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Knight walked into the gala fashionably late, the Baroness on her arm. The Lady looked nervous, but that was expected - she was supposed to be under audit by the King. Several other King's Hands had similar arm candy. Knight snapped her fingers and gestured to one of the human servants. "Prithee, knave, takest thou this generous tribute from the Lady fair to the King's table forthwith!"
As the servant struggled with the box, Knight turned to the Baroness and murmured in her ear. "Okay. You remember the plan?"
Molly nodded. "Once thine rifle removes the King, the system shall go into emergency mode and only my brother and I shall have access to the main computer core. I'll see us in, decree a temporary shutdown, and thou canst disconnect our casket so neither of us have control of the system."
"Right," said Empress. "But we must take the King out first or he'll be able to issue counter-commands."
"And thus we absolutely have to make sure the King stays alive, or we'll never get access to the database," said the Baroness, "because of... biometrics?"
"Close enough. Now listen, when the King shows up, make your way over to Jester," she pointed at a stage off to the side, where her wife was currently juggling a variety of colorful pins and what looked like a shoe she'd somehow lifted from one of the Hands. "She'll keep you safe if things go bad, and if things go very bad, then she might need your help to escape."
"Once I light things up, the whole King's guard will be on us in a second. You're sure you can keep them away?"
"I do believe it so, although the data stream here is passing strange..."
Jester laughed and danced, enjoying playing various tricks on the Hands and making their captive dates smile. Occasionally, her eyes would shift rapidly as she checked and double-checked her anti-intrusion protocols. Something was out there, waiting.
Horns sounded, heralding the imminent arrival of the King. "That's my cue," said Knight.
Empress took careful aim at the entrance to the throne platform.
The King entered, flourishing his cape, and Renna pressed the trigger device in her pocket.
Empress squeezed the trigger, but before she could take the shot, there was an explosion of black sludge from the tribute table.
Knight rose, her mech fully assembled around her, and grabbed for the King.
"The alarm hath been raised! I- I am undone! Mine access to the guard is being blocked!"
Jester grimaced as the nanite swarm flowed around her. She didn't have the resources to keep every threat at bay, and this one was almost... desperate.
The King struggled in Knight's grip while she spoke. "It's over, pal. No backup for you."
"Is that Knight? How did she get here?"
"I- I don't-"
"How did she get here without you seeing her?"
Jester's grip on the systems slipped while she grappled with her unseen enemy. "Knight, we've got incoming!"
Through the scope, several heavy mechs began to surround Knight. Empress put Molly's excuses out of her mind and took aim.
The King smiled. "I believe I have all the backup I need, ser knight. Prithee, lay down thine lance before someone gets hurt."
Knight swiveled, brandishing her spear at the seven guard mechs around her. "Stand back! I'll pop your King like a grape if I have to!"
"I rather think not," said the King, "since if thou dost that, thine dear sniper shall be executed."
"So you do have her. Where is she?!"
"Right where thou placed her, I should think." The King gestured with his chin, and without taking her eyes off the mech in front of her, she scanned the direction he'd indicated.
It was KB-23. Empress was fine. So what game was he playing? She opened a comms channel. "Empress?"
The link opened with full video. Empress, raven hair and glittering arm, appeared on screen, her chin raised to show a set of sharp claws and a long red line beginning to drip blood. Someone was behind her, in her cockpit. A screeching laugh, like nails on a chalkboard, came through the comm link, and Knight gritted her teeth.
"Thou'rt so easily tricked!" said HANGED_MAN, although the machine looked vastly different than their last encounter. "Thou shouldst be choosier in thine companions, methinks! My puppet proved simple bait for one who would style herself a ruler. I told thee before, ser knight, that thou wouldst become a guest for the King, and lo! Here we are."
Empress grimaced. "Sorry, Knight. I screwed up."
Knight stared into her eyes for an intense second, then dropped the spear and slowly set down the King.
"There now, that wasn't so hard, was it? The both of thee shall be mine cherished visitors. I'm sure we shall have much to speak about."
Under cover of chaos and nanite, two figures bitterly snuck away from the gala, leaving Knight and Empress to their fate.