Traps

The Road to Mt. Dakun, Rebellion-Held Aviye

Zai

Compared to marching, being driven was bliss for the Nightravens.

By truck, she estimated, they could be at headquarters in two days provided they ran continuous shifts, only stopping to let the etheric batteries recharge overnight.

Driving through the mountains wasn't without its perils, especially for vehicles, and on the first day they had to stop twice to check on wooden bridges, take an alternate route around a massive rockslide, and collectively push when a wheel got stuck in a muddy patch. The gravel and dirt roads were practically ancient this far from the cities, and more than once they found themselves slipping as part of the road gave way.

Zai counted it as lucky that the aircraft patrols were less frequent, since they only heard one distant flyby after they'd stopped for the evening. They were closer to rebellion bases, which meant some degree of anti-air defense, even though the Sunrise Sword was badly hurting for aircraft and pilots. Airpower was something jealously kept by the Hegemony, and they barely let the Kingdom operate their older models on the condition that Aviye would create no domestic production. Everything the Sunrise Sword had was cobbled together from enemy crashes or stolen, preciously hidden to be used only in necessary situations.

By mid-afternoon of their first day driving, the Nightravens had their stride, and the absence of enemies gave Zai precious time to think. Thus, as soon as everyone was awake the next morning, Zai called everyone together to make some decisions.

She started the conversation by standing as soon as everyone had their meals, bringing her tin cup of tea up with her.

"Nightravens, Dr. Jeng... I've been thinking about our situation, and I'd like to discuss where we go from here.

"In what sense, Captain?" Sergeant Lorn asked.

"In the sense that... there may be some conflict when we arrive with Dr. Jeng. What's happened with the 38th showed me that there are many contradictions we might face if we bring Dr. Jeng's knowledge into the mix. From what you said, people like the 38th will likely be present, especially in the northern army. I believe our priority should be to keep Dr. Jeng safe, so that what she has to teach can be disseminated as quickly as possible. To do that, I may have to insist on a few things to the Major, and again to whoever is above her if she doesn't agree. I want to know if you'll have my back, once the politics start. I know I've tried to keep us as far away from those games as possible, but we're about to land in the thick of it, especially if General Jiang is senior most now."

The Nightravens didn't answer, and some went back to eating. Sergeant Lorn looked around them, taking stock, before she answered Zai for the squad. "I think what they're saying is: That doesn't sound like something even worth talking about, Captain."

"Sergeant Lorn, I'd rather hear it from them," Zai said.

"Of course we're with you, Captain," Sergeant Ruu said immediately. "I'm insulted you even doubted us." Everyone started chuckling, and even Dr. Jeng's lips showed a smile.

Zai smiled back. "I'm grateful to have you..." She looked away for a moment, hoping no one noticed her tearing up a bit. "Dr. Jeng?" she asked.

"I would much rather have you guarding me than people like the soldiers back there," she gestured with a hand in the general direction of Lutis.

"Her, or us?" Ezyr poked.

Dr. Jeng blushed, replying, "The Nightravens, of course." Several people laughed and some made eyebrows at each other with knowing grins.

Zai cleared her throat for their attention and sipped her tea. "Now that we're getting out of patrol range for the Kingdom Air Fleet, I'm thinking we can radio in. Try to contact the Major."

Sergeant Lorn spoke up. "Not sure we should do that, Captain. Might draw unwanted attention."

"With the truck, we'll be at headquarters by tomorrow morning. I think anything they send our way will have a demonic time trying to find us if we limit our radio use."

"That's not the point, Captain," Lorn continued. "I know you only got the tail end of it, but the 38th might just be the leaves on the tree... the root is the Reformists, and right now, that means General Jiang. Anything we radio can't be considered secure."

Captain Zai sipped her tea again. "I know, Sergeant. That's why I want to radio in. The more moves we can get any potential traitors to make, the easier it will be to find them once we arrive. From what I learned, the 38th were indeed just leaves on a branch. Someone more in the know sent them at us, and someone even more in the know is behind them. I won't say for sure that it's Jiang, but it's within reason, and that scares me more than you know." She took a breath, then sighed. "I know it's a big thing to ask, on top of protecting Dr. Jeng. Will you take this risk with me, knowing that if we get it wrong, we might end up making things worse for the whole Rebellion?"

Private Anfus shot up from his seat. "Permission to speak, Captain?"

Zai looked at him. "Go on, Xan," she gestured with her cup, an invitation to speak.

"I-I know I'm the most junior person here... but I just wanted to say... w-well..." He took a breath. "I'm with you and the Cause, not just the Rebellion. If there are traitors... I think we should find them instead of play it safe. You did right for me when I... got moved... so I just want to say I trust you."

Not every person who tried to be themselves had a good time of it. Xan had joined as a mechanic but faced a hostile workspace after he broke up with his boyfriend. The only thing Xan had done was his duty, reporting missing supplies, but when it turned out two people were stealing and selling the parts to other units, the punishment and monitoring of the whole motor pool strained their relationship to the breaking point.

In a state of depression, he'd transferred to the Nightravens as an apprentice frame mechanic; because it was easy to get into the undermanned squad. Yet in six months, he'd managed to find in them a new sense of camaraderie and family.

Xan sat and every soldier started to nod and murmur their agreement. Zai looked to Quynh and she nodded as well. Then she looked to Dr. Jeng. She nodded, and Zai felt relieved.

"Alright then, Nightravens. Finish up and let's fly. We're going to have quite the performance ahead of us."

"I take it you have a plan, Captain?" Lorn grinned as she chewed her meal.

"Just a little one..." Zai smiled.

Evenings in the valley grew dark quickly.

That suited the Nightravens just fine, since they were used to fighting at night.

The spot they picked for their plan was a former battlefield. A special place for the squad, even if none of them, even Sergeant Lorn, had been around for the battle. Large patches of forest were still recovering from bombs dropped almost two decades ago, and there was still debris and the rusted out hulks of old vehicles hiding on both sides of an escarpment where a single platoon held a last stand against their pursuers.

That platoon had been the Nightravens. People like the current squad who had held the line when three of the groups that would later join the Sunrise Sword retreated from the east coast, pursued by a division of infantry and some of the first combat frames ever seen in Aviye. Gifts from the Hegemons to the Kingdom.

After radioing in, Zai took an hour to make sure everyone was in position. Instead of her uniform, she was wearing Dr. Jeng's office clothes, and had added some dirt and grass smudges to sell an image of panicked flight. When she was done, Zai sat in the back of the truck with Amri, pointing out spots she'd learned about the first time she'd come through this part of the valley with Sergeant Lorn.

"Back then, we didn't have tactics to deal with frames. Oh, we'd heard about them. Farmers and construction workers who left the country to work in Detelant. We didn't think the Hegemons would ship them south, not with the mountains being what they are."

She pointed at a ridge to the southeast. Even in the late spring it still had snow on it. Below it, massive boulders sat amongst the stumps of trees like two handfuls of dice amidst betting sticks. "That ridge is what saved the Rebellion, back then. The old Nightravens fought like demons to get as many Kingdom soldiers and frames as close to the trail as possible." she pointed at the single, sloped dirt road that lead up the escarpment. Then when they couldn't hold on any longer..." she mimicked an explosion with her voice and hand.

Amri had been an attentive listener, but when Zai looked at her, she seemed uneasy.

"What's wrong, Doctor?"

"Nothing... I just... don't like the idea of massive violence. It feels... colder somehow. Less human than all the tales of warriors who fought other warriors."

"If warriors were all we needed, we wouldn't have soldiers, Doctor. People have a right to fight for what they believe in. And I know how it can feel like the whole world is lying about us, about the Rebellion, but we really are fighting for our nation, our right to direct our own path instead of have it handed down to us from some distant, greedy empire."

"I know. I had to accept that when I decided to defect... but the violence... I wish it weren't necessary."

Zai sighed, thinking for a moment. "They taught us that, all our lives. Especially in secondary school, college... The Kingdom taught us to want peace at any cost. To protest instead of fight... all while they collected those who would fight under them. It took me years after I joined to realize the trap that was... to realize that when your enemy teaches you peace, it is to make you disarm yourself.

As a student, I saw so many times when... when the means they claimed the people had for expressing dissent were ignored, or attacked, or lied to... Especially when it looked like protests would succeed. We would shout 'We want change!' 'We matter!' 'Listen to us!' and if they didn't ignore the people, they broke them up with violence, or worse, flippant measures like firing one scapegoat only to replace him with another. Putting up murals to protestors." Zai snorted. "All while in the background, there was no one who would dare point publicly to the true culprit behind the Kingdom."

"The Hegemons," Amri acknowledged.

"That's right," Zai said, "but beyond that... greed. The desire to monopolize power. Aviye's suffers for their greed. All that we're dealing with... the Kingdom, the civil war, the traitors... These are all just symptoms."

"Yes but... can't there be another way?"

Zai took a breath and sipped her tea. "There are other ways. But violence is the last thing the people have left that our enemies will listen to." She locked eyes with Amri. "Sometimes the only cure is a bullet... and only when it is free and strong will Aviye be able to try otherwise."

She watched as Amri processed her argument.

"I wish I didn't understand you, but I do. And I wish I wasn't starting to agree..."

"But you do." Zai nodded. "I'm sorry the world is like this..."

Zai looked at at the valley once more. They had perhaps an hour until those answering the Nightraven's call arrived, and she would be right there at the front, risking her life for answers.

Dr. Jeng leaned over, resting her head on Zai's shoulder.