The War of Four: Persona Non Grata

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The Extent of Your Resolve; Worthiness of Vitality
"Empresa's evacuation will spread like wildfire. No one's going to overlook the fireworks we made during the defense, especially not our enemies."

Casilda had her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the ones who would currently address her. She and they were standing within the meeting room of the D.C.O.'s main dimension, grouped together and discussing what would be the next plan of retaliation. After getting acquainted with the rest of them a bit more, they were quick to roll right into tactics and strategies. There was no time to waste, as there was the risk of the Inner Circle moving at any time without warning. Even if the supposed rest time after the assault was a few days, no one wanted to take any chances.

As of this particular time, the Primera was speaking. "The guard that were pulled out along with the citizens are a hardy breed. But their numbers are limited, considering they were drawn out from only a city. With the neighboring cities from Empresa alerted and prepared for possible invasion, though, I can at least take comfort that it'll take quite a lot if Sōsuke's wanting to take over all of Hueco Mundo. For now, the looks of things are saying that Soul Society should be the main attraction..."

"From what little intel we have on the situation involving the Seireitei, it appears that they're already starting to erect substitutes for the damaged structures around the Soul Society. Not to mention place their own monuments and imbue their propaganda within the captive populace and military," Hana declared, pacing back and forth across the 3-D layout table that currently was emblazoned red and showed various structures that were exceptionally crafted, despite being only several days after the invasion occured. Studying the Soul Society she stroked her chin as she spoke, "they also rolled in the bulk of their military power in a wide perimeter around the Seireitei, with airships with an even wider patrol to spot any abnormalities or oncomers of interest. Even the Senkaimon gates have been sealed, making ordinary access impossible and improbable..."

"There appears to be a similar invasion that had occured only half a day ago at Yūrei Ōkoku," Kukkyōna added, as he turned a sympathetic gaze to Avaron as he added, "we have lost contact with them as well. Needless to say, I believe every proximate Society, with the irrelevent exception of Tendan Dākusaido, is incapable of aiding us. All forces we will be utilizing will be what we have now."

The police commander had closed her eyes in solemnity upon hearing those words. Jūshin, Chidori, Shiro, and countless others were in the same predicament that they were. It was not pleasant knowing that she as well as what remained of her Dragonbird scouting force was the only portion that Yūrei would have within this effective fighting force. Still, she couldn't let that bother her, not with the stakes.

After taking in a deep breath, she opened her eyes to regard them all with a stern yet empathetic gaze. "It'll be all that we'll need." She said firmly. "I've grown to learn that even one man can make the difference between life and death, even on the likes of a grand scale. If it took the minds of a few to bring waste to our society, it can take a few to bring it back. We will not be the ones to just sit by while the afterlife burns to the ground..."

She was quick to switch her tone from encouraging to tactical fluidly, turning her attention to the 3-D grid. "As of now, the top priorities should be locating and securing HVIs such as the Captains left behind. I doubt the Inner Circle are above torture and interrogation to squeeze even more information out for possible use. Trying to dismiss them will result in possibly unattainable recovery for the Gotei 13, and considering the heavy casualties you all took, I doubt you have very much reserves other than what from the D.C.O. offers..."

Noriko let out a light scoff, but said nothing.

"We'll have to keep a low profile if we want to pull our guys out of there..." Qilin said lowly, keeping his tone casual and cool as he spoke. "The Horsemen, Aizen, Juhabach... there's no doubt that they'll be there to oversee everything. Even without involving the higher powers, there's the matter of the foot soldiers. Many of them have us outgunned with their technology, including Kidō guns, heavily modified melee weapons and the like. Their numbers outstrip ours, and they've proven themselves to have plenty of skill and experience over our own troops. Open confrontation with any of them would be a no-go when our injured are involved."

"We can't involve the Shinō Academy's teachers or students. They are the future and foundation of the three branches of our military, so they are considered top priority protection while they reside here, in a safe pocket dimension," Captain Hando insisted, pointing out their uninvolvement to be had in this campaign.

"It'd be more likely that we'd need to sneak behind enemy lines and distract the majority of their enemies from the real targets. If we can cripple their leaders, their men will be rendered into any chaos we can toss into their midst," Kaien Shiba added, as he observed the display himself, "but discounting that aside, the Dragons are the biggest concern of their generals. Each of them have incredible skill, and would require multiple skilled warriors of our own to defeat them, along with their subordinates."

"Its a pity we can't use the man power they have in custody within the Soul Society. While they didn't kill them, they still could be useful in battle if we're to further the seeds of chaos among them," Senna added, seeing it as an advantage.

"That would be risky, and probably fruitless," Renji pointed out, shrugging as he locked eyes with her and those around them of importance, "all those men who hadn't died are probably in a condition a fraction of what the captured Captains are. Not many of them will be combat worthy, and even if they will, their numbers wouldn't be worth putting them in a position to fight..."

"If we could possibly lure the enemy away from their positions, we could send a few squads to escort them out of the Soul Society until the battle has calmed down," Daisuke suggested out, wanting to escort as many of the Soul Reapers as they can, "significant to battle strength or not, they are still our comrades. Should they perish, we will most certainly be left with less than desired man power for any future battles of this scale..."

"So, in summary, you want to have someone serve as a guinea pig to turn resistance away from targets of opportunity..." Senkaku summarized. "For that to work, we're going to have to use combatants that will last a good amount of time against any level of strength put against them. That way, the time the actual damage teams have to get to their locations will be maximized to full effect. We don't want allies that will break under the will of Dragons and Horsemen if they are confronted by such..."

"We will also have to pinpoint and hit locations separately, if you're aiming to take out the leaders first..." Qilin added. "The Dragons and Horsemen won't stick together in one spot with the knowledge of a counter-attack. Each Horsemen will be within his or her own location, guarded by their respective Dragons. But if we're aiming to pull our guys out, we'll need to move quickly. What possible locations could they be hidden in that no one would be permitted to go normally?"

"That's what we're intending on learning, of course!" Kaze spoke in an exasperated tone, as he leaned over on his cane and looked to Qilin, then to the rest of the gathered, "as soon as we can get a few probes out towards the Soul Society, and maybe spare a scout here and there, we can collaborate a number of details for which we can track these targets of interest down-"

"Sorry we're late!"

"-here comes one of our volunteers," Kaze chuckled as he heard the voice of his long absented Lieutenant, taking Rukia and what appeared to be the Espada they've been waiting for. Regarding his uniformed appearance as hastily put on, he cocked a brow up as he inquired, "did you enjoy yourself with your company, Shio-san? Or were you cut short by our dilemma?"

"Not funny," Meikurai growled under his voice before clearing his throat as they arrived in front of the fully gathered alliance.

The moment that the trio appeared, Casilda was quick to turn her eyes on Lobo.

Though her gaze was mostly unreadable, there was a slight flicker of irritation within those eyes of hers. Although Rukia had reason to be sympathetic, the Primera was not one to overlook the fact that Lobo had went against orders for the sake of chasing someone that had been irrelevant to the situation at hand. By that alone, he would have been considered to have committed defection and treason. Had she had been Bernabe, she would've gladly made the decision of executing him right then and there.

But she wasn't her Segunda. So instead, she remained silent and allowed only her eyes to pass judgement on him.

This didn't seem to be picked up by Rukia, who was busy giving a respectful bow to the rest of them. "Our apologies for the late arrival." She said, giving a look towards Avaron in particular. The police commander seemed more than ready to forgive her, giving a dismissive wave of the hand in response.

"Don't worry about it, Kuchiki. You're here now, and that's all that matters..."

"Glad to see you could arrive to assist, de Norte..." In contrast to the attitude his superior was carrying, Senkaku's tone seemed more welcoming to the Novena. "I take it the injuries you sustained were taken care of?"

"My battle took me farther away from the rest of you than I would've liked, so I wasn't able to sense any of your presences," Lobo spoke honestly and straightforwardly, his eyes not meeting the Primera's as he looekd away in shame, "the only Spiritual Pressure I had been able to read was within the Spiritual Realm where Rukia Kuchiki and I had battled. After dressing my wounds, I narrowly infiltrated the resort before collapsing due to exhaustion and blood loss. I apologize for my weakness, all of you, for I am not worthy of forgiveness..."

"You really shouldn't put yourself down that much," Daisuke spoke out readily, causing the Arrancar's eyes to shift to his own. Daisuke beamed a smile as he gave him a thumb's up, "what's most important is that you escaped with your life, just like your comrades did. Sure you got sidetracked, but you kept yourself alive for your friends, didn't you?"

"Indeed..." Hachiro noted coolly, his arms folded across his chest. "There's no need to apologize to us. We're just glad that you three could make it as soon as you did." He glanced over towards Kaze, directing his tone towards the scientist. "Kaze. You mind explaining to him what you mean by "volunteer"?"

"I am grateful," Lobo bowed to them, glad to see his allies had as much understanding as his duelist partner to-be, but could only hope Senkaku would be not the only one to greet him with such enthusiasm. It was at this time Meikurai quirked a brow upwards, but made sure not to get on Kaze's bad side and allowed his Captain to explain.

"If none of you are aware of it, or have forgotten," Kaze pointedly rolled his eyes at Hachiro, as if blaming him for not remembering about Meikurai's abilities, "Meikurai would be the perfect scout amongst the enemy lines. His Zanpakutō, Kagami, allows him to blend in perfectly with his surroundings, no matter what amount of high tier perception or surveillance technology would prove futile. He can also lace illusions around people and objects, allowing him to send out false happenings around his environment and cloak his allies within fields of light refracting energy to keep them hidden as well as any Kidō would..."

"So if he's going to be one of the scouts, if not the only one..." Noriko inquired, quirking an eyebrow. "Then who's going to be serving as part of the teams? The Gotei 13 doesn't have much on its side who's capable enough, and risking the leadership here will just jeopardize us if they get captured..."

"Why not send some of the D.C.O. squad in?"

That was when Braeburn's voice cut in, with his form leaning against a nearby wall. His arms were folded across his chest. "We're trained in stealth, assassination and recovery." He explained, using a hand for the occasional gesturing purpose. "Sending a fireteam or squad out to the H.V.I.s would require maintaining a low profile, obviously. Since the 2nd Division's HQ got destroyed, I'm doubting the Gotei 13 itself has many reserves to go by... especially with the 2nd Division's Captain out of commission for the time being. While we do that, some of the Espada Afilado can take the role of providing the distraction. Considering they've fought in hardy and hellish conditions, they're the most capable of withstanding an onslaught. Better than the Shinigami, at least..."

He ignored the faint scowl that crossed Noriko's face, as he regarded each and every one of them from his position. "Of course, that's just an idea being thrown out. If anyone has any other ideas or advice, I'm all for it..."

"Quiet you insec-"

"Actually, Captain Sasayaki, he has a good point," Hana intervened before Kaze could hiss openly at Braeburn, looking over at the other Captains and the Espada that had gathered as well, "if we used the D.C.O. squads we have available, both Reserves and the Shadow Squad, we could be able to rescue the imprisoned non-combatants as well as set up special surprises for the enemy behind their enemy lines. That, and I think I have a far more important task selected for the Lieutenant..."

"You do?" Meikurai voiced aloud in query, his Captain also narrowing his eyes suspiciously at his protoge and current superior but dared not to say a thing and wanted to see how things played out, "what would that be?"

"The Captains. You're going to sift through all this chaos and free the Captains, as well as rejuvenate their health and Spiritual Power," Hana spoke aloud with the important task assigned to the man before her. Knowing the gravity of such a task she smiled with assurance in her voice, "you're one of the only ones that can make that particular rescue, as you have more information regarding locations they'd take prisoners of such noteworthy power and prestige, to hide them away."

This time, Hachiro was the one to notice it.

As he was shifting his gaze from one person in the room to the other, he could see the faintest of smirks on Qilin's face. Normally, it would have been assumed to have been from confidence in the plan. What kept him from assuming that was because that it was an abrupt transition from the composed and serious demeanor that he was holding moments before. This was reinforced by the smirk's disappearance fading quickly as it had come. Had he imagined it?

His eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he remained silent. His attention towards Qilin was brief, and he was quick to turn back to the rest of his comrades when Casilda chose this time to speak. "How many of the Espada will you need to turn attention away?" She questioned Hana.

"Four would suffice," Hana nodded with affirmation, "I'll leave the details to as to whom you would deem necessary for such an important task. You know  your subordinates and colleagues best, so I'll leave the exact persons up to you."

"Han-I mean, Head Captain," Meikurai stopped himself short, as he remembered his colleague's promotion, spoke aloud in a hesitant tone, "don't you suppose its a little risky for me to go into the heart of enemy territory? Its likely that they are heavily guarded by unknowns that could easily best me in combat. I'd wish to have some partners to back me up...or I'll most likely decline this mission indefinitely," he finished with a slight downcasting look in his eyes, holding a vague, mysterious hesitancy within them that hasn't always been present within the confident and skillful Lieutenant.

Kukkyōna himself noticed this, as he had been watching the unusual tension that Hachiro had while also monitoring everyone else's "visual signs" of emotional instability or stress. This however, looked masked to himself entirely for another purpose altogether. He could only narrow his eyes at the Lieutenant, wondering why he'd request such a demand.

"Well, considering that we're going through with my idea, you'll be accompanied by whatever D.C.O. the Captain-Commander picks." Braeburn said bluntly, rolling his eyes. If there was any strange sign Meikurai was exhibiting, he wasn't noticing or wasn't bothering to pay much attention to it. "So obviously, you're going to have backup accompany you. It's common sense..."

"If I know my Lieutenant, he wouldn't sit down and let himself get captured..." Noriko said. "There are quite possibly remnants of the Gotei 13's force still trapped within the Seireitei and on the run. They'll be keeping up resistance, and it'd be a good thing if we ran into some of them in case of assistance. So I think it would be best to keep an eye out for friendlies outside of imprisonment, because they'll most likely be expecting us..."

"As well as my Lieutenant. We should expect a sizeable resistance still hidden from the Inner Circle, despite their current hold over the majority of the imprisoned military and the captured non-combatants of the Rukonagi Districts and the Seireitei," Kukkyōna spoke in acknowledgement of Noriko's notation of the status possibly of their current MIA forces, "they should be able to reinforce our forces as they arrive."

"Then its settled," Hana nodded with finality, looking to Jōshōtsu and Shijū with a cool gaze speaking aloud to him in particular, "gather what men you can for a Stealth operation. I want you to comb the Seireitei as subtly as possible and pinpoint the locations of patrols for the IC forces as well as the Horsemen's location, and the Dragons' whereabouts. Once done, notify us immediately before heading back here to HQ. We'll launch a full offensive when we properly mobilize our men."

"As you wish, Head Captain," Jōshōtsu bowed his head respectfully, in sync with his fellow Whisper Squad Captain, as they both turned on their heels to head to their designated stations, leaving the rest of the briefing attendants to hear out their orders.

"Kaien," Hana spoke to the Sword Squad Captain with an equally serious gaze, guesturing with her hands as she spoke, "I need you to take your Deputy Squad Captain and round up all able bodied Sword and Reserve squadsmen to prepare for battle. We don't know if this dimension is secure, for IC forces might find a way to penetrate our defenses sooner or later, and we need them ready for the final push as well."

"I'll get the men prepped. Leave everything to Senna and I," Kaien said reassuringly, smiling to the young proxy Captain Commander as he looked to his Lieutenant, "right, Senna-chan?"

"Leave it to us, boss!" Saluting enthusiastically, Senna beamed a smile as she spun on her heels and waved to Rukia as the two of them left the debriefing room swiftly, "see you later, Rukia-chan!"

Although keeping herself silent, Rukia allowed a smile to cross her face as she gave a wave back to the bubbly woman. Hers was more reserved and composed than Senna's, but nevertheless expressed an equal amount of well-wishing and support.

"Renji," Hana then looked over to the senior D.C.O. Lancer operative, crossing her arms as she leaned next to the holographic display table, "I need you to gather all Lancer operatives available and pull out any of them in current operations. You are the strongest independent force within the D.C.O., and we need every fighter available for this battle."

"Right, don't know if they're going to listen to me, but I'll give it a shot," Renji said with a reluctant sigh, scratching his head before turning around and heading off as well, "if any of them happen to grab our allies in route to our location, I'll let you know, Hana-san..."

"Braeburn-san," Hana finally turned to her lover-turned-subordinate, smiling as she gave him her own orders to the capable McTavish, "I need you to go with Takashi, Yōki, and Rokotsu to back up Meikurai. Since you know them best, it'll be the easiest to form a strong team to protect one of our best standing Lieutenants."

"And the most reliable..." Braeburn noted with an acknowledging nod, sliding the balaclava over his face to mask his visage once more. His eyes shifted towards the mentioned members within the back, hanging out near the ones who weren't focused on tactics. "With them around, I assure that any ideas of needing a small army to reinforce him will be popped right out of his head." After securing his head and facial mask, he looked over towards Meikurai to give a gesturing motion for him to follow before beginning his approach to the soon-to-be escort team.

"Senkaku," Casilda herself began to give directions towards her own subordinates, gaining the attention of the Tercera. "I want you, Tierra, Genjō and Caballero to prepare yourselves. You're going to be serving as the diversion for the rescue and evacuation teams. Make sure to give it your all, for if you slip up even once, the enemy will not hesitate to destroy you this time."

"Yes, my Lady..." Senkaku gave a bow of acknowledgement. "We will make sure to hold out for our Shinigami allies." With that being said, he turned on his heel and walked away to the direction of the allies he would be bringing along with him.

"I assume that the rest of us will be taking part in the counter-attack, then?" Nicolao inquired, to which Casilda gave a slight nod.

"Most of you, anyway. But I need some to stay behind for maintenance of security and surveillance. You in particular need to do so. After what happened to you on the battlefield, I can't risk a mind like yours to the hands of the enemy..."

Nicolao gave a slight chuckle of amusement, folding one arm behind his back and another in front of him to give a more expressive bow. "Nice to understand you care so much about my well-being, my Lady..." He said smoothly, causing Casilda to roll her eyes slightly at his somewhat exaggerated formality. "But if it pleases you, I will do well to stay within your boundaries."

"Good. I leave it in your hands..."

With that being said, Casilda turned away from him to focus her attention on two particular Arrancar out of her command - Starrk and Lilynette. She approached them with a calm and composed gait, taking her time in walking towards them.

It was a good thing too.

For Starrk, unsuprising to anyone who knew him, was fast asleep. Sitting in a chair that was leaned up against a wall, of which, he himself was leaned up against, he was snoozing in a calm, relaxed manner, no snoring or anything and with his arms crossed. Lilynette, on the other hand, was sitting in his lap wide awake, her elbows on her knees with her hands propping her head up, she looked rather bored. Having been listening to the group strategize for several minutes in Starrk's place, she was eager for something else to happen.

And when she saw the Primera approaching them, she also saw her chance.

Her eyes widened and she quickly hopped up in a brief panic, shaking Starrk's knees with her hands as she tried to coax him up. "Starrk? Starrk! Wake up dammit! She's coming here right now!!" she said lowly but loud enough for Casilda to potentially hear it.

"Hrm? What...?" he lazily popped his two eyes open and groaned, leaning forward and scratching the back of his head, before raising an eyebrow at Lilynette with an annoyed look. "What now...?"

"C'mon! Look like somebody!" she continued to quietly plead. "In case you didn't notice, she is coming. Right. Heeeere~!" she finished quietly, speaking behind her gritted teeth as her eyes pointed back and forth between Starrk and Casilda.

"Who is 'she'?" he began at first, rubbing the back of his neck before his eyes glanced forward and spotting the woman of interest. Here, his eyes opened wider and he stopped all movement as she finally came to them, causing Lilynette to quickly back up from them both.

"Oh ah...it's you again...Sorry about that, I...must've dozed off for a while..." he said in a calm, and yet subtly nervous fashion.

Try as she might, Casilda couldn't help the corner of her mouth that tilted upward in an amused smirk. Despite their similar desires to sit back and relax, at least he had the luxury to easily doze off whenever he felt like it. Lilynette's efforts to rouse him didn't help her restraint, despite the fact that she had the composure to easily keep herself from laughing at him. "Sorry to have interrupted your nap, sleeping beauty..." She said coolly. "But I was hoping to talk with you about something. Is that all right?"

"Um....sure?" he replied with a blink, though he did manage to put up a slight smile. "I'm awake anyhow, so I can listen."

"Right." The smile was quick to fade off of Casilda, and her gaze held a bit of solemnity in it. She tilted her head to the side slightly, folding her arms across her chest. "Obviously, you're not someone under my command. But I'm under the impression that neither of you," She took a momentary glance to the "younger" half. "Will be sitting this one out. What exactly do you plan on doing here?" It wasn't a question of demand, but one of curiosity.

"Whatever you say, of course!" Lilynette began with an upraised fist, upside down U eyes and a big grin, holding a thumb up. Only to have Starrk's hand quickly go onto her mouth before speaking in her place.

"What she means is..." he began, standing up straight with a slight groan. "...we aren't exactly leader types. We're better at taking orders than giving them. We'll do whatever you need us to. Just don't expect us to be particularly enthusiastic about it..."

"Preaching to the choir on that one."

Casilda didn't bother to voice this particular thought out to the former Primera. "If you insist..." She acknowledged smoothly, before settling into a more explanatory manner. "When the counter-attack commences, we'll be one of the spearheads aimed towards the very leadership of the enemy forces. Considering that we're two of the only ones with comparable strength to any of the Horsemen, Aizen or Juhabach, I think it'd be very fitting. I'd like you to accompany me personally."

"Of course. I get to fight the strong ones...again."

It seemed to just be his luck with this sort of thing. He was strong, so he's pitted against the strong guys. It seemed like a fact of life that he wished wasn't real, but if it was for the better of them all, he didn't have much room to complain.

At first, he let out a slight sigh, but regained his calm, half lidded composure afterwords. "Well, if that's what you need, you've got it."

He then took a more serious and still level expression in his next statement. "Though, when I had that brief encounter with Aizen, I was only scratching the surface of his true power. If we end up going against him, there's no telling what all he'll have in store for us."

"I know..." Casilda closed her eyes briefly, furrowing her eyebrows as the memory of her near-death experience came to her. It seemed that despite his methods against her, he wasn't above using illusions in order to deceive his opponents. She had potential immunity, but obviously it hadn't worked for Tome. That alone made Starrk's note very clear. If they wanted to beat him, they would have to keep on their guard. "I'll trust you to be the eyes in the back of my head in the event that happens. I'm not aiming to give him, of all people, a second chance to blindside me."

"Good to hear." he commented as she spoke. "Last thing we need is him pulling some mind trick crap on us..."

"Starrk!" Lilynette looked up and grabbed his arm, speaking in an excited tone. "Starrk! Aren't you going to tell her about you know who? We need to tell her while we're here!"

"Who again?" he replied with a blink, glancing down at her briefly with an honest confused tone.

"Ugh!" she groaned, before looking at the Primera, speaking in a slightly louder, serious tone. "On our way to help you guys, we saw someone that might could help us along the way."

"Hm...?" Casilda raised a slight eyebrow, switching her attention to Lilynette as soon as she was addressed. Obviously, she was referring to another individual that she had yet to meet, quite possibly Arrancar. "And who would that happen to be?" She questioned.

"Oh...you mean him..." Starrk sighed with an obvious hint of reluctance in his voice, scratching the back of his neck as he did so. "Yeah, on the way over to your fight, we thought we saw someone along the way, an all too familiar face...It may not be him, but from the spiritual pressure and what appearance I could make out, I could have sworn it was Ulquiorra Schiffer."

The curiosity faded into slight skepticism right away.

"Okay, now I know that it couldn't be that..." Casilda said in a matter-of-fact tone. "The former Cuatro had disintegrated and dissolved into the air when he died, based from what was recorded in the archives. You might have just seen an imposter..." Of course, seeing Sōsuke and Juhabach alive and well after presumed to be dead was throwing off her assurance that the deceased were capable of staying deceased. Ulquiorra coming back to life, although seemingly far-fetched in logical terms, certainly wasn't an exception.

"It's true!" Lilynette pleaded, only to have Starrk's hand come down on her head to keep her planted in place.

"I know it sounds crazy..." Starrk went on, giving her a serious and yet honest gaze. "...but i'd recognize his Spiritual Pressure in an instant. No other Hollow gives off that kind of aura, not that I'd seen. I'm not sure if it's possible, but he could have reincarnated back into his Arrancar self shortly after that incident."

This time, Casilda averted her gaze away briefly, a pondering look on her face. The slight frown on her face still indicated a bit of skepticism. But when she turned her head back, that frown seemed to fade away. "Well, you know him and his capability better than anyone else..." She said. "I'll just have to take your word for it. Where is he as of now?"

"Last we saw him, he was sticking around this white tree not too too far from Empresa." he replied plainly. "I looked like he wasn't planning on leaving it either. That's probably our best bet to find him."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..."

Empresa. The very place occupied by enemy forces. Ulquiorra was still within that particular area, not too far from the zone of occupation. It was just Casilda's luck that he would still be there. Voicing that particular thought would have been rude at best, as she could understand the value of a certain keepsake, landscape or otherwise. But this was a state of emergency. How were they supposed to retrieve him when he willingly stayed within proximity of the enemy?

"My luck always has to be between bad and worse, doesn't it...?" She muttered under her breath, swinging her attention back to Coyote. "Sounds to me like he decided not to come with us. You sure bringing him back would be okay?"

"No. I'm not." he replied plainly, almost as if he knew the danger that would be involved with this operation. "And yeah, I understand where you're coming from. But from what i've gathered, we need all of the help that we can get for this fight. And having someone as perceptive as Ulquiorra will be undoubtfully beneficial."

Lilynette couldn't help but smile at the way Starrk was acting. After years of trying to coax him into being more active and having to be his motivation, he himself had finally gotten his own motivation. But she couldn't help but wonder, was it because Starrk had just learned to be that way? Or was it just because of Casilda...?

"You need help with something?" A voice suddenly interrupted, but within a smooth transition as the sentence ended from Casilda's mouth. It was none other than Kukkyōna Hayate, the scarlet haired man enamored with a silk-woven scarf and the Shikhakushō designed with the Hayate Clan symbol along with his 6th Division Captain Haori. His voice was smooth but sincere, in its request if he could be of aid, "I couldn't help but overhear something about Empresa...did we leave someone behind?"

"...well, if I knew that I had an audience, I would have kept this conversation to a lower volume." Casilda quipped, turning her head to look over her shoulder at the noble who had addressed them. "Did your Head Captain not have anything for you to do in particular?" Inwardly, she was a bit miffed at him for interrupting her talk with Starrk like that. Weren't Shinigami supposed to have much better manners than to cutting in between two people talking?

"My apologies," Kukkyōna bowed his head, before raising his gaze back to Casilda, "the Head Captain insisted I aid you in any form of missions that would be outside of your control or that you would need assistance in general. She's placing most of the Captains on standby, but she asked me in particular due to my...expertise...in helping other allies."

"Sheesh, you Shinigami are so rude!" Lilynette complained, hopping up on Starrk's shoulders (causing him to grunt and flinch in annoyance along the way) and raising a fist. "Can't you see we're talking?? This is special stuff. Need to know basis only! Other guys not allowed!"

She then crossed her arms, retaining a pouting expression. "Besides. How could you help us bring back someone like Ulquiorra? You know he despises Shinigami in every since of the word, right?"

"You're right," Kukkyōna nodded with admission, turning his head to look over at his son and mutual subordinate, Daisuke, "perhaps someone with a bigger heart than mine would be someone more suited in aiding you in retrieving your comrade. After all, he holds no bounds or grudges towards any race, no matter the origins or history of bloodshed involved," looking back, Kukkyōna locked his eyes with all three Arrancar, looking to all of them with equal seriousness, "after all, it was through his heart that he managed to help stave off oblivion for both the Spirit and Material world. I think at the very least, this infamous ally of yours would be...intrigued...by his character."

"That good, is he...?" Casilda drawled, cocking a slight eyebrow in inquiry. Her own conversation with the Lieutenant had shown that the man was more intellectual than she would've assumed, and she was smart not to take anything for granted. "Well, then. I guess I can't dismiss the word of a noble as a simple bluff. I trust he'll be fine with a second trip to Hueco Mundo, then?"

"He won't argue once he knows the details-"

'''AWHOOOOH! AWHOOOH! AWHOOOH!'''

"-after...wards...?!"

"Intruder alert! Intruder Alert! Sectors A-D are compromised! Initiating Code Red Procedures! Intruder Alert...!"

"What the Hell is going on?!" Hana yelled out from the debriefing room, turning quickly to the table and typing a few commands on the holo-display, "give me a layout of headquarters' affected zones, now!"

Within a few moments, the image of the taken over Soul Society shifted rapidly into what appeared to be a very large box-shaped infrastructure, hanging in the middle of a blue-black storm space. A number of the levels, primarily the middle to top ones, were showing flaring red signs and multiple signatures of hostiles within. The Alliance's forces, were under attack!

This seemed to garner everyone's attention.

Noriko was the first to voice out her reverie as she turned her attention to the flashing red alarms above their heads. "They've managed to reach even the likes of here...?" She muttered, almost to herself. It was beginning to be very clear that any place to hide was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Truly, the Inner Circle had an indescribable bound of reach if they were to penetrate even the likes of here. Or, should it have been something to be expected by now...?

Considering that the Soul Society's security had been compromised too many times, Hachiro was a bit understanding that even the D.C.O.'s pocket dimension would be invaded at any time. Therefore, he was much more responsive to the alarm of hostiles within their territory. Quickly, he clicked on his earpiece, a look of pensiveness and seriousness on his face. "All teams, this is Captain Horikawa!" He said, his tone sharp and commanding. "Get into your stations and prepare for imminent contact! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!!"

"Guess that's my cue..." Avaron muttered, reaching under the table to grab a Kidō rifle she had laid against it. As she cocked and primed it, memories of what she had been before flashed through her mind. A soldier, a cold-blooded killer, and a machine under the command of a government. Once again, it seemed as if she would be made to fight like that once again, if it meant to preserve the way of life as they knew it. Although she clearly hated that thought, she was ready to bring up arms and battle in what was to be a very bloody war. "I need to regroup with my Dragonbird squad. You know where we'll be!!" With that, she quickly sprinted away, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

In contrast to these attitudes, Qilin was surprisingly calm. He shoved his hands in his pockets as Hachiro gave out his commands, closing his eyes and exhaling a light sigh. He tilted his head from side to side to work out his neck before putting it back into its regular position. Anyone would've chalked it up to be simple mental preparation, something expected long ago. But no one would've heard his thoughts at that moment.

"Last stand. No second chances..."

His eyes slowly half-lidded as he looked at the screen, analyzing the grid carefully.

"No turning back..."

One would've sworn they saw the smile of a slasher fall across his face.

"No mercy. No mercy."

Although to a lesser extent, Braeburn found himself within a composed and controlled mood.

He turned away from his teammates and to a different dimension, his senses picking out something familiar. It would be significant in a different way for the rest of them if they bothered to pick it out. But when he felt it, he felt a slight sense of apprehension and worry. It wasn't because of anything meager than power over him as well as his allies. It was the fact that he could identify it immediately and personally. He breathed out a sigh, remaining silent.

Among the enemy was his beloved sister, Brina McTavish.

"By the grace of Izanami..." He thought to himself, a bit of sadness flashing through his eyes. "I hope that we don't have to cross paths... not like this."

"Aw man!" Lilynette whined, leaning back and intentionally falling off of Starrk's shoulders and on the ground, crossing her arms and pouting. "Just when I thought we'd get to go out and have fun!"

"Yeah really..." Starrk mused, glancing over at Casilda. "Looks like we're going to have to wait for that trip."

Casilda didn't respond immediately.

She had her head turned away from him, remaining silent under the alarms that were blaring. Although he wouldn't see it, she had a slight expression of annoyance and bitterness within her eyes as she stared at the alarms. These bastards would never be satisfied until they razed and destroyed everything. Briefly, her fist clenched, her nails threatening to dig into her skin. As long as this continued, great injustice would be done to both Hollows and Shinigami.

She would destroy them.

As her fist relaxed, so did her expression as she turned towards Starrk once more. If she just left now, she would feel as if she left it on a bad note. Stuffing one hand into her pocket, she allowed herself to approach him for what would probably be the last time for that period. If he wasn't going to be enthusiastic about it, she could at least try to give him a reminder to keep him going. It was the least she could've done. So she did something that would surprise even her.

She stood up on her tip-toes, placed a hand on her shoulder to boost herself a little more, and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Come back alive..." She said lowly, lowering herself back to the bases of her feet to walk away. "I, for one, wouldn't dare want you to fall into the fate you saved me from..."

Starrk initially couldn't think of anything to say.

Did...she just kiss him??

He remained frozen in place for just a brief few seconds, a slight tint of red on his cheeks as she left. For the first time in a long long while, he actually had a human-like interaction with another Arrancar. The sensation didn't look like much on the outside, but inside, he was going crazy. For the first time in forever, he felt like...he really had a companion, someone he could not only have around, but feel for and connect with.

Now he knew what he was really fighting for.

Going back to his original expression, he slowly walked behind her, planning to do what ever he needed to to ensure that both he and his newly found comrades make it to fight another day.

"Right behind you..."

"Tetsu-san! Meikurai-san!" Daisuke urged the two other Lieutenants to move with him, as he took the lead of moving out of the debriefing room, "let's head to the D-Level Armory! We have to keep the enemy away from our stockpiles of weaponry and tech!"

"Brae-san!" Yōki flourished around with her crimson Lancer coat on, having Rokotsu on one flank and Takashi on the other, as she beckoned Braeburn to follow her, "we're going to hit the C-Level cargo bays. It'll be perfect for our coordinated team, as well as wide enough area for our speciality in long range and mid-range tactics!"

It was enough to bring him out of his reverie, the light returning to his eyes once more. Although he remained silent, he allowed himself to nod in acknowledgement towards his superior officer's order. Then, he broke into a small sprint in order to catch up with his allies.

"Hachiro! Noriko! Let's go to the Barracks at B-Level," Kukkyōna spoke aloud, nodding his head towards the exit, "the enemy's strongest will most likely be there to tear apart any number of subordinates they can find, as well as the strongest independent fighters there..."

"They won't get far..." Noriko growled, with Hachiro giving an agreeing nod after he had finished giving out orders. One of her hands rested on the hilt of her Zanpakutō, readied to draw and use at any time. At this point, she was itching to use it on some unsuspecting I.C. operators. "Not as long as I breathe!!"

"You all go! I'll maintain contact with you here and keep updating you on the status of the base!" Hana urged everyone as she raised her hands and pointed to the exit, "move out! I don't want a single IC scumbag left alive, do you hear me?! No mercy!"

With that being said, everyone moved out towards their respective locations in order to engage the enemy, determination and resolve clear...

A Monster Among Us! Comradery vs Bloodlust!
"We're heading towards cargo bays where we're housing most of our conventional supplies and technical equipment for maintenance for the base," Yōki briefed her comrades as they sprinted down the wide corridor, as various D.C.O. operatives and Soul Reapers of many mismatched Divisions that had been rescued. Her blonde hair cascaded in a whirl as she rushed towards their destination, "hopefully they don't make too much of a mess so we can use that equipment to fix whatever mess they make out of the base..."

"If we can fix the base!" Takashi growled out as he heard the various rumblings and tremors of the violence taking place within their only sanctuary, "how the Hell could they have found us here?! Isn't this a Dimension outside of the normal parameters of transportation but for the highest of D.C.O. operatives?!"

"This stinks! Why can't the bad guys leave us alone so we can plan out their demise?! URRRGH!" Rokotsu threw a tantrum in mid-flight, shaking her fists up and down comically in enraged infuriation, "they have to play so unfair, it makes me so mad!"

Throughout the trip, Braeburn had fallen silent.

As he pumped his legs, his eyebrows were furrowed and a frown was on his face. Even in the presence of Rokotsu's humorous display of frustration, he did not allow himself to respond to it. He had learned long ago that even the toughest of security could be breached. Interdimensional travel was nothing new within the spiritual realms, so it wasn't exactly surprising that they found a way to get to it. But his mind was on other things.

In summary, he was conflicted, with the reason being his very sister.

If they met her, he was certain that she wouldn't engage them. After all, she had been the one to tell him to "stay alive". He had belief that she would rather run than strike. But what if, under some unexpected circumstance, she didn't retreat? What if they did have to fight her? He could never bring himself to raise a malicious blade towards the likes of his own blood. So he was inwardly praying that it wouldn't have to come to that, that they wouldn't have to cross blades.

She had already been forced to kill one of her own family members. He didn't want to be the second.

"Hey," Yōki looked over at Braeburn, still keeping in motion while her eyes could see the turmoil his expression had projected unintentionally, "you alright? I don't want a comrade of mine going out here to face the odds when there's something holding him back, you know?"

For a moment, only silence was her answer.

Then...

"If it is one thing I've grown to learn, it's that the McTavish have strong ties to their family." He answered smoothly, momentarily closing his eyes. "We will stand by each other, fight and bleed by one another if the time calls for it. When we are made to turn on each other, we will bite the hand that swayed us with extreme prejudice and ruthlessness. Even within the haze of our bloodlust, we will not forget what has created us, gave us life, and raised us to who we were..."

Slowly, he opened his eyes, a hardened gaze being made out of them.

"I can sense my sister within their ranks." He said lowly. "And right now? I don't think she's in the best of moods..."

"B-Brina McTavish is here?!" Yōki's eyes flared open with alarm, realizing just how massive the operation now appeared to be, "you're sure?! Wait a minute, of course you're certain, dammit!"

"So what's so bad about this chick? Just cause she's a McTavish she's...what...another nutcase philosopher who was framed for a crime she didn't commit?" Takashi asked in an incredulous tone, speaking purely out of ignorance of the past and what had truly happened.

"STUPID!" Rokotsu shouted at Takashi, causing him to sweatdrop as she glared at him, "if you don't know who Brina McTavish was to the 2nd Division's Onmitsukidō Militia, then you shouldn't ask dumb questions, Taka-baka!"

"Geeze, Rok-san, no need to be so nasty-"

"Brina McTavish was the former Lieutenant and prodigy of the Stealth Force. She was considered to the prior Captain as a member of her own family, which made it all the more painful as she was given orders from the top, to eliminate a traitor from within their own ranks. One whom of which was her own flesh and blood, Evelyn McTavish. I don't know exactly what happened but," Yōki looked to Braeburn, her eyes filled with a serious glint as she spoke lowly to him, "but if your sister comes onto the battlefield in front of us, I will not hesitate to cut her down. Family or not, she made her choice to be an enemy of all things that is freedom and purity for her own selfish ideals. Its high time you think about stepping off the fence and choosing what's more important, Brae-san, and whom you're really fighting for..."

When Braeburn heard her direct her tone to him, his eyes widened briefly in a show of angered expression as he regarded her. However, as she continued speaking, the fire in his eyes was quick to fade as comprehension sunk in. He seemed to pay more attention to the words "purity" and "freedom" more than anything else, although the last sentence was also taken to mind. She might have been truly genuine in her belief, and he could respect that. But he found such words to be nothing more than the propaganda of the Gotei 13 long ago. It amused him to hear such words spoken to spite Brina, even more so that she would declare to cut her down. But the mention of "stepping off the fence" managed to destroy whatever defensive nature he could've brought up to the surface.

So, he didn't get angry or annoyed with Yōki. He didn't scowl or snap quickly. He didn't even ignore her as a controlled individual certainly would've done to keep anything from escalating to an argument. Instead, he did the one thing that probably wouldn't have been expected.

He grinned.

It was a smirk that conveyed his humor at her choice of words. But it was also challenging, expressing the desire for his eyes to see him personally raise a sword to her and cut her down. Those two would be the most prominent out of the messages that would be read from the nonverbal expression. But even so, this would be emphasized by the chuckle that escaped his throat. After looking at his superior for a moment more, he turned his head back to forward position.

"You really should watch that tongue of yours, ma'am..." He said coolly, though there could be a bit of taunt clearly heard. "Sounds to me like you've picked a day to talk reckless..."

"Tch, you're picking a day to be insufferable, Brae-san!" Yōki rolled her eyes, briefly winking at him, before she nodded up ahead at the massive doors that would lead to their destination, "we're here!"

"About time!" Takashi crowed out, landing onto his sandal covered feet as he held onto his straw hat, looking more like a Soul Reaper than a D.C.O. agent this time around, "let's go give our unwelcome guests the boot, shall we?!"

"Yup-Yup!" Rokotsu chirped cheerfully, despite the fact she hefted her already released giant axe Shikai over her shoulder, "let's go knock some heads tog-"

However, any further cheerful commentary would be cut off, as a thunderous sound could be heard...

BOOM-WHOOSH!

...sending a large wind past the towering, bent out of shape cargo bay doors...

VMMMMM!

...and a ghastly, bloodthirsty Spiritual Pressure the likes none of them had felt in a long time. If any one of them had a particular apathetic disposition towards the legacy of the Kenpachis...this would feel entirely justified, as the ravaging pressure would feel so overwhelming, that it would feel as if it would threaten to choke the life out of any ordinary being within its vicinity.

"ether....?!" Rokotsu croaked out in finality, as she barely gulped down her breath as she felt the immense power surge from within the compound they were about to reinforce.

"What the--!!"

It was here that Braeburn abruptly stopped himself, his pupils dilated in alarm as he felt the pressure wash over him. His feet skidded in the dirt as he spun around to face the direction that the spiritual pressure was being emitted from. His hands tightened into fists, and his body tensed up. The atmosphere, thanks to the power being expunged from what he presumed to be an assailant, was thick with nothing but malice and a desire for blood. It was clear that there would be no jokes when it came to the likes of this particular opponent.

A bead of sweat fell down his face.

"Well... at least this isn't Brina we're dealing with... but if it was, that'd be another reason why I wouldn't raise my blade to her..."

"Don't just stand around like a bunch of idiots!" Yōki shouted out to all of them, before charging through the gateway, "we can't let any enemy, no matter the martial strength, continue wrecking our sanctum unabated! Let's move!"

"R-Right!" Takashi shouted out in sync with the nervous Rokotsu, as all four of them would charge on through the gatway...and then lay their eyes upon the main attacker.

Having a crop of dark blue hair ontop of his head, with a grey-like complexion that was more like that of a shark's, the aquatic humanoid looked intimidating. Standing amongst a large pile of carnage and destruction, cloaked in a distinguishable black overcoat with crimson clouds bordered along it, indicating the sign of the Takuji Elite Branch. Wielding a large bloody, bandage-wrapped blade in hand, the entity looked around at the remaining exhausted troops before sniffing the air, drawing his eyes over to the D.C.O. squad heading his way.

"Well look at that...they sent me an entree to settle after this buffet of snack-bites. How nice, hehe!" Taihen growled out with anticipation and ravenous bloodthirst, his tongue sliding out across his thin lips in a grotesque emphasis of his wanton for their blood, "I hope you can at least keep up with me! These guys were so boring, and I wasn't even able to wreck that much of this dump around me..."

"And we just keep getting paired up with the psychos..." Braeburn growled, clenching his teeth as he glared daggers at the shark-like figure staring down at them. The fact that he had managed to overwhelm so many of their operators was enough to convey he was no cakewalk. Even fighting against him simultaneously wouldn't give them an advantage against the likes of him. "Who in the hell are you, fish-head?!"

"Yeah, answer quickly or we'll make you into chopped sushi!" Takashi barked aloud in additional retort against the bestial freak's features, as well as his monsterous disposition he currently held towards those around himself.

"Hehehehehehe! Now isn't that a good question?!" Taihen chuckled gutturally, turning his spiked-tooth-filled grin towards Braeburn in particular, "I'm not entirely sure what I am. Maybe I'm the spirit of a bloodthirsty shark, given human form? Maybe I was eaten by a shark in another life time, but I managed to somehow gut out the shark with my own bones and teeth? None of it matters, you decide, but here's what you should know," Taihen pointed his blood-dripping, bandaged-sword towards Braeburn and then in a methodical turn to all four of them, "I am Taihen Takuji, the Head of the Takuji's Assassin Corps and personal adjutant to Lord Seigi Takuji. With the strength I possess I will overwhelm all in opposition to me..."

SSSSHINK...!

"...and bleed dry those that I crush under my heels!"

...BLAM-BWHOOSH!

With an insane yell, Taihen moved with undeterring, unexpected speed towards Braeburn, swinging his blade around in a billowing arc above his head before smashing it directly downwards, releasing a fraction of his Spiritual Pressure within the excess of his cutting power. The damage it created would cause an immense fissure of uproaring steel and concrete, sending dust and exuding force that would cause a deterring wind to send the other three skidding and flying back away from their comrade.

For a moment, Braeburn almost felt guilty that he had gotten the chance for regular and personal spars with the current Head Captain. His teammates had trained as hard as he had in order to fight, if not for the purpose of becoming substitutes for fallen Captains and Lieutenants. But still, the display of power and only a fraction of it at best had been enough to blow away their foundation like a Lieutenant being thrown aside by the exertion of a Captain's spiritual pressure.

Only he had been left standing.

But he couldn't waste time feeling a bit spoiled.

When the sword came down on him, he instinctively raised his forearm in order to block it.

When it connected, it didn't cut into the skin or slice off his arm. Instead, like a stone bouncing off a wall, the blade recoiled back and reverberated briefly, its blade resonating like porch bells. There was no damage left on the arm itself, other than the scratches left on his clothing. He stood firm against the winds that blew away his comrades, his hair billowing against the intensity.

Following that movement was an immediate counter-attack.

"HRAAH!"

With a yell, Braeburn pulled his defensive hand back in trade for a thrust of his other palm, repulsing Taihen away from his person. It was backed by nothing more than pure physical force, with no spiritual energy to bolster it. But it would be potent enough to blow him off of his feet and send him flying a considerable distance away from the current location.

When Taihen's immense, blood-soak-wrapped blade came down upon the Soul Reaper, he became shocked that the force he utilized wasn't enough to pulverize him. In fact, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he was literally forced back by his new opponent, stumbling a few steps as he briefly uttered,"What the-?!"

WHAM!

Taihen felt his mouth choke out a wad of saliva as his feet left the floor and his heels grated the torn ground. Forcing himself to slow down by dragging his blade across the metalic-concrete flooring beneath him, he was only given enough time to stand back up when he was attacked from behind...

"TAKE THIS, UGLY!" Rokotsu shouted out, swinging her yellow-black axe around with a visibly daunting, high-sped slash, Taihen barely had time to move around and raise the base of his blade to counter the strike. The visible clash sent electrical sparks in the air as the force drove Taihen even further back than before.

From behind once more, Takashi raised his blade to point at his staggering form, before letting loose a swift extending thrust from his Shikai. The blade had a emerald hue as it moved with visibly lightning-equivalent speed, cutting through his cloak, as Taihen used a burst of Flash Step to move above all of his attackers, getting nicked in the side from evasion.

And if it wasn't all over, he was mistaken again, as Yōki had appeared to raise his blade up parallel to her eyes so Taihen would see her own Zanpakutō was released within the time he had been fighting them all at once. One of the spheres within her broadsword was missing, and with a slight twitch of her sword hand's wrist, Taihen would find that sphere...

WHIIIIZ-CRACK!

...rotating and slamming onto his backside with incredible force...

WHEEEEEW-BOOM!

...before sending him directly onto the ground below, causing an uproaring fissure of explosive energy and dust to rain throughout the air, effectively imbedding the enemy Soul Reaper into the earth before the squad. Rising from the dust, the sphere rotated as it flew through the air and returned to the open compartment of Yōki's Zanpakutō, clicking audibly into place.

"WHOO-HOO! Score one for the good guys!" Rokotsu fist-pumped into the air, still holding her behemoth axe with one hand as she smiled cheeringly.

"It ain't over though, but this is a good start," Takashi muttered aloud, turning around to the dazed D.C.O. operators and throwing his hand out to them, "what are you standing around looking stupid?! This whole base is under attack! Get the wounded to safety and join with another distressed area, pronto!"

"Y-Yes sir!" One of them said, and the rest scrambled for the exit, allowing the new squad of skilled professionals to take their place as they quickly moved out.

As soon as they left however, and as they awaited their opponent to rise from the earth, Yōki arched a brow as she smirked at his form, eyes shifting up and down, "I got to say, Brae-san...I knew you were in good shape but damn! You must have had a Hell of a workout with Hana-chan if you could take a swing like that with no damage!"