Though the fortress and port at Newcastle were still standing, the city itself was all but destroyed. Weeks of bombardment by the besieging air fleet had reduced much of the once thriving city to a shattered and abandoned ruin. Those who had not fled or been killed when the outer walls had fallen, had retreated to the temporary safety of the inner citadel that ringed the port at the heart of the city. Surrounded on three sides by the abyss, the Royalists had prepared to make their last stand.

The signs of destruction could be seen everywhere. Cannon shots fired from high elevation by airships had rained down on the Fort for days, wreaking havoc on buildings and leaving the streets crowded with rubble. The bombardment had eventually died down, Reconquista didn't have an infinite supply of gunpowder to spend on the Royalist problem, but not before almost every structure not built sturdily enough to be considered a castle in its own right had been thoroughly wrecked.

It was among these half ruined buildings that most of the displaced refugees had sought shelter. The families of Royalists and their retainers, and the children of fallen soldiers. There were perhaps two thousand of them in total of which five hundred were able bodied men. Those who could fight were placed on the walls or given the task of tending to the cannons. The rest, the elderly too feeble to fight, and the children who were too young, simply waited.

Some of these unfortunate souls, huddled together in a mostly intact barracks, found comfort as they listened to a song that no one in Halkegenia had ever heard before, sung in a soft trembling voice.

"There are loved ones in the glory Whose dear forms you often miss. When you close your earthly story, Will you join them in their bliss?"

Caramella wasn't quite sure why she'd recalled it now of all times. Her paternal grandmother had taught it to her when she'd visited the States as a child, but she hadn't sung it in years. Especially after her parents had had their falling out over . . . well . . . her. But even after all of these years, the Lyrics came easily.

"Will the circle be unbroken By and by, by and by? Is a better home awaiting In the sky, in the sky?"

Surrounding her, the occupants of the barracks, mostly children and elderly men and women nodded their head appreciatively. No one here save Caramella and maybe some of the other SAO survivors would have any idea what the Lyrics had originally been about. It wasn't like anyone in Halkegenia had ever heard of a 'Christian' much less Christian revival. But that didn't matter much, people found their own meaning in the words.

"In the joyous days of childhood Oft they told of wondrous love Pointed to the dying Savior Now they dwell with Him above."

A child, a little girl with messy blonde hair, face pale and dirty, leaned her head against Caramella's side. The adults were polite but anxious around the Faeries, but the children showed no fear. The swordswoman placed a hand atop the girl's head and frowned inwardly as she felt the faint hint of a fever. These people were running short of everything, gunpowder, medical, supplies, about the only things they had in abundance were food and potable water. The Fortress had been stocked with provisions for six months, but that assumed they would be restocking a full Royal Navy squadron.

"Will the circle be unbroken By and by, by and by? Is a better home awaiting In the sky, in the sky?"

It was lucky for the Fae that had been the case, otherwise the Royalists might have resented having to feed two hundred and eighty extra mouths. Instead, they were grateful for the extra manpower. Even so, Prince Wales had been forced to fight to make his case before his father and the surviving Royalist leaders. The pointed ears hadn't won them any friends.

"You remember songs of heaven Which you sang with childish voice. Do you love the hymns they taught you, Or are songs of earth your choice?"

Caramella noticed Kino leaning against the door frame of the barracks, listening as she finished the chorus and the next verse. Her partner in crime looked like he had something he needed to tell her. Caramella's voice trailed off, receiving groans from the children who had been listening and even a few soft looks of disappointment from the adults.

"Sorry kids, but I have to get going." Caramella apologized. She gently wrapped the girl at her side in a blanket and led her to lay down on a cot. The other children were already humming the song to completion as she followed Kino outside.

"Sorry to interrupt you." Kino said. "That song . . . It was pretty."

"Eh? I probably butchered it." Caramella said with a shrug. "What's up?" She asked tiredly.

Kino shook his head. "Asuna-sama sent me to find you. She and Prince Wales want everyone, all of the fighters, to gather up." Kino said softly. "It sounds like they've come up with something."

Caramella rolled her eyes. "Of course they have." Honestly, those two were scary together, a couple of little schemers.

Leaving the barracks, they found themselves not far from the Fort's outer walls. Low, thick, stone fortifications that traced a zigzag pattern across the city. Nishida had said it was something called a star fortification, he'd apparently read about them once, the shape of the fortress walls made it difficult for an attacker to hit them head on with their cannon fire. It must have been pretty effective, because the Rebels had decided it was pointless to batter the walls down with their artillery.

They didn't seem too crazy about storming the Fort either. The Port of Newcastle was built on a peninsula jutting out from the Northern tip of Albion and surrounded by cliffs. The defenders only had to worry about a ground assault from one side, and the fortress, which stretched across the narrowest point of the peninsula, pretty much made that an exercise in assisted suicide.

Making their way through the inner walls and then hiking up the stairs to entrance of the Citadel, a large star shaped structure at the heart of the Fortress capped by five thick stone towers, they received a few curt nods from the soldiers that they passed.

Most of the Royalists didn't quite know what to make of the Faeries. Wales had ordered his men to treat their guests cordially and the Fae had been given free run of the Fortress. So long as they didn't get under foot or linger in sensitive areas, they could go where they pleased.

Most of the SAO survivors had taken the opportunity to make themselves useful, finding tasks around the Fort and offering a helping hand. Anything to occupy themselves and get their minds off of what was happening. The locals had watched on in astonishment as Maki expertly mended damaged clothing at a pace that put all but the most skilled seamstresses to shame, and many a sentry had displayed clear admiration for Kino's excellent night vision. Nishida had made friends among the gunnery crews, chatting them up as he helped to hall ammunition up onto the walls. Hell Kimura was even making himself useful for once helping to conduct maintenance on the Eagle.

After three days, the general attitude towards the Fae seemed to be one of cautious acceptance. But even so, Caramella couldn't shake the feeling that she was an animal under observation. For every appreciative look or word of thanks that was passed their way, there was a suspicious glance or a softly breathed curse. These ears were good for something at least.

The interior of the citadel reminded Caramella of two things at once, a dungeon and a palace. The walls were made of cold gray stone, the windows were small and set high up, and the doors were all constructed of dark hardwood reinforced by iron frames. But those walls were draped in rich tapestries, the small windows numerous and allowed in a surprising amount of light, and the heavy doors opened onto well furnished rooms and apartments. In better times, this fortress had housed many Noble Officers of the Royal Navy, and a certain degree of luxury had been expected.

"So, any idea what Asuna and Blondie have been cooking up." Caramella asked, she hadn't seen Asuna since yesterday afternoon, she'd been holed up with Wales ever since.

The young knife user shook his head. "Sorry, your guess is as good as mine. But it sounds like if we can do this, the Royalists might get us off Albion." Caramella whistled softly, next stop the mainland, and hopefully there they could meet up with some of the other players they'd heard about.

At the heart of the citadel was a large courtyard wide enough across to accommodate a commerce raider like the HMS Eagle with room to spare. Officially, it was an aerodrome meant to dock the Royal Yacht. In fact, it was the entrance to a hole bored straight through the White Isle from top to bottom. At some point in the past, when the first castle had been constructed on this patch of land, the architects had widened the hole, branching outwards to form storage chambers, planning rooms, and an impressive secret dock hidden in the mists below.

Leave it to Wales to have his own private Bat Cave, Caramella thought.

They made their way downwards, the smooth stone walls giving way to the cruder construction of an earlier era until they came to stand before a pair of wide oaken doors. The Guards to either side sparred them only a brief glance. When Caramella had first seen the room beyond those doors, she had known immediately what to call it, medieval NORAD.

The name fit. The room beyond was pentagonal with a high domed ceiling supported by stout wooden beams and stone pillars. Light from a half dozen chandelier illuminated the subterranean chamber, revealing wide tables covered in maps and papers. An immense map of Albion dominated one wall, showing details down to the smallest village and back road while a table near the center of the room held a painstakingly hand crafted model of the topography of the Isle.

Caramella spotted Asuna leaning over the map table, Prince Wales at her side. Asuna's wings would have made her hard to miss even if her brilliant white and red coat had not. It looked like Maki had gotten her hands on some more sewing supplies. But more than just that. Asuna exuded Princess without even trying, and not the kind with the the frills and bows. From the second they had docked at Newcastle, Asuna had kept the Prince's advisers and even the King when he deigned to appear, on the back foot.

Looking around, Caramella noted that she and Kino were not the first arrivals, around two dozen other KoB members were already in attendance along with about the same number of mages who were busily watching the Faeries and trading comments among themselves. Looked like something big really was in the works.

"You're late." The curved blade user Shio commented with a slight hint of amusement. The man stood, leaning against a pillar, his dull red oriental style armor seeming to eat up the light around him.

"I'm sorry I must have forgotten to put it in my phone. We're running on a schedule now? With times? Like regular people?" Caramella asked.

Shio shrugged, "Last one here, makes you late."

'Bite me' She mouthed to the dark haired man, eliciting snickers from her fellow Fae and looks of confusion from the mages.

"If that's everyone," Asuna looked up from the table, "We can begin." Asuna looked over to the swordswoman, "Caramella."

"Asuna-sama." Caramella replied softly, biting down on a curse as she observed the other girl. She didn't think Asuna was sleeping much, or really eating much either.

They'd all dealt with death before, there wasn't a single person in Aincrad who hadn't lost someone they considered a friend. But this was different. A lot of the people who had died hadn't been fighters, they'd been the 'civilians', the players who had built up a hefty safety margin while adventuring on the lower floors, or who had never even left the Town of Beginnings. What the hell kind of business did they have getting themselves killed? Caramella thought angrily. Her finger tips brushed lightly against the hilt of the two handed sword that she now carried on her back. God damn it all!

Worse was the way it was eating at Asuna. The girl blamed herself, as if she could have known what was going to happen and prevented it. And with every day it was getting worse. Asuna withdrew into herself. She distanced herself from everyone. She wasn't even talking to Nishida.

"Thank you all for lending us your time." Prince Wales began. "We have asked you all here seeking volunteers to take part in a vital mission." The Prince's eyes narrowed. "If successful, this will prolong the fall of Newcastle and ensure that the final battle is all the more costly for the Rebels." There were nods and muttered comments of approval from Wales' men.

"In exchange for our assistance, the Royalists have agreed to help smuggle us to the Continent." Asuna explained. "The Royalists are currently conducting maintenance on the Eagle and preparing her for a blockade run. The ship should be ready by the end of tomorrow."

"Passage to the Continent will be expensive for the Royalists." A stout tank named Ivan observed. "This mission must be very dangerous."

"It is." Wales agreed softly. "Allow us to explain." He gestured for the gathered Fae and Mages to step up to the table where maps and diagrams had been scattered. "For the last several weeks, the Rebels have been intermittently bombarding Newcastle. It appears that they have finally worked out the problems with their supply lines. That is, the problems we haven't been assisting them with."

A soft chuckle rose from the surrounding mages. Some of these men served aboard the Eagle, they had lots of experience making Reconquista's supply situation a living hell.

"This is the town of Wallsend located ten leagues south of Newcastle." Wales pointed to a small dot on a map of the continent and then to a larger sketch of the town itself. "There is a powder mill located on the town outskirts. It is the site of Rebel gunpowder production in the area. We're going to destroy it." There was a ripple of low respectful murmurs among the gathered mages and Faeries. "Naturally due to the importance of this mill, the local garrison has been greatly strengthened."

Caramella bumped against Kino, "Hey, this sounds right up your alley." Kino glared up at her before bumping back.