“What’s the status of Dominique’s detachment? Surely they’ve regrouped by now and begun heading back?”

  Cloud Nine’s party leader plopped down onto the stone slab with a hiss, nursing his newly injured knee. He’d already applied basic first aid to the joint in the form of wrapping and immobilizing it until one of the party’s medics became available. Which wouldn’t be anytime soon as they had their hands full tending to those actively being pulled from the collapsed rubble. Thankfully his injuries weren’t of a nature that demanded immediate intervention, though he did suspect some degree of lasting damage had been done. The instability in his bum knee indicative of significant ligament damage.

  “It shouldn’t be much longer sir. Seems they were held up after one of your hand-picked Hussards stumbled across Commander Matus clinging to consciousness. Last I checked recovery operations were still underway.”

  “And the queue grows...”

  “Sir...?”

  “Go help pack up what’s left of storage Vick, we’ll be relinquishing this location as soon as we’re able.”

  The second longest tenured Demenageur gave a stiff nod before rushing off in the direction of the mostly intact keep. For how much longer was up for debate. What with the ground beneath them still unstable, Hite had prioritized sending what remained of their manpower to clear the structure of supplies before it too fell victim to the ancient drainage system below.

  “I’d better get a move on as well, still plenty that needs to be done...”

  Hite stifled a groan at his attempt to push off from the slab when a presence made itself known behind him.

  “That won’t be necessary sir.”

  The party leader’s ponytail flicked to the side as he craned his neck towards the source of the mildly familiar voice.

  “What, you going carry me?”

  The party member who stepped into view possessed features indicative of Lyoshan descent. Something Hite felt he shouldn’t be noticing for the first time.

  “Not anymore. Seems the brass has decided that this is far enough. You of all people should recognize the types of fears stoked by sedentary raiding groups.”

  Hite could feel the bead of sweat traveling down his temple as he watched the sleeper produce what he could only assume was a type of “Liberator” in his peripheral. A category of single-shot pistol that had become synonymous with the Council of Mitigation’s western ops until its more recent widespread adoption. It was a very short-range weapon, but more than adequate against someone operating on one leg from a seated position.

  He would die here. Something Logan couldn’t find it in himself to fret over in light of his long career as a raider. His earlier brush with death not even worth mentioning over dinner compared to those experienced during his heyday as a Volt under Roy’s guidance. No doubt a contributing factor behind his steady descent into complacency. One Reed’s faction wasn’t shy about abusing as they doubled their efforts to isolate him from his supporters. Even going so far as to drag the conflict into what would otherwise been profitable raid attempts.

  Not that turning over control of the party would have changed much in regard to which side of the pistol he was on. A different time and place perhaps, down in the tunnels for example. But for it to occur here, in a place that allowed his maker’s face and intentions to be known. That was more than Hite deserved or could have asked for.

  “Any last words? Admissions of guilt? You never know, might make the upcoming journey easier?”

  The party leader couldn’t help but cackle at the mole’s misguided attempt at charity. Though the sheer audacity of the stunt did push Hite to get one more word in edge wise.

  “You kidding? Why with shoulders this light, I’m practically on Cloud Nine.”

  *

  “Where the hell could you have possibly found a tailor so unhinged that they’d agree to concealing a binary explosive in the lining of your uniform jacket? And what would you have done if it detonated prematurely through, oh I don’t know, getting shot?”

  Lux didn’t respond right away, too busy trying to piece together how the engineer had found out what transpired in the gate control room. And was it too much to ask that Cade admonish her like a normal human being? Raising his voice, shaking his fist, even spitting in her general direction would have sufficed. But to have the flaws of what was admittedly one of her more extreme combat measures presented back to her so mundanely, it was almost like her friend was glossing right over the fact she’d executed her brainchild to perfection. On her first try no less.

  “Who am I kidding, they probably assumed you were abusing your position to smuggle drugs across city-state lines and marked their services up accordingly.”

  “A quality tradesman only has one question they need answered, and that’s ‘when do you need it by?’”

  “I’m more baffled you were able to source a binary explosive in the time spent between convoys. Tannerite I'd imagine. Though I figure it’d be a toss-up as to whether your round would have had enough velocity to initiate the desired reaction.”

  Lux grinned as she crossed her toned arms over each other, pleased to find that Cade’s pursuit of knowledge was at least temporarily hampering his distaste for her methods.

  “You sound just like the squirrely bastard who supplied the stuff. I joked that we could find out and even flexed my CCW. He didn’t seem to find it very funny. Though I think it bought me a discount for the sake of getting rid of me quicker.”

  Cade buried his face in both hands and muttered something along the lines of chastisement towards himself.

  “The number of Federation bylaws you just openly admitted to violating is almost impressive. To say nothing of the state laws you must’ve broke wherever it is your little transaction took place.”

  “Hearsay your honor, that evidence is purely anecdotal. And I have it on good authority that the witness was suffering from considerable stress and fatigue at the time the alleged conversation took place. Account for in his borderline obsession with the defendant and I think it would be ill-advised to waste any more of the court’s time.”

  “Eloquently put Miss Ayfer, it seems we are in agreement on the matter. This court is adjourned!”

  Wash pounded the dash of the controls to help sell the immersion from his place on the other side of the speaking tube. Something their resident CO took exception with based on the angry retort coming from the bridge behind them. When Cade did turn back towards the deck he was greeted by a Lux who very pleased with herself, punctuated by the rather childish emergence of her tongue.

  It was all a bit excessive compared to his friend’s usual demeanor at this stage of a route. And almost completely foreign in the context of a Galen Run. Antics of this caliber usually being reserved for a time much closer to arrival at the station. Thankfully it didn’t take a genius to discern the root cause for her gap in comportment.

  “He might still be alive you know.”

  Lux scowled and turned away.

  “You don’t buckle a platform railing and then somehow find time to brace for moving impact. Unless you’d like to argue that the depth of the hole he may or may not have been dumped into bought him a few extra seconds to decide which position he’d prefer to die in.”

  The intensity of her tone had peaked during that final mental image. And the result was one stage below yelling but one step above fed up.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “Ok, woah. Let’s chalk this up as a mistake on my part for bringing it up and tone it down a smidge. Damn near the whole crew, or at least what’s left of it, can hear you right now. I get your pissed off but let’s leave the venting for later.”

  The sharpshooter clicked her tongue angrily and stormed over to the sealed but unlocked bridge door. She pounded its center several times before making her “request.”

  “Tell slim that we’re rotating early!”

  Both occupants of the bridge looked in the direction of the entryway warily but did as asked. And while Jericka didn’t love being bossed around by her counterpart, it would do better to have experience on the front deck in light of the transmission they’d just received regarding a last-minute change in destinations. A concerning development that raised more than a few questions about the current status of Riga. Namely the safety of the inbound crews and whether the city would be able to scrounge up some temporary accommodations for them. In other words the last two things a convoy would and should have to worry about after such a trying day.

  “So uh...

  Wash glanced over his shoulder as he cleared his throat.

  as much as I know I’m cherished as the announcement guy, I don’t really think this is the kind of update that warrants a middle man. Not that I’d ever dream of shirking my duties, it’s just that this crew in particular doesn’t strike me as the type to conform to such adages as ‘don’t shoot the messenger.’ If you catch my drift.”

  Setting aside the fact their pilot would see her shot in his stead, Jericka decided it would be best to sit on this update until closer to the final check-in. Give the Head CO time to generate some more answers. Maybe give their resident nonconformist some additional time to cool off as well.

  *

  “Great to have you back command. We’ve received instruction from Riga and are ready to pull the convoy home. Err, temporary home that is.”

  Esma watched Kircher welcome back the rest of the convoy from her spot atop the center console, or at least tried to. It was proving difficult to both eavesdrop and have her cheek put back together. The disinfectant alone being enough to make even her unobscured eye start to water. Thankfully the brunette had only been using her vision to supplement her hearing through reading the CO’s lips. A viable strategy save for the man’s inconvenient habit of tapping his thumb against his teeth between words. This left the interim security officer with little choice but to strain both ears and occasionally shush the officer tending to her whenever they tried to explain the treatment for her injury.

  “Both our security rep and I are of the opinion that we should push the pace. Not out of concern of additional visits, but to create some additional leeway for the guys in Mennarouple to process and distribute the cargo. With all you’ve told us it sounds like they could use it.”

  Esma unconsciously leaned closer to the source of the conversation, which so happened to be further away from the hands trying to apply steri-strips to her cheek.

  “I’d also like to take this chance to make an unsavory recommendation. Rather I’d like to be the one to give it form so as not to have our lovely Head CO sully her hands.”

  Would smacking you count as sullying MY hands?

  “I’d like to advocate for sending an open transmission to Riga relaying an embellished ETA. The sooner the better.”

  Hoh?

  “All done. I know the pulling sensation can be irritating but try to leave it alone.”

  The young woman had stopped listening after ‘done,’ sliding off the console and moving over to the other end of the bridge as casually as possible.

  “From what I gather both Riga and the city as a whole are in a state of pandemonium, in no small part due to the uncertainty surrounding the arrival of what the citizens mistakenly believe to be a completed vaccine. Of course we know that we’re actually delivering the principal component of the preparation. But it’s due to this misunderstanding that they’re likely to interpret the delay between our arrival and the actual distribution date as favoritism towards actors with a direct line to Luridia.”

  “Pardon my intrusion, but did you not just explain exactly why we shouldn’t make any moves that’ll aggravate the masses down the line?”

  The CO’s initial display of exasperation at being interrupted by the rookie was short lived upon being granted a full view of the dressing on her face. A kind of pity reserved for the potential scarring of a young maiden’s face in the wake of her selfless heroics. Something Esma was willing to gloss over if it rendered her answers.

  “It won’t, or rather it shouldn’t if you approach the problem from a scarcity standpoint.”

  Esma’s face would’ve contorted in confusion if not for the pain it would cause her injury. Kircher continued to save her that trouble.

  “The general populace may be mistaken about the nature of our cargo, but the LCF has been entrenched in the region long enough for its mechanisms to become common knowledge. Galen Runs in particular are just as notorious among their circles as they are ours. And as you know both ETD and convoy size are technically accessible to the public if you know where to look.”

  “If you jump through a few hoops, sure. Though I suppose whoever does go to the trouble can easily procure a means to share their spoils.”

  “Precisely, so you could imagine the panic that would arise if the number of Crusaders that supposedly departed Varza ended up being fewer than what actually turned up.”

  “Ah...it would stoke fears that the initial supply of the vaccine is limited. Adding to the desperation of those afflicted to be among the first round of inoculations.”

  The CO gave a nod as he plopped down into the comms station’s seldom used seat.

  “Learning that the entire convoy survived the Galen Run will go a long way in settling the city-wide discourse. As will arriving ahead of the supposed ETA.”

  “That’s a fragile peace you’re manufacturing. One that could come crashing down the instant they realize we aren’t enroute to the Crusader Station. Like we’re trying to get one over on them.”

  “At this stage it will be a given that Riga is no longer tenable as an offload site. In fact I’d wager it’s one of the reasons the station manager made the early call to relinquish everything but the armory and left wing. It’s just as likely they made their own ‘leak’ about moving the off-load site in anticipation it would take some heat off those who had to stay behind. Granted I’ve heard Riga’s current station manager doesn’t have much of an appetite for such tactics. Preferring to hold fast in his belief of those working under him.”

  Kircher plucked the backup headset from atop the switch board and gestured for Esma to take it. Though he did mouth to her that the mic was cold. She put it on all the same, just in time to hear Sumiye’s decision on the proposal.

  “Make the transmission, give both a mock ETA and arrival site. I’ve already conferred with the station and confirmed that Eagen stopped short of leaking disinformation on the latter. Just make sure you’re not too creative with either disclosure.”

  “Roger that Command. Switching off main channel now.”

  Esma broke out of her cogitation as the CO spun away from the switchboard, nearly bumping into the man as she unabashedly began digging around through the station’s documents.

  “Do we have a map of Mennarouple on hand?”

  *

  “The answer is no.”

  Neither Legater Ackerg nor his small entourage of city administrators flinched or broke stride at the curt response from the station manager as he continued his rounds of the amphitheater grounds. His frequent stops to gauge progress and answer questions enabling them to continuously linger nearby.

  “Philip, work with me here. It’s for the good of the city.”

  “All convoys going through Station Riga have been grounded indefinitely. Or did you honestly believe we’d be able to mobilize any number of Crusaders with ninety percent of the staff evacuated? Most of which are on standby here to receive the inbound convoy.”

  “The Crusaders you left crippled at Riga are of no consequence. I’m asking about the one’s you used to evacuate the station personnel HERE. If that’s presents too many challenges or is not to your appetite, then we’ll just have said inbound convoy provide a bit of extra service in the form of an escort to the manufacturing and distribution centers.”

  Philip waved the notion off emphatically as he turned to face the politician.

  “Oh no, no no no no no! That’s not how things work! Our job ends the moment that cargo is loaded off of the Crusader! Not a moment before and not a moment after! And you know what else Eustace!? It seems to me that you and your little gang of cohorts here waited a ‘bit’ too long to start caring about the ‘good of the city.’”

  A few cheers rang out from the station personnel carrying out their tasks nearby. All of whom were acutely familiar with the city’s growing list of blunders in recent months. Least of which was putting them all in danger and forcing an evacuation. But much like the public outcry, those cheers and jeers went largely unnoticed. Because for the first time since his appointment, Mennarouple’s callous legater found himself at a loss for words. At least those words that would have the desired effect of reversing the older man’s decision. A frustrating admission.

  Because finding the right combination of words to realize a desired outcome had always been the man’s greatest strength. And for that to betray him now, at a time when his stay in office was being threatened, Ackerg could scantly believe it. So he didn’t. No, his real mistake had been approaching Philip with the request to begin with rather than using his authority as a voice of Luridia to order the personnel on standby to go. He just had to go and alert Riga’s headstrong papa bear to his machinations, effectively barring the politician from capitalizing on the LCF’s freshly minted goodwill. So be it. Better to shift his focus to damage control. Preserve what he could of his reputation for future endeavors.

  Besides, whoever did inherit his position would likely be among the group accompanying him today. All young and naive or old and obstinate by design. Safe to say his influence on the city state’s desired direction would remain intact going forward, title be damned. Truth be told seeing how much one could accomplish from behind the scenes was a new and exciting prospect for Eustace Ackerg. But such musings were for another time. Whereas now was for damage control.

  “The reason for my presence here? Why to be among the first to welcome this city’s new heroes of course! And what better way to ensure their sacrifices wouldn’t be in vain then by personally supervising the swift and fair distribution of their life saving medical supplies. Because as with any city, the safety and well-being of our citizens is the top priority.”