They got to planning the very next day, meeting in empty cars and personal rooms. Considering everyone's jobs, it was difficult to gather all at once, so preparation was done in short bursts. Passing each other in train cars and meeting in the diner, plans were passed from person to person, before being agreed upon. The process was long and more than a little inefficient, but they had another four weeks to go before reaching the capital of the Firefly empire, Haibuichi. Realistically, everyone knew meddling with empire affairs was none of their business. Yachi was the only one with empire ties, and while she did bear the Mark of the Firefly, she was the lowest ranking spy there was, just fresh out of prohibition. Taking things to the authorities had been thrown around as a possibility, but was shot down by Yachi, of all people. Apparently, the current chief of information wasn't all that fond of tipoffs and would brush them aside or even arrest the people they came from. With the governing body as stubbornly useless as it was, the crew of the Nekarasi had no other options but to try themselves.

It took a week and much debate, but eventually, their plan was laid out. Yachi would set upon the palace with the Firefly box in tow. Kageyama and Hinata would join her to claim the role of commoners who discovered the box. The actual espionage journal, of course, would not be in there, having been sent to Prince Futakuchi some week and change earlier than the first planning session, but the dream journal and a note from Yachi would. To cover evidence of tampering, Akaashi had sewn the false bottom back into place but kept the dream journal out of its hidden chamber. Yachi claimed that the palace guard would have the prince check the box and confirm all of his things were there, which was the reason for the planted letter. The letter, slid into the first page of the dream journal, would explain that the crew of the Nekarasi had sent his first journal as he intended to do, the very basics of synergists, and that they were giving the prince a choice to escape the palace. Should he choose to take the opportunity, Yamaguchi and Bokuto would be waiting by the royal stables. This area was, again according to Yachi, mostly unguarded. If the prince showed up at the time listed in the letter, they would sneak him back onto the train. The benefit of being a secret prince was that no one would recognize him as a royal. Given peasant clothes and some smudgings of dirt, both to be provided by Yamaguchi, the prince would probably be unrecognizable.

Getting him onto the train would be no problem; the other train guards wouldn't dare question their security chief. From there, the Nekarasi would continue on her usual route through the kingdoms. The pathing to the Nation of Eagles would run through the southernmost part of the Kingdom of the Iron Wall; there, the prince would leave the Nekarasi and get onto a local train. He would be escorted through the kingdom by Yachi, Kageyama, and Yamaguchi, the only three not bound to the Nekarasi, to the capital city of Dateko. Once at the capitol, they figured he'd be safe; if prince Futakuchi truly did trust prince Tsukishima, then it would be reasonable to assume he'd provide the other protection. The plan left the Nekarasi itself less guarded than anyone would like for a significant period of time at the Firefly capital; the train guards were few, only a half dozen in number, but it was their best shot. If worst came to worst, Kuroo and Akaashi knew how to fight, and Kenma could man the defense system. The prince also could, naturally, accuse them all of attempted kidnapping and coercion, but it seemed unlikely considering his written desperation to leave.

The only caveats were the rapidly increasing security around the palace and empire capital. In their time since leaving Tauveriin, about a week and a half, the Firefly Empire had heightened their protections. This could, of course, mean that they were finally listening to the prince, in which case, the entire plan would become moot. It could also mean that they were experiencing attacks, and it was too late for the royal family. One option was clearly preferable. But without news either way, the Nekarasi had to move forward. The problem with impending wars, as both Akaashi and Bokuto would tell, was that citizens and criminals alike could smell weakness in their government. A preparation period meant the ruling class was afraid, and when better to hold a coup than when the government's focus was on the outside? There had been rumors that a small faction of criminals from Tauveriin and impoverished empire citizens were attacking military bases and supply carrying vessels. Considering Tsukishima's mentioning of Tauveriin and the Slithering Isles working in tandem, it could be a preemptive strike to weaken the empire. Whether it was an insurgence or organized military action, the Nekarasi transported both goods and people of importance; it was almost a guarantee that they would be targeted.

Pulling out a map of the continent, Kenma marked the places they were most likely to face attack. Instantly they ruled out any cities or stations, as the places would be protected by local, national, and train guards. After some discussions about battle strategy and tactical advantages with Bokuto and Hinata, Kenma came to the conclusion that they were most likely to be attacked at Widowmaker Gulch. The place had once been a large mine situated in a long dried-up canyon, but stripped of resources and containing too many collapsed mineshafts, it was repurposed into part of the rail line. The incline down into the area was easy enough for trains to climb in and out of, and the gulch also worked as an early start to the tunnel system under the mountain range, as it turned out going under was faster than going over. As far as infrastructure went, it had been a good move, but the abandoned mineshafts lining the sides would serve as an excellent hiding place for raiders, and the steep cliffs meant there was nowhere for passengers to escape should they be attacked. If someone wanted to take out a train, the gulch was the best anyone would get. Not that the Nekarasi would ever dream of going down without a fight. Kenma, ever diligent with their precautions, had had the train rigged with some of the best security measures imaginable. Pressure-sensitive triggers, flame vents, superheated piping, aimable yet hidden automatic crossbow mounts, Yamaguchi shook with delight at the thought of getting to figure out each new detail. In the week until they reached the gulch, Kenma familiarized the three non-employees with the defense mechanisms and plan of attack. By the time they were a day away, everyone felt secure in their planned positions.

Sure enough, barely an hour into the canyon, the first attack came. The raiders were not riding upon horses and donkeys as had been expected, but rather, they flew above in poorly crafted airships, made mostly from repurposed farming equipment. Yamaguchi, having practiced some with his synergist abilities under Kenma, could sense weaknesses in the wings and engines of the machines, and told his companions as such. At the first sighting, everyone scrambled to their positions, desperate to keep the upper hand. Kuroo and Kenma stayed in the engine car, keeping the train moving as fast as possible, and Akaashi secured the passengers and cargo while everyone else geared up to fight. Bokuto and Yachi took to the front of the train, armed and ready, while Kageyama and Yamaguchi manned the back. Automatic defenses were strongest along the middle section, so Hinata transformed and patrolled the length alone, ready to take down any attacker who got too close.

The first wave of raiders was easy enough to ward off. They were few and shaky at the sight of a roaring beastly Hinata. It wasn't until the second batch came that things started getting hairy. Their airships were of no better make, but they were larger in numbers, and moreover, they had a net. Yamaguchi was too busy with cranks and levers in the back, all set to launch projectiles and fire at the attacking raiders, to try and think of what they would need it for, but the purpose soon became clear. The airships crowded Hinata, overwhelmed him, and scooped him up in their net of metal cording. The responding roar echoed throughout the canyon, but the raiders stayed strong as they turned backwards and made for the caverns.

Kageyama's face hardened as he stared at the scene. He looked to Yamaguchi with a white-knuckle grip on his knife, "I'm going to do something very stupid. Don't wait for Hinata and I." Then, with determined gaze, Kageyama clambered onto the top of the train and lept upon the airship that had Hinata netted. By the time Yamaguchi could process his friend's actions, the plane was gone from sight.

Quickly, Yamaguchi switched his focus to defending the train. With Hinata gone, the center of the train was left significantly more vulnerable. The train guards were all stationed there, and there were the automatic defenses, but still. Then, to make matters worse, the train stopped moving. The Nekarasi was officially a sitting duck. Making their way to the middle from atop the train was Kuroo, Kenma, and Akaashi. Each carried a crossbow or gun and a knife strapped to their sides. They were hard to see from Yamaguchi's vantage, but their eyes held a steely rage, righteous and unyielding. In his heart, Yamaguchi knew they would die before they ever let a raider board the train. Turning back to his post, Yamaguchi shot down as many airships and raiders as possible. Without Kageyama there to aim each machine, though, it took twice as long to fire the same amount of arrows. Then, an idea. Kenma had been advising Yamaguchi in the use of his synergy; if he stayed to man the aiming system, perhaps he could get the mechanics to respond and fire at his will. Desperate for an edge, he attempted the plan. Drawing near was yet another airship manned by two people instead of one, Yamaguchi turned the aiming systems against it and allowed himself to reach out to the machine. Fire for me. Yamaguchi could feel every gear, every bit of wiring necessary for the release mechanism, and saw as a volley of arrows tore through the wings of the incoming airship. It was certainly a start.

Both men in the shot-down airship bailed from their craft, jumping and landing on the roof of the train. Yamaguchi was just about to release another volley, this time directly into their bodies, when he saw them fighting. The first man was dressed just as all the other raiders, with worn leather clothes and large goggles to protect his eyes as he flew, but the second taller man did not look like a raider. He was dirtied, bruised, and bloodied, with his clothes in tatters, wire framed glasses just barely hung onto his face as he threw and dodged punches. The non-raider was tall and blond, and while his clothes were dirty and torn, Yamaguchi could tell they had once been of very fine make. It didn't take a genius to realize this person was more likely a captive than another attacker. The blond aristocrat snapped the raider's neck, and then expertly clambered down into the defense booth.

"Give me a weapon, and I'll help you defend your train." Said the man, eyes wild and chest heaving. Yamaguchi didn't have much of a choice, any extra fighters would be useful, and this one sure seemed to hate the raiders. Besides, Yamaguchi wasn't too terribly keen on getting murdered for denying this man anything.

Yamaguchi handed him the gun Bokuto had left as well as a sword and motioned for him to stay inside, "If you're going to stand on the top of the train, move to a different car. You'll be in the way of my projectiles otherwise." The blond man wrinkled his nose at the orders but made no move in opposition.

From there, the hours blurred together, nothing but the need to survive and protect on Yamaguchi's mind. He was worried for Kageyama and Hinata but had to hold out hope. They were strong, even more so together. The blond boy himself wasn't so bad of a companion. He was grumpy and standoffish, something Yamaguchi was very used to, but had a clever eye and even better aim. The blond would use his gun to take out the pilots whilst Yamaguchi shot down their aircrafts. The few times someone managed to get past their defenses, the blond would climb up onto the roof and cut them down with his sword. Yamaguchi couldn't help but to think of the blond as a friend, already the boy had taken a crossbow bolt meant for Yamaguchi. Such an easy and early attachment was why he felt so panicked when he saw the boy threatened.

There were few airships left, most of them having been wiped away by the train's defenses, but one particularly problematic one remained. It was better built than the others, made of sturdier metal and stronger fabric. It repeatedly dove at the train, the pilot shooting at anyone in sight with his gun. It took Yamaguchi and the blond eight tries just to down one wing. It was enough to send the craft careening into the canyon walls, but they were not so lucky as to send the pilot with it. The blond made to climb up on the train and finish the pilot, just as the raider in question made his way down into the defense room. Both had a gun pointed at the other's head, it was a standoff, and neither could move. Yamaguchi waited with bated breath, weaponless himself, as the two stared each other down. He did not know the blond boy well at all, they were complete and total strangers, but he still felt a fond affinity for the other. The blond had been nothing but helpful, and Yamaguchi was less than eager to see his blood and brains splattered around the room. Faintly, he could hear the mechanics in the raider's gun begin to turn and click; the man was getting ready to fire. Everything happened all at once, Yamaguchi screamed, blondie and the raider both fired, the raider's gun exploded in his hand just a moment too late. The blond's bullet hit its mark as the raider's dead body slumped out the open door and onto the ground below. Unfortunately, blondie himself had been hit too. He clutched the side of his stomach, grunting in pain and struggling to stand up. Panicking, Yamaguchi left his post and scrambled for the meager med kit he had brought to the station. All he had was disinfectant and gauze, but it would have to do. Pushing the blond's hand out of the way, Yamaguchi poured the alcohol over the wound and dressed it as best he could. There were still a few raiders outside, but Yamaguchi ignored them; the others would manage just fine.

Distantly, Yamaguchi registered the fact that arrows were still firing from his defense station, despite not being automatic. His vision turned black at the edges and swam with dots. Yamaguchi swayed on his feet, once, twice, before collapsing in a bloody pile with the blond and passing out.