You search for a bit to find a place to stay, the locals not wanting much to do with strangers. Eventually, you come to what amounts to a barracks converted to lodgings via hung sheets and bunk beds. It only costs 10 credits, per person, per night. While it lacks in privacy, you note that none of the town's guards are anywhere near it and it is on the far side of town, away from the mines.
So the next morning...
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"Okay, who's up for the oldest plan in the book?
Usually I'd do this at a tavern, but we just did that and that didn't go so good. I got a feeling that any attempt to chat up one his men is gonna bring Sheriff No-Fun down with the banhammer, so I gots t' do something else.
My plan is to approach the guards at the gate, and just start chatting. They seem pretty bored anyway, and in my experience, other than the most 'leet of the 'leet, all guys on boring guard duty love to have something else to do, especially if that thing is talking to pretty girls about what they'll do after their shift.
Hence.
As I get a feel for who will be most pliable, I'll try to lead them back here. That don't work, I'll try to get invited to their private quarters.
Once at a second location, I can ask 'em soft. That don't work, I can ask 'em hard.
If I can't get invited anywhere undisturbed, I can work some option in an alley. Not the best, but it'll do in a pinch.
I'll stay connected to you guys via comms.
How's zat sound?"
"Leading them back here would be a problem, because of all the other 'guests' around. I don't like the idea of your being alone, but it would be easier to go with the guard to his private quarters. Unless he sleeps in a barracks as well. Tell you what, why don't you invite him back to your (fictitious) quarters, then lead him thru an alley as a 'shortcut' where we can *all* be waiting for him?"
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Anya nods, finding the plan reasonable.
"I won't be totally alone. I'll leave my comm open. Mind you, that means you'll be able to hear ev-ry-thing. Okay, tally ho!"
She winks and grins at her double entendre.
That done, she exits and heads for the main gates.
Although if she sees another young, strapping guard before then, she's not above targets of opportunity.
"Here, take one o' these with ya. It should help ya get out of a tight scrape in a pinch." Ezekial says, holding out a small canister with a button on either end.
"Jus' chuck it on the ground and let it go to work. Make sure you stand a fair bit back from it though."
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Anya squeals in delight as she takes the thing, though she doesn't ask what it do. That's not really her thing.
It's only through a supreme force of will that she doesn't toss it on the ground right now just to see what it does. Which is something that's her thing.
Instead she slips it into her brazier and makes for the door.
Anya heads out the door with a new toy and the rest of you find a place to hide while she goes to work.
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"Hoi, me chummer," Anya opens up to The First SecGuard She Sees. "Oh my my but I do love a man with authority. So strong. So..controlling.
Look at you all saving the world one baddie at a time. Mmmm, I but all the hotties are all up on yer disco stick wanting to snarg a rakish beat, ya?"
He eyes start fluttering at 3000 rpm. Not only from an effort to flirt, but her newtech is having a rough time translating her base street lingo into something more contemporary.
"Um, -do- you have a hottie keeping your bed warm? If not, well, that's a thing we'll have to remedy, yeah?"
Anya approaches a guard that seems to be making his way towards the saloon. As she saunters up to him, he takes a step back. It's difficult to tell his reaction under his helmet. When she finishes, he seems to relax a bit. "You must be one of that crew that I was hearing about. The boys can't stop talking about some pretty hotshot that took some of their money and then wandered off. Now here you are, with your out of town talk and trying to get me to scratch an itch for you? The prospects here are dried up, so I'm a bit curious, but what's it gonna cost?"
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Anya stares at the man as if he'd grown a third head. But finally comprehension dawns and she begins to smile.
And then chuckle.
And then laugh.
O, it is a loud, long, hearty and clensing laugh. She doubles over and clutches her stomach with both arms, her chest wriggling and jiggling with mirth.
At last, lungs burning with the effort of breathing and laughing at the same time, she gets a hold of herself, and wipes tears of joy form her eyes.
"Oh. Oh me droog that's a proper stemwind it is," she says in her native gutterspeak before her breathing at last flattens out.
"Nay, nay, me lovely," she coos, coming closer and settling a fine hand on the man's chest. "'Tis nothing of the sort. I'm not so hard up for coin as that. I'm just bored, is all. Normally I'd let you buy me a drink, but I've a notion that your boss is a right stick-in-the-mud and if I entered doors again I'd get no play with him staring daggers at me back.
And why? I've done him no wrong. I just come asking after the weather of the place and he all but shoves me out the door without so much as a by your leave!"
She frowns at the dirt for a moment, getting a hold of herself and tamping down the passion she always has when she gets thrown out of a bar. Leastways most of the time she rightly deserves it, so to do so without leave is downright uncivilized.
"Ta,"she says, exhaling and leaving the matter alone. "Hence. As you say, I'm just looking to scratch an itch. I thought you might could be a one to do th' scratching.
But, if you're not up for it. I dunno, maybe you don't like girls. Then whateves. I'm sure I'll find an arrangement afore long."
She turns to look down the street, as if getting ready to go and find someone else.
"Hold on there, I didn't say no, just what it would cost. I wasn't meaning just creds either. Everything has a price. I had thought a merc like you would appreciate that notion." He looks around before taking his helmet off. He is older than Anya, but not by much, if the bits of gray in his stubble are anything to go by. His blue eyes show that he has seen a lot of things he'd rather forget. "Hollis is hard but fair, a good leader. I've got about ten before I have to get back, and there's a quiet little warehouse just up the ways here we can take care of that itch for you."
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Anya considered things. She never thought the ally idea was a good one--too many unknowns. But a warehouse has walls and doors. Good things needed to hold someone down and fetch good paydata.
"Quiet is my favorite kind of warehouse! That one over there? That multi-story one in the faux red brick?"
She just hoped the rest of the team was still listening to her open comms. They'd been awfully quiet. She thought to hear at least some taudry joke or a 'don't bury yourself in the part, Wraith' chirp in her ear like...like it usually did.
"Oooo, salt'n'peper," she purrs as the man reveals his head. She runs her hands through his aging hair, laying her claim. "I like it. Makes you look...distinguished.
Now that we've plans laid, we should be proper introduced. I'm Wraith."
She drops her hands down his sides and comes up with his hand, leading him toward the aforementioned warehouse.
"This warehouse abandoned? I hope so. Imma screamer."
She marches on, gently tugging him forward.
"Your call sign or your actual name?" He asks before thinking better of it. "Nevermind, I'm not sure I want to know or that it will matter after you skip town, but I appreciate the notion. The boys call me Longshot." You reach the exact building described and it is indeed empty. Longshot goes around back to where he finds a door that has a keypad. You see him put in a code and then another one. "So we're not interrupted.", he explains.
Going inside, you see that the place has a few crates stacked here and there, some marked, some not. Most of them are open and empty. Though the light is lower in here this time of day, your companion has found a camp lantern that he turns on. In the center of the warehouse is a makeshift bedroom, complete with a mattress and blankets on the floor. What you don't see is your crew.
Upon hearing Anya agree to the warehouse, Burgurk growls loudly, hoping Anya will hear it. "Anya, you described the building, but we don't know where you are relative to the front gate. Is there any way you can describe where you are in the city, without alerting your...partner?"
To the rest of the group he says "Can any of you track Anya's comms' transmitter to locate her?"
"Gather 'round me. I'll move us inside.
A blink later, and the group reappears within the warehouse, in a large open space towards the center.
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"That's why they made callsigns," Anya replies with a knowing smile. "For when names just make it complicated."
She lets herself be lead around back, if only out of habit.
Once inside, however, her eternal curiosity--always at least on standby--momentarily takes the wheel. While starting to unbutton her blouse--sauce for the goose--she wanders over to the crates and gives them a cursory examination, letting her 'ware wander over them.
= 11
"Cool! What'd'ya use this place for? I assume guns, yeah? Or maybe drugs? Ooo! Ya got any t' share?"
She wanders over to Longshot (that is what he said his name is, right?') and her lithe arms snake around his neck. "Hmm. Just you and me and one locked door. What ever shall we do?"
She brings his head down and kisses him forcefully. Her hands de-entangle themselves and both begin priority missions of undressing the man. Agent Left has the North, while Agent Right has the South.
She's ambidextrous, so she's very good at this.
Anya's cyberware starts recording all the bits and labels they can for later perusal, but at first glance it appears whatever was in these crates has already been taken elsewhere. Longshot, eager to get things going has already started to undress, his helmet careless tossed aside as he starts removing his armor. "Nothing like that in here, only parts for the mines, most of which is already down there. Why are you so.." He doesn't get to finish as Anya kisses him.
At that precise moment, due to Shakti's lack of human compassion for any of the nuances of human interaction, read: bad timing, her and the rest of the team appear, surrounding both Anya and Longshot, who is rather surprised.
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With her left hand drawing his head in with a tight clinch, Anya's tongue is giving his tonsils all they can handle while her right hand has found his passion and is stoking it's fire to a red hot temper.
The *bamf* of displaced air from an incoming teleportation rattles her not at all as this sort of thing has become commonplace from recent events. She opens one eye and takes in the newcomers with understanding.
Half her mouth lifts in a wry grin and her posture changes slightly. She pulls her head away a titch, while her grip on The Southern Realm becomes tight, uncomfortably so.
"Oh look, we seem to have been interrupted. You said that wouldn't happen, so this is really your fault."
The hand on his head grabs his hair tightly. Well, both her hands tighten up.
"As punishment we're gonna tie you up and ask you questions. An' yer gonna be a good boy. A real good boy. You do it good, you might could walk outa here.
You don't? Well, you might still walk outa here.
But you won't want to."
Longshot, his future literally in Anya's hands, only nods as much as Anya's grip will allow. You tie him up with whatever gear you can scrounge from in the warehouse. As you are sure you have him pinned, he smiles. "Does this mean there won't be a second date?"
Burgurk walks up to him, and towering over him growls "Tell us *everything* you know about what's going on in that mine, and if there's any lack of security we could use to get inside there."
= 7
Longshot, his future literally in Anya's hands, only nods as much as Anya's grip will allow. You tie him up with whatever gear you can scrounge from in the warehouse. As you are sure you have him pinned, he smiles. "Does this mean there won't be a second date?"
"Now, now, son, there's still a chance. One ron-day-voo with my first wife went not much too different than this." he says, smiling back.
"Just answer the questions the nice dog- err, eh, green guy 'ere and there ain't no need fer unpleasantness."
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"I know, right?" she smiles and shoots back at 'Zeke. "No one said there won't be a second date. I didn't say that. Who said that?"
"Look here, Longshot," she starts, buttoning some, but not all, of the buttons on her blouse. "What we're after is not yours. Balls, we don't even have a beef with you! And what we want to know might not even be big drek!
Had I -my- druthers, I'd'a just as soon spent a pleasent evening in a watering hole, buying rounds and getting this from nice, pliable men-folk. I get what I want, y'all get what you want. Everybody wins!
But no! Your boss had to go meh-meh-meh-meh-meh," she sticks her hands up like puppets and mimics high-pitched whining, "and kick me out like he was a dog guarding his pile of drek.
So, Longy-boy, we got options here. Frag, you might even get something outa this! I don't like your boss. You wanna be the next boss? Some night that fragger doesn't wake up. Bam. You're the new boss. Someone doesn't like it? Bam. I'd off him for ya too. Rinse and repeat until you're king of the fragging hill.
You like that? 'Cause that's on the table. And, oh chummer, I do like me some boss meat." She looks Longshot up and down and smacks her lips.
"So let's just start with some answers. Go on, give us the whole she-bang--and we'll do what we gotta do and get outa your hair, and, ah, I don't gotta leave yer lifeless corpse sitting in that chair."
Longshot looks at each of you, as if trying to size up what he is up against. His veteran eyes take stock of your abilities. "Hollis runs our team straight lined. He has done well by us and I have no inclination to run the boys. I just do my job. Every once in a while, we take some liberties, which is why I'm sitting here waiting for them to realize I'm not at my post. Once they do, Hollis will send a team out for me. That's the kind of leader he is." He pauses, swallowing hard.
"Thing is, this latest deal has us a bit spooked. There's some magic weaver in the mines doing some nasty thing and we're his first line of defense. He's got demons in those mines. which is why none of us like to set foot in there. If there's another way in other than the mine opening, we haven't found it yet. The locals pretty much do what they're told and don't ask many questions. From what I've figured out so far, they 'let' this guy do his thing, as long as he doesn't come for them. The boys are worried with all the demons running around the mine, but they haven't come into town. That we know of."
Longshot sits up, satisfied that he has given you what will save his life.
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Wraith screws up her face, thinking back to what their mission was.
What I'm about to tell you only the Council and the Director of Intelligence knows. It appears that our new friends, the faelerin, had some secrets they weren't willing to part with right away when they arrived. It appears their world is overrun with what some might call demons. Something happened and numerous Rifts opened up on their world and many of their kind took them here to what they though might be safety. We now know that it was some of their own kind that brought this disaster to their world and it is possible that some of them are trying to make that happen here. We can not allow this. We have recently received word that a few of their kind have been sighted east of here in a town called Paragould. From what we know, the townsfolk there are an independent community and not associated with the Legion or anyone else. I don't have to tell you that this creates some concern within the Council. Your mission will be to infiltrate the town, find out what is going on and report back. If you unravel any activity that could threaten the town, you are authorized to bring it down. Remember that you are our representatives there, at least until we can establish a Diplomatic Team to go and hopefully add them to our good graces. Be on your best behavior. We have already sent word to the unit in Garnet Town that they will remain there to protect it until you able to return to your duties there. We have decided to keep Specialist Jimenez and Private Casey assigned to you as well, as they have familiarity with your abilities and tactics. Sergeant Burgurk. I know that leadership is not an easy thing to bear, but I trust that you will wear it with pride and honor. These people are your tribe. I know what that means to one of your kind, so I know you will treat them as such. Remember to listen to their council, take their words into consideration, but as their leader, their responsibility falls on you. I know you have questions, so I will hear them and answer them as I can.
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Wraith is not given to pondering.
That is a vast understatement.
Anya is a creature of hedonism, and she has embraced that. She believes that life is meant to be enjoyed. She tolerates working for a living, but always makes sure that she gets paid for doing a thing she would want to do anyway.
And she tries not to concern herself with tomorrow.
So when her face loses its ubiquitous smile and her look turns to one of shock and horror, it's an event of some note.
With a look of determination that seems strange on her face, she moves around to Longshot's back and cuts his bonds free.
"O chummer," she says in absolute seriousness. "You got played."
She comes around to Longshot's front so he can understand how sub-fragging-zero serious she is.
"Your boss was a fool for letting the demons in, and even more of a fool for not telling us about them.
The demons are from another Rift world and they have already taken that world over and they are ab-so-lutely making another Rift to bring their whole en-chi-lada here.
To take this world over.
That's why he needs secrecy."
A part of her brain worried that she might not be allowed to tell the merc all the things she was saying, but such concepts as 'permission' held but poor coin in her internal economy.
"To keep doing what you're doing is to drag a fragging knife across your own fragging throat.
And the throat of literally.
Everyone."
She pauses to let that sink in.
"Now before we can stop it we gotta get a good look in there. I've got at least three different plans to do that but each fragging one of them would go better with you on board.
It won't take much time and I can take all the blame, but, chip-truth, I really want you on our team.
Or I gotta ice you and disintegrate your body and we gotta do it the hard way.
I'm just being honest so you know the gravity of the situation.
You in, chummer?
Oh. And, yes, if we all live through this we can go to happy town."
= 16. Is that good? I think that's good.
Before Longshot can answer, Burgurk asks another question : "Hollis seems to be the human point-man for this magic weaver and its demons. If he was taken out of the picture" Burgurk shows a toothy smile to indicate what he means "how much disruption would that cause in your gang? Would there be fights to determine the new leader, or is there a second-in-command all lined up? Or would everyone including the human guards at the mine just scatter without a commander?"
Longshot stares at Anya for a long moment, the grim look on his face telling you that he is seriously considering his options. Burgurk's questioning wakes him from his thoughts. "Look, Hollis looks out for us. He wouldn't have agreed to this if he didn't think it was safe for us. We got paid pretty handsomely to do the work.", he says, but there is a hint of doubt in his voice. "I personally don't trust anyone that works with demons in any capacity. I mentioned that to him a few times now, but he insisted that the money was good and as soon as the contract was up, we were out of here. The thing is, I don't know when that's going to be. It's been a couple of weeks now and there's no sign of that guy giving up what he's doing. Some of the boys agree with me, but not all of them. I personally like Hollis and I would rather not see him come to harm. Many of us see him as a father figure or at least a good friend. Our gang as you call it is a little more organized than most of the rabble you see out there. We won't simply fall apart if the leader goes down. The next in command will take over and wreak vengeance on whoever did the deed." He doesn't say this as a threat, but more matter-of-factly.
"I won't help you kill Hollis, but I will help you with those demons. I will do my best to keep our boys out of the fight so you can focus on the demon infestation. I can't promise anything, but at least you won't have the entire company on your backs. If they get past you, we will hold them off as long as we can. After that, if we survive, we'll negotiate further."
"I felt a bit of a... taint... on Hollis when we saw him in the saloon, as well as on the men with him. Now we have one here for a more detailed examination, perhaps I can figure out what it was."
She walks over to the man, his concentration still firmly in Wraith's hand, and looks at him with a concentrated gaze. She opens her (metaphorical) third eye, gazing through any glamours or shields against detection...
"It may be something as simple as the demon's scent, left over due to simply occupying the same space, though at different times. It could also be a marker, like a signal to other demons that this prey is claimed, find your own servants or food. The last possibility is something more sinister, that it has done something to these men to control or modify them. Mind control, subtle influence, or perhaps a portion of its essence; which might operate like a remote control, or perhaps like an egg - over time it could grow, feeding on the bodies or souls of the mercenaries until it bursts out of them, either physically or spiritually."
Shakti smiles at the man, though whether showing her pointed teeth was by design or unintentional is unclear.
"It appears to be the first possibility. The stink merely clings to him; he is not infested."
She looks him up and down once more, "At least not by anything supernatural. There is nothing remarkable about him otherwise."
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Anya screws her face up and tilts her head up, as if furiously contemplating the inside of her eyelids.
At last as Shakti is done with her scrying, she returns to the present and speaks.
"Yeah, sorry, Burgurk. I barked up that whole 'killing Hollis' thing and it just doesn't look like it's gonna fly. Guy's a world-class drekhead, but it looks like he runs a good tight crew, and that a rare enough thing.
He's just protecting his meal ticket.
Anyway!
Yes, okay, so, how's this. I go and get my panzer. I'll just make like I'm leaving town or whatever.
Then I cloak, and I meet you guys literally anywhere.
Longshot either leads the guards away, or just...gets them to chill for a bit while we go in.
Plan A is we just kill all the demons and save the world.
Plan B is I assassinate the Sorcerer and we retreat to the cave mouth and kill the demons as they come.
But if there are just waaaay too many demons. I mean, like, a comically huge number, we get our data and we back up and we...do something else.
How'z'at?"
"S'much as I want to go in guns a' blazin' and all, weren't we supposed to just do recon and report back or summat? Command might get mighty miffed if'n we haul off and kill a bunch but one escapes or some such. Maybe we oughter radio back the sitchy-ation right quick-like to cover our rears on this 'un."
Moving the group a distance from Longshot, Burgurk says "I agree, we've gotten a very good 'feel' for this situation in a very short amount of time. It's time to talk to Chief Elle. Her orders were 'find out what is going on and report back'. While she did say we could bring down any activity that threatens the town, this has obviously been going on for some time, so I don't see any *immediate* threat. And if we get in a fight with the group that's protecting the town, that won't put the Legion in a very good light with the townspeople, and Elle did say we are the Legion's representatives for the moment.
Also, I have serious concerns about Longshot's ability to get us in the mine without raising any suspicion or engaging in combat with his own men, unless they happen to be close friends who are also concerned about the demons."
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"Well, yeah, we were supposed to do a recon, but think about it:
One, so what if we do report? Do you think Refuge has several armored division just sitting around waiting to come up to the middle of Nowhere to bust up some demons? Nope. They're just gonna tell us to do the thing anyway.
Two, consider Heisenburg's Uncertainty Principle."
She considered it.
"Observation of an object can, itself, affect that object.
Sure, Longshot might not talk, but that doesn't mean that the Demon Master won't catch on. Some new people come into town, ask rough questions, and leave. It doesn't take a Master Spy to connect those dots.
He might beef up security. Or he might accelerate his plans.
Either way, he's as vulnerable as he's gonna get Right. Now. Time can only work against us. IF he is bringing in more demons, he's only gonna have more demons tomorrow. The next demon he summons might tip the balance!
Also, Longshot might talk as soon as we're gone. If we act now we can keep an eye on him."
Ezekial scratches his head.
Wasn't you talkin' about leavin' town to get yer big ol' metal suit anyways? Seems a moot point."
"Right, right, but if'n you was gonna do that, ya don't lose nothin' by sendin' a quick telegram or what have you while yer flyin' around, see?"
"I *insist* that we follow orders, Anya, and contact Castle Refuge. It should only take a few minutes, and then we can't be held accountable for not following orders." Burguk says, with a note of finality in his voice.
"Also, getting your suit and bringing it into town would be a violation of the town's rules, which would not make us very popular here with *everyone*, not just the mercenaries. Remember, we're also on a *diplomatic* mission, which I understand you don't understand very well."
Longshot decides not to try his luck at standing from his chair, but he does speak. "You will definitely not win any friends if you go gallivanting around in power armor around here. That and I have a feeling that would instantly bring the wrath of his demons on the town."
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Anya pinches the bridge of her nose. She's a subtle creature, and usually has a great many options, both subtle and gross, at her disposal.
As much as she'd like to keep reminding everyone that her armor both flies and is invisible, if she has to keep holding everyone's hand all the time, nothing is gonna get done.
"Ain't no one talking at you, Longshot!" Anya calls over he shoulder, before returning to the cuddle-huddle.
"Look, I'm a subtle creature, and I carry a -lot- of options around, both subtle and gross. I'm well aware what the parameters are. YOU need to be aware that we're not children and you're not the Emperor of Man.
Also, stop insulting me. IF you were a civilized creature you'd apologize for it. But I won't hold my breath."
That done, she pinches her nose again, thinking. Mr. Yells-a-lot seems to be addicted to NOT coming up with a plan, and just saying how much her plans suck.
She -hates- that.
But since her plans are the only ones on the table, might as well go with it.
"Okay, since we're not doing the right thing and killing all the demons right now, we need to let Longshot go to his shift.
Or kill him and teleport the body out of here. Whateves. You're call.
I'll go to the depot and say that I need to do some maintenance on my bird, and I'll radio HQ using the on-board voxx.
Then I'll tell you what they said. And we'll do that.
ALSO! You need to believe me when I tell you what they said. Don't be like 'Nah, they didn't say killing the demons is what we should do' because that's...just not gonna work."
That done she turns and walks out the door.
Or at least tries to. If it doesn't open she's gonna start yelling until it does.
"Anya, I thought I was stating an obvious fact, but if I insulted you I sincerely apologize. But I want to come with you, not because I don't trust you, but because as leader of the group I should be the one to report to Chief Elle."
"Also, under *no circumstances* are you to bring your armor into the town - that's an *order* - understood?"
He waits for an answer.
ALSO! You need to believe me when I tell you what they said. Don't be like 'Nah, they didn't say killing the demons is what we should do' because that's...just not gonna work."
Ezekial shrugs and grins.
"Ways I see it, don't matter none whether you lie or not. Gives us an easy scapegoat when the suits start askin' what's what over here."
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"Also, under *no circumstances* are you to bring your armor into the town - that's an *order* - understood?"
He waits for an answer.
Anya's eyes go wide. "What? No!" This was such a huge mistake, all for some made-up rule. But how to express in words?
'Some orders of the sovreign must not be obeyed' 'If a man is to choose between fear and love, it is better to be feared'
Suddenly a rush of wordthoughts flooded her brain, pushing out all other thoughts, each phrase shouting for attention, claiming to be the thought she was looking for.
'The panzers attacked to the East' 'The infantry died liked snow falling on warm ground' 'He knew his opponanet and he beleived with him he could take great liberties'
The just wouldn't...stop.
She closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears and knelt down, trying to get away from the flood of noise noise noise noise.
'First put your troops in death ground, then the will face victory or death' 'A man afraid does not think' 'I think the enemy army should be the object of your attention'
They were not her thoughts. Or were they? Parts of books she had paged through bored with nothing else to do. Bits of schoolbooks she had pointedly ignored. Chips she had slotted because a cute boy was studying it and she wanted to keep him talking.
'An army may be alikened "...to a body of water!" 'It flows' "around places of resistance to lower places of weakness."
Wait. Had she said part of that out loud? The thoughts were finally slowing, she could get a handle on them.
"All warfare is based on deception!" she cried, joyfully.
The newtech was allowing her to access knowledge that her brain had held on to--in the infinite capacity that all humans have--but had had no reason to access. Until now.
"You don't...you can't play by the enemy's rules." she stated, at last standing.l She stared at the floor, trying to follow this new train of thought that had popped up in a desest of unthought.
"It's a tactical error to leave your biggest guns not facing forward just because someone says they shouldn't."
At last she looks at Burgurk.
"Victory requires no excuse. Defeat allows none."
That was it. Now to try and make it make sense.
"My panzer is a stealth configuration. They'll -never- even know I was here. There. Whatever.
Also, the mines -aren't- the city. We can hardly be expected to know every detail of their zoning boards.
Also, if we liberated them from certain doom, they'll thank us. But is we fail, or leave them to be torn apart by unworldly demons, they will harldy care if we used my panzer or not.
Hence, it is the obligation of the commander to -win-. Using the best tactics. NOT to appease every paper-pushing city-board...especially...have you considered...that the rule was put into place to =protect= the demons?
'The Constitution is not a suicide pact. I would not see the whole of the Union be undone just to protect the least part of it.'" she at last finishes, unknowing that the last was said by a man who signed something called the Emancipation Proclamation.
"Also, I'm useless without my panzer. If I can't use it...I may as well stay by it, and wait for your distress call."
Burgurk hears her out, thinks for a moment, and counters with :
"What if your cloak malfunctions? Then everyone will know you violated the town rules.
We have *no idea* whether those rules were in place before or after the demons invaded, or whether the mines are considered as part of the city.
And, it is not "someone", it is *our commander* who said to be diplomatic and follow the city's rules, and again we have *no idea* if they are the enemy's rules. As leader of this team, if you violate the city's rules and get caught, *I* am responsible.
We are the good guys, we follow the rules. I know that puts us at a disadvantage, but that's the price we pay.
And, you are not "useless" without your armor, you just aren't as powerful. You still have your personal armor, your laser weapons, and your built-in cyber enhancements. You can fight fine on your own."