Based on the silhouette on the ground, one would be inclined to believe that some vast cloud had found solace in the skies above the convoy. Yet unsurprisingly none confined beneath the might of this unusual phenomenon could find it in them to rejoice. Least of which the security officer in the underbelly of C362, whose nerves had long since been stretched thin by everything that had transpired to this point and continued to do so.
Yes, Brewer was more than ready to admit he was in over his head. And the woman he was supposed to be keeping an eye on in Cade’s brief absence had taken to scooching forward incrementally on her heels to free herself from the confines of the small wall compartment. Not so much an attempt to escape as much as a means to avoid a second bump on her head. The first being courtesy of the Crusader’s unexpected and recent lurch sideward. An unanticipated consequence of sealing the speaking tube and severing direct contact with the bridge.
“You’re not allowed free rein of the engine room; I’d ask that you please settle back inside the storage nook.”
The raider ignored him in favor of standing up so she could stretch her legs, after which she traveled a short distance over to the opposite wall where she leaned in a space beside some of the engine components. Just as Brewer resolved to repeat the request with more authority in his voice Cade walked back in and passed right between the two. Making a b-line for the speaking tube, he ripped off the buffer and returned it to his pocket.
“Looks like the cavalry’s here, feel like being useful yet?”
He’d directed the inquiry at the ruffled party member.
“Well, well, well. Look whose come crawling back.”
The occupants of the engine room, save for Cade who was accustomed to it, shared a look of incredulity over the near non-existent amount of time it had taken the pilot to pick up on the removal of the buffer.
“Care to update me on all the commotion going on topside?”
“Where do I even begin; Cloud Nine’s popped in for another visit, the CO’s are caught up in a game of telephone, Faust won’t share his raisins. Oh, and someone turned off the sun.”
“Telephone? You mean to say Cloud Nine is jamming our comms?”
The engineer cast a side glance at the woman opposite him the small room. She raised her bound hands and narrowed her eyes in response to his unspoken accusation.
“According to Jericka the nature of the interference suggests something other than traditional jamming methods. Thankfully it’s not preventing comms outright, just muddling them.”
Brewer raised his hand.
“Um...what’s this about the sun being turned off?”
“I’d explain but it’d be easier if you just stepped out...”
“Go ahead Penton, I’ll keep an eye on her.”
The man gave a hesitant nod and slipped out into the corridor. The woman used this opportunity to clear her throat and step forward.
“I can corroborate your CO’s suspicions about the interference, it’s not us. Cloud Nine I mean...whatever.”
“Parapraxis is a bitch ain’t it.”
Cade waved the presence in the speaking tube off and gestured for her to continue.
“I know this because both Hite and the previous party leader subscribe to obvious jamming in lieu of subtle.”
“Part of their mental game I presume.”
“Correct. Because a convoy that knows it’s being actively jammed will wear itself out waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Cade made a face in conjunction with sounds of skepticism from the speaking tube. The woman made to respond to their mistrust when the Crusader unexpectedly jerked to the side again. Not as much as the previous time but enough to make her stumble back into the wall. The engineer on the other hand merely swayed along with the motion.
“Missed ‘em by that much...”
As if to boast how unfazed he was Cade picked right up where the discussion had left off.
“You can understand why we’d have reservations on the issue. Baugh’s party and by extension yours employ talking drums frequently, therefore the form of jamming they’d exercise doesn’t hold any of the conventional limits.”
“I’m not arguing that the current conditions don’t work in the party’s favor, but that doesn’t mean they’re the ones perpetuating it. At least if they are it’s evidently above my pay grade.”
“Sure your new leader isn’t just keeping matters close to his chest? That is, unless your part of his faction.”
The raider didn’t answer right away. But it was obvious from her facial expression she was mulling over an answer.
“Cade, move the reversing level up one and double check the level of the working fluid in the boiler.”
“On it.”
The engineer swiftly saw to it that the main reversing lever was repositioned before shifting his focus to the modest water tube boiler occupying one corner of the engine room. So as not to get in the way the woman promptly swapped sides of the room with the young man and watched as he grabbed a damp rag from a small, mounted rack. He then crouched down and used the rag to gain access to the sight glass on the front of the boiler without burning himself. Sliding open the small slot to confirm the current level of the amber liquid that acted as the engine’s working fluid.
Because despite falling into the category of a water tube boiler this particular component of the Class 3 Crusader’s aeriform engine no longer relied on water as a working fluid. Having been replaced by a concoction that, while maintaining many of the same properties as water, produced more vapor per cubic meter of liquid at a lower boiling point.
“We’re all set, shift up whenever you’re ready.”
“All hands, make preparations to reinforce the vanguard!”
Now that both tasks were taken care of Cade readdressed the raider once more.
“For what it’s worth we don’t give a crap about your previous allegiances. On that note please excuse my brutish attempt at discerning your motives.”
The woman’s shoulders visibly relaxed and she clicked her tongue at her supposed adversary’s unexpected level of maturity.
“But seeing as that we are literally in the dark at this point in time, any information you are capable of sharing will be invaluable to both our sakes.”
The raider blew a few strands of loose hair out of her face and met the engineer’s gaze.
“Your friend had better be able to keep her word in regards to my treatment hereafter.”
“You know part of me wishes she’d break a promise for once. Having such a reliable comrade sets a precariously high standard for us less inclined.”
The woman’s brow twitched involuntarily.
“If this is going to work, you’ll need to refrain from the continuous flaunting of your youth in my presence. It started off cute but now I’m this close to kicking you.”
Noting how close her fingers were, Cade turned sideways before acquiescing with a nod.
*
“Ignore the enemy behind you, they’re the rest of the convoy’s problem now!”
Rohner barked the order as he reloaded a fresh magazine, tossing the empty clip at the party guilty of firing in the general direction of friendlies.
“Sorry! My vision hasn’t adjusted to the darkness yet, it’s affecting my awareness!”
But the man had already moved on to another matter.
“Didn’t expect to run into one of these here...”
The seasoned officer mumbled those words to himself mostly. Seeing no immediate need to update the CO on the cause of the remarkable development. Not like the state of comms would allow word to spread until after the issue was resolved anyway. That and he might have ever so slightly been relishing the feelings of nostalgia drummed up by the vaguely familiar occurrence.
But that didn’t stop the pilot of C274, an inquisitive fellow according to friends and family, from catching those words via the front deck speaking tube. A speaking tube whose lid happened to be in need of maintenance but had been intentionally left unflagged so as not to delay the Galen Run. But even accounting for the lid’s ajar state, any words uttered would have been lost on a pilot without above average hearing or excessive attentiveness towards the litany of tubes beside the controls. The latter bringing one such pilot to mind as he also happened to be part of this convoy.
In this case the feat was owed to the part-time pilot’s auditory inclination, a product of his family’s extensive musical background and pedigree. Truly if anyone or anything was to congratulate or blame for this uncanny placement of actors, it’d be the convoy’s designation as a Galen Run and the lofty cost of custom-made instruments.
Regardless of how it had come about, the fact he could finally draw upon this gift didn’t go unappreciated as he’d been unable to make any worthwhile contributions towards the goal of solving the party’s war drums. Hence the immediate decision to inform one Officer Swarek who’d been struggling to coordinate efforts without a reliable group channel frequency.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“Your certain?”
“Of the words, yes. Though I can’t guarantee the object of interest.”
The CO allowed this tidbit to jump to the front of the queue that had formed in his head.
“I appreciate you bringing this matter to my attention. I’ll see to getting more details, in the meantime please focus on piloting.”
“Of course!”
Although he’d conveyed a tone of optimism just now, Kircher was doubtful he’d be able to glean much from a man like Rohner. And given the constraints of an active raid attempt, a direct confrontation would be difficult to achieve without pulling an integral member of the security team off deck for a spell. Which meant supplying their security representative with a headset he would be unlikely to give up afterwards.
It was as he considered these options that a patchy transmission over the group channel reached his ears. Audibly the message was near impossible to discern but it coincided with Crusader C362 closing in from behind and positioning itself at the rear of their left side. The deck officers onboard the offset Crusader wasting little time in chasing away the approaches who’d only just circled back around after the initial drive by.
This maneuver’s primary purpose was to give C274 a moment to breathe and reorganize after shouldering the load of the engagement thus far. But it also gave Kircher the window he needed to reintroduce the secondary headset.
“Hayes!”
He called out over the back deck.
“Use your newfound free time to deliver this headset to Officer Rohner!”
The displaced security rep growled in contempt but rushed over to snatch the headset all the same.
“With comms down I have to wonder who has more free time...”
Interestingly enough the CO felt a small bit of relief at being on the receiving end of such a jab. Because if the dynamic between Hayes and himself was still intact, perhaps a fracturing of the crew’s loyalties wouldn’t come to pass after all.
Not that such a trivial interaction was enough to keep Kircher’s troubled mind from planning contingencies. All of which hinged on maintaining absolute control over the bridge. Something that would benefit greatly from the backing of at least one security officer onboard. And given the current circumstances, the role of said officer would likely fall to Hayes. The subconscious reason he’d avoided refuting the crass man’s jab.
That’s not to say Kircher felt as if he couldn’t trust the other two security officers, it was more that their dispositions and lack of years under the belt would make them more susceptible to going along with the whims of a decorated veteran officer. The fact Rohner had already usurped the role of security representative gave life to this theory. And it meant he’d need to be conscious of which deck officers chose to visit the bridge or hover around its entrance. In that regard providing this hypothetical new faction the second headset provided one less excuse for visiting the bridge so they could take control. It also gave the impression Kircher trusted Rohner enough to keep him in the loop.
“What's this about giving me a headset?”
Speak of the devil. They were fortunate each individual Crusader’s local comm channel was still functioning within reasonable parameters
“Sorry to make Hayes temporarily vacate his position, but I thought you might be able to draw on your extensive years of experience to shed some light on this unexpected phenomenon. In the literalist of senses if you don’t mind.”
In lieu of responding to the appeal right away, the elder man turned so he’d be facing the bridge, his gaze seeking that of the CO’s on the other side of the treated glass before transferring over to the pilot, who dared not look anywhere but straight ahead from his slightly raised position relative to the front deck. What concerned Kircher was that this didn’t come across as an intimidation tactic. It’d been more akin to someone confirming something relatively benign. Like checking to see if you’d spelled a word correctly on an essay or report prior to turning it in.
Then, out of nowhere, the security officer produced a run of the mill lighter and held it out in front of his prominent nose. One flick of the thumb later and the small flame produced found itself closing the remaining distance to the man’s whiskers. Both occupants of the bridge jumped at the impromptu facial immolation with Kircher going so far as to reach for the nearest handheld extinguisher. But it was all for naught as the hair on the man’s face refused to catch, nor did his face betray any discomfort from the flame’s heat.
“Fun parlor trick isn’t it.”
Briefly inundated by feelings of chagrin and anger the CO struggled to keep the composure in his voice.
“Not even remotely...explain.”
“We call them Eidols, though other parts of the Expanse may know them differently.”
From the other side of the glass Kircher watched as Rohner returned the lighter to his person and turned away from the bridge, seemingly resuming his duties while carrying on the conversation.
“We?”
“Well traveled field personnel.”
“Are you suggesting that those of us unfamiliar with the subject matter are by extension novices to the trade?”
“Will answering in the affirmative move this along faster?”
Ah, he must consider this a hassle. But that might be a good thing. It implies that these ‘Eidols' either don’t pose a significant threat or the threat they do pose is only in the short term. And while the current conditions certainly aren’t ideal, much like Rohner’s take on this conversation, there more of a hassle than anything. What I need to figure out is if this hassle has the potential to burgeon into a problem.
“No, you have the right of it. Please continue.”
“Think of them as breathing silhouettes, big ones. Make no mistake, encounters are rare but periodic enough to have set a precedent.”
“So you say. But taking into account how extensive CO networks have grown, I can’t help but question why such encounters haven’t been circulated prior to now.”
“What would you have them report? ‘A shadow followed us a little ways.’ How do you think that network of yours would receive such overt statement?”
I guess shadows do tend to follow people don’t they...
“Regarding what ‘we’ know about these things; they operate within established territories, latching themselves onto structures large enough to accommodate them. Speaking from experience they find abandoned buildings particularly enticing.”
“The castles...!”
“Most likely. And this is purely conjecture on my part, but this one was probably residing in that first castle we passed on the route until recently. Cloud Nine’s knew this and wrecked it to send it further up the route, an added benefit of diverting us.”
“And you think this Eidol moved to the castle on top of the motte...but assuming you have the right of it, why leave it’s accommodation to follow us?”
“Pretty sure I mentioned these things being territorial, and the last group to encroach on said territory destroyed its home. Safe to say it’s acting in the interest of preserving its new one.”
“Can I assume based on your negligent reporting on the matter that these entities are of minimal threat to us?”
“I’ve never been attacked by one at least. And unless Cloud Nine knows something I don’t, they’re probably just using it to help conceal themselves and sow panic. In an effort to avoid the latter I saw fit to keep quiet on a subject I know comparatively little about.”
In truth Officer Rohner knew more about the Eidols than he was willing to divulge at this time. Having both browsed historical accounts of the entities and drawn from his personal encounter with one during his time as a soldier in a paramilitary organization. For example; both personal escapades had taught him that the Eidols were excellent distributors of heat, being able to identify and collect from an existing heat source or sources. Then scattering that energy evenly across the entirety of its form as a means of vitality. The driving factor behind his parlor trick with the lighter, something Kircher had let slip from his mind in light of Cloud Nine’s possible machinations.
He’d also learned that the entities were most prominent in folklore to the North. Wherein groups of nomads and small settlements often competed in coaxing the Eidols to take up residence in their homes as a surefire way to survive the harsh winters. This factoid served as another one of the reasons Rohner had opted to remain mute on the matter as he was aware that Convoy Commander Lautnor hailed from the northern regions. The veteran officer wanting to see whether the northerner would connect the dots and apply that knowledge, as in doing so he’d be demonstrating an ability to draw on personal experiences beyond the realm of field service. A necessary step in the development of a CC’s unique identity, and perhaps a precursor to them coming into their own. In essence Batten Rohner’s way of urging his junior to prove his initial assessment of the Sable was wrong.
“Well, now that we’re all on the same page about what we’re up against, what do we do about it? Can we do anything about it?”
“We follow the example I was setting before you foisted this headset on me, nothing.”
“Nothing...?!”
“In an ideal world we’d bring the thing with us to the castle we’ve styled the ‘gatehouse’ and let it take up residence. In a siege scenario the added darkness and confusion would play in our favor. Its presence would also deter future occupations of the castle by hostile groups.”
“The fact it hasn’t already implies the ‘gatehouse’ might be outside its territory...you’re sure you don’t know of a way to lure it or keep its attention?”
A scoff sounded over the headset.
“Just so we’re clear that motion wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. You need to understand that this thing is no different from a wild animal you chance upon in the woods. There’s no way of knowing how it’ll react to you or what might set it off. Which is why we’ll leave a wide birth and continue on our way, business as usual. Is that clear?”
The edge to Rohner’s final assertion was palpable. It also spoke to his preference that this dialogue remain between them for the time being. Not that there was a practical way to convey this degree of information with comms in their current state, not covertly at least.
It was only after Kircher came to terms with both this fact and the situation he was caught up in that he experienced a minor epiphany of sorts; that Batten Rohner had the makings of a capable Convoy Commander. At the very least he wasn’t the type to take orders from someone. From claiming the role of security representative to taking small but calculated steps towards insubordination. Something the CO took comfort in knowing he had relayed to C362 prior to the appearance of the Eidol.
But with the first half of the route serving as a baseline, it had become apparent to Kircher that the man had the convoy’s best interests in mind. At heart? He couldn’t say for certainty which was calling the shots. On a related note, an abundance of shots could be heard being exchanged along both sides of the convoy. Now that he thought about it, every other sentence from Rohner had been punctuated or interrupted with a shot. Something you’d normally take comfort in during a raid attempt if not for the sentient shadow enveloping them. Could it feel what was going on inside of it? Would misses and stray bullets harm or anger it?
Looks like Kircher wasn’t cut out for the illustrious and occasionally coveted job of doing nothing after all. Thankfully Rohner wasn’t a Convoy Commander despite having the makings of one, so he wouldn’t have to.
*
“That’s the Crusader with Emica onboard isn’t it?”
The fourth year Volt out of Bazoche gestured from his position ahead of Matus, the one in charge of this sort.
“Don’t point moron, they’ve got a sharpshooter we don’t need to be giving excuses.”
The raider promptly dropped his arm and stared straight ahead.
“...do you think they noticed?”
“I doubt we’d still be having this conversation if they did.”
If the report he’d digested from the first visit was anything to go by the sharpshooter was a force to be reckoned with. Making it a smart move to grant them so much flexibility in the formation. For starters Matus hadn’t been explicitly instructed to target any one Crusader in particular, nor was retrieving Emica seen as a top priority. It was with both those things in mind that he’d resolved to leave the sharpshooter and her crew be unless the captive showed some indication of creating internal strife.
No such signs so far. And he was dubious she’d try anything at this stage of the route beyond planting seeds of doubt. Yes, call him old-fashioned but Matus liked to believe that she was still on their side. Though he’d readily admit it had more to do with her being the only party member who could challenge him in a game of Duell. A game which in itself would normally provide him a window into how his opponent’s mind worked. But Emica’s rather extreme changes in play style put a dent in that angle. It occurred to him then just how unpredictable the woman could be, or perhaps fickle was the better word. For the sake of securing a successful venture he and the others had better hope not.
With one final glance at Crusader C362 Matus and his entourage repositioned in accordance with the drums. From the outside it must’ve seemed as if the drum majors were pulling the strings, but in actuality the general strategy for this visit had been decided on and reviewed by a joint effort of him and Hite. Though this did mean a majority of the members carrying it out had to come from their faction. A necessary sacrifice to help appease discontent stemming from the first visit he supposed. All the more reason to triumph here and claim credit for the overall victory.
“Time to show our hosts that a state of bliss isn’t so easily captured.”