Face Off

The Road to Mt. Dakun, Rebellion-Held Aviye

Amri

The Nightravens pulled back deeper into the cave as they readied themselves for the arrival of the newcomers. They stacked boxes for cover, the children sent behind a bend slightly deeper in. It led to a dead end, but the point was to get them out of the line of fire.

At Amri's insistence, she was handed a rifle from the supplies in the crates. She asked why not a pistol, but was told that a rifle would be easier for someone who'd never shot a gun in her life.

Qal had reset the traps once everyone was inside, but they waited and waited for many tense minutes without hearing a single one go off.

Finally, they began to see lights in the tunnel, and heard men talking with each other cheerfully. When the first one came into view, his steps stuttered to a halt as he held up the line behind him.

"Identify yourselves!" Sergeant Lorn called out. Amri felt relief wash over the Nightravens as they realized that the men before them were wearing the same uniform as theirs.

"Hold on, hold on!" A voice came from further back in the line, and men started pressing against the walls to let the man through. A tall officer wearing Captain's ranks on his collar appeared. "We're with the 38th Battalion. Our team was sent south to reinforce the valley. We're here for resupply."

Sergeant Lorn signaled for everyone to put their weapons away before standing. "You're far from your theatre, Captain..."

"Captain Khou. I don't think I need to explain myself to you, Sergeant." He didn't ask her name.

"I'm acting Captain of the Nightravens until ours returns, Captain. And I was fighting in these mountains when you were a child. I trust you know the rules when it comes to seniority during tactical command situations, yes?"

That made the man bristle. "Senior-most or not, we're just here to resupply. If you're with the Nightravens, explain to me what you're doing this far away from your post." More men started to pile in behind him. Two full squads by the look of it.

Amri felt the tension between them, even above the strange, hard grasps of understanding in their minds. Both were hiding things from the other, that much she could sense they knew.

"Haven't you heard? The Kingdom started burning villages. We have children we're trying to escort to the nearest village." Lorn gestured, and Ezyr went back into the cave, guiding the children out.

The minds of the soldiers behind Captain Khou softened in understanding. They started to relax. Khou's mind was less pliable, his suspicions held in spite of Sergeant Lorn's explanation. "Alright... as a gesture of good faith, I can send the children back the way we came with a squad. That would free up you and your men to join us."

"Afraid I can't do that, Captain. My people," she emphasized the words, "are waiting for our Captain to return. She went to fight the enemy to protect these children's parents."

"With the rest of your team, I take it?"

Lorn shook her head. "Alone. She was the only one who could make it in time. Combat frame trooper."

"Ah, I see. Who is he, your Captain?"

"She is Captain Zai."

"First name?"

"Only a first name. No family name." Lorn replied instantly. "Gave up everything for the Rebellion. Even that."

"A fanatic then," Khou said dismissively. The troops behind him murmured a bit amongst themselves. Giving up one's family name to join the rebellion wasn't unheard of, but outside the rebellion such an act came with a significant stigma, and those views even carried into the Sunrise Sword.

Amri felt Lorn's mind harden further, her understanding of the Captain and Amri's own lived experience telling her this man was wrong. Captain Zai was no fanatic.

"If you say so," Lorn ground out the words. "But her orders are lawful. We're waiting here until she returns."

Something else in Lorn's mind twisted around the understanding of what she'd just said. Amri realized she was lying about her orders, but couldn't pinpoint exactly how.

"Alright, acting Captain. I see we aren't going to be cooperating until your Captain returns. At least allow my men to escort the children. We just came through Lutis, so they'll know our faces."

"They know our faces too, Captain. We go there twice a month to teach."

The Captain stared at her for a long time, and then finally looked away. "Suit yourself, acting Captain." He took off his gloves. "Men, gather up. We'll camp here for the night." He turned back to Lorn. "I hope when she arrives your Captain is more cooperative. We have an important mission I'd like to discuss with... her." He turned his attention back to his people, who were all men. They started removing their packs and setting up in the same way, and in the same spot, that the Nightravens had earlier.

As the room eased into setting up camp, Sergeant Lorn huddled down with the Nightravens as they set up the hotplate and brought the cans back from where they'd been placed against the walls.

"I don't like this..." Ezyr was the first to speak. "They came down in a light truck. They'd have to have crazy luck to avoid all the planes."

"What's the 38th doing all the way down here?" Qal followed on.

"Quiet," Sergeant Lorn whispered. "You're right, it's suspicious. They're General Jiang's men. Stay alert until the Captain arrives. If they come our way, be social but don't fall asleep. And don't say anything about Dr. Jeng. She's just a villager we picked up with the children, got it?"

Everyone nodded their assent.

"What should I say if they start asking questions?" Amri asked.

"You say you're from Zuret. Your name is... Sh'zi. Try to act scared or something. You should be good at that, with how you kept jumping at every plane." Sergeant Lorn patted her on the shoulder and the huddle ended.

Very shortly, the cave started to fill once more with the sounds and smells of cooking. Hot plates were brought out and even more of the cave's food stocks were opened.

Soon they were back to digging into heated cans with spoons.

After a few minutes, one of the 38th's men was the first to approach.

"Hi... I'm Sergeant Houshian." It was a western Aviye name. "Some of the men were wondering if you'd like to play some cards."

"Not gambling, I hope," Sergeant Lorn said after chewing her latest bite. "That would be against regulations."

"Gambling for money, yes. We were just going to bet questions. It would help the squads get to know each other, if we're going to be cooperating in the future."

"And your Captain is okay with this?"

"He is."

"What's the game?" Lorn asked.

"Reader," he replied with a smile.

"That's a betting game."

"Questions only, I assure you. No money. Whoever wins the hand asks the questions."

Sergeant Lorn looked at everyone, her eyes resting on Amri. She took another bite before deciding. "Alright, Sergeant Houshian. Three on three sound fair? Otherwise we'd be at it all night."

"That is fair."

"Good. We'll join you in a moment then."

Sergeant Houshian bowed slightly and left. The first thing he did when he got back to the other side was talk to Captain Khoe.

The first thing Sergeant Lorn asked when he was gone was, "Who knows how to play Reader?" Two hands were raised. One was Sergeant Lorn's, the other was Sergeant Ruu's. "Alright K'le. It's you, me, and 'Sh'zi'."

"What?" Amri said. "I don't know how to play any card games."

"I'll give you a rundown. Mostly it's about bluffing, so you should have a bit of an advantage, yes?"

"Being able to sense what people understand doesn't mean I know if someone's lying or not."

"Open your mind a little. Bluffing means understanding what your odds are, and who you're dealing with. Neither side knows who they're dealing with, so I want you out there to help us get to that sooner. Maybe ask the right questions." She stared intensely into Amri's eyes, and Amri felt a calculated sort of hope at play. An honest understanding, with hints of fear and protectiveness.

"Alright... I'll try."

Sergeant Houshian returned. "We have our three, if you're ready."

"Hold up," Sergeant Lorn said. "We only have two that know how to play. Our friend here volunteered to help though." She gestured at Amri. "So give us a bit to teach her the rules."

"Do you have cards?" Houshian asked, his smile slightly predatory. When Lorn shook her head, he pounced. "We can show her together then. It'll be easier that way."

Lorn looked like she was about to continue protesting when Amri interrupted. "I'd be happy to learn with you and your men, Sergeant. I wouldn't want to take up too much time..."

"It's settled then! Here, let me help you up miss..."

"Sh'zi," Amri lied.

"Lovely name. Southern, yes?"

"I'm from Zuret. It's an eastern village."

"Oh, my mistake-"

"Save the questions for the game Sergeant," Lorn said as she stood along with Sergeant Ruu.

In short order, everyone had gathered into a tight circle, an ether lamp illuminating everyone as a deck of cards was produced.

Sergeant Houshian introduced the game, laying out the different winning hands and describing the rankings of each. The cards were numbered one through ten in five suits, with an added Ascendant card for each suit. The suits were stars, moons, trees, scythes, and flowers. Each suit beat two others in a draw and tied with two others. The point of the game was to bet, then discard and draw for a winning hand, then bet again before either folding or matching the bet and revealing. For the sake of keeping the number of questions from getting too high, everyone was given one question to bet working as a team, and it was decided that folding would also mean withdrawing one question from the pool. Thus the minimum number of questions asked would always be one, the initial wager, and the maximum would always be seven.

Amri sensed this was as much to allow the other side to keep from being asked too much as it was to make sure they could always ask at least one question.

Captain Khoe joined Sergeant Houshian to play, along with a Lieutenant named Joro who seemed to be more muscles than brains.

"Who's the civilian?" Captain Khoe asked as soon as Amri sat down.

"I thought we were betting numbers of questions, not specific questions," Sergeant Lorn said, interrupting Amri as she opened her mouth.

"We haven't started the game yet, acting Captain."

Sergeant Houshian cleared his throat. "Her name is Sh'zi. She's from Lutis village."

"Zuret village," Amri corrected.

"Ah, my mistake," the Sergeant smiled amicably.

Amri felt their minds. Between Captain Khoe and Sergeant Houshian, this was the real game. They were comfortable being the ones to ask the questions, and they understood themselves masters of reading people. The Sergeant's smile was calculated to disarm, to keep anyone from questioning the "mistake."

There was something else in his mind as well when he shuffled the cards. The first hand was dealt. As the Sergeant suggested, Amri opened her mind.

There was a great deal of variance to Amri's ability to sense another's understanding. In a relaxed situation, as when she'd told the others about her ability, she could sometimes get a refined sense of knowing what another person understood. The more tense she got, the more basic her read became, so she tried to steady herself with a breath as she reached out.

Joro was irritated, his first hand having low odds. Houshian and Khoe were calmer, even though they also understood their hands as having low odds. Starting with the Captain, each declared a number of cards they'd draw, discarding the appropriate number from their hands. Lorn and Ruu followed suit, leaving Amri last. "I, ah, one card... I think..."

Captain Khoe chuckled as he took the card she offered and exchanged it. "Careful not to seem too victorious with your hand."

The time came to bet. Everyone from the 38th folded.

Amri revealed her hand, three eights and a Star Ascendant.

"Beginners luck, I see," the Captain chuckled. "Ah but the Sergeant has a better hand than you. A dirty line, yes?"

In Sergeant Lorn's hand was the numbers one through five, one of each suit. "I suppose that means I ask the question then." She took up the cards from their side and handed them back. "What did you do before you got sent down here, Captain?"

"Me personally?" he asked in reply.

"Yes."

"I was in charge of prisoners. Keeping them in order, asking questions and whatnot."

"An interrogator."

"Why yes. It's not so bad a job when people cooperate."

"How often do they cooperate?" Lorn continued.

Khoe tsked. "You only won one question."

Amri felt how he thought of it. He enjoyed his work, considered it fun... She felt sickened by him.

The next hand came out. At the end of it, Lorn and the Khoe remained in, three questions on the line. Khoe won with a hand of four fours.

"Hmm... my first question... What were your orders again?" he smiled.

"Wait here for the Captain. Keep going if she doesn't come back in time."

"What time is that?"

"Tomorrow, assuming she's still got her frame."

"And where is it you'd be going to?"

"Headquarters. Major Riel ordered a general retreat. We're going in to touch-base, since we report to her."

"I see... Why didn't you just radio out?"

"Couldn't risk it. Too many planes-" Sergeant Lorn stopped herself. "That's four questions, Captain Khoe. Surely you don't want to teach your men to cheat." Amri felt Lorn's mind, and knew that she considered herself just as good at playing such games as the Captain and Sergeant across from her did. Better than them, even.

"Forgive me, I got ahead of myself. Come, I'll give you one question for free as an apology."

"What exactly are your orders, Captain Khoe?" Lorn asked, her eyes locked on his.

He chuckled, leaning forward conspiratorially. "I suppose I can tell you, since we'll be cooperating once your Captain arrives..." In the light of the ether lamp, his face looked ghastly to Amri. "We're hunting enemy spies."

Amri's heartrate shot up as she felt the understanding in his mind. It was singularly focused around a name and a title. A woman. Did they know about her? How? She wanted to run...

"Good to know, hope we can help," Sergeant Lorn looked about before her eyes rested on Amri for just a second. "How about a quick break, Captain." she stood, "I feel the need to spot herons."

"I thought the expression was about turkeys." He replied.

"No turkeys in the east. I've been holding it in for a while, and I'm guessing Sh'zi has been too." Lorn looked down at her.

"Spot herons?" she asked.

"It means piss." Lorn said quickly, eyeing her with a look that told Amri she needed to go, even without sensing her understanding.

"Y-yes. Sorry... I didn't want to be rude."

The men of the 38th shifted aside, the Captain waving them along. "Go, go. We'll continue when you get back."

"Thank you, Captain," Amri said, following Lorn outside.

As soon as they were past the guards and into the woods, Lorn led them away from where the truck was concealed.

"You're slipping," she warned. "Stop sweating like a damn pig."

"You try learning that someone's hunting you. I thought those soldiers were supposed to be on our side."

"The soldiers... Yes, probably. But the Captain and the other leaders? I wouldn't count on that."

"Is there some politics going on here that I don't know about? I thought the Rebels were unified."

"Always," Lorn said. "The 38th belongs to General Jiang. A Reformist. Are you sure they're hunting you?"

"Yes... his understanding of his orders was... singular. A name and a title."

"Are you sure he wasn't thinking of a rank? A military one, I mean."

Amri shook her head. "No... he wasn't thinking of someone in the same vein as himself... and I got the sense he was thinking of a woman... that can only mean..."

"He was thinking of you." Sergeant Lorn acknowledged. "Alright... relieve yourself if you need it. I'll do mine over there."

"What do we do when we get back?" Amri asked. "Are you going to turn me over to them?"

"No," she said simply. "When we get back, we're going to do what we were ordered to do and wait for Captain Zai."

"What about the other Captain?"

"What about him? He's already lost his game. He just doesn't know it. And it's all thanks to you." Sergeant Lorn punched Amri lightly in the shoulder before stepping away.

Amri wished she felt victorious.