. Meanwhile, Livitha kept watching the lights of the search party moving quickly closer, her expression growing more grim by the second.

  "They're moving too fast." she muttered. "They'll be on us before we're halfway down."

  Livitha quickly herded everyone onto the elevator, including Cherry and me. The platform sagged alarmingly under the combined weight of the people and welding machine.

  "Go! Now; we can't let them stop the winch part way!" Livitha commanded, staying on the wall walk.

  Anderson frowned. "Livitha, don't be so impatient. This will be done faster if-"

  She cut him off with a hiss. "We cannot afford for this to fail; I'll pull their attention away!"

  Her eyes glowed brown again as she manipulated the stone around the lever to control the winch. She pulled the lever to set it descending, then broke off the handle, ensuring it couldn't be stopped. Anderson rolled his eyes, but didn't protest further.

  The elevator platform lurched downward, beginning its descent down the sheer face of the wall. The welding machine shifted slightly, causing the whole platform to tilt alarmingly before settling again. I gripped the thin railing with white knuckles, trying not to think about how far we had to fall if the ropes snapped.

  As we sank down the side of the wall, the lantern lights got closer to our departure point. Soon, we could hear shouting from above, though that was all. They didn't cut the winch ropes or drop anything on us.

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  Finally, after an agonizingly long couple minutes, we landed at the winch station at the base of the wall. The team of Resistance operatives rushed forward to untie the welding machine and roll it off the elevator.

  "Should we send someone up to check on her?" I asked, glancing back up the wall where the lights of the search party were now clustered around our departure point.

  Anderson shook his head. "She'll be fine - that one's harder to be rid of than a cadet with something to prove." He turned to the assembled team. "This machine is vital to building the equipment needed to break into the Citadel - it's more important than any of us. Continue on!"

  The Loyalists wheeled the welding machine down the street while the Resistance agents that had been guarding the winch stalked through the surrounding streets, checking for patrols. We moved through the quiet Nebula District toward the entente camps by North Boulevard.

  As we neared the boulevard, when I was starting to think we'd got a clear shot, that's when soldiers began to spill out of the streets up ahead. They made a phalanx blocking the street in front of us, their armor gleaming in the moonlight. For a second, I thought it was the Royalists, but no - they were players. It was World Guard peacekeepers.

  ... Which was far worse for Cherry and me.

  I grabbed Cherry and ducked behind the welding machine, hoping the darkness and confusion would hide us. One of the peacekeepers stepped forward, a bright lantern held high.

  "Hold it right there! Everyone stop what you're-" The peacekeeper paused, squinting at the group. "Wait, are these NPCs?"

  Another peacekeeper pointed directly at our hiding place. "No, I see you two back there! Step out with your hands up!"

  Lieutenant Anderson stepped forward, his back straight and his voice steady. "I don't know what you mean, officer; the only ones here are my men."

  "Come out before we have to drag you out!" the peacekeeper repeated, ignoring Anderson completely.

  Cherry leaned close to my ear. "Let's book it - on 3."

  "Don't - let's just talk this out." I whispered back.

  "I'm gonna run it."

  "Don't run it."

  The peacekeeper called out, "You've got to the count of 5!"

  "On 3 - when he says 3!" Cherry whispered.

  "1!" the peacekeeper began counting.

  "No - no! We're press; we're doing it for the article! We have protection!" I hissed.

  "2!"

  "Here we go!" Cherry's eyes gleamed.

  "Cherry!"

  "3!"

  Cherry bolted, sprinting down the street. She made it all of about a dozen yards before a jolt of electricity arced through the air and hit her in the back. The crackling blue energy wrapped around her body as she tumbled across the brick lane, limbs spasming wildly.

  "Bluh-bluh-bluh-bluh!"

  I sighed and stood up, putting my arms in the air. "We're with the newspaper!"

  "I don't care if you're the Supreme Overlord of Pizza here to bless this thin-crust hellhole with some deep dish! What the hell are you doing out this late?!"

  Lieutenant Anderson stepped forward. "These two are operating by the wishes of His Majesty Prince Nic-"

  "I'm not talking to you, robo-man!" the peacekeeper cut him off with a dismissive wave. "We'll sort it out at the station; scrape that one up and let's go."

  A few of the peacekeepers ran over to where Cherry was still twitching on the ground. They unceremoniously lifted her limp form, carrying her like a rolled-up carpet. One of the peacekeepers pulled my hands behind my back and cuffed me.

  Another peacekeeper gestured toward the NPCs standing there watching it all unfold. "What do we do about them?"

  "What do you mean 'what about them?'"

  "Do we arrest them, too? Can we arrest them?"

  "Who cares? They're just NPCs - let 'em finish whatever they're doing."

  As they hauled Cherry and me away, Anderson called after us, "I'll inform the Prince of your sacrifice, adventurers! It's been an honor serving with you! Rest assured we will get this to our engineers!"