Chapter 31

“Get your ass up those stairs Faust, we’re running out of time!”

Lux placed a hand on the security officer’s behind and pushed him forward impatiently as he scaled a staircase leading to the top of the curtain wall. Meanwhile their guide, who was bringing up the rear, struggled to give directions between labored breaths.

“Once you get to the top... make a... right. We’ll take a... shortcut over one of the... walkways.”

“Don’t make me change your nickname Legs, keep up! And you’d better not be sending us in the wrong direction again!”

The two officers reached the top of the stairs and waited for the raider to catch up, using the opportunity to recoup some breath themselves. Though Lux’s lack of wind may have had more to do with all the shouting from when they’d gotten turned around in the tunnels under the castle keep.

“Don’t forget, if not for that wrong turn... we never would have discovered... those charges... under the castle!”

Systematically at that. Whoever’d set the explosives had made sure to place them at the edge of each charge’s blast radius. Ensuring that even a single detonation would set off a chain reaction and affect as wide an area as possible. They’d also been placed at the very top of each tunnel, making them nigh impossible to defuse without a ladder or some other means of ascension.

“So much for that theory about setting up shop in the region.”

That comment earned a look of confusion from Emica as she caught up with the two at the front of the walkway. Noting how they’d each shifted their rifles back into their hands prior to crossing. Probably because unlike down in the dark tunnels they could be spotted and engaged from afar. It made the raider wish she’d been able to recover her own weapons prior to this undertaking. Alas it would seem her motives were still under suspicion.

“What gives? I figured your buddies would be littering these walkways right about now.”

“They wouldn’t wait this long to try and board. Better to make the attempt early and maximize the amount of time on the Crusader. Just don’t expect the gate control room to be as forgiving.”

The trio hustled their way across the raised walkway, sparing only a brief glance at the convoy as it weaved it way ever closer to their current position. Fully aware of how close they’d be cutting it.

“Now left! They’ll be a non-descript water chute we should be able to slide down!”

“Sounds fun...but how the hell are we still ahead of the convoy?!”

Considering where they’d been dropped off and the mishap in the tunnels, the notion that the group was still on pace to succeed in their mission baffled the blonde security officer. She imagined Faust had reached a similar conclusion but stayed silent as was his default. No sense in questioning good fortune. Emica happily supplied her take on the lucky break.

“It’s long been said that limestone is an ‘assisting stone,’ who’s to say what happens when you pass through it with a definitive purpose in mind!”

“That’s cute and all, but how does it fair against explosions?! Maybe someone ought to double back and put in a request!”

“Do try to be more subtle about getting rid of me! We have a deal in case you’ve forgotten! Besides, the convoy would have had to drop its median speed considerably to navigate those natural supports! That or risk being boxed in!”

On the heels of the girl’s banter Faust arrived at the location of the aforementioned chute and poked a head down its maw. A somewhat awkward display given its waist high position on the side of the drum tower. And more cramped than he would have liked. Not so different from the space they’d crawled through to enter the tunnels. Though this opening was obviously more uniform having been designed to serve a purpose. An impressive level of detail given this entire structure was meant to be a proof of concept rather than serve a functional purpose.

“Wait, that’s the chute?! I’m not sure the two of us will fit let alone our Pipe Down aficionado over here!”

Even Emica would admit the dimensions of the chute weren’t quite what she remembered, not that she intended to back down from this plan. Evident by the way she placed both hands on her hips and assumed a mocking tone.

“What, claustrophobic all of sudden? Just discard some layers and we’ll manage just fine. He can take the stairs and meet us down there.”

Lux made to argue further but Faust recognizing how limited their options had become interjected.

“Even if the chute were larger, it would only aggravate my shoulder injury. Which would spell trouble when it comes time to force our way out of here. I’ll take your jackets and whatever else you need to shed with me, so let’s get a move on.”

With two votes in favor of the chute staring the blonde down, she huffed and wordlessly shed her short jacket. Tossing it over at Faust like one would a coatrack. The drop pouch went next, but not before she retrieved a pair of ammo mags and stuffed them in her waistband. All the while her female counterpart removed her own jacket and choker. The latter having what appeared to be a gem of some kind embedded in its fabric. Both women then proceeded towards the opening as Faust secured their belongings.

“Woah there.”

Lux extended a toned arm to stop the raider from entering ahead of her.

“I’m going first. This whole water chute business might be a trap after all.”

She tucked her rifle against her chest vertically and positioned herself to go down feet first. Emica merely rolled her eyes and crossed both arms, unimpressed by the accusation.

“Just know that you won’t emerge directly into the control room. This chute leads to a room adjacent to it. We can only hope the guards didn’t move over to investigate after all your yammering.”

Lux’s only retort was to flash the finger as she relaxed her core and began the roughly forty-five-degree angle descent to the bottom. Straining both ears the entire way down for signs of voices or movement at the opposite end of the chute. And while nothing stood out to her immediately, Lux’s finger still sought the comfort of the rifle’s trigger as she emerged on the other side with a thud.

Good thing to, as her surprise entrance was met by the befuddled look of a Cloud Nine member posted up in the threshold connecting the two rooms. Suspecting the party member had comrades in the vicinity Lux shot forward as soon as both feet found purchase, launching herself into the female member’s solar plexus elbow first. They doubled over, clutching their abdomen and struggling to form words of warning to the others around the corner.

She followed up with a back kick that relieved them of their firearm and sent it skidding deeper into the room she’d entered from. The expectation being that her backup would retrieve it and put it to some use. Anything other than a bullet to the back of her head would suffice really.

A tad hypocritical given her words about the chute being a potential trap. But what other choice did she have? Couldn’t exactly render the firearm inoperable by elbowing IT in the solar plexus. And with any luck Legs would interpret the impromptu gift as a show of good faith and feel the need to answer that trust. In the meantime Lux would try to make some headway into the control room. Starting with a combat roll into the adjacent space.

“Light her up!”

Oh fuck...

Lux promptly retreated back over the threshold with a dive, trying her best to remain grounded as a hail of bullets escorted her out. It didn’t take her long to recover from the near disaster however as she got comfortable just off to the side of the doorway of what had effectively become a hotbox. Sharing the wall and getting acquainted with firearm confiscated from the downed party member was Emica, looking cool as a cucumber. The tall woman glanced over at the blonde with a smirk.

“Think they know we’re here?”

Lux grimaced as shots continued to chip away at the edges of the stone opening beside them.

“Yep. No choice now but to wait for Faust to give us an opening. Unless you think you can convince them that your still on their side.”

“What makes you so certain I’m not?”

The security officer tapped the side of her neck.

“Something about the choker you entrusted to our third wheel up there wasn’t sitting right with me. And though you’d have no way of knowing this, I do some of my best thinking when my life is in imminent danger. So getting shot at just now actually helped me work out what that something is. The gem on your choker...

Lux tilted her head in the woman’s direction, revealing a sober expression.

Not really a gem is it?”

Emica’s eye twitched involuntarily as her pointer finger traced the trigger of her weapon.

“Though I seriously can’t fathom how someone would have slipped something like that to you out here. Tell me, was the real reason you pointed us towards that chute because you needed to make one of us your mule?”

“...”

“I must admit, it’s a relief to have some insight into your actual intentions. Because it’s hard to believe someone would flip allegiances based on a half-hearted promise like mine. A promise I mean to keep, by the way. If anything this little development might end up working in your favor.”

The former Cloud Nine member eased off the trigger and pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh. Both women also took this opportunity to note that the gunfire had stalled, suggesting the party members had likely taken to advancing on their position. At least this meant none of them were carrying grenades or other such projectiles that could flush them out.

“Of course you’re a member of the CoM. I should’ve noticed sooner.”

“Don’t give me too much credit, not like I’m privy to whatever the fuck you’ve got going on here. I just happened to recognize the tells and connect a few dots.”

“I’m sure. And just how many of my former colleagues are we contending with?”

Lux dropped back into a crouch and shuffled closer to the doorway, taking care to maintain a sliver of cover.

“Three initially, but I think one fled for backup when the other two tried tearing me a new—”

“Smoke!”

“Sounds like our cue!”

Without a lick of hesitation Emica sprinted around the blonde and into the adjoining room as plumes of dark smoke began to creep over the threshold. A few shots rang out in response but were soon replaced by sounds of struggle. Lux sprang up in a mix of surprise and irritation.

“Oi!”

She moved up into the doorway cautiously and tried to peer into the room shrouded in a fresh haze of smoke. A challenge given that the types of cannisters Faust had employed weren’t filled with the run of the mill stuff. Being closer to that of a smoke substitute whose main function was to create cover over a fixed area. The cloud itself being more akin to water vapor that had been artificially dyed a darker hue.

As a result the clouds wouldn’t last for more than a minute at most. But when it came to tight spaces like the room they were in, or the corridor of a Crusader, that was more than enough time to make a decisive move. And with regard to how quickly it had filled the control room, the taciturn security officer had likely emptied their supply all at once.

“Don’t blame me if I shoot you on accident!”

Lux stepped her way into the haze with her rifle in a ready fire position but chose to skirt the edges of the room counterclockwise in lieu of storming the center. An approach airing on the side of caution in anticipation of potential backup from the castle garrison. Who knew how many party members would be waiting when the cloud dissipated? And Legs wasn’t giving her much to work with in terms of information on numbers or positions. So Lux settled on continuing her steady circumnavigation of the control room while keeping her head and rifle on a swivel.

Admittedly it took a surprising number of steps before for her shoulders finally came into contact with her first wall, leading the blonde to question the layout of the room she’d hardly glimpsed before the barrels of several firearms had flooded her vision.

The nature of the current predicament hadn’t changed much in that regard. In fact things now might be worse since there was no telling who was pointing what where. As she could exactly distinguish between the forms dancing in the smoke in front of her.

Were it not for the size of the stone room most of its occupants would have already fled the smoke by fleeing to the edges. From there they could seek out the door and remove themselves until the irksome conditions passed. In Lux’s case she wanted to find and seal that exit to help buy time for getting the gate open. After Faust joined them inside that is.

Where the hell is Faust anyway?! He should have entered the room as soon as the cannisters blew...

Those thoughts were promptly interrupted by the sudden appearance of a party member falling prone at her feet, only to be dragged back in the direction they had appeared from. Which also happened to be where the smoke remained densest. Lux sucked in a lungful of dyed vapor.

“Faust...!?”

Right on cue the smoke substitute began to dissipate, revealing their raider cohort stood over a pair of unconscious party members in the process. Not unscathed however as she had accrued a busted lip and a gnarly contusion on her cheekbone. Further to her right, the entrance to the control room had materialized and with it Faust, who was currently dragging a third Cloud Nine member inside from under their arms. Lux wordlessly let him through before slamming the door behind them.

“Great job team, let’s say we wrap this up.”

“Bit slow on the draw there blondie.”

Emica spat some residual blood from her busted lip onto the ground.

“Saving yourself for something?”

Lux ignored the woman as she re-shouldered her rifle and treaded over to investigate the contraption responsible for controlling the exit gates. Essentially a turnstile made of wood, surrounded by an assortment of other mechanisms she couldn’t be bothered to identify. Settling in front of the apparatus, the security officer proceeded to run through a series of basic upper body stretches before planting both hands on the wooden bar. She eyed the raider from her peripheral.

“You must be the type of person who can open their eyes underwater like it’s no big deal. Navigating through a smoke cloud like that. I don’t have that power and probably would have given you more than just a shiner or a busted lip had I dived in and thrown down blindly.”

“As if I’d let a brat like you get one over me.”

“Can’t hear you, too busy completing our mission.”

The blonde began applying pressure to the turnstile and although they couldn’t see it, the three could definitely hear something happening somewhere underneath them. Cloud Nine’s Demens having likely utilized the system beneath the castle to conceal the inner workings. But no sooner had progress begun to be made, a loud crack came from the direction of the door.

It occurred to the group then that leaving the door ajar may have been preferrable. Then at least they’d have had some idea of when and how many reinforcements Cloud Nine would be sending. The lack of windows in the tower making it impossible to discern otherwise.

“Someone want to answer that, I’m a little busy...!”

Both Faust and Emica took up positions on either side of the door whose hinges sounded like they’d seen better days. The former Cloud Nine member also kept an eye on the door leading to the adjacent room, the place they’d entered from. After all it wouldn’t be outrageous for others to employ the chute method now that there was proof of concept. But it was the voice they heard from outside the door that forced the infiltration team to reconsider the viability of holding this tower.

“Split up! You lot go and destroy the gate mechanism from the other end! The rest of you with me!”

Crap, we don’t have the time or numbers to open the gate AND stop them from sabotaging the exit gate...

Emica looked over at the male security officer to make sure they were on the same page but found herself distracted by the blood seeping through the man’s uniform, specifically his shoulder area. It was enough to make her question whether he’d been hit in the smoke skirmish moments before until she realized his current top wasn’t torn or shredded in the spot of the injury.

A wound from an earlier visit then...

Which meant they couldn’t send him to handle the sabotage group. Moving would only increase the rate of blood loss and put his life at risk. The state of his shoulder also meant he wouldn’t be able to move the turnstile. No, his role was set in stone. What they needed to figure out was which of the remaining two would go after the group that had just left.

The obvious choice would be her, what with the sharpshooter already making headway on the turnstile. The two Federation crewmen would also be able to work and trust one another more seamlessly assuming they had a work history. Factor in Emica’s knowledge of the exit gate’s location relative to the tower and it wasn’t much of debate. The abundance of limestone columns in this section of the ward making it very easy to get turned around.

“Blondie!”

“That’s Lux to you bitch!”

Even after only spending the better part of an afternoon together, Emica had grown quite accustomed to this girl’s colorful vocabulary. But being called a bitch in light of her most recent contributions struck her as excessive. Rather than take it personally the woman deduced that the stress of situation had come to wear on the security officer’s nerves more than she’d let on. So she brushed it off and ran with it.

“Yeah well, this bitch is about to tell you how to reach the exit gate when you’re done so listen up!”

Faust perked up as well, though the increasingly pallid tone of his face suggested his focus was fading alongside his faculties.

“As soon as you're out the door bang a left at the first damaged column. From there it’s a short distance to an intact one with an unbelievable circumference. But as you get closer you’ll find that it’s actually two separate columns situated right alongside each other. The gate will be roughly twelve meters north of the direction you’ll be facing when that distinction becomes obvious.”

Emica’s closing instructions coincided with Lux’s final heave of the turnstile into its open position. Theoretically this should mean the doors to the exit gate had followed suit. Assuming this to be true, the nature of the problem would then shift to keeping them that way until all three Crusaders passed through. As they were the type that opened inwards, meaning the act of simply ramming them at a cruising speed wouldn’t necessarily be enough to break through. And a Crusader wedged against the exit gate would spell a definite end to this Galen Run and the food production of Mennarouple by extension.

Lux flipped the headset she’d been neglecting to the woman as she reattached her drop pouch.

“Have Wash park the Crusader beside that two for one column you mentioned.”

She proceeded to shake out both arms in an effort to relieve the tension in her muscles. Her rifle found its way back into her arms shortly thereafter.

“Stopping directly in front of the exit gate is a bad idea since it would leave both decks vulnerable to assaults from the top of the curtain wall.”

Emica nodded as she donned the headset for the first time.

“See you onboard. With any luck most of the guys outside will give chase when I book it by them.”

The former party member positioned herself a few steps away from the door and bounced on the balls of her feet to psych herself up.

“Count on it. Just try and live up to that nickname I gave you.”

The woman smirked as one of the hinges blew off the door.

“Oh yeah, which one?”

Lux winked at her.

“Don’t take it too personally. That term of endearment is reserved for gals I get along with.”

“Glad to hear it!”

With the sound of the door striking the floor as the gun, Emica took off into a sprint that culminated in a hurdle through the doorway. The collection of Cloud Nine members outside watching in surprise as their comrade who’d supposedly been taken hostage parted the group with her impressive leap, jubilation evident in her features.

Among the confused spectators, Cloud Nine’s current party leader Logan Hite. His eyes trailed after their MIA Vult instinctively as he tried to discern her intentions before experience beckoned him to return his attention back towards the entrance of the control room. Which he now found to be occupied by a Federation security officer with a glint in her eye that rivaled Emica’s own just now.

“Sorry, we’re not accepting any more hostages at this time.”

She raised her rifle.