CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Now that the King, Admiral, and Cap have been discussing options for a couple hours while Kesn and I are just sitting here, I’m starting to realize exactly how long today has been. I just left my bed in the hospital ward this morning, then gathered information from LC Darkmuck, then explained everything to my staff, then that whole thing with the armor, then sneaking into the Palace, then explaining everything again to Cap… No wonder I’m getting really tired now! That pain in my stomach is reminding me that I haven’t eaten anything either except the soup while I was in the hospital ward yesterday.
I turn to see if Kesn has any ideas about food, but she’s asleep in her chair. Can’t blame her for that! She had to sneak out of the Palace before helping me sneak in! Sometimes we high-ranking flunkies have difficult jobs. I still love my job, but it’s easy to get lost in it and forget that you have to also take care of yourself when super-important stuff is happening. I’m sure the goblin behind the desk would agree with me! If she was awake, that is.
I’m just about to give up on keeping myself awake and lay out on the floor when I hear the King’s voice loud and clear, “It’s decided, then. Let’s get started.” I look over to see him stand at the table. Cap and the Admiral stand with him after a second.
Glancing back over the desk, I see the King’s voice didn’t wake Kesn. I reach out and lightly touch her hand, causing her arm to jump slightly. The motion brings her out of her slumber, and her eyes slowly open. When she sees the men standing, she stretches her neck and stands, yawning slightly. I also stand, using the opportunity to stretch my legs out and get the blood flowing again.
The King turns to us. “Ladies, my apologies for the late night. Commander, you’re returning to your ship with your Captain and his guard. His Excellency will be staying here with us for now, working closely with the Ambassador.”
I nod. “Thank you, Your Majesty. May I ask exactly what the plan is? I understand you three have discussed it, but the Ambassador and I have been respectfully not paying attention.”
Admiral Shockpaw lays a hand on the King’s shoulder. “Xarm. Do you see what I meant? Again I see the Commander tired, and again she’s still directly on top of everything. You have no need to worry about this crew. They will perform admirably.”
The King nods. “I see that. Commander, it’s very simple. The Admiral and Ambassador Dreadthief are going to work directly with the Overseer and manage the visitation of enforcer squads to every Black Tongues hideout we’re aware of. It’s been many years since we raided them originally, but they should still be empty, based on Lieutenant Commander Darkmuck’s knowledge. We’re going to verify that. However, we’re going to be very loud and showy about it. The Overseer’s office will be involved, the Palace Guard will be involved, and it will be known that His Excellency is leading the raids directly under my authority.
“ We’re assuming that there are leaks in both the Overseer’s enforcer ranks and the Palace Guard. We expect that information to get to the gang quickly, and even if there are folk in those hideouts, they’re going to move quickly out of the way. They’re going to go to the only hideouts that aren’t on our list and appear to still be safe – the ones on Darkmuck’s list of active locations.
“If the entire gang scurries to the same hiding places, it’ll be nice and full of stuff when your unexpected battalion lands on all of those locations at once. The list your ship sent to the Ambassador had five locations on it. Based on your numbers, you should easily be able to drop 2 platoons on each location. 72 of your soldiers should be more than enough to take care of anything the gang has been able to put together in any single location. You and your Captain will be coordinating that effort.
“If everything goes right, then tomorrow night we’ll be able to wipe out most of the problem, and get enough intel to sort out anything that remains.”
I nod. “Tomorrow night? That’s very quick. There’s no way they’ll be expecting it. I like it. I only have one worry – Lieutenant Gloomfire is still in there. We won’t be able to get him out before the attack.”
Cap holds up a hand. “Right. That’s one reason why our team is takin’ care o’ the live hideouts. Our folk know Zaxn and won’t cut ‘im down. Especially since you’ll be leadin’ that unit yerself.”
I really hate these important mission revelations when I’m not fully awake. I should make a formal complaint later. “Excuse me? I’m leading a unit?”
He nods. “We need five unit leaders. We’ve got Gimmir, Simon, and Lada. That’s three. Since we need folk who can make quick decisions and control two platoons at once, there’s only really two more valid options – yerself and myself. Since we have to get Zaxn out, and he’ll be helpin’ fight from the inside, ya get to take that one while the rest of us can be ruthless against the other hideouts.”
Dragons be damned. I really hate how much sense that argument makes. They’re right – Cap and I are the only logical choices unless we borrow a leader from Stenchstone, and we can’t trust anyone we borrow. I guess I’m about to learn the hard way how to become a warrior leader. I should check the UCST job description for Executive Officer later and see if it contains a paragraph about platoon leadership that I missed or something.
I start to open my mouth to say something agreeable, but that makes me have to yawn so I turn my head. When I turn back, the King looks sympathetic. “Ladies, the meeting is adjourned. Planning can start tomorrow. Get something to eat and sleep well tonight.”
He takes the lead to the door, opens it and leaves the room. Two steps past the dwarves standing guard, he stops and turns. “Battalion Major. Lieutenant Commander. It has been a pleasure hosting your group these last few days. It’s mostly through seeing their strength that I was able to trust your crew to help us. Please collect your soldiers and escort your Captain and Commander back to your ship. You will all be needed for the operations tomorrow.”
From inside the room behind them, Cap voices his agreement. “That’s right, fellas. Get the elites and meet us at the gate for important folk visitors. His Damnationship is gettin’ us some large folk-movers for the trip, and I’ll explain everythin’ when we’re on the way.” As one, they nod, salute the King, and march off, clanging down the passageway.
Admiral Shockpaw turns to us. “Elthen. Commander. Kesn and I will take our leave now. Xarm will take you and your crew to the exit and release you from the lockdown personally.” He reaches out and shakes both of our hands, then walks to the doorway.
Kesn shakes Cap’s hand, then grabs my shoulders and looks closely at me. “I’ll call you in the morning when we start the planning so we can stay synchronized. Be careful tomorrow night!” She gives me a tight hug, then follows the Admiral out of the office.
I hear Cap chuckle behind me. “Looks like ya made a new friend, elf! Yer good at makin’ friends with attractive lady-folk. Ya should find a gorgeous lady dwarf to fill out yer friend circle. Someone yer Captain might want to meet!”
I pretend to be insulted. “Sure thing, Cap. Finding a lady dwarf you want to meet should be easy. Finding one that wants to meet you, however… that’s the challenge.”
He guffaws, smacks my shoulder, and walks past me out of the room. I follow, closing the door behind me. The King is still waiting in the passageway for us and starts leading us to the exit. He puts his right arm around my shoulders as we walk and chuckles. “The cheese cellar. I wonder how young Gloomfire found that way past the guards in the first place. It’s almost a shame to close off such an old and closely-treasured secret path, but I’m sure he’s old enough to understand.”
I shrug. “Actually, the Ambassador told me he’d completely forgotten about it over the years. If it wasn’t for her remembering that he used to have a secret way out, it would still be a security hole that no one knew about. I think Zaxn will be happy to see it closed after today.”
The King n
ods, staring down the passageway. “Kesn Dreadthief is a good woman, and a good Ambassador. If she helped you break in, then you’ve got a friend for life in that goblin. I’m glad she’s finally happy again. I’m going to miss her.”
He must be talking about the obvious relationship between her and the Admiral. I wonder how many goblins on-world tried and failed to connect with Kesn after he left for Terra, and what it must be like to wait forty years for someone and never be sure if they’re ever actually coming back. If we can resolve this Black Tongues business, I hope the Admiral is planning to stay here once his folk are safe. Or at least plans to come back as soon as he reports to the Admiralty and resigns his position on Terra.
We arrive at the entrance for visiting dignitaries, and the guards posted snap to attention when they see the King. When he waves them off, they turn to salute Cap. After he returns the salute, they turn to me, and their eyes go blank as they reach for swords.
“Hold action!” The King’s voice stops them immediately. “This woman is Commander Westiel. She works for Captain Gravelhand. We’ll discuss at a later time why and how she’s in the Palace, but for now she’s under my protection. She is a welcome guest, and will be treated accordingly.”
The guards stop, turn and salute me. I return their salute, and they return to attention. After a few minutes, the sound of clanging metal comes down the passageway toward us. Turning back, I see Lada and Gimmir leading the eighteen elites that came with them when they left the ship initially.
The King nods to the guards. “Call your Commander and have two large folk-mover landcraft delivered to this gate for our UCST guests to use. This group is allowed to leave, although the Palace is remaining on lockdown for now. I will explain more in the morning.” One of the guards walks to the small guard shack to make the call while we wait.
A few minutes pass, and two large folk-movers come to a stop in front of the gate. Two guards get out of the landcraft and take up positions at the gate while the inside guards open the gate for us. Gimmir barks a command, causing two soldiers to break off from our group to inspect the landcraft. After a minute of checking, they stop, turn to us, and salute. Gimmir returns the salute, and another command gets the group moving.
Once our folk are in the landcraft, Cap turns to the King. “It’s been a pleasure, Yer Goblinship.”
The King turns to Cap. “Interesting. Does ‘pleasure’ mean something different to dwarves? Please forgive my cultural insensitivity. I’ve spent a long time ruling a goblin homeworld, you see.”
They both laugh and share a handshake. Turning to me, the King takes my hand and presses it to his lips. I smile and curtsy (well, some exaggerated and likely-ridiculous-looking version of one, at least), then follow Cap out of the Palace and into the first landcraft.
Climbing in the door closest to the front, I look over at the elf in the front compartment designated as our driver. He’s busy familiarizing himself with the layout of the terminal. Being a military design, these landcraft can either automatically drive to beacons like standard landcraft, or be manually driven to any point. I’ll have to get Aelon’s team to figure out local directions for each of the locations.
Once we’re seated, Gimmir tells the driver to go, and the landcraft starts moving. Aside from the elf driving, only the four senior officers are in this vehicle. The two squads of elites are in the trailing landcraft. This gives us a chance to update Lada and Gimmir on the situation. It’s only a ten-minute trip back to the ship, so Cap shortens the tale considerably, just giving the two dwarves the high points – bad gang, smuggled spellshooters, kicking their behinds into the space between their shoulder blades. Based on the expressions on their faces, I’m thinking this is all the explanation they really need.
The landcraft stops, and the driver steps out to scan the area. Stepping back in, he motions to us, and we file out of the vehicle into the empty field directly behind the ship. The landcraft directly behind us empties and the elites enter formation while waiting for orders. As Gimmir walks to the ship to open the bay doors, I look at the landcraft. Large and black, made from steel, and has two doors on each side with a large door on the back. Each can hold 25 armored soldiers, two in the driving cabin, and has room for additional equipment.
It suddenly comes to me that I’m going to need a whole bunch of these for the mission. Three to a location, five locations… yikes! I hope Kesn can help me with that! I think giving us two tonight was a sneaky way for the King to give us some early.
Once the bay doors are open, the elites move into the ship. Cap and I follow, closing the doors once everyone is inside. While Gimmir leads the elites away, I motion to Cap to follow me down the hallway toward the storage bay. It may be late, but there’s something I have to check on.
Stepping inside the storage bay for the first time in days, the first thing I notice is the empty space where I know there used to be spellshooter crates. It still bothers me that this happened on my watch, but there’s nothing I can do now to change it.
I walk up to one of the crates and point it out to Cap. He gives it a once-over and turns to me. “Yep. That’s Hallowforge. Maybe we’ll get a bonus from the Admiralty for returnin’ all the ones we still have.”
I shake my head and scan the rest of the storage area. Finding what I’m looking for, I walk over to the workstation. Aelon is sitting there, parchment and pen in hand, head on the desk sound asleep. Grinning, I touch his shoulder. “Lieutenant Commander Onoviel. How many crates are there?”
He flinches a bit, snorts, and snuggles his head back down. I touch his shoulder again. “Lieutenant Commander Onoviel. I need to know the number of crates. Now, LC!”
Still asleep, he sighs. “Seventy-eight crates, Commander. Seventy-eight crates. Seventy… eight…” With that, he’s back to sleep.
Grinning, I pat his head and walk away. I should be thankful that his count rhymed, or he likely never would have remembered it in his sleep. It’s also good to know that he’s been counting. I can see Cap trying not to laugh, so we head out of the storage bay and up to the 6th level, stopping quickly to grab something from the Mess Hall before heading to our quarters for much-deserved rest.