The next day Tabbitha wakes up after some verbal prodding from Shadowspark who said, "Oh, come on, Sunheart. It's your turn in the waking world. Have some breakfast and please do something about our itchy scales. They were driving me crazy." She'd quickly discovered what Shadowspark had been talking about as she scratched at her irritated hide but nothing worked. Starlight was the only one in the room outside the containment pod and looked a little worried about her. Then she feels her claws catch something at the back of her head causing her to close her eyes and inspect it with her fingers.
My old hide's come loose. Thought Tabbitha after discovering that she could fit her fingers beneath her old hide soon after. She watches as Starlight disables the Security cameras to give her some privacy. Now that Tabbitha Katt knew it was safe she removed her Sleeping Gown and got ready to remove her old skin. As carefully as she could she reached her hands back behind her head and slipped her fingers between her old and new skins. She then pulls on the edges and works her head out of the old one and slowly pulls it off the rest of her body. Her new skin was soft, silky and smooth without a single scale on it, and on her head were brand new, luscious locks of brown hair. Her hair was already a few inches long and a little damp, but had already begun to dry now that it was in the air. She puts her Sleeping Gown back on and nods to Starlight before grabbing the food tray from the compartment. She then places the old hide into it so that Starlight could retrieve and care for it properly in order to turn it into Armor. "I feel so much better now that my old hide's off my back."
"I understand exactly how you feel, Shard." Said Starlight as she turned the surveillance cameras back on and retrieved the shed skin before unsealing the door. "Every drake goes through it, even I've gone through it."
Tabbitha's entire team was outside clearly worried about her even as Yoshi Swiftpaw asks, "What happened, Jewel? Is Tabby alright?"
"You can relax, Yoshi." Said Starlight with a smile before gesturing over to Tabbitha Katt who had already put the tray back in the compartment. "She just needed a little privacy while she shed her old skin. That's all. Now would the three of you keep her company while I work on her new armor?" They all nod and head over to check out Tabbitha's new look now that she doesn't have scales anymore.
"It's nice to see hair on your head again Tabby Katt." Said Yoshi Swiftpaw as they all sat down by the Containment Pod while she ate what was on the plate. "Though it is a little short."
"It's better short, Yoshi." Said Tabbitha Katt as she grabs a cube of meat from the plate and pops it in her mouth making sure to chew before continuing. "Easier to wear my helmet that way."
"Looks like you still have your spines though." Commented Tinami Deathlight pointing at the most noticeable Draken feature Tabbitha still had. "Do you still have your horns? I'm kind of surprised that they haven't fallen off yet." Tabbitha moves her spines around a little with a chuckle and pulls some of her hair out of the way so that they can see one of her horns.
"My spines have muscles attached to them so they'll be there for a while." Said Tabbitha Katt as she grabs a Sun Berry from the tray, but stops for a moment as she thinks out loud a little. "My horns are probably set on my head in a similar manner. Then again it's possible that they're permanent." She pops the Sun Berry in her mouth breaking the skin with her teeth, causing the juice to rush down her throat. The conversation changed topic several times, but it wasn't long before Tabbitha Katt had finished eating her meal. "It was nice talking to you guys, but I should be getting some more rest. After all, I'm kind of stuck in this pod until Floria says it's safe for me to come out. Then I can train with you guys again."
"Rest well Tabby." Said Jonathan Teufelshund as Tabbitha lays back down and closes her eyes returning to the Dream Realm.
Within a few days Tabbitha Katt was strong enough to leave the Containment Pod, with no signs of Void Toxin in her system. Her spines had fallen off her making her look just as human as Jonathan Teufelshund once more. However, in the place of her spines were much smaller Sunstone Ridges that made it look like gemstone had been set into her back. Starlight gives her a brand new Battle Suit and Diamond Scale Hunter Armor immediately after. "I'm sorry, Shard." She said, nudging Tabbitha with her snout as she apologized before explaining why she didn't bring the Sun Scale armor. "I tried to make your Sun Scale armor, but the scales from your left temple were just too badly infected. It could be a very long time before I can give you a set of Sun Scale Armor. So one made with my scales will have to do."
"Thank you Jewel." Said Tabbitha Katt hugging Starlight to show her that she was more then happy to wait for her Sun Scale Armor. "Your Diamond Scale Armor is far better then anything I'd get from the Alliance."
An idea pops into Tabbitha Katt's head causing her to let go of Starlight who says, "that's a brilliant idea, Shard. Using your scales to enhance the armor of your team would protect them from Void Toxin the next we encounter it. I'll get right on it."
"Jewel." Tabbitha Katt said before Starlight had the chance to leave the room. "If you have any more Diamond Scales you can also use those too. I'm sure that a set of Diamond scale armor would benefit everyone on the team."
Starlight lets out a slight reptilian purr as she thinks, Diamond Scale armor with Sun Scale enhancements. "Sounds like a great idea, Shard. The Sun Scales will generate the protective field which will spread to the Diamond scales. All I have to do now is find the right balance between them."
"Plus, my teammates won't have to worry about getting caught in one of my Nova Bursts." Said Tabbitha Katt with a smile, knowing how easy it would be for the scales to soak and distribute her energy through a set of armor.
Everyday after that Tabbitha Katt continued to get stronger and after a week she'd started training again. By then everyone was wearing and training in Drake Scale armor that was custom fit to each one of their bodies. This made them look even more like a team then they already did, and everyone was pleased with Starlight's craftsmanship. While Tabbitha was training it was discovered that she could run longer before getting tired, and was even stronger then she was in the academy. They even discovered that she could now use her Nova Burst without putting any strain on her body. On top of that she no longer needed her Nova supplements to keep herself going, but Floria insisted she take them anyway. It wasn't long after that Floria gave Tabbitha the ok to start hunting again. It was the best news they'd heard since they'd graduated from the Hunter's Academy and were allowed to hunt Pirates. They returned to Al'Harri and told the Alinance Council the news, and despite Lord Deathlight disapproval they were given clearance to get back to the hunt.
"There's already a few missions waiting for you." Said one of the Councilman representing the Elves of the Alliance, who looked younger then all the other representatives. "The clients wouldn't accept the help of any other team. Your rescuing them from Draken Pirates impressed them so much that they didn't seem to care that there were Drakes on your team."
"However, at least one of them did voice their disapproval when the Drakes were expelled from the Alliance." Said Lord Deathlight with a tone of disgust in his voice as he spoke, clearly voicing that he thought they deserved what they got.
"Just because they believe the Draken Race should not have been expelled doesn't mean they're Pirate Sympathizers, Lord Deathlight." Said the woman representing the frost elves of Kryoss, who seemed to be far wiser then her appearance suggested.
"Believe what you want, but don't start lecturing me." Lord Deathlight replied out of annoyance as his feathers spark and flicker with white flames.
"In any case, we need you to meet with these clients, see what trouble they're experiencing, and resolve it." Said the lady of the frost elves who was clearly waving off Lord Deathlight's discomfort which only irritated him more. Tabbitha Katt and her team gave the Lords and Ladies of the council a show of respect before departing. The names of the clients had been uploaded to their Hunter Rings which they accessed using their ship's computer.
"Looks like our clients are in multiple locations." Said Tabbitha Katt while she goes over the data as she downloads it to the computer for easy access. "There's one on Avari, two on Alzania, one that's here on Al'Harri, and… That's a bit of a surprise. One of our clients is living on the planet of Cindara. Your home world, Tinami."
"Yeah that is a bit of a surprise." Spoke Tinami Deathlight as she looks over that data, trying to make sense of it all. "Those rare few there who don't think of Drakes as Pirate are non Emberra, like Yoshi. As far as I know I'm the only Emberra who knows differently."
"Katt." Jonathan Teufelshund said, catching everyone's attention, clearly having something he wanted to say. "I suggest we start with the client nearest to us and go from there."
"That's not a bad idea, Jon." Said Tabbitha thinking over the route they would be taking in order to do this. "The only problem I see is that there are more then a few people that are too proud to accept delays. Not to mention that on the missions we do last we'll have to follow a cold trail. It may be better if we split up for this. Deathlight, you and Yoshi know Cindara the best so you should talk to the client who lives there. Jewel, I think it would be best if you head for Avari. After all they are very wise and far more accepting then most of the other races. Teufelshund, Al'Harri has always been your home, so I want you to stay and meet with the client here. I'll head for Alzania."
"Are you sure about this, Shard?" Asked Starlight, clearly having something on her mind that was bothering her. "We may need everyone on these missions. Plus you'll be on your own for quite a while if we work the way you're suggesting."
"I'll be alright, Jewel." Tabbitha Katt said confidently, trying to reassure Starlight so that she wouldn't worry so much. "I'm a lot stronger now then when I was the last time I was alone. Besides, we don't know anything about these missions, and we don't need to be together to collect the intel. If we do need the entire team we could always contact each other. Though we will need more then one ship for this, but I think we'll be fine."
"And you need not worry about our little sun spark, Jewel." Said Floria with a reassuring smile on her face as she walked into the room where they were planning their next move. "I'll take very good care of her for you."
"In that case you should take this ship." Said Starlight, clearly still worried about Tabitha Katt's well being. "You'll need it more then the rest of us."
"Thanks, but you're the one that'll need it the most, Jewel." Said Tabbitha in deep contemplation as she spells out the situation. "The majority of the Galactic Alliance still believe that all drakes are pirates. So it is unlikely that anyone will let you near a ship let alone let you borrow one by yourself. I, on the other hand, can still pass as being human. So you should have this ship. Besides, if I really need to Floria can easily act as my recovery pod. She's done it before."
"This is true." Floria agreed, before continuing what Tabbitha Katt had been saying. "And since my true form is that of a Life Berry Tree it would be beneficial for both of us. Especially since you radiate energy that's crucial for my survival, and my Life Berries are important for your own."
"I just see one problem, Tabby." Tinami Deathlight said, wanting to make sure that all the information was on the table before they set out. "There's a chance that everyone already knows about your Draken heritage."
"I'm aware of that, but I believe I can still make it work." Tabbitha Katt said, standing tall and confident that her plan would work. "Afterall I still look human despite my Heritage."
"This is true, but how are you going to convince them to let you borrow a ship?" Asked Yoshi Swiftpaw, clearly worried that the situation would spiral if not addressed properly.
"A few of the Dock workers owe me a favor." Tabbitha Katt said with a smugness that could only have come from Shadowspark which was reflected in the purple glow within her eyes. Realizing it a bit too late she shakes it off before getting back to what she was saying. "I'll just cash it in and be on my way. You have nothing to worry about. Once you get your ship, contact Jewel from inside. That way we won't confuse you with someone else later."
"Right!" Everyone said at once, agreeing to Tabbitha Katt's plan of action now that everything had been discussed and resolved.
"Alright Nova Team, let's move out!" Tabbitha Katt and her team split up, each retrieving a ship and contacting Jewel registering their ship to the database. She of course had no trouble getting a ship from the Space Dock which no one was going to need. It was an old ship, but still functional with most of its systems still operational. Once everyone had a ship and contacted Jewel they all got a feel for who had what ship before taking off. Tabbitha of course went straight to Alzania to find the client that was there in order to get the needed information. She heads straight to where the clients live after she lands still wearing her armor from the flight there. She knocks on the door and waits for them to answer, her armor's scales rippling with nova energy that it had recently collected. Her old Crystal Spines had been added on to the armor, and were laying against her back until she needed to use them.
The door opens with a graying she-wolf Canidra smiling from inside and with a bow saying, "I'm glad that you came. Please, come in." Tabbitha cautiously enters the house not entirely sure what to expect of the She-Wolf, half expecting this to be a trap. The she-wolf closes the door behind her and ushers her into the living room where the other client was waiting. "I am Felicia Mooneyes. There is much that we wish to discuss with you, Princess."
"What?!!" Exclaimed Tabbitha in surprise, half retreating from the two wolves unsure of where to go or what she should do. "I'm not…"
"I'm a scholar, young Drake." Said the other wolf wrapping one of his clawed hands around the other as he watches her reaction. "The name's Uthrik Nightrunner. I know more about your people and your customs then most. So I know how to identify an energy deficient Drake. However, you are far more powerful then most. Which would make you royalty. I saw that display of yours when you took our captor's attention. They cared more about catching you than they did about keeping us captive."
"Even so…" Tabbitha began feeling as though she'd been backed into a corner, and unsure how to get out of the mess that she was in. "What Drake in their right mind would want an energy deficient Drake as a Queen? I may as well be dead to them."
"Come now." Uthrik Nightrunner said, gesturing for Tabbitha to sit down and make herself comfortable. "We didn't ask for you so we could interrogate you."
"The main reason was so we could thank you in person for saving us." Said Felicia Mooneyes as she went over and sat down next to Uthrik Nightrunner and placed her hands in her lap. "Now please, sit down and relax for a bit."
"You don't need to worry about us telling the council what we know about you." Said Uthrik Nightrunner while Tabbitha Katt sighs and sits down with the Canidra.
"Though they will discover your true identity sooner or later." Felicia Mooneyes said as she poured what looked like tea into three separate cups, placing one of them in front of Tabbitha Katt. She then gives Uthrik Nightrunner his cup, and claims the last one for herself.
"Lord Deathlight's Daughter already knows, and it wouldn't surprise me if a number of the council members already suspect as much." Tabbitha said, shifting her cup around a little with her armor's claws trying to decide what to do with it. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to tell them. Besides, many of the Lords and Ladies on the council hate Drakes. If I were to come right out and say that I'm a member of Draken Royalty I'm not sure how they'd react." She growls a little and starts tapping a claw on the table for a moment as she thinks about the possible outcomes. "Though I doubt it would be in a welcoming manner." She drags her hand off the table and lets it rest on her knee as she accesses her Energy storage.
"Even so you should tell them." Uthrik Nightrunner said, looking over to see Tabbitha Katt bringing a small stone jar out of her energy Storage.
"Delaying will only make things worse for you and your team." Said Felicia Mooneyes as Tabbitha Katt opens the jar, letting the light from the Sun Berries inside escape.
"What's that?" Uthrik Nightrunner asked, watching Tabbitha Katt pull out two Sun Berries from the jar and dropping them into the tea.
"They're Sun Berries." Said Tabbitha Katt as she seals the jar again and returns it to her energy Storage for later. "They're a rare variant of Life Berries. A Draken delicacy and what I use to keep my deficiency under control." She watched the Sun Berries as their skin tightened in the heat of the tea before splitting and releasing their energy rich juice. She narrows her eyes for a moment as she watches the tea while the Canidra look at each other in surprise. Nothing. Well nothing bad at least. She raises her hand and removes her helmet causing them to look at her as she takes a drink from her cup.
"I see." Said Uthrik Nightrunner with a toothy grin having clearly recognised Tabbitha Katt from somewhere and causing her to wonder where. "I had a feeling that Kaity and Tom's child wasn't truly theirs. They found you didn't they?"
Tabbitha sets down her cup and calmly says, "yes. They found me and my sister in the woods near the colony, but what's it matter? To them we were their daughters, and they treated us as such. They didn't care where we came from, or even that we were drakes. They cared for and protected us to the best of their abilities, and it… hurt when I learned I'd lost them. They were my parents and, besides my sister, were the only family I had. It's because of them that I took the Hunter's Oath, and despite how many people hate my kind I will fight for them. So that no one has to go through what I did." She clenched her fists, remembering how much she'd lost, and how close she'd come to dying back then. "I wasn't strong enough back then and barely survived the aftermath of that damn raid. If it weren't for my sister and the Hunters that found us I wouldn't be here now."
Felicia Mooneyes gently lays a hand on Tabbitha's saying, "relax miss Katt. I'm aware of how hard your life was after the attack on Trillim. Both you and your sister had it rough." She pulled back her hand as she continued to speak, clearly hoping to ease Tabbitha's mind. "Even so, a few members of your colony were rescued along with us."
"We're not sure how many survived the raid, or where the others ended up." Uthrik Nightrunner said, folding his hands as he thought back on the events that had occurred.
"Your parents were also taken prisoner." Felicia Mooneyes said, thinking back on what happened that day as she picked up her cup once more.
"What?" Tabbitha Katt said in surprise to what she had heard as she looked at Felicia Mooneyes hoping for more information. "Where are they?"
"They were pulled from the group and taken away." Uthrik Nightrunner said, relaxing his hands and looking at Tabbitha Katt apologetically. "By a large black Drake with blood red wings. We never saw them again, no one knows what happened to them after that."
"No." Tabbitha Katt said with a slight growl in her voice as her eyes burned with the golden light of her Nova energy. "I know for sure that one of those… Damn Pirates know what happened to them, and I will find out what he knows. Even if it takes the rest of my life. I even know which Pirate has the information I seek. Pirate Lord Shadowheart." She picks up her Helmet as she stands to her feet before heading toward the door of their home.
"Wait." Felicia Mooneyes said as she rose to her feet before heading after Tabbitha Katt. "Where are you going?"
Tabbitha Katt stops and says, "if I'm going to get answers from that scaly wyrm then I have a lot of work to do. Last time I was on that planet I was barely able to survive. I need to get much stronger then I am now."
"Then please, take this with you." Said Felicia Mooneyes as she hands a single Sun Shard to Tabbitha Katt.
Accepting the Sun Shard Tabbitha Katt asks, "Where did you get this?" She was surprised to receive something so precious from anyone let alone a client.
"The Pirates had us Mining in the tunnels." Said Uthrik Nightrunner as he picked up his cup before taking another drink. "We were able to uncover three of these stones, but we were only able to keep hold of one. I figured that if they wanted these that badly then they're far more important then they appeared to be. It's even possible that they're dangerous in the wrong hands."
"You're not wrong." Said Tabbitha Katt, closing her eyes for a moment before turning to look at Uthrik Nightrunner. "I know these gems very well. They're fragments of a larger gem called the Sunsoul, and it could easily be used as a weapon. Even though they can be very dangerous in the wrong hands, they can be helpful in the right ones." She touched the Sun Shard to the heart scale of her armor, causing it to disappear almost instantly. "Allow me to explain… No, I'll just come right out and say it. The Sunsoul is actually a powerful Draken Soul. My soul. The fragment that's 'piloting' this body is the only one that has some form of consciousness as far as I can tell."
"How is that even possible?" Felicia Mooneyes asked, confused about how a soul could be broken let alone look and feel like gemstones.
"I'm not sure." Tabbitha Katt said, compiling all the information on the Sun Soul that she's already collected. "All I was able to piece together is that in a past life it was shattered leaving me in my current situation. So, I've been trying to collect the shards so that I can restore them, and myself. My sister told me that doing so will cause me to enter some sort of metamorphic state and return me to my former self. When that happens I won't be a subform anymore, and my energy deficiency will be a thing of the past. I just hope the rift between my people and the alliance will be healed by then. I really don't want to have to choose between them. I should be going now. No telling what trouble my team's going through."
"Take care, Miss Katt." Said Felicia Mooneyes with a look of worry on her face, clearly concerned for Tabbitha Katt's wellbeing.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Tabbitha Katt said with a smile before putting her helmet back on and walking out the door. She quickly returned to the ship she'd traveled in, hoping for an update on the rest of her team. "Floria! Any word from the others?"
"Just Starlight." Said Floria as the two of them head for the medical bay of the ship so that she could examine Tabbitha. "She said that she's completed her mission and is waiting for instruction. What of your mission?"
"Turns out they asked for something I'm already working on." Tabbitha says as she shows Floria the shard that they'd given her before she left. They didn't say it themselves, but I get the feeling that they want me to find, and keep the rest of the shards from falling into the wrong hands. Turns out that the Sunsoul is believed to be some Ultimate Weapon. Which means we're not the only ones collecting the Sun Shards. So our task is going to be more dangerous then we initially thought."
After Floria gives Tabbitha Katt a checkup the two of them prepare to head out moments before a Message comes in. It was from Yoshi Swiftpaw and Tinami Deathlight on Cindara informing them that their mission was a success. So Tabbitha instructed them and Starlight to meet up with her back at Al'Harri incase Jonathan Teufelshund needed aid. However, before they get back he reports in saying that his mission is complete and that he'll meet them at the spaceport. When she arrives she returns the ship thanking the owner for letting her borrow it for her mission. She then meets up with Jonathan so that they can debrief each other, but everyone else had the same idea and were now all together. They found out that the clients mostly wanted to thank them personally, but that a couple of them really were having pirate troubles. The client on Cindara had lost an heirloom to a thief, and the one on Al'Harri was being threatened and wanted someone to protect his family. All of which was resolved easily enough, but when Tabbitha told them about what happened to her they congratulated her on getting another Shard.
They return to the council to give their report about their missions, how they went, and what happened. Each of them taking turns starting with Jonathan Teufelshund and his mission followed by Tinami Deathlight and Yoshi Swiftpaw's. Starlight then told the council about her mission and how it was no more then keeping an old Avarian company for a while. Then the council looked at Tabbitha as one of them said, "and what of you, Princess of the Drakes." Tabbitha felt her blood run cold for a moment feeling herself take a step back unintentionally, and yet she never moved an inch. "What was it that your clients wanted of you?"
How? Thought Tabbitha Katt, feeling as if the world around her stopped for a moment as she looks at the council. The cameras. They must have gotten the info from them. She closes her eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath before addressing the council. "When I arrived they told me that they only wished to thank me for rescuing them from the Pirate's Slave Camp."
"Is that all?" Asked Lord Deathlight showing some interest in what she was telling them clearly not believing her. Tabbitha hears her teammates protesting in her mind and telling her not to tell the council about the Sun Shard.
"Yes." Said Tabbitha Katt holding her head high despite the council knowing about her Draken Heritage and Bloodline. "That is all that they asked of me, nothing more."
"So why'd you wish to hide your identity from us?" Lord Deathlight said with a hateful glare as if accusing her of being some sort of Pirate Infiltrator.
"Just because I never said outright that I'm a Drake doesn't mean that I was hiding my True Identity." Said Tabbitha Katt refusing to let anyone attack who she really was let alone accuse her of a Heinous act. "I was born and raised as a member of the Alliance. I pledged myself to protect it and the people who are part of it. Yes I knew of my Draken ancestry since I was young, but even if I'd told someone about it no one would have believed me anyway. They may have even thought that my sister had brain washed me or worse, that I'd lost my mind due to the horrors I experienced. As for my royal blood, it's just as much news to me as it is to you. Reason I hadn't mentioned it earlier was because I was still coming to terms with it, and hadn't figured out how to tell you."
"And how do we know that you and your sister won't betray us like the rest of your kind?" Said another member of the council making Tabbitha feel like she was being attacked from all sides.
Tabbitha Katt felt her temperature rise along with her spines as she says, "first of all it was ONE group of Drakes that betrayed the Alliance! Second, the Alliance is our Family despite our heritage! I would rather die than betray my Family!"
Tabby, your eyes. Thought Yoshi Swiftpaw, alerting her to the fact that her eyes had turned gold once more so that she can calm herself.
"I share my sister's passion, my Lords and Ladies of the council." Said Starlight, stepping up in front of Tabbitha Katt a little and laying a clawed hand on her heart Scale. "We were given a chance at life by members of the Alliance. Mr and Mrs Katt looked after us as if we were their own children. Then after the Pirate's attacked our home colony on Trillim we were rescued by the Pirate Hunters. Granted, they held me in a secure facility at first, but I bear no ill will toward them. I myself would rather break off my horns then throw away the life that I was so graciously given."
There were murmurs among the members of the Council until Lord Deathlight said, "then prove it to us. Break your horns."
Jewel, no. Thought Tabbitha, looking at Starlight for a moment before pleading with Lord Deathlight. "My lord, please reconsider. Taking a drake's horns is the cruelest form of punishment in our culture. It's meant to mark one as a traitor or worse. She's done nothing to warrant such a thing."
"Shard, please stop." Starlight said aloud as she laid a hand on Tabbitha's shoulder for a moment to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. "If it will prove my loyalty, then I will do it." She sat down in order to brace herself as she grabbed ahold of her horns in order to prove herself to be loyal to the Alliance.
"Jewel, please don't." Tabbitha Katt pleaded while Starlight pulled on her own horns as the sound of each crack echoed through the hall. "Making you prove yourself like this is heartless." Tabbitha turns to the Council with tears in her eyes and a fist on her heart scale, as blood begins to flow from the base of Starlight's horns. "Lord Deathlight, please don't make her go through with this." Starlight's horns come off and clatter on the floor with her Hunter's Singnet Ring chiming as it hits the ground. Tabbitha looked at her sister and the injuries that she'd suffered from her action as her hand returned to her side. She then turns her head and looks at the cracked and bloody horns that now lay on the floor with Starlight's Hunter insignia. Heartbroken at what happened, Tabbitha kneeled down and picked up Starlight's Broken Horns and Signet Ring. "Why?" Her Draken flame flares up again as she slowly turns to look at the council no longer caring if they see her Draken side. "With all that the Alliance supposedly stands for, why would you make my sister mutilate herself like this." Tabbitha looks directly at Lord Deathlight with her Fiery golden eyes as her sun aura flows off her spines and scales. At this point her spines were out stretched and in plain view of the entire council instilling both awe and horror in them. "For a member of a Race that claims to be born of the sun, what you did was very Cold Hearted." In one swift motion she returns her spines to her back, disperses the aura, and turns her back to the council. She walks out of the room without another word, her team following after leaving everyone completely speechless.
"Tabby." Said Tinami Deathlight in an attempt to catch Tabbitha Katt's attention, who didn't seem in her right mind as she continued walking. "TABBY KATT, STOP!" She forced herself in front of Tabbitha Katt who had to stop now that she didn't have the lead anymore. "I know your mad but, please don't hate my father for what he did. He lost many friends and family members during the Draken Pirates first attack."
"That's no excuse, Tinami." Said Tabbitha Katt, tears streaming down her face with the same burning golden eyes from earlier. "If someone else were to do anything close to what he just did they would be hunted down as Pirates. All he sees when he looks at us are Pirates and Traitors even though we never did anything wrong!" She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment as they turn back to their normal color. She places her left hand on Tinami Deathlight's shoulder looking considerably more calm then she was a moment ago. "I don't hate your father Tinami. He's a great man and a strong leader. I just wish he'd stop seeing us as the enemy." She raises her right hand, clenches it into a fist and holds it over the Heart Scale in her armor. "I made the hunter's oath to defend the alliance, and hunt down those who'd want to destroy it, but… If the alliance continues down their current path they'll no longer be the Alliance that I swore my allegiance to. What then?"
"It won't come to that Tabby." Said Tinami Deathlight, grabbing Tabbitha's fist with her taloned hand as she spoke. "We can turn it around."
"I hope you're right, Tinami." Said Tabbitha Katt returning her hands to her sides, glancing at her energy storage where she'd put Starlight's horns. "I really do. Because a Draken vow is sacred, and we keep to our word, but if the worst were to happen I fear that my oath would become meaningless. Such a wound is not easy to come back from. Not for a Drake. It would be like trying to repair my sister's damaged horns. Fixable, but never the same again."