| Logs |
2006 May 09
| Hunter |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
 |
| Realms: Hunter Logs |
Part Eight: Things Change
With very little to speak for it, events happen rapidly. The Scarlet Chimera makes its way to Morrigan, where under cover of night and the hangar roof Five Dragons' people load the massive gravity conditioner into the buccaneer's cargo hold. There is some minor frustration when Five Dragons' people express consternation that the GC won't immediately fit in Scarlet Chimera's cargo bay, when they were sure it would fit a standard Trans-K cargo hold. With a few hours' work, though, the fiddly bits to the GC are broken down and the cargo is stowed.
The trip to Einsort is equally uneventful, and with the information provided by Five Dragons the local law compliance forces are avoided. A brief pass-by of the cruiser Zeiss happens upon departure from Morrigan without fuss. Midway to Barcelon the ship alters course sharply, making transit to Einsort.
And then the Scarlet Chimera is approaching the blackrock moon of Einsort....
Scarlet Chimera
Einsort, moon of Fujisan, Mishka Quadrant
Fujisan is a thermal gas giant, which means for most people it puts out near-solar-level heat and radiation. For Solbiort and Nigel, it means a soup of electronic noise that makes zero-visibility fog look appealing. Connection to the Cortex is out -- not that there's any nodesats in the area. This also gives another reason why the terraformers chose to give Einsort a pass. Which makes it, of course, ideal for a hidden colony.
Solbiort is humming quietly and contentedly to herself, but once they get close enough for visibility she silences and focuses. "Di-di Nigel, can ve vid-record in this noise or no? Di-di Elgyn, got the lamps ready?"
Nigel has been muttering swearwords under his breath for the past several minutes, his expression getting darker and darker as the interference gets stronger. He shrugs at the questions, "Vid is about the only ruttin' thing we're going to get."
Solbiort says, "So ka. Everyone keep a keen eye out -- don't vant to run into anyone else here."
Elgyn is twitchy, fingers playing along the edge of his krisara he stares out the window into the black of space. Of course, it's a given that he's always a little twitchy in space, where the only defense one can mount is from fiddling with knobs and buttons, pulling levers, and wheels, and the like. If a body chooses, they can blow you away without you ever seeing their face. "The lamps are prepared, Captain."
Solbiort nods silently to Elgyn, then adds, "Hokay. Everyone ready to roll?"
The approach to Einsort is slow but steady, and the small moon seems to provide little in the way of anything remotely inviting. There are no immediately noticeable surface features. Solbiort parks the ship in orbit, aims its nose at the little planetoid, then murmurs, "Start signaling vhen ready." Nigel taptaptappitytaps on a console, turning on recording and then, checking notes he's jotted down, he starts signaling with the lamps. He's glowering slightly, muttering about feeling like he's blind and deaf out here. Elgyn puts a hand on Nigel's shoulder, making a noise that sounds like he sympathizes, though likely for slightly different reasons.
In reply to the lamp signals from the buccaneer, from the edge of one of the larger and deeper craters comes a diffuse laser signal, flickering back in kind with a basic 'land here' pattern. Solbiort grins, "Contact!" and heads that way. "Everyvon look sharp, please, vhen ve open up." Nigel sits back as the signal comes out with a landing spot. He's bouncing his knees, but his hands are still for once, arms crossed across his chest.
Shortly, the ship is landing -- such as it is -- underneath a cunning overhang on the edge of the crater, then descending down a short shaft and touching down upon a landing pad. The entire operation is hands-on -- doubtless a somewhat harrowing experience for anyone used to automatic landing systems -- and conducted completely by signal lights. Solbiort flies the ship with ease, unfazed by the lack of automatic landing systems, talking as she goes. "Hokay, quick review: Elgyn, Molly: high guard in Cargo. Nigel, keep vatch from the bridge. Raj, you and I vill talk to them and double check our new cargo for a lack of explosives and a lot of ore. Everyvon good?"
When the ship is clamped down to the landing pad and descends into a pressurized bay, and the ship's gravity screening is shut down, the crew can feel the reason why the gravity conditioner is so needed: Einsort has about one-tenth standard gravity. Elgyn feels his stomach lurch a little from the change in gravity. "I vote we install this generator as soon as possible. I'll help," he murmurs, holding on to the nearby wall for support.
Solbiort grins, "Just give us good cover, di-di, and ve'll be off soon."
Nigel snickers at Elgyn, having tucked his feet under the seat to anchor himself, "Please. Call me if you need help with doing that, Elgyn." He sketches a little salute to the Captain.
Solbiort nods cheerfully to Nigel, "If any troubles, yell for us and start gunnery deployment, and ve'll get back soonest." She then heads towards Cargo with everyone else, walking carefully in the magnetized boots she swiped from one of the space suits. Elgyn rolls his eyes at Nigel. He follows Solbiort more slowly, having not thought ahead to grab the gravity boots... he means to correct that now.
Shortly, a welcoming party assembles outside the bow doors, as well as a small crew which is setting up a loading assembly to help maneuver the bulky GC out of the cargo bay. The party consists of one very tall and light-framed, serious man wearing a helmetless spacesuit, including snoopy-cap. The other is a woman, somewhat shorter but if anything more broad-shouldered, in rather rough surplus field jacket and pants. Both are also apparently wearing lightly magnetized-sole boots.
Raj is standing off to one side as the dockside group approaches, casually carrying a large shotgun and wearing a light combat vest, his helmet hanging from a strap at his hip. Solbiort zips up her armored-leather flying jacket, visually checks everyone's in place... then nods, "Here ve go." She turns and undogs the hatchway first. Wisest, she thinks, to let them confirm they've got everything before opening the main cargo bay door.
Elgyn is on the catwalk above... while not hiding specifically, he's also not making himself obvious. He's already zipped up in his fighting leathers, and more comfortable in his boots... though he quickly realizes they will impede swift movement. He is armed with his revolver, and his hogleg is in arm's reach. His fingers tap against his leg as he crouches... watching.
Once the hatch opens, the crew is assailed by the noises, near and distant, of what sounds like the top of a low-key mining operation, with shouts and calls and machinery being operated in distant, deep tunnels. The man and the woman wave, the woman obviously pleased, the man somewhat reserved and serious as he looks around alertly. Solbiort nods politely to the waiting couple, waving them in. "Nihao. Got the ore?"
"Nihao! Ah, bueno Deus, you made it!" she says in a thick accent. "When the Senora told us she was sending the conditioner after all, I almost couldn't believe it. Oh, where're my manners? Maria Villanova, I run the mining digs around here. And this is Leon van der Stahl, head of our security folk. Si, we have the ore, all is as arranged. You have the condi- ah, I see you do! Excellent, we'll finally have real gravity under our feet soon! The hydroponics gardens could use it, it'll make their work easier!"
Solbiort nods and smiles faintly, "The, ah... sen-yo-ra is... quite resourceful, ya." She looks around to see if anyone's giving her any kind of signal before she continues, then speaks so the rest of the crew can hear her, "Ve're go. Stand back, outside -- opening the main door!" She dogs the little hatchway shut, then yanks the lever to start the huge, heavy door swinging slowly and ponderously open. As the main hatch opens, the cargo loader outside in the landing bay maneuvers into position to offload the GC. Nearby are several ore containers which appear to mass the same as the GC. Solbiort steps to one side near Raj so she's not blocking anyone's line of fire. She watches carefully, staying out of the way.
Elgyn relaxes an iota... they seem genuine and harmless enough. "Perhaps these are the real deal," he murmurs to himself, watching the couple together... though his eyes catch on something unusual about the man. Unusual... and yet at the same time familiar.
The woman nods. "You're doubtless busy. It's fine! We can give you enough fuel to simulate that you didn't make this side-trip; shouldn't take longer than offloading the cargo and loading on the ore."
Solbiort says, "Quite all right; take your time."
The operation takes less than an hour. The GC is offloaded into the mechanical loading arms and transferred to a cargo lift. While it's descending to its intended destination, the cargo arms and the stevedores load the ore containers aboard the Scarlet Chimera. Meanwhile a carefully-measured load of fuel is pumped aboard and the power cells are charged to appropriate levels. Maria is obviously ebullient about what they're doing on Einsort, but knows better than to chat with obviously tense and no-nonsense contractors.
Solbiort has Raj check the ore (since he's the guy with the explosives experience), and has Nigel run appropriate diagnostics on the fuel. She's more than happy to cheerfully chat with Maria if she wants, as well. Then she blinks, suddenly noticing the tall man has markings similar to Raj. Interesting...
Nigel calls down to the captain to let her know that everything with the fuel seems fine. Though what he actually says is, "Well... we're not going to blow up. I think."
Elgyn continues to watch during all of these goings on... as Raj is reporting back to Solbiort on his findings, however, Elgyn triggers his communicator, "Captain, would you send Raj up for a moment?"
Solbiort chuckles at Nigel, then thumbs the intercom, "Sheh-sheh for your reassuring report, di-di."
"There's nothing to report, Captain... yet. I'll let you know if there is." Elgyn says calmly, certainly not sounding worried.
As the cargo is loaded, Raj keeps a sharp eye on the process. Once they finish, he completes his inspection, checking everything from the cargo itself to the fasteners holding it in place. Satisfied, he steps up to Solbiort and says, "Everything seems to be in order. We're good to go."
Solbiort listens to her communicator, then nods and murmurs to Raj, "Sheh-sheh. Could you com Elgyn, please?" She turns to Maria and van der Stahl, "Goot to go?"
Raj steps away from Solbiort and contacts Elgyn, "Raj here. What's up?"
Elgyn goes to the intercom. "Come up for a moment, Raj. It's a personal matter." Solbiort gets a rather perplexed look when Elgyn announces a personal matter over the intercom... but doesn't say anything. Instead she continues to chat with the two visitors. Maria is quite chatty, though she does avoid details about who this erstwhile group of colonists is. Van der Stahl is much less verbose, only answering direct questions and then mostly deferring to Maria's speaking.
Raj raises an eyebrow at Elgyn's comment and says, "I'm on my way," loud enough so Solbiort can hear -- then starts towards the bridge. He scales the ladder and steps up to Elgyn, "OK, what's the 'personal matter' you needed to talk about?"
Elgyn stays in the shadows, and motions Raj over. "I haven't asked you what those silver markings mean. And if you don't want to tell me, that's fine... all I want to know is if I should be worried that the man Van Der Stahl has them too," he says quietly.
Raj looks evenly at Elgyn, "If I thought he was a threat to this operation, I'd surely have done something to make that clear, or said something to Solbiort, or just plain ol' shot him." Glancing over the cargo bay, Raj continues, "If you think I'm a threat to this operation, might I suggest you bring it up with the Captain after we've dealt with these yahoos?" He adds, "Anything else urgent we need to deal with, or did that cover it?"
Elgyn doesn't seem to take offense at Raj's ire. "No, that's all." He hesitates, then adds, "And forgive me: you make a good point."
Raj nods, "Feel free to take this up sometime hostiles aren't on board, eh?" He moves to a vantage point on the walkway covering the exit from another angle. Elgyn does not respond except for a nod, eyes still watchful.
Solbiort is worried about whatever the 'personal' matter is, so as soon as she politely can do so she ushers the visitors out of the ship and starts closing the cargo bay door. Quickly. She doesn't fidget -- it would be unprofessional -- but internally she certainly wishes fervently the damned door would move faster!
Quite quickly, then, the operation is completed, Maria gives her best wishes for a safe trip and an invitation to come back if they need a place to go to ground sometime, and that, as they say, is that. The hatches are shut as the ground crews prepare to clear the Scarlet Chimera for departure. Solbiort, who has been feeling rather unpleasantly isolated with no on-the-ground back-up next to her anymore, is tremendously relieved once the door slams shut and locks down. She immediately spins on her heel, one hand on her autolock, and barks, "Hatches secured. Raj, Elgyn, vhat's up?"
Elgyn appears above. "Nothing to report, Captain. Everything's shiny," he says smoothly.
Raj says, "Question about security. It's been handled."
Solbiort stares at them both silently for a long moment... then says simply, "Takeoff imminent. Let's go." She heads for the bridge as swiftly as she can without flipping in the low gravity.
Nigel starts preparing things for takeoff on the bridge, and when he's done there he meanders down toward engineering to double-check the rest of his systems. The ship is cleared and maneuvered out of the concealed landing bay and takes off to resume its interrupted journey to Roshan. Solbiort mutters under her breath as she guides the ship out, "Vonder vhat that vas all about..."
While the flight deck crew handles the take-off, Raj begins going over the cargo bay a second time, policing the area as he goes. If it doesn't belong here, it goes into the Waste Room. Elgyn appears on the catwalk, watching Raj. "I don't want you to think I don't trust you, Raj," he says by way of introduction. "It's been just me and the Captain a long time, though... a lot of flying by the seat of our pants. I just... you ever hear the saying 'what you don't know can kill you'? That's why I asked. But I should have trusted your judgment."
Raj grins and shrugs, leaning on a bulkhead, "Don't sweat it. Leon and I were in the same unit. I can understand being careful too, but trust me -- if he were a threat you'da known it right off. But next time, unless you think the deal's gonna go west, let's save the questions for after, OK?"
Elgyn nods. "Fair enough, shieldbrother," he replies, before going back to the bridge.
Once the ship is safely out of the field of influence of Einsort, Solbiort intercoms to Nigel, "Nigel, come up to bridge and change our pulse beacon, please, in case they send anyone after us?" Nigel makes his way back up to the bridge to start implementing the things the captain has asked. He settles in, typing away at the console to reprogram the beacon. By the time he's done, the ship seems to be named The Squealing Duck and have a designation of Q2J3. He peers at the console and shrugs as if to say, 'Well, good enough.' Solbiort snickers, then mutters, "Better than sqvealing piglet, I guess!"
Elgyn peers at the screen. "Do ducks squeal? What is a duck, anyway?"
Solbiort says, "Vater bird. Tasty." She thanks Nigel, then asks him if he could do a medical checkup on Molly as well. After that, unless he can think of a way to check the entire outside of the ship for possible tails, he can have fun doing whatever he likes.
Nigel chuckles, "Well, they make some kind of annoying noise, anyway." He wanders off to do the checkup on Molly. Molly is, relatively, well. The gut wound is healing and the long trip has allowed her to convalesce when needed. She's more or less fully healed by now. Nigel sits back after the checkup and grudgingly admits, "You'll probably survive if you start pushing yourself a little now." With a snort he adds, "And if you stay out of the path of any stray bullets."
Molly stretches a little after the exam. "So, do I check out, doctor?" she asks. "I can go back to cooking breakfast?" She blinks, then grimaces, "Oh, hells, I forgot if I used cayenne pepper or weapons-grade capescin in the protein gumbo for tonight."
Nigel snorts, "Yes, you check out, but I'd go check the gumbo so you don't kill the rest of us."
Molly winces and nods, "Right, sorry. I... must have remembered how to make pepper spray..."
Nigel waves Molly off to the galley, "Go on. Check the food." He grins at her, "But I think I may take tonight for fasting."
Solbiort waits until Nigel has left the bridge, then turns the pilot's chair to face Elgyn, propping one ankle on the other knee, "So. Vhat happened in cargo."
"I was concerned, Captain. One of the men has the same markings as Raj. I was concerned by the implications, and I simply desired to confirm with him there was no cause for alarm." Elgyn replies, putting his hands behind his back in an 'at ease' position. Solbiort studies Elgyn silently for a very long moment. Elgyn seems unconcerned with the silence. When she says nothing, he adds, "It's a valid concern, Captain. We know nothing about Raj's background. I trust him, because of his actions, but his silence on his past is noteworthy."
Solbiort continues to study Elgyn silently. She finally says slowly, "You... trust Raj. Must be therefore me you do not trust. May I ask vhy?"
Elgyn blinks. "Captain, of course I can trust you. Why would you come to such a conclusion?"
Solbiort says, "You did not think I had Raj on the ground, near me, for a reason? That you, who I know to be stealthy, vas high guard for a good reason also?"
"I would point out, Captain, that I waited until the deal was almost concluded. I took my positioning into consideration, and made a judgment call. As I am supposed to do, for the safety of the ship," Elgyn says evenly. He looks at Solbiort. "Do you not trust me?" he asks carefully.
Solbiort says, "Deals are not concluded until ve are safely away, di-di. By calling Raj to you, you let the enemy know vhere you vere, you made sure I had no von by me if they tried anything up close and personal, and you let them know von of the crew vas impatient." Solbiort smiles ruefully, adding, "You also let me know you did not trust my judgment call to say nothing, when I was the person there who could see most clearly."
Elgyn groans. "Captain, I kept you within eyeshot the whole time. And I couldn't have a private conversation with you about this... it's not as if no one else can hear when I talk with you over your communicator. One person with sharp ears..."
Solbiort says, "Our actions all have ramifications, di-di. Ve vere lucky this time... but next time, please, unless you think it is absolutely critical your curiosity be immediately satisfied... could I ask you to trust me, and not call people out of their combat positions?"
Elgyn straightens. "Yes, Captain." He pauses, and adds, "I would point out, Captain, that if you'd asked me not to speak with Raj at that moment, I would have demurred."
Solbiort smiles wryly, "I could not have asked for that, di-di, since I did not know if it was truly an emergency. But sheh-sheh for being willing to vork on this. I am sorry; I know I am asking much of you and you are not completely comfortable vith being First Mate. I believe you can do it, though, and do it vell, and if I can help I vill. Are ve good now?"
Elgyn smiles ruefully. "We are, Captain."
Scarlet Chimera, approaching Oblivion Falls
Skamandrios, submoon of Boros, moon of Adarra, Mishka Quadrant
The crew isn't sure -- they could be mistaken -- but it's reasonably safe to assume that Five Dragons' compound should not be a flattened lake of ash. Solbiort breathes softly, "Ta ma duh!"
Elgyn stares in horror. "By the ancients," he whispers.
Nigel whistles through his teeth, "Well, bugger me with a compression coil..." The color, what little there was of it, drains out of his face as the compound comes into view.
Solbiort barks out, "Elgyn, Molly: gunnery stations! Nigel, get ready to have to switch pulse beacons stat! Be ready to activate on my call."
Nigel drops down into a seat before the console and starts frantically working with the pulse beacon, muttering under his breath. He tries, between pulse beacon tweaking, the get-around to changing the ship's outer geometry so the guns aren't shooting holes in their camo. Molly scrambles into the firing seat for the beam cannon, hands hovering over them but not revealing the cannon just yet. Elgyn immediately gets into a seat, fingers running over the controls... and quickly making note of the specific button not to touch.
Raj stares at the carnage, then says, "Well, that escrow deal's looking more and more like it was a good idea." Solbiort coughs at Raj's comment, then starts trying to bring up anyone, anything on ship's communications. Raj hustles out, calling out, "I'll be in engineering! I'll see if I can get anything on the 'wave about this..."
Solbiort says, "Raj, report if you get anything. I vant to know vhat the hell happened." She wonders internally... just how determined are the Browncoats to keep this entire scam secret?
The journey from Barcelon was without incident or news of anything untoward, and Five Dragons' people there were quite pleasant and seemed to not know of anything untoward. Upon returning to Skamandrios, the only unusual thing was a small flock of Alliance Hummingbirds in a standard patrol route around Boros. Oblivion Falls itself also appears unharmed. But it's clear that someone went to a hell of a lot of trouble to erase Five Dragons' home.
The Cortex doesn't have much to go on: a few nights ago there was a fire at the home of 'local gentry' Five Dragons, and there were reports of gunfire. Local police attempted to respond but the fire quickly grew out of control and consumed the entire place. No survivors were found but no clear accounting of any bodies has been done yet. Local law compliance officers believe this to be between the result of 'feuding Tongs' and nothing more. Raj says, "...and that's all she wrote... looks like a complete Alliance cover-up."
Solbiort blinks, then coms Raj back, "Hoya, Raj... I thought Five Dragons vas not Tong, ya?" She sits with her chin in her hands, vaguely depressed -- poor Ranaka! Just as her life was starting to look up again... now this. She murmurs to everyone else, "Stand down, but remain alert, please. Hmm... a few nights ago... that vould be after ve left Barcelon, I think."
The entire crew notices it at the same time, Raj through a video feed of the ship's descent: in the woodlands about five miles north of where the compound stood -- a faint flicker of a signal-laser. For those in the crew who are ex-military, it's a familiar sight: the kind of laser used to carefully and non-verbally signal others across great distances without letting others notice. Ironically, it's not unlike the signal lasers the Einsort folk used to say 'hi!' to the Scarlet Chimera.
Solbiort quietly murmurs, "Nigel, record there," and points. Nigel blinks as if coming out of a reverie as the captain says his name and then zeroes in to record.
Raj mumbles, "What the heck? They'd have to know right where to point that thing..."
Solbiort says, "Hokay, ve're going in nice and calm like nothing's vrong. Nigel's recording our signaler. Raj, contact the escrow folks and let's get that taken care of soonest. Everyone stay shiny."
Raj says, "Let's put off contacting them, eh? If somebody's out to get Five Dragons, they may have sussed out that connection too."
Elgyn just shakes his head. "Tall order, Captain."
Solbiort nods to Raj, "Do vhen you think is goot." She grins at Elgyn, "Ve do fine. See if you can translate the signals, ya?" then brings the ship in all nice and legal and slow... giving the signaler plenty of time to signal.
The ship is cleared to land: "Squealing Duck? What the hell? Uh, I mean, you're cleared to land!" -and it goes without a hitch. Nobody seems to give the ship any hassle about landing, and the buccaneer makes an uneventful landing.
With great dignity Solbiort says to the tower, "You haf problem vith ship's name?!" and heroically manages not to laugh aloud.
Nigel literally slaps his forehead, "That's pigs, isn't it. Gorrammit..." He cringes.
Solbiort grins amusedly at Nigel, then sighs and leans back in her chair once they're down, "Shuh muh, but thinking no von should go anyvhere unaccompanied."
Elgyn studies the recording. "There's no pattern to it, Captain. As near as I can tell all it was meant to do was get our attention... like throwing a pebble at a window."
Solbiort nods to Elgyn, "Got it; sheh-sheh."
Elgyn folds his arms. "Captain, I suggest you and I should head to the site of the laser, and the others should stay behind and guard the ship. I have the most woodland experience."
Solbiort says, "First ve spend a day, di-di Elgyn, and get all our affairs in order, and are good little legal citizens. Ve also need to give Raj time to touch base vith the escrow folks."
Elgyn considers that. "You're the Captain, Captain."
Solbiort says, "After that... am thinking more veapons are not a bad idea, really."
Raj says, "I'm more concerned that they knew just where to point the damn thing," and shakes his head. "Either they guessed, which would be plain ol' dumb, or they knew it was us."
Solbiort nods thoughtfully to Raj, "Exactly."
When nobody shows up at the berth in the following day, the crew is gathered together to go out into the woods where they spotted the signal. Nigel and Molly remain behind to guard the ship. The trip takes the better part of several hours, mostly by ground mule, though the terrain is fairly rough in places. The trail is hard to see, but Elgyn does make note that several days before a number of people made their way north from the compound.
Solbiort nods stoically at Elgyn's report... although she's silently praying her poor cousin made it. She's made sure there's a damn good medkit in the mule, as well as some camping gear. She drives quietly and conservatively, leaving Raj to be on guard and Elgyn to track. Elgyn is in his element now, and almost seems a different person among the trees... happy, certainly, but also almost animal-like in the way he crouches to look at sign, the way he sniffs the air, the way his eyes flicker around at the slightest sound.
Elgyn's tracking and the route to the point where the laser was pointed at them ends at the same place: a small hillock nestled within a rise in the woods that provides concealment from the city itself but commands a wonderful view of pretty much every possible approach-and-landing corridor into Oblivion Falls. There's some indicators to Elgyn -- and obvious even to the others as well -- that there was several days' worth of habitation here: possibly a patrol or lookout of some kind.
Solbiort brings the mule to a halt and looks around warily, not exiting the trees. "Hokay, di-di, now vhat? Vhere are they?"
Elgyn is uncertain at first, pausing to look at one place and then another, not immediately seeming to find what he's looking for. Then he crouches once more, touching the earth gingerly. "Here. They went this way."
Solbiort smiles quietly, rather proud of Elgyn's prowess, but simply leans on the steering wheel and murmurs softly, "Take the mule, or valk?"
Elgyn shakes his head. "Even if the mule could make it through that brush, we'd be leaving a huge swath of destruction. Not a good idea unless we want to lead whoever destroyed the compound right to the survivors."
Solbiort nods grimly, not pleased, but simply shoulders most of the equipment and nods to Elgyn, "Lead on then, and please remember I'm not skilled at this so I'll be unfortunately noisy. Raj, can you tail me?"
Raj nods, and says, "Yah. Should we spread out a bit, or stick together?" He jumps down from the mule, hefting a large backpack.
Solbiort says, "Spread out enough Elgyn can pick the best trail..." she grins, "-for something large and clumsy behind him."
Elgyn smiles, eyes glittering like sharpened daggers. "Make as much noise as you like, Captain. It'll distract them from finding me." Solbiort mutters amusedly under her breath, then calmly settles into a ground-covering stride behind Elgyn -- who almost disappears in the underbrush. As the other two walk along, the only indication he's even there is every now and then a birdcall that leads them in the right direction. Solbiort follows calmly, feeling idly nostalgic for home. A bit of ice and snow, and this would be downright pleasant, she thinks.
It's perhaps ten minutes later when Elgyn -- literally -- comes face-to-face with a young Chinese woman who is being just as stealthy in the underbrush. "Oh, good," she says, whispering. "You made it. Nihao!" She glances over Elgyn's shoulders. "We were wondering if it was just those two..."
Elgyn is startled for a second, but nods at the greeting. "Just call me the forest's shadow," he says with a touch of amusement. "Where from here?"
The woman grins, "And I'm Noug." She nods, pointing ahead of Elgyn's path; Solbiort and Raj have by now caught up. "The others are in a cave down that way about thirty meters."
Solbiort rumbles quietly, "Ranaka? Five Dragons and her son?"
Noug is silent for a moment. "Five Dragons is there right now. I should let her explain."
Solbiort's face goes still... but then she simply paces expressionlessly forward -- swiftly, as if to get it over with. Elgyn is also subdued at the implications... he takes his place by Solbiort's side, as if to be reassuring. Raj slowly catches up with Solbiort and quietly says, "Either of us hanging well away, just in case..." Solbiort nods once to Raj, then continues.
At Raj's words Elgyn says, "Perhaps I should be the one. I do not want to offend... again."
Raj nods, "He's better in the woods..."
Elgyn stops at the entrance, and looks at Raj. "You join her. I'll be waiting." Solbiort lets Raj and Elgyn work it out how they'd like. She's got an unpleasant duty to perform... she paces into the cave and looks around, letting the equipment down carefully when she finds the refugees.
Inside the cave there is perhaps five meters of passage, a set of curtains (which keep light from escaping), and a smaller chamber within, roughly circular and about a dozen meters across. Some of Five Dragons' people are sleeping, others are rousing themselves at Solbiort's entrance. In one corner is a set of rifles and the laser-signaler. A man the crew has not met before is sitting by a cot. At Solbiort's entry he nods to her, then leans down and murmurs at the bundle on the cot. The bundle rouses itself, and shortly Five Dragons is pulling herself up to a sitting position. Though she looks exhausted she musters more than enough energy to appear awake and alert. "Captain," she says, her voice still strong. "Nihao. There was no trouble with the operation?"
Solbiort shakes her head silently, looking around in faint hope... which is quietly dying. She looks back at Five Dragons and rumbles quietly, "Your instructions vere excellent, Einsort vas a breeze, and your people on Barcelon extremely courteous and helpful." She pauses, glancing around again, then settles cross-legged next to Five Dragons and simply adds, "Vhat happened?"
Five Dragons nods and looks around, letting out a breath. "Good. I'm glad. If my organization can continue, then they'll make for a fine core of it." She smiles a bit wanly to Solbiort, "We... were visited by some people who made no demands, made no challenge, and made no declarations of their name. Some of the ex-military people in my employ say it was one of the best-planned commando operations they've yet seen. They destroyed everything and would have destroyed us completely had they not been more concerned about it looking like a tragic fire and not the gunfire-filled massacre it could have been."
Solbiort nods quietly, unfortunately unsurprised. "And Liu? Ranaka?"
Five Dragons says, "I told Ranaka to take Liu to Einsort with utmost discretion. She was fit to chew steel but she obeyed. I think she is more... devoted to Liu than to me. It is well enough; I need him safe to start rebuilding our organization there. I am not yet convinced the commandos are assured of our demise."
Solbiort sighs softly in relief. She sits silently, thinking for a moment, then murmurs, "So... it vould seem all the ships are gone; they must now be following up on the ground organizations. I vould guess the next target vill be the medical facilities ve vere to go to -- and us, as soon as they can find us." She frowns, "I am not pleased to discover this... ruthlessness in the Alliance." She looks to Five Dragons, "The escrow company has remained untouched?"
Five Dragons is quiet for a moment. "I do not know of what medical facilities you speak. I would very much like to know at this point, though. We have... business... to take up with whomever did this. But Gorman was the only one who knew of us, of our role in their plan -- or at least the only one whom I knew of. And he and his seemed too much the Independents to give themselves over to the Alliance." She nods. "The escrow is still in place. Through a series of covers I have informed them your terms have been met. They will release the merchandise to you."
Solbiort glances up at Raj, "Can you take care of the escrow situation in a day? I don't vant to stay here any longer than that -- whomever our enemy left here to vatch for any remains of Five Dragons' people vill have notified them of our return by now. Nigel can vork in flight."
Raj nods, "I think so. What we're getting is mostly data, some electronics, and bits." He turns to Five Dragons, "We've got some sundries that we thought might be of use: ammo, chargers, a few other niceties. We'll leave them by the mule. You can send someone for them when we've gone."
Solbiort looks back at Five Dragons, "Please forgive my bluntness but I fear time is of the essence at this point: vhat is Einsort doing? Vere they sincere in their offer of a place to hole up, or vould our sudden arrival some time in the future be too much for a small colony's resources?"
Five Dragons says, "What the colonists of Einsort are doing is their business; they never told me. But it's not hard to deduce: they're looking for the Third Way. Towards the end of the U-War, Gustavia Orinel, a Londinium sociologist, wrote a book called 'The Third Way.' Most of academia and politicians of both the Alliance and Independents excoriated it. Many felt it was naive, or was possible, just not right away. Some saw it as an attempt to show support for Wintarsen's faction. It cost Orinel her position and she left for the Fringe; she was not heard from again in the Central Planets.
"Basically, 'The Third Way' says that the urge to be sovereign-free must be balanced with the urge to be part of something greater. This balance must be mutually agreed-upon. Central culture is amenable to that idea, but the political 'realities' of the 'Verse demand that the Alliance rules supreme. For the Indeps' part, they would be willing to compromise -- but not about the authority of the Alliance, which they saw as a juggernaut.
"They do not think of it as such, of course. Some of them might have read 'The Third Way,' but all they really want is a home that is free from interference from both Alliance and Independent rabble-rousing. And that, I imagine, is the closest to a 'Third Way' that anyone can get for the time being."
Solbiort nods slowly, a puzzled and fascinated look on her face... then adds in reply to Five Dragons' previous comment, "Gorman vas a fool. Vhat can ve do for you? If you need to discreetly contact us I vill be having dinner and a drink at the same bar I vas in on our last visit, up until ve depart."
Five Dragons nods. "I'll have Noug go there tomorrow night and give you any last information we have for you." She adds, "He was a fool, yes, but a patriot. And as dangerous as such a person is, they are predictable and I cannot see him giving us over to the Alliance. That being said, we do not know enough -- obviously, else we would have seen this attack coming.
"I do not know what you and yours can do for us, Captain. But whatever it is that brought this about, I ask for the sake of the friends and employees whom I have lost that you see it through if you are able, and if we can help at all then to let us. Blood calls out for blood." Then she nods to Raj, "Thank you. It's appreciated. We think the commandos have moved on but we will be waiting some time before we attempt to escape to Einsort."
Raj says, "If you've got anything you need delivered, or something small to get moved out that'll fit in our gear, let us know."
Solbiort studies Five Dragons quietly, then nods once, "You kept my cousin safe and gave her a purpose in life again; it is the least I can do." She nods to Raj, sighs, then continues, "Ve vill indeed see this through. You can help us by putting pressure on whomever did this. I speculate it is the Alliance, but it is also possible there are some truly insane Browncoats out there who are cleaning up all traces of their back trail. Either vay, they'll be looking for us next."
Five Dragons smiles a little, "We don't have many needs, not right now. Food, mostly. Ammunition... we save for when we'll need it." She nods to Solbiort. "We'll do all we can. I have some contacts through the Syndicate -- the Tongs and I do not get along -- and I will see what we can find out."
Solbiort is silent for a long moment... then says slowly, "Start your search... from a recent prison break on Ariel." She rises and bows politely, "Ve vill leave vhat equipment you need, then. Ve are pleased to see you vell, but ve vould not take up your valuable time further."
Five Dragons arches a brow. "I had heard something of that. A few criminals escaped, but nothing more." She sighs. "And the information flow is again tainted..." She nods to Solbiort. "It is well, Captain. We do not have much, but what we do have is time and you are not wasting it. On the other hand, you should not remain, so as to not arouse any suspicion."
Solbiort smiles ruefully at the comment about 'a few criminals,' "Oh, there vas indeed more." She sighs, then steps forward and takes Five Dragons' hand, bowing with courtly grace over it and murmuring, "May our next meeting be under more auspicious circumstances." Then she steps back, nods politely, and departs. Raj bows politely, hefts his pack, and follows.
Solbiort steps out of the cave and heads for the mule, knowing Elgyn is somewhere nearby. When he steps out next to her she paces along silently for a moment, thinking. After a bit she smiles faintly, glancing at Elgyn, and reaches out to slide one hand under Elgyn's dreads, to rest it companionably on the back of his neck. "Did good, di-di Elgyn. Couldn't have found them vithout you. Sheh-sheh."
Elgyn blinks at her affectionate touch, but does not pull away... it is different now, though. Before, it was just the friendly way that Solbiort always was. But after hearing her whispered assertion a few days ago... "This I know how to do and do well, Captain. This wood reminds me of home... in spite of the events that brought us to it, it is good to be in the forest again," he replies in response, as if embarrassed by her praise.
Solbiort considers a moment longer, then says quietly, "You seem... very happy out here in the voods. Very... relaxed; in the moment. Your home is like this place, then?"
Elgyn smiles. "Very much like, Captain. There are glorious rolling hills and enormous grassy plains too... but nothing is more impressive about Ulundi than her forests. Spending so much time in cold, stark, metal walls, and in the cities... it is refreshing to once more feel as one with nature." His expression grows dark, then. "Are Liu and Ranaka dead?" he asks bluntly, his tone troubled.
Solbiort smiles, relieved, "Neh. Shuh muh for not saying that immediately, di-di." She gives a small reassuring squeeze, then adds with faint amusement, "Apparently Ranaka vas angry enough to 'chew steel' vhen she was commanded to take Liu to Einsort, so he'd be safe to help Five Dragons start rebuilding... but she vent." She adds quietly, "Good girl."
Elgyn breathes a sigh of relief himself. "Before she left I had a moment where I wondered if it would be proper to give her a warrior's goodbye... but then I was self-conscious and uncertain, and the moment was lost. When it seemed like she might have died, I felt... strangely guilty. As if saying nothing was the same as writing her death sentence." Solbiort grins ruefully, sliding her hand down Elgyn's far shoulder to give him a quick one-armed hug, "Ya, me also, oddly enough. But I knew she vouldn't appreciate a valkyrie's goodbye vhen she vasn't von any longer, and might take offense... so I chust call her miu-miu. She seemed to like that, vhich vas good."
Elgyn nods slowly, but from the way he does it, it still seems that he is troubled by the feelings that were stirred up about Ranaka... as if it was easier to hold onto the hate of her -- the hate of all those like her, men and women alike. But now that he knows what he does... "Someday soon, Captain, when this tangled mess is over and done, I would like to show you my home," he suddenly says, as if changing the topic so he would not have to keep thinking about it. "I had not realized till today how much I missed it."
Solbiort nods firmly, "Ve go there someday, ya, and you have your ritual so you feel better," she grins cheerfully down at Elgyn, "-or ve kick their butts until they give it to you!"
Elgyn lets out an embarrassed laugh. "Solbiort, don't say such things..." he half chides, giving her a playful nudge... and then as Raj approaches he seems to freeze, as if feeling exposed and vulnerable. "We should get going, Captain. I assume you have a fascinating tale to tell to all of us about what happened to Five Dragons' compound."
Solbiort chuckles quietly, "Vhy not? And not much to tell, really. She vill rebuild -- unsurprising -- and she vants blood for blood. Ve vill most help by carrying this through, vhich I assured her ve are doing our best. Also told her best vay to aid us, vhich she vanted to do, is to put pressure on whoever doing these murders, and take their attention off us." She's silent a moment as they walk along, then quietly adds, "She vanted to know vhat's up, but is not my story to tell... so suggested she start vith Ariel."
Elgyn blinks. "You think this is connected with the prison break?" he queries.
"Of course, di-di. First the ships in attack on Ariel start disappearing, von by von, and Gorman panics early and attack us -- but others not knowing this yet. Next, after all attacking ships silenced and looted for information on vhat is next planned, the enemy closes down intended line of business ve are supposed to be taking: Five Dragons -- for the pulse beacon -- and next vill be the hidden medical center to revive Vintarsen." She adds a bit worriedly, "Not sure vhat to do about them. Varnings don't seem to help. Vill probably chust do my best to get really primo medical supplies for Nigel, for chust-in-case." She adds pragmatically, "Only vay for them to be sure Vintarsen silenced vonce and for all, vith no hint of disgrace for them."
Elgyn's brow knits troubledly, his right hand twitching, feeling along the hilt of his krisara. "You think the medical center is a dead end, then? They've already found it?"
Solbiort, "Neh, don't know, di-di. Ve need their resources currently, so going to try anyvays, but vill be most cautious on approach. If they still are there, ve vill ask them to revive Vintarsen, but I intend to keep the Chimera set up to vatch constantly and flee on the instant, also."
Elgyn shakes his head in bemusement and frustration. "We'll talk more on this later, Captain. I should take point once more for the return to the ship," he growls.
Solbiort nods, "Ve vill go slow, so you can cover our tracks here also." She gently squeezes his shoulder again, smiling, then turns and continues walking slowly down the path with Raj, so Elgyn can do what's necessary to keep them all safe and hidden. He watches them go for a moment... watches Solbiort sway, his expression wistful... and then his face hardens once more into his impassive mask and he disappears into the brush.
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