Chapter 27

“Awfully quiet for someone who’s supposed to be our security representative. Should I interpret that to mean you’ve given the plan your blessing?”

Unlike the others on the bridge who seemed wary to call attention to it, Esma had no such qualms. In fact calling out the elephant in any given room was one of her most redeeming qualities in her biased opinion. Though it would be seem Rohner was numb to such charms if his drab expression was anything to go by.

“You hold very little deference for your superiors I see.”

“Genuine deference is a rare commodity I’m sure you’ll agree. Supply it so readily and your intentions become suspect.”

“Who said anything about it needing to be genuine?”

Esma plastered on a fake smile and an excessively chipper tone to match.

“Will this suffice? I’m not much of an actress.”

“Not much of a security officer either, but we take what we can get.”

“You hold very little esteem for you subordinates I see.”

That earned an audible snicker from Kircher.

“Enlighten me then. Do you believe the plan deserved scrutinizing?”

Esma readjusted her rifle’s strap as it had been sliding off her shoulder and mulled the question over. True, the plan left a lot to be desired. But with the convoy so strapped for time as is it couldn’t really be helped.

“Not especially. My hang-ups have more to do with the well-being of C362’s crew given the gravity of their assigned task. Though I recognize they’re most suited for the role when you account for the personnel they have on hand.”

“Self-awareness is an admirable trait in someone so young.”

The brunette couldn’t help but suck her teeth at that comment.

“Actually I was more referring to the fact that Faust—err, Officer Warren, would be returning to the lineup. There was also little doubt in my mind that Officer Ayfer would be leading the charge as she is an exceedingly skilled markswoman and soldier. Throw in ‘Legs’ and it was a forgone conclusion they’d get the nod.”

“Who?”

“Our captive turned defector.”

“You don’t actually think they’d be so foolish as to enter with her as guide?”

“Having shared a bridge with both of you, I’d attest the chances of me lifting and throwing either party would yield similar results in terms of distance. Though tying my physical ineptitude and capacity for trust together may be a fool’s errand.”

Esma quickly realized that admission may have been a tad too far based on the way the older man bristled at the implication he was as trustworthy as someone who as of this morning was literally a raiding party member. She cleared her throat nervously and shifted gears into damage control.

“Then again coming to such a conclusion based on a scant afternoon’s worth of interactions would be in very poor taste. A mistake that practically screams second month on the job. Which it is, by the way.”

Whether Esma’s roundabout version of an apology was the catalyst or not, Rohner did appear to redirect his brief bout of anger at something more constructive. At least that was what his body language told her. Though the tells being as straightforward as they were could have easily been feigned or exaggerated as a means of appeasing her. And that thought made her inexplicably proud for some reason. Almost as if she was formidable in some way. Even if it was only as a verbal nuisance he no longer had the energy to accommodate.

Amid this troubling realization the de facto leader of C274 had reached behind his person and begun fishing around his drop pouch for something. He then proceeded to slam that something down on the center console hard enough to get her attention. A glass bottle of clear liquid. He then produced a lighter that he tossed over without warning. Esma caught it awkwardly with her chest, grimacing as a dull ache formed where it had bounced off her sternum.

“I’m giving you these. Use one, the other or both at your discretion.”

The rookie absentmindedly ran her fingers over the weathered top of the lighter as she approached the glass bottle.

“What is it?”

“Acetone, very flammable.”

Esma plucked the bottle off the surface and tested its weight, while also bringing it up to her face to examine.

“You carry this around with you?”

The man shrugged.

“The smell reminds me of home.”

“Uh, thanks. I’ll take your word on it regarding the smell...”

She made a face as she placed it in her own drop pouch with care. The lighter she tucked in one of her jacket pockets. Rohner eyed the pouch in question.

“Got a tether?”

“I do, I’m borrowing it from—”

“Leave it here. I’m putting you on standby in the corridor between platforms. Any further orders will be relayed from me in person or via the speaking tubes.”

Incredulous of what was being asked of her Esma’s face contorted to reflect her dismay.

“If I’m expected to go out onto the platforms in defense of the Crusader, won’t I need it?”

Rohner’s response to her very real concern was flippant at best as he resumed his surveillance of what lay ahead through the front window.

“I’m in control of this convoy’s pacing, and we’ll be slowing down considerably as we approach and enter the upcoming castle. It’ll serve you better to use this opportunity to practice your subpar balance and stability skills.”

How does he know about my subpar balance and discomfort on the platforms??

“What’s the hold up? Get going. And make sure the engineer below is fulfilling his monitoring obligations of the cargo.”

“I’ll get right on that sir.”

Esma jaunted over to the ladderway as if it was her pleasure to do so. Her own version of a parting jab at the man whose ambiguous intentions were throwing the whole convoy for a loop. But rather than stress over it, her thoughts turned elsewhere. Namely whether this engineer would loan her their tether as well.

*

“You listen to me young man! Your mother is a fighter through and through! And the reason she’s still got a shot at receiving the help she needs is because you’re no different! So you just let those LCF folks worry about getting that medicine here and focus on what YOU can control! Like encouraging her! Are you listening to me Wash! Wash!”

“Wash!”

The pilot snapped out of the reverie in response to his blonde colleague’s hails. A quick refocus of his surroundings reminding him that C362 was reaching its window to separate from the rest of the convoy.

“It’s almost time for us to head out so I came to grab the secondary headset, only to find you half asleep at the controls.”

Wash’s red-tinted sunglasses slid up as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Sorry, sort of went into auto-pilot there. All good now.”

Lux wasn’t convinced, and her skepticism led her to seek out Jericka on the other end of the bridge.

“Keep him honest will ya.”

The point woman for the upcoming operation settled the headset atop her head before blowing into the mic. The CO grimaced in response and shot the security officer a dirty look. Lux carried on as if she hadn’t noticed.

“I doubt he’d ever fuck up piloting, but in the off chance something does happen you have my permission as security rep to smack some sense into him.”

“Do that during your field trip and I’m cutting the line.”

Lux’s response to the not-so-veiled threat was a blank stare, followed by an addendum she directed over her shoulder.

“Wash, I don’t think she’d fuck up comms for the umpteenth time in single day, but in the off chance something does happen you have my permission as security rep to tickle her until she pisses herself. Keep in mind that you will have to clean up afterwards.”

Jericka took a deep breath to help settle herself down.

“You’re one greedy bitch Ayfer. Most people would be satisfied with pissing someone off, but you go the extra mile to see that their pissed on as well.”

Wash failed to stymie his laughter as the increasingly childish argument raged on behind him, stirring up positive memories of his years in Crusader bridges. More than enough to erase the small cloud of miasma formed from recalling his time before the LCF.

“Eyes on the prize ladies, you both have crucial parts in what happens next. And to make your jobs easier I’ll see to piloting the hell out of this old girl.”

As it turns out, having to rely on Wash to be the voice of reason in the room proved to be more than enough to put a hard stop to the squabbling. But that didn’t deter both crew members from arranging a round of cards to settle the argument at a later date.

“C362, C274 has eyes on the ‘Gatehouse.’ Is your infiltration team in position to disembark?”

“All set here. Gave Officer Ayfer some extra incentive on the way out for good measure.”

“For future reference, perhaps we avoid riling up our colleagues ahead of stealth operations.”

“With all due respect Officer Endellion, riled up is that girl’s default setting when she’s armed. It’s one of the reasons I reserve our confrontations for convoys. Makes butting heads more fun.”

Wash let out a snort as the Crusader’s median speed dropped considerably, separating it from the rest of the convoy.

“Just a reminder that we’ll be staggering our entry points to give you guys a chance to catch back up. Don’t want our plans to be too obvious.”

“You say that, but I doubt it would take them long to notice she’s not out on deck.”

“Maybe place someone in the turret bay so as not to raise any alarms right away. I know things will be difficult with only two security officers, but staff shortages are no stranger to us at this point.”

“Asking an awful lot of a station worker, but we’ll manage somehow. I assume this channel will be left open for updates relating to the plan?”

“It will, but I’d prefer you to stay in C362’s local channel for the most part. No need to jump over unless the infiltration team has something urgent to share.”

Jericka hummed in affirmation, something her division instructors would have lambasted her for back in school. Their head CO on the other hand didn’t comment. She’d probably gained a fairly good idea of how each of them operated by this point and saw criticizing things like idiosyncrasies as counterproductive.

“Switching over now.”

The first thing the Skarpurian CO did to make her presence known was blow into the mic as payback.

“Cute. Could it be your that miss me already?”

“Don’t trip disembarking the Crusader.”

“You Skarpurians and your hoopla.”

“Believe me, if that crap existed you’d be long dead by now.”

Over at the controls Wash began to question whether this had been a bad idea after all.

*

One thing became clear as the convoy crept into view of Morg’s most prized creation, that being it was far more intimidating a presence than the previous two. Granted one had been in ruin and the other far too high up to appreciate properly. But neither could contest with the maw of the stone giant preparing to swallow the convoy. The very same that had swallowed Morg himself and held the leviathan Lamella in its stone prison even longer before that. And like Lamella, the convoy sought to escape the confines of the castle and find refuge in Mennarouple. While still counted amongst the living that is.

As the Crusader leading the charge, C274’s deck officers took great care in scouring the entrance of the castle and the tops of its curtain walls. Confirming suspicions raised in the previous group call. It was unmanned, with nary a Cloud Nine member in sight. But the convoy slowed as it encroached all the same. Both to be certain and to confirm the width of the entrance so that they might form a clearer picture of the exit’s dimensions.

Following close behind C274 was the Command Crusader and a ways further C362. The decks of each were clear for the most part, the officers having retreated into the bridge and turret bays. Where they’d wait until it became more obvious how Cloud Nine intended to make the most of the environment. One thing that did become clear, however, was the extent of the limestone pillars obstructing the procession.

As expected of a naturally formed interior, the pillars varied greatly in positioning and girth. The one’s visible from the entrance being thinner but more numerous. And this maze of columns presented the convoy with a small conundrum. The choice of whether it would be better to stay together in a loose stack or snake formation, or take different paths through so as to split the attention of the castle garrison.

But whichever decision they came to would need to be made quickly if they wanted to make it appear premeditated. Because while they were aware of the obstructions, none had expected them to be so numerous. Both Convoy Commander Dandridge and his head CO could only curse their lack of initiative in gleaning more information from the captive. A captive they no longer had easy access to.

A verdict came down all the same, to stay together. The path they’d navigate through the pillars would be left to C274 and Rohner’s discretion. At least until the bailey opened up enough to allow adjustments to the formation.

Further complicating the convoy’s passage through the castle were the inconsistent sections of ceiling that alternated between swatches of open air and stone walkways, allowing beams of light to fall through at slight angles. Creating pillars of light that both intermingled with but also contrasted against the pillars of limestone. And while the issue of visibility could certainly be raised as a result, those in charge were far more focused on the walkways. More specifically the smattering of silhouettes treading them as they looked down on the convoy from above.

Rohner’s kneejerk response was to flood the decks and take them out, but he hesitated knowing they needed a more accurate assessment of the curtain wall sandwiching them on either side. As it could be Cloud Nine’s intent to draw their attention above so that they become vulnerable on the flanks. The older man immediately set out to investigate this theory from the entryway of the bridge and advised Kircher to tell the other Crusaders to do the same. And it didn’t take long for him and others to spot more party members skittering about those walls. But not aimlessly, this looked more like they were getting into position for something.

And yet, for all the movements going on both above and around them, the LCF’s feronetic rifles remained calm. Not a single officer had been provoked into firing on the source of the castle’s infestation. Because if Cloud Nine was going to let them cover more ground uncontested, who were they to protest. But as that loud silence and inaction continued to drag on unexpectantly, the tension among the crews creeped dangerously close to a tipping point.

Fortunately those burgeoning anxieties fell short of coming to a head as the drum majors brought themselves back into the fold. The voices of their talking drums collapsing the silence as they ricocheted off the stone walls and pillars surrounding the convoy. All the while creating a unique kind of vibration that rattled the bodies of the Crusaders and their crews alike.

But it was amongst this uproar that Sumiye’s analysis of the drum rudiment finally had its watershed moment. Specifically the mill stroke embedded in the opening sequence. Drawing on her years of experience, the head CO used this new information to identify and apply the correct translation key. Only to receive a harsh reminder that translating a language and understanding it were very different beasts.

Lautnor looked on from the entryway of the bridge, concern etched in his features, as his second in command’s face contorted in confusion at what she was hearing.

“Where we at Sumi?! Talk to me!”

“I don’t understand, they just gave the order to commence the boarding...”

It was Lautnor’s turn to look baffled. He immediately rushed to one of the side windows and searched the ground for signs of an approach.

“From where?!”

Sumiye scanned the sides of C274 in front of them as she addressed the comms channel.

“This is command! Does anyone have eyes on an immediate boarding threat?!”

A slew of deck officers spilled out onto the platforms and from the cover of the turret bays in search of the supposed boarding party, but it was the station worker from Varza who spotted a shadow dancing across the deck at his feet. Recognizing it couldn’t have been his own, Gliel turned his head up sharply just in time to see smoke plumes and bodies descending from the stone walkways above them. And far too many for him to count.

The man stood stunned as he tried to process what was happening, realizing far too late just how out of position everyone was. At the risk of his voice cracking, the fill-in security officer raised the alarm.

“Boarding threat detected above!”