Marita Shen didn't know what to think when she saw it. There was the desk, the consoles, the screens, and a big name tag on the back of the seat in the center of it all.
The tag said 'Coordinator Rita'.
"Mine?! Just like that?!" she gaped.
"Yep. We've got a lot of work to do, so let's get to it!" Quinny gave her a thumbs-up. "Lord Geoffrey took one look at the recommendations and said that was the highest recommendations for a coordinator he'd ever seen. He approved your application on the spot."
"W-what sort of recommendations?!" Rita stared.
"Well, you've got one from me, obviously. One from Abby. One from Commander Sandy. One from Henry Kibou, who asked to be the first transferred to your grid. Katrin Meadows also put in a good word for you from the Wind Knights. Oh, and the Sage of the Ancient Ways said that he knew of nobody more talented in the field of oral communications."
"Satrox?!" Rita gasped. "What does he mean, 'oral communications'?"
"Well, according to him..." Quinny winced and laughed. "Nobody talks more than you do."
On the other side of the command cavern, Abby was yelling, "Kishin, Zoe's done it! The third tower is down! Go, go, go! Cephas needs help now!"
At the center, smack dab between Abby and Rita, Geoffrey grunted. "Move up the artillery once the next area is clear. Have them support the White Knight first and then target their heaviest fortifications."
"Yes, sir!" Abby swung back to the battle. "Sandy, stand by. Take about five minutes break."
"Sandy? I thought she's commanding heavy armor on the front lines." Geoffrey mentioned, studying the tactical read-outs.
"She was. I had her pull back to regroup and refresh her forces." Quinny spoke up. She glanced back at Rita and said, "Sorry. Gotta go."
"War. I know." Rita said. "Why, I remember..."
"Rita!" Abby barked from across the room. "Leave the war to us! You've got the entire southern hemisphere to worry about!"
"The entire...?!" Rita gaped. "Half the world?!"
Dennis waved at her from the right. "You got it! I've got the northern half! Anyone who isn't fighting at Midway Metro who passes the equator is transferred from one of us to the other!"
"B-but... I just started! To give me half the world to coordinate...!"
"It's just for tonight. There's not much to do. Just send everyone you can to a Pursuit Group or to Midway Metro." Dennis said. "Keep track of everyone's ready status and help them get where they need to go."
"But... what do I do?!" Rita half-wailed.
"Dennis, would you please?" Quinny said, swinging into her chair. "I have to... oh no! Red Crescent! What's going on?! You said... what?!"
"What happened?!" Rita jumped. "Oh, no, I'm so sorry, because of me and my sudden application the entire..."
Dennis clapped a hand over her mouth. "Rita, slow down. You're going to be a great help, trust me. Just take it easy. You actually have the least amount of people to deal with."
"W-whmpfh?" Rita couldn't get a word out through Dennis' gloved hand. She thought she tasted leather.
"Most of the Knights in the Southern Hemisphere are done for." Dennis explained. "Ever since last night's disaster at the Uber Marshes, there's barely a dozen Knights left around the south with any sort of forces. You were there, weren't you?"
Rita froze. For once, she didn't say anything. Couldn't say anything.
"You're shaking." Dennis observed. "Rita? Rita, are you okay?"
Rita didn't respond. She just sat there, eyes wide, her entire body shaking and shaking.
Quinny took a moment from trying to tidy up her own mess to explain it to Dennis. "She herself lost everything. That's one of the reasons we brought her here. She's got nothing else."
"Everything?" Dennis gaped.
"Everything." Quinny said. "Comrades, items... everything but the clothes on her back and what she had in the bank."
Dennis paused. "Is that why my current budget got cut in half?"
"We're sending out a lot of DRIFTs. It's Rita's top priority." Quinny said.
Dennis sighed. "Rita. Listen, I know it's hard. It's hard for everyone, especially those who were there with you. But you can help them. That's why you're here, isn't it? You're here to help them."
"Rita, issue yourself the first DRIFT." Geoffrey said from the center. "Do it right now. That's an order."
"Y-yes, Lord Geoffrey." Rita managed.
"Call me Frey. All the Coordinators do." Geoffrey told her. He swung his attention back to the war. "Now, let's make the Cult pay."
***
"Tomoe?"
Tomoe put down the Quadra-wrench as she heard who it was who called her. "Rita?"
"I've sent you a 5k DRIFT. It should be enough to get you started again..." Rita said. "Since we... since we..."
"I don't really need it." Tomoe said, wiping sweat off her forehead. "I've become a mechanic."
"A... mechanic?" Rita sounded so surprised, she stopped talking.
"For Mechanical-type Comrades. I am in the Rest Cavern at South Hourglass." Tomoe said. "Good pay."
"You're here?" Rita sounded cheered. "Maybe we can go get some drinks later... I thought I was the only one..."
"Henry is here. Shinji is here. Katrin is here. The Wind Knights plan an expedition to Turtle Island."
"An expedition?! But why?"
"Shinji is angry." Tomoe explained. "He will hunt the Saucer again."
"Just the three of them?! But..."
"Ten Knights. Ten spies."
"Spies? You're just going to observe the Saucer, not attack it?"
"Not enough power." Tomoe reminded her.
"True. A hundred knights couldn't take down that thing." Rita remembered. "But the Wind Knights... all of them?"
"And friends."
"Are you going with them?"
"No."
"Okay. Well, keep me posted and let me know if you need anything. The money's already been sent, and you should put it to good use."
"Okay." Tomoe said, and took up the Quadra-wrench again.
***
"Henry?! What are you doing?" Rita shrieked.
"Rita? What are you talking about?"
"You're going to chase the Saucer again?! You said you were going to take it easy today! You said you were going on a vacation! No more war, no more crazy stunts! You said you'd be safe!"
"I'm just going to an island, do some sightseeing..."
"You're going to spy on the Cult's Command Saucer with the Wind Knights!" Rita yelled. "And you never told me anything about it! You're trying to hide it from me!"
"Well, looking at the way you're freaking out..."
"I'm not freaking out! I'm being totally professional about it! I'm the Coordinator for the entire Southern Hemisphere and I'm {Coordinating} you away from that freaking Command Saucer! Go back to Sunshine Town!"
"I refuse." Henry said. "And you can't order me otherwise."
"I am the Coordinator for the entire southern half of Nakama World!"
"You're not Geoffrey! You can't order me around!"
"Oh yeah? I just accepted your transfer into my grid! Now I'm your Coordinator, and I insist you get to someplace safe and take it easy until your Comrades are stronger!"
"I apply for a Coordinator Transfer!" Henry said at once. "Anybody but you!"
"Aaargh!" Rita half-screamed. "Why are you so stubborn?! I'm doing this for your own good!"
"I'll decide what's for my own good!"
"Henry, I'm warning you! If you don't do this, it's over between us!"
"Fine! It's over! I don't need you ordering me around every night! This is Dreamworlds, for crying out loud! Leave me alone!" Henry cut the link.
***
"Satrox! Satrox, help, Henry's going crazy!"
Satrox let out a sigh when he heard Rita's voice. "Rita, I'm about to make another bombing run on the third Cult tank division. Can this wait?"
"Henry's trying to chase the Command Saucer again..."
"{Possible} Command Saucer..."
"...And I told him not to! I gave him a direct order not to! And he wouldn't listen! He's disobeying orders! He's going to... he's going to..."
"Why are you so worried anyway? It's not like he's got much left to lose."
"Just stop him! He's crazy! He broke up with me..."
"Rita, I have to go, our strike force is launching. I'll call Henry as soon as I can, okay?"
Satrox cut the link.
***
Rita stared at the blank screen in shock. "They just... they just..."
"You okay?" Dennis asked. He checked his watch. "One minute and thirty seconds. That's got to be a record."
"What? Record for what?" Rita blurted. "I just... I just lost..."
"You've lost your old friends." Dennis nodded. "It happens to every Coordinator. Something about suddenly being the one giving them orders."
"But... but why...?"
"Take it easy." Dennis advised. "You'll make new friends. Especially those of us in this room."
Rita slumped down. "My boyfriend just broke up with me over an order."
"Yeah. Quinny too. It happens." Dennis said sympathetically. "Welcome to the J-Knight Coordinators."
"W-what do I do? Nobody likes me anymore! It was all for their own good, but they don't want to listen..."
"You're supposed to be handing out DRIFTs, remember?" Dennis pointed out. "Whatever happened to that?"
"Oh... yeah." Rita said morosely.
"And make a summary of what we have in the south. I'll do the same for the north and between us we can put together an overview of what the Knights Alliance has across the world."
"Sure." Rita said, still gloomy. "Whatever."
***
"Katrin..."
Katrin didn't recognize the voice at first. "Rita?! What happened to you? You sound half dead..."
"I... I lost..."
Katrin paused. She glanced about, looking at the people around her and decided to make for a quieter corner to talk. "I know, Rita. A lot of people lost a lot last night. Even Shinji lost two swans."
"But I... I lost everything... even my friends... my boyfriend..."
"What?" Katrin stared. "How...?"
"Henry wouldn't listen to me. I ordered him to stay someplace safe, you know, for his own good, and he wouldn't listen..."
Katrin sighed. "Rita, one of the things we want the most from Dreamworlds is freedom. You should know that."
"But it's for his own good..."
"We're Knights, Rita. Taking risks is part of the job."
"But... but he... and Satrox...!"
Katrin sighed again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Rita paused. "Did you... did you lose... anything?"
Katrin froze. {Just my memories}. "I still have my Comrade."
"Good. I think I'll send you a 5k DRIFT anyway..."
"No, Rita, don't. Save it for people who need it. I'm fine."
"You... you got away?"
"No, Rita, I... I don't remember."
There was a sudden silence. Then... "They got you?"
"I think so." Katrin admitted at last. "I can't remember anything after being shot down."
"We were on the ground together... and you sneaked off into the Uber Marshes..."
"Yeah. Henry told me." Katrin said. "But I don't remember any of it."
"You must have been taken!" Rita exclaimed. "Oh, no, Katrin! Are you all right? Are you hurt? Are you brainwashed?! Here, I'll send you a 20k DRIFT, so you can get your brain scanned..."
"Rita, stop, I'm fine. In fact, um..." Katrin hesitated. "I... I was given three high class Comrades and some good items from a Gaian Priest."
Again, a pause. "You were definitely taken."
"I think so too." Katrin said. "But I sold everything they gave me. So you see... I have money. I gave half of it to the Wind Knights... my new Guild has its own funds... DRIFTs should be sent to J-Knights..."
"Ah... that's not exactly... I mean... it's for the Knights Alliance." Rita said.
"Well, give it to someone who really needs it. I'm fine."
Rita paused. "Kat, surely there must be some Comrade for sale at a Comrade Home that you could really use..."
"Rita, the only Comrade I want to bond right now cannot be bought with money." Katrin said shortly. "I won't take J-Knight funds. Good day."
She cut the link.
***
Rita twitched. She just sat there and twitched.
"Rita? You okay?" Dennis had to ask.
"Shut up. Not another word or I swear, I'll scream!" Rita poked a finger at him. "Not another word!"
Dennis frowned. He said nothing, but his face was full of questions.
"I... I...!" Rita shook her head. "I can do this! I can do this!"
Dennis turned away, but the frown did not leave his face. Abby likewise gave Rita a sideways look out of the corner of her eye.
But Quinny wasn't about to let it go. "That was unworthy, Rita. Dennis has never treated you badly or done anything other than help you and support you. That behavior is shameful."
"I'm under a lot of stress, all right?!" Rita barked.
"That's no excuse." Quinny told her sharply.
"Leave it, Quinny." Dennis said softly. "She's just... new. You've got a battle to worry about."
"You're too kind, Dennis." Quinny shook her head as she turned back to her console. "One of these days..."
"We have bigger things to worry about right now." Dennis said simply. "I'll have the summary of our forces in the northern hemisphere ready soon."
Rita twitched again. She turned back to her console and started pulling up past records of similar nature for reference. Then she, too, started on her summary.
Abby eyed Rita again and then exchanged silent glances with Geoffrey. Geoffrey said nothing, but his face was grim as he turned back to the battle.
Rita drew up a template for the summary, glanced about hurriedly and said, "I'm gonna take a short walk. Be back in a minute."
Several murmurs and nods accompanied her out as she all but darted from the Command Post behind their backs. Slipping to a quiet corner, Rita did something she knew the others mustn't find out about.
She called Colin.
***
Colin really didn't know what to think. "Rita?!"
Of all the people he'd expected to receive a call from, Rita was the last.
"Colin, I need help." Rita said in a soft but urgent whisper.
"What's wrong?" Colin glanced about. They were practically in the Heart of the Forest. "How did you even manage to get a call through?"
"Trans-planar." Rita said. "It's expensive, so I have to be quick. Henry and Katrin are going to be in trouble at Turtle Island. Please help!"
And with that, Rita ended the call.