It had long been accepted that the vast cavern system lurking beneath Lamella’s Lands would never be fully mapped nor explored, its hundreds of miles worth of tunnels and similarly inconclusive number of entrances and exits best left to the imagination. In light of this forthcoming affirmation it was decided that only those tunnels that were largest and seemingly most stable would be prioritized for mapping expeditions. But even with such precautions in mind it wasn’t enough to prevent a handful of Cloud Nine’s party members from disappearing into the depths of the earth, never to be seen or heard from again.

Neutral members of Cloud Nine were quick to write off such disappearance as products of the behind-the-scenes struggle between Hite and Reed’s factions, each seeking to weaken the opposition and sow fear. More superstitious members leaned into the rumors of an ancient subterranean race whose hunting parties ensnared anyone who strayed too close to the fringes of their underground kingdom. The evidence they often cited being that they’d discovered a depth even the hog-nosed bats and other cavern dwellers dare not cross. Finally, there were the rational but less cynical members who’d sensibly deduced those missing had gotten turned around, become lost and perished due to any smattering of vital deficiencies.

Needless to say, beyond the tunnels that had already been mapped and put to use, most party members held little desire to venture into the unknown sections of caves littering their new domain. But for those few who were daring enough to carry on the task, the mapping of these new sections of tunnels provided them a greater range of opportunities. Especially when they decided to keep the locations of new shortcuts and entrances close to the chest. Such was the crux of the LCF’s current initiative to infiltrate the gatehouse amid the struggle taking place aboveground.

For the sake of said current plan the infiltration team would utilize a narrow but shielded opening at the base of where several outcroppings came together. Making it a prerequisite for those involved to be sound in dealing with cramped spaces. Such was the case for the trio as they arrived at and made short work of gaining entry into the tunnel system. Only Faust whose frame was larger than that of his female companions experienced some form of struggle, making all three thankful for the premeditated decision to pass their rifles through the opening separate of themselves. A real gamble for the two security officers if Emica had been the one to lead the charge. As such Lux squeezed her way through first and received the rifles shortly thereafter.

And though she wasn’t particularly bothered by traversing tight spaces, the blonde was still thankful to see that the tunnel that gained them entry opened up considerably a short walk further in. Something their guide failed to mention to either of them beforehand. Perhaps a subtle way of gauging how seriously her new associates were about succeeding in the mission. Nevertheless, all three made haste after clearing their first hurdle. Though they stopped short of running as it was difficult to make out the topography of the cavern surface they treaded on.

“Are you sure we didn’t need to bring more lights?”

At present they were relying on a single flashlight in the care of Emica.

“No need, I discovered this shortcut into the castle fairly recently and the number of obstructions along it was negligible. Just stay on my ass and keep one foot in front of the other.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice, Legs.”

“Oh, and try not to panic too much if you feel something wet drip on you from above.”

Lux absentmindedly felt her eyes flicker upwards despite being unable to make out the ceiling in this darkness.

“A little water never hurt anyone.”

“Oh yeah, what about bat guano?”

A frown found its way onto Lux’s face as she fumbled with the hood of her uniform jacket with one hand. An action that spawned a momentary lapse in focus, contributing to the tumble she took when her left foot caught the edge of something sprawled across the floor, just off to the side of the tunnel they were speeding through. She came away unscathed in no small part thanks to her security training, using the momentum of the fall to transition into a forward roll. The nerves of her companions couldn’t boast the same luxury as the curse that erupted from Lux’s mouth at the time of the fall had both of their fight or flight responses activating on instinct.

Equal parts angry and embarrassed, the sharpshooter ground out her next words through clenched teeth.

“I though you said there were no obstructions...”

Emica strolled over to Lux casually, first shining the light on her to confirm her condition then investigating the cause of her very uproarious spill.

“What I said was that they were negligible, not that they didn’t exist.”

The women used her foot to roll the obstruction in question over. A sound conducive to recognition following as the two officers appeared alongside the raider and stared down at the now illuminated object. Except the culprit wasn’t an object, but a man. A man dressed in garb consistent with a raiding party member.

“Ok, in my defense this wasn’t here before.”

Lux crouched down to get a closer look at the body, namely what appeared to be the exit wound of a bullet just above the temple facing them. Next, she examined the blood and let the back of her hand brush against the man’s exposed abdomen.

“This was recent, like within the hour.”

Shielding her eyes as she stood back up, Lux looked to their charge expecting answers. Meanwhile Faust began prodding around the base of the wall just off to the side. The subsequent sound of a bullet casing bouncing across the tunnel floor confirming the trajectory of the discharge.

“Friend of yours?”

“Sure, it’s uh...”

The woman began snapping her fingers in an attempt to jog her memory.

“Fuck, what was this guy’s name again...?”

“The more pressing question is what he’s doing here.”

Faust dropped the casing he’d collected into Lux’s hand as he made his voice known to the raider for the first time.

“He speaks!”

Lux closed her fist around the casing and pocketed it before placing a hand in the center of both companion’s backs, pushing them deeper into the tunnel and away from the body.

“Sure does. And you what else he can do, multitask. So let’s get a move on. You can explain as you do your job, guide.”

As Lux’s interjection insinuated, time was very much not on their side. And in all likelihood the two opposing forces had already opened hostilities topside. No time to be tripping over corpses.

“While I might not recall his name, I do know his face. The less grotesque version that is.”

“Pfft, I’d love to see the look on your face after a bullet takes it’s midday stroll through your skull.”

“Save your breath Lux, let her finish.”

After so many convoys together Faust was well-versed in how combative the blonde could be just for the heck of it. More often than not he even found it oddly endearing. This instance however was very far removed from one of those times.

“The point I was getting to, is that he’s one of Hite’s. Reed’s faction probably took advantage of the bustle of siege preparations to address one of the more problematic supporters.”

The group suddenly made a sharp turn into an offshoot neither officer would have noticed from its position in the shadows.

“That’s good news for us right? One less raider to deal with, plus it confirms this tunnel route isn’t well known among the party. Unless they planned on moving the body again later.”

“More like they anticipate Reed will be the last one standing when the day winds to an end.”

“What a pain in the ass, no wonder you left.”

Emica made something akin to a snort before slowing to a stop at a fork that had materialized in the tunnel. Extending an arm out to stop the other two from passing her.

“We need to put a lid on the chatter beyond this point, we’re about to enter the halls of the inner keep.”

“Fat chance of that happening, more so with me in her ear...”

Operating in a tight space with such minimal light had tipped the balance of Lux’s senses in favor of hearing, making it less of a surprise that her body would jerk so blatantly at the unexpected voice filling her ear. And it was only after her hand shot up and re-confirmed the presence of a headset atop her dome that her body was able to relax again. Not that anything could be done about the embarrassment she felt upon soaking in the exasperated expressions of her two companions. Neither being impressed by her small episode. Lux cleared her throat.

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“Yeah I’d better let ‘em know where we’re at, help them adjust the timetable and stuff. Give me fifteen, twenty seconds tops.”

As one would presume the update was largely unnecessary thanks to Jericka’s astute perception skills. And after they’d been made privy to the convoy’s relative location, the team of three stole away into the carved halls of the castle’s depths, with only a handful of bats as their witness.

*

To watch the plumes of smoke crawl their way down towards where the decks of the Crusaders would soon be, many of which harboring figures outfitted in protective gear, was as surreal an experience as Youn had ever witnessed. An oddly transfixing occurrence that no report would be able to do justice. Assuming they’d be able to pen a report. Such were the increasingly dire straits they’d found themselves in.

He could already hear the panicked voices of the crews onboard the Crusaders ahead of them as they sought defensible positions and called for the pilot to adjust course and avoid the smoke stacks altogether. But a quick scan of their surroundings would all but confirm such a maneuver wasn’t feasible. The stone pillars on either side of them boxing them in and limiting possible escape routes. No doubt something Cloud Nine had taken into account when planning their aerial boarding attempt.

Upon accepting evasion wouldn’t be possible, Youn and the other deck officers began targeting the rappelers ahead of them. An exceedingly difficult task with both smoke and light beams obscuring the fast-descending figures. The pounding of drums and mishmash of call outs assaulting each and every officer’s senses in concert with the visual impairments. Though one call out did manage to separate itself from the rest.

“Spikes planted, backside of the towers!”

Youn whipped his head around and scanned the length of the closest tower, confirming the forms of at least two Volts perched atop sets of staggered spikes. He noted that the spikes had been set up to be low enough to avoid a serious injury when dropping down but high enough to guarantee they could clear the distance between the towers and Crusaders. The window for attempting the crossover presenting itself nearly the same instant their ploy was discovered. Like many of his fellow servicemen and women the oft fractious security officer raised the sights of his rifle at the more immediate threat. Only for his timing to coincide with the passing of C362 through one of the light beams threading through the castle walkways.

Youn committed to the shot nonetheless, confident his body had remained steady even if his eyes and face recoiled at the unwelcome light source. With his vision temporarily lost to him the young officer listened intently for anything landing on deck. His plan being to fire blindly in the most literal sense. A risk he felt comfortable taking thanks to the deliberate decision to keep his feet planted in the same direction as the initial shot. Meaning he wouldn’t make the mistake of discharging his weapon in the direction of the bridge where an ally might emerge. What’s more Brewer being on the front deck slashed the chances of him falling victim to a blind shot or two.

And so it was with his eyes screwed shut that Youn perceived something striking the deck hard enough to send subtle vibrations from just off to the side of the turret bay. He fired low assuming the vibrations had come about largely due to an awkward landing and strained his ears for signs of a verbal reaction. What met his ears first however was the sound of another much less violent thud somewhere to his right side. Forcing his eyes open he turned and fired at the intruder who wisely tucked in behind his sizeable buckler. A noteworthy observation since an armament of that size would have been too heavy to jump with from one of the towers.

Sure enough the raider in question was at work disconnecting the rope that had lowered him down from the walkway, a trail of smoke of similar origin following close behind and beginning to spill out across the deck behind them. Fully cognizant of the predicament forming around him Youn made the snap decision to charge the raider with the buckler before he had a chance to get his feet underneath him completely, still caught up releasing the constraint of the rope. But upon seeing the security officer was rushing him put the matter on the backburner in favor of putting both arms behind the buckler and bracing himself.

Experienced enough to know the futility of throwing himself against what essentially amounted to a metal wall, Youn killed his momentum, contacted the buckler with both hands and began to drive his legs forward instead. Having lost his leverage the raider could only flail helplessly as the object meant to safeguard him betrayed its purpose and helped drive him back towards the edge of the Crusader’s deck. The attempt to release the buckler coming too late as the railing struck the man’s lower back, the bruising sensation that followed giving way to the even less desirable sensation of temporary weightlessness. Until the rope he’d failed to disconnect from his belt halted his descent but left him swaying upside down. And it was from that flipped perspective the raider was forced to watch as the convoy pressed onward further and further away from him. Leaving him helpless until those who aided in his descent took notice and pulled him back up.

The levity of the raider’s removal from the Crusader was lost on Youn however as it took more than a bit of concentration to retrieve the buckler and whip himself around in time to defend against the first party member who had boarded. The sound and tenuous vibration of two bullets ricochetting downwards confirming he’d made it in time. And it wasn’t long before more gunfire and incoherent shouting began to hang in the air all around the convoy. A slew of clashes breaking out across every one of the Crusader’s decks as more and more Cloud Nine members descended from towers and walkways.

Officers who’d previously been posted on the lower levels now rushing topside via the stairs to assist in staving off the enemy. All the while the CO’s scrambled to coordinate a defense response, doing so as they followed protocol and worked on sealing the bridge’s lone entry point. Of a similar mindset to his colleagues, Youn’s eyes darted towards the turret bay knowing it would serve him far better than staying out in the open of the back deck. So it was after a quick peek over the top of the confiscated buckler to confirm the enemy’s position that he charged in the direction of the safe haven. Though it couldn’t truly be called one if he didn’t have another pair of hands to cover the second opening. Turret bays having parallel apertures for entering and exiting. Something he’d just have to work out once inside.

But upon reaching the entrance and angling the buckler sideways so he could enter Youn caught the retreating form of a raider he reasoned must’ve been the first to touch down from before. His momentary confusion abating after a glance downward confirmed the presence of a small explosive with a standard time fuse. Youn felt his heart leap into his throat as he instinctively took a few steps back and nearly stumbled. He heard the buckler bounce of the deck, not even realizing his grip on it had slackened, too focused on turning away from the turret bay. He managed one full step before diving towards the bridge in an effort to put as much distance as possible between him and the imminent blast. His final observation as he laid out across the back deck being in response to the back shoulders of a raider climbing down the ladderway ahead of him. And with more explosives for all Youn knew.

Cade, Brewer!

But soon all that filled his thoughts and the entire back deck was the sound and debris of a blast tearing through the turret bay’s dual openings.

*

Located at what could unofficially be considered the halfway point of the nearly three-hundred-meter-long procession route, existed a raised blockhouse that challenged not only the height of the stone walkways around it but the height of the towers sprouting from the castle’s curtain walls. Its dimensions and interior layout indicative of a designer’s desire to inundate the space with all manner of lavish accoutrement fit to appease it’s similarly lavish occupants. Making it by all intents and purposes an observation module fit for digesting a parade in all its celebratory glory.

This was all lost on its current occupants however, both men caring little for the imagined amenities or decorative potential of the room they usurped to monitor the progress of the raid from. One of which would be joining the ongoing effort in short order, representative of the custom-made body armor and lantern shields they’d donned in preparation. The motif for their armor drawing inspiration from the thunderbirds once rumored to have terrorized the skies of the western plateaus. As such claps of thunder in the form of wings had been etched onto both shields, along with the front and sides of the helm. The piece de resistance being the armor sets metallic gold coating that practically radiated in the sun’s beams.

The occupant of this resplendent armor standing by as the party leader of Cloud Nine viewed the approaching procession through a bulky pair of binoculars. Not so much blinking or even addressing the wearer, even as the rattling footfalls of the armor’s sabatons signaled their steadfast approach from behind. Culminating in the harsh point of the lantern shield coming to rest between the shoulder blades of one Logan Hite.

“Strange, I’d been led to believe the butchering of fellow party members was reserved for settings with less light, less witnesses and far more bat shit.”

Hite lowered the binoculars but stopped short of turning around to confront his would-be killer. Reed slightly increasing the pressure being applied to his offending arm.

“Rest assured those witnesses will have their stories straight.”

“If their only purpose here is to standby and watch as their leader is run through by a glorified letter opener, I’d suggest you send them somewhere they could be of actual use. The room housing the exit gate’s operating mechanism for example. I’d have sent my own to see to it but they all appear preoccupied or scattered at the moment.”

Hite felt the pressure of the blade being applied to his back lessen as his subordinate considered his opposition’s angle.

“Oddly specific location to have on the tip of your tongue. Something you’d like to share for the sake of the party?”

“Is that how you’ll justify my demise here to yourself and the others, that it was all for the sake of the party. Could be a harder sell than you might think. More so if I take the information I have with me to the grave and it results in the tremendous waste of today’s resources.”

“What are you playing at?!”

Reed lowered the lantern shield but wasted little time erasing the distance of its reach, settling the end of the blade on the underside of Hite’s chin as he turned around in a calm and controlled manner.

“I could ask you the same thing. Carrying your attack out now, at the height of our advantage. Did you honestly believe they’d roll over so easily that my absence wouldn’t come with any ramifications?”

“They’re outnumbered and cornered—!”

“As they’ve been since entering Lamella’s Lands! And now, with Riga in her sights, you don’t think this convoy rejects the notion of being outmatched!”

Reed fell silent. It wasn’t often that Cloud Nine’s leader spoke with so much emotion. It added a level of sincerity to all his actions and decisions up to this point. A dangerous development he’d have no choice but to snub for the sake of pursuing his ambitions to become leader. Even so he had to begrudgingly admit that there were better uses for his lantern shield right now. Leading him to lower it back to his side and push past his grizzled adversary. He stepped onto the ledge leading to the opening designed for a window. The enemy nigh upon them following their squabble.

“Go see it through Duck. Frolic around in the visage of the mighty thunderbird to your hearts content. And in the aftermath of our success here I’ll accept a duel for right to command the party. Put an end to the discourse concerning succession.”

Reed watched as the lead Crusader and the figures clashing on its deck grew closer, testing the straps of his dual lantern shields.

“Don’t think the LCF will bail you out of this tentative agreement, puppet of Roy.”

“Say what you will, but don’t forget it was your beloved Baugh who traded your friend away. So stop and think hard about whether the old guard should hold any sway over our futures. You might just find my intentions more agreeable.”

And it was on that note Reed stepped off the ledge and dropped down. Though whether it had to do with the timing of the convoy’s approach or his unwillingness to continue listening to Hite was up for debate. Either way there was no love lost between the two pillars of Cloud Nine. Two pillars fashioned of very different but distinct materials.