Ashes and Alliances

Chapter 2: Ashes and Alliances
Setting:
The Foundry District lies in ruin. The factories, towering smokestacks, stand as naught but smoldering rubble, aftermath from the rebel assault on the Steam Core generator. The air is thick with ash and tension. It came at a very heavy cost: the rebels lost several of their own, and the Empire forces are in a frenzy to tighten their hold on London's underbelly.

Page 1-2:
The scene opens with Liora and Kale leading the remaining rebels through a series of underground tunnels, dimly lit by flickering lamps. Liora clutches at her injured side, her mechanical arm visibly sparking.

Kale:
"You need to rest. That fight with Graves nearly killed you."

Liora - grimacing:
"We don't have time. They'll be hunting us already."

This dialogue reveals the growing concern among the rebels regarding their leader's single-minded drive. Kale is worried, but he knows better than to argue.

Page 3-5:
Cut to the Imperial Command Center.
Captain Elric Graves stands before a large tactical table, studying holographic schematics of the destroyed generator. A senior officer berates him for the failure.

Senior Officer:
"Your hesitation cost us, Graves! The Steam Core was the crown jewel of our power grid!"

Elric (calmly):
"Hesitation didn't destroy the generator. Underestimating her did. Ashcroft is no ordinary rebel."

Elric's silent anger suggests that he has a personal stake in the fight. He asks for the command of a special task force so that he can crush the rebellion and settle some unfinished business with Liora.

Page 6-8:
The rebels reassemble in an abandoned workshop deep within the city. The room is filled with scavenged parts, half-assembled machinery, and the low hum of a concealed power generator. Here, they make the acquaintance of Dr. Ezra Tamsin-an eccentric inventor and former Imperial scientist who defected to the rebellion.

Ezra (cheerfully):
"You lot really know how to make an entrance. Took out a Steam Core and half the district with it!"

Liora explains the mission’s success, but Ezra warns her that the Empire’s retaliation will be swift and brutal. He unveils a prototype weapon—a compact, portable steam disruptor—that could disable the exosuits used by Imperial soldiers, but it’s incomplete.

Ezra:
"Give me time, and I’ll finish it. But time is one thing we’re short on, isn’t it?"

Page 9-10:
Meanwhile, Kale intercepts some Imperial communications which seem to indicate the Empire is going to lockdown the entire city. With their safe houses blown, the rebels have little choice but to move. Liora decides they'll split into two groups: one to secure new supplies and allies, the other to gather intelligence on the lockdown plans.

Liora:
"We’re not just running. We’re striking back. Every lock has a key—and we’ll find the one that brings this empire to its knees."

The chapter ends with a tense, dramatic moment as the rebels prepare to scatter into the city. Liora lingers for a moment, gazing at a faded photograph of her family tucked into her jacket.

Liora (whispering):
"I’ll finish this. For all of us."

Final Panel:
In a dark alley, a figure steps into the light: a mysterious man in a long coat, with a mechanical eye glowing faintly. His allegiance is not clear, but his presence hints at deeper layers of the conflict to come.

To be continued…