Shortly after the incident with the Sentinel ...
Shinewander Sky stands into the command room of the Monadnock AG headquarters. Everyone is staring at her with varying degrees of astonishment. Dr. Daheru Goldenhair looks like he's about to be sick, and his brother Dalér is simply dazed. Ezella is just boggling. Ewen has a poker face, and half of an expression of dawning understanding.
"So ... you're the genuine article?" asks Ezella. "The Dawnfall's testing-sword has become a real ... Shinewander?"
"Either that, or a rather apt imitation," says Shinewander Sky. She taps the handle of the Lightshard sword on her back. "The spell I used was found in my internal storage, presumably from parts which were found in the Atlantean ruins."
"And ... hmm." Dr. Daheru peers at her owlishly. "Your creators ..."
"Were planning on disassembling me after they were done testing me," Shinewander Sky finishes frostily. Ewen nods in confirmation. Sky turns to Ezella. "Miss Eccahta, Dr. Laurefindele, might we have a moment in private?"
"Oh, ah, of course!" says Ezella.
"I-indeed," says Dr. Daheru.
"Mind if I tag along?" Ewen says carefully.
Shinewander Sky peers at him. "Very well," she says. "I'll have to properly apologize for sneaking out of your office, anyway."
They head to Ewen's maintenance room, and Ewen turns off the security cameras. Immediately, in a swirl of mint-green pixels and Elvish computer code, Shinewander Sky transforms back into Lex and Lightshard 18.
"... What?" says Ezella.
"Uhhh ..." Dr. Daheru furrows his brow.
Ewen, who was told in advance about this when Lex and Shard came up with the secret identity so that he could claim that Lightshard 17 had suddenly disappeared, can't hold it in any longer and cracks up with uncontrollable laughter.
Lex grins nervously. "So, uh ... yeahhhhh, uh, Shard has been doing most of the talking, and ..."
-----
Ilmaredh sits in the hospital. It is not a Dawnfall hospital, which in her opinion makes several aspects greatly inferior. She is using a secret text-messaging app to communicate with her masters; this is kind of urgent, and she's good at avoiding blowing her cover. So are the Dawnfall's secret apps.
> Master One: Are you telling me that Lightshard 17, which our enemies stole and we thought damaged beyond repair, has become a *Shinewander*?
Ilmaredh keeps her face neutral, but inwardly, she's sighing. She has not been looking forward to this conversation.
> Vanguard: Yes, Master One. That is exactly what I was saying.
For nearly five minutes, a "Master One is typing ..." message appears and disappears without a sending. A bead of sweat runs down Ilmaredh's forehead in spite of her caution.
Finally, Master One sends his reply:
> Master One: What the fuck.
Ilmaredh isn't entirely sure how to respond to that.
> Vanguard: Indeed, Master One.
> Master One: How
> Master One: This is
> Master One: Oh, I know what happened.
> Master One: Data which we had not properly indexed, in the technology of the Ancients which we salvaged.
> Master One: And which was obscured by the curse.
Now Ilmaredh can't quite keep the frown off her face.
> Vanguard: What do we do?
> Master One: Whatever is necessary.
> Master One: In your case, this means that you must rest for the time being.
> Master One: It is troublesome indeed that we underestimated the Sentinel, and you are lucky to have survived.
> Master One: But such is life in the world of Atlantis. As you were, then, Vanguard.
Ilmaredh sits back and frowns, closing the messaging app. This ... is unsettling. Nevertheless, it doesn't really spell doom for the Dawnfall and their goals.
Some of the Shinewander legends told of villainous Shinewanders, after all. Villains who had ended up being defeated -- by other Shinewanders, or anyone else. This "Shinewander Sky" is just another villain for the Dawnfall to defeat ...