Ok so I actually got this done pretty quick since I'm coming up to a scene thats been in my head since I started writing. It was supposed to be a longer chapter, but my sister/editor read it and felt that what I had so far should be its own chapter. So, I've been working on ch 13 so I can get that one up, hopefully soon so you guys don't get mad at me 0) I'm doing my best! Thanks for your patience!
Chapter Twelve – A Tactical Disagreement
The next day proved to be uneventful after what happened the past evening. The imposter ignored Vash's party completely. The only contact he made with them was when he needed Jenna to scout a place to camp for the night. After that, they were on their own.
That night Peter Green and his family decided to join Vash's group for dinner. The conversations around the fire we light and full of laughter. Vash particulary enjoyed having some one new to drink with. Green's daughters were entranced with Fantus and were doing their best to annoy the little drake, much to the amusment of the adults. The laughter, however, didn't keep Jenna and Vash from being on their guard. Even through the alcohol, Jenna could tell Vash wasn't drunk, adding to her own suspisions that it was all an act. Though they both participated in the dinner festivities, they both stayed alert with weapons close and hand.
At one point in the evening Vash met Jenna's eyes and saw the worried look in them. Don't worry, he sent her mentally, Things will be ok. We'll figure something out tomorrow when its light.
Jenna gave Vash a small half smile. If its all the same, I think I'm going to go walk around for a bit. See if I can sense anything.
Vash shrugged If it will make you feel better go ahead. Just don't go snooping where you don't belong. And don't go getting into anymore fights! Vash grinned.
Jenna grinned back and stood up. "I think I am going to go for a small walk. Sitting around all day has made me a bit restless. I'll be back in a little while." She waved and walked away from the camp fire. Completely aware of Vash's eyes following her every move and the worry that she sensed behind them. If your so worried come and join me.
Nah. It might look suspicious if we both dissapeared. Vash said and Jenna could hear the hint of playfulness in his mental voice.
She glanced at him over her shoulder and saw that his attention was back on the rest of the group. Shrugging Jenna left the firelight and began to walk around the edges of the camp. Her restless mind kept going over the events of the past week. With out realizing it, her steps had taken her to the main camp where Imposter Vash and his men were. Crouching behind a sand dune she watched the area from the shadows. The noise from the surrounding people made it hard for her to pick up on what they were saying, so she watched from her vantage point.
They all sat huddled around their fire and Imposter seemed to be drawing something on the ground in front of him. Jenna's eyes narrowed as she watched. The men below her seemed to be in a heated argument based on the body language she was seeing below. The Imposter sat back from the fight as he watched. Jenna's keen eyesight let her see the amused expression he had on his face. As the argument heated up, but before it could come to blows, Impostor Vash raised his hand and the fight stopped. Jenna strained her ears to hear what was being said, but the noise from the camps and the people on the sand steamer made hearing individual words impossible, and even her eyes couldn't read his lips from the distance she was at.
Frustrated, Jenna bit her lip and watched in silence. With the argument now over, it seemed the Imposter was beginning to give orders, or a lecture. Jenna rolled her eyes knowing how much the man loved to hear himself talk. After a long speech, four of the Imposter's gang left the camp and headed to where the automobiles were parked. Jenna squinted into the distance to try to see what they were up too. She saw their outlines climb into one of the jeeps, and without turning on any lights, drive away from the camp into the canyon they were about to enter into.
With a curse Jenna looked back into the camp and saw the men beginning to bunk down for the night. Going to bed. She thought to herself. I think I've seen all that I need to anyway. I've got to go tell Vash. Its time we made our own plans. Jenna crawled back until she was sure she was out of sight, and concentrated. Her edges blurred and where the woman once crouched in the sand, a large black and brown mottled owl with ear tufts that gave it the look of having horns, lept into the air on silent wings, heading back towards its human counterparts camp.
Vash sat staring into the distance. Green and his family had left their camp and Cyric and Fantus had both gone to sleep. But Jenna wasn't back. Her little walk had turned into a large walk, which concerned Vash. She's been gone longer than she said she'd be. He pursed his lips and looked at his sleeping companions. If any of the time I've spent with her has shown me anything, its that she has a nack for getting into trouble. I guess I'd better go get her out of it. He sighed. As he stood up he muttered "Why me?" under his breath and headed in the direction he saw her leaving in.
Fantus opened one cat slit eye and looked over at Cyric. They nodded to each other and went back to sleep.
Vash put his hands in his pockets as he trudged through the sand, following her foot prints, or what was left of them. As he did so, he began to realize what direction he was going. I knew it! She did exactly what I told her not to do. Again! Doesn't she ever listen! She's probably gotten in a fight, Vash stopped walking, Or they've taken her captive, "Or they've…" Vash didn't finish his own sentence. Instead he started running in the direction of the Imposters camp.
Oh calm down! Vash heard the familiar voice in his head and stopped. Give me a little credit! Now hold out your arm.
What? Vash replied, more than a little confused.
Now who's not listning. Hold out your arm.
Vash did so. A large black bird swooped in on silent wings out of the night sky and landed on his outstretched arm. And settled all its weight on it too. Vash almost dropped her.
"You're heavy." He said with a grunt, "And just what are you?"
Jenna clacked her beak at him. Its impolite to make comments about a person's weight, and I'm a dragon.
Vash gave her a glare. That's not what I asked.
Jenna clacked her beak again, The bird is called an owl, more specifically a Great-Horned Owl. Then she pulled her head into her chest feathers in an owlish pout, What do you mean I don't listen? I always listen.
Vash turned and began to walk back to camp with Jenna still perched on his arm and rolled his eyes. Ok so you listen. But you don't obey! I told you not to go snooping. That's all we would need is you to get busted where you shouldn't be.
I was careful! Jenna ruffled her feathers, puffing them out to make her look larger than she was. They never saw me! But I saw them! And they're up to something big!
Oh? Vash asked as he raised an eyebrow. I still can't believe I'm having a conversation with an owl! He muttered to himself. Too weird! Its all still too weird! He turned to see that Jenna was staring at him with her owlish eyes, then she blinked one eye a little slower than the other. If she heard him, she didn't say. Instead she told him all that she saw at the camp of the imposter.
Vash listened and almost immedietly knew what they were planning. I'll bet you a whole box of donuts they have some kind of an ambush waiting for you tomorrow.
Jenna nodded her head, which almost made Vash laugh seeing an owl nod. I agree. But I'll double the bet that they plan to take out you and the sandsteamer tomorrow too.
Hit your opponent with one surprise attack. Divide and conquer. Vash said in a grim voice.
Yes. It's a common, but brilliant military stratagy. If you can pull it off that is. Jenna said, surpised that Vash knew what she was talking about. I didn't' know you knew military stratagies Vash.
Vash shrugged but didn't answer her. Instead he continued on. And because we know about it, we should be able to stop it! and began to walk faster. "We have to warn everyone! Get people to safety and stop it before it happens!"
Jenna launched herself off of Vash's arm, causing him to momentarily loose his balance. When he gained it again, she was hovering in front of him and beginning to change back into her usual form.
"No Vash. We can't do that." She said very calmly.
Vash stood staring at her in disbelief. "But, but why not?"
Jenna sighed. "This stratagy can also work in our favor." As Vash still looked confused, and now a bit angry, Jenna continued to explain. "If we allow this to happen," she placed a finger over his lips as he began to protest, "We now have the oportunity to catch him red handed. With out a reason to stop him and accuse him of doing bad things, your authorities probably won't believe us. So, I go out and get stuck in the ambush they think will stop me. You play the hero and try to stop them at the steamer. I ride in, save your ass, then we escape to save everyone else."
Vash lowered her hand. Still not believing this was the best course of action, and angry at her for not wanting to step in and stop it before any one could get hurt. "What about the people? Some one is going to get hurt! Doesn't that matter?" He asked, voicing his concern.
"Yes Vash. The people definatly matter! That's why we do it this way." Still seeing that she hadn't softened his angry stare, Jenna sighed. "Vash. They already know you are the genuine article so the first thing they are going to expect you to do is to fight back."
Vash folded his arms across his chest. "So?"
"So, they will be completely focused on taking you down! Don't you see! You are the $$60,000,000,000 man! I guarentee they are goning to be greedy and will want the reward. They will concentrate all their efforts on bringing you down first. The Imposter is a coward and won't want to go up against the both of us at once. He'll want to make sure we are dead. Rounding up scared people will be a second priority, giving them all a chance to get away! And those that can't we'll be able to rescue when we take that bastard down!"
Vash still wasn't convinced. It wasn't in his nature to leave innocents in the hands of killers and theives and save his own life. Listning to her casually talk of doing just that made him sick to his stomache. "I can't do that." He told her. "I can't just throw them to the wolves like that and save my own neck!" Vash was yelling now, "What kind of person would that make me! I'd be just like them!" Vash pushed past her and began to walk towards their camp.
"You won't be much help to them if you're dead." Jenna said calmly from behind him.
Vash stopped short and stared ahead as she continued.
"You don't even know who is on our side and who is on his. If you try to tell people whats about to happen, The Imposter will put a knife in your back before you can open your mouth to speak another word!"
Vash heard what she said, and knew it was true. Her logic was sound, but he just didn't want to believe it, didn't want to hear it. The thought of it all made him sick. It made him sad too. What upset him the most was the fact that Jenna knew exactly what to do about the situation. With such coolness, she had a solution immediately. Vash realized at that moment, she reminded him of his enemy! Vash turned around quickly and looked into her eyes. He expected to see the insanity that Vash always saw in his eyes. But instead he saw hope and a need for him to understand. "What kind of world do you come from, that you have to know all this?" He asked her quietly.
Jenna sighed, "A world where tenderhearted and loving people like you don't stay that way for long." She placed her hand on his cheek, "I'm sorry Vash, but this is the only way that we can help these people." Jenna let her hand fall to his arm in a pleading guesture.
Vash closed his eyes and let the standing tears fall down his cheeks. It still wasn't right, but he knew it was the only way. Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes and looked into her's. "Alright Jenna. What do you want me to do?"
Back at camp Cyric nudged Fantus. Did you feel that?
Fantus opened his reptilian eyes, blinked and stretched, arching his back like a cat and flexing his wings. Yup. Jenna's changing shapes again and fighting with Vash.
How do you know she's fighting with Vash.? Cyric asked.
Fantus gave him a flat stare, then sighed. Of course you wouldn't have noticed that little behavior of hers. He said to himself. Because everytime she's mad at Vash she's changed shape. Fantus answered the question. So I'm assuming that now, she's mad at him again. He flexed his wings again and prepared to take off. I'll go and find them and see whats going on.
"Don't bother. We're back." Jenna said as she walked into camp with Vash following a few steps behind, with a mixture of sadness and anger on his face.
Fantus lept up and landed on Vash's shoulder. "What happened?" he wispered into Vash's ear. "You didn't try something stupid did you?"
Vash looked startled for a moment and with a small smile shook his head no. "No, but I think all of us are about to."
"I heard that." Jenna said, but her voice was not full of anger or sarcasm, it was full of regret and Fantus noticed the same sad look in her eyes.
Fantus and Cyric exhanged a glance, "Ok, whats going on with you two?" Fantus said as he narrowed his eyes and looked between Jenna and Vash.
"A dissagreement in tactical procedures." Jenna replied cooly.
Fantus felt Vash stiffen beneath his claws and knew this went a bit deeper than a "tactical dissagreement."
"Tactical? We going to war?" Cyric asked.
"No." Vash said abrubtly. "We are running away…"
"To fight another day and to ensure the fewest people get hurt." Jenna answered coldly. "Vash we've gone over this, it's the best way."
"I know. I know. It just feels wrong." Vash looked out at the sand steamer. "Some how I feel I am acting the coward by running. Like I'm no better than the bad guys."
Jenna bit her lip as she watched the struggle in his eyes. It hurt her deeply knowing that this was causing him pain. But when she thought of doing things his way she could only see death. Particularly his death. And that made her feel sick. She still wished he would tell her what was really wrong, so that she could make it go away for him.
Vash stood in silence as he watched the few guards the government sent patrolling the sand steamer. He calculated how many people were on the giant machine and then added them to those in the cars that followed. He didn't like the odds. But he knew she was right. If I run, they'll follow. Giving people more time to escape in the chaos and saving more lives. Vash balled his hands into fists. Damn it! Why does it always have to be like this? Why can't the populations just get along? There's plenty for everyone if we just learn to share. Why must it always turn out like this?
Vash felt a comforting presence next to him. While he had been lost in his thoughts Jenna had walked up to where he was. With out a word she unclenched his fist and slipped her fingers between his. Silently they stood, looking over the encampment of people.
Finally Jenna broke the silence. "I'm sorry Vash." She said very quietly.
Vash closed his eyes. Earlier he had thought she was beginning to become what he most feard. But the closeness they now shared showed him that she only reacted the way she did out of survival. Not the sadistical need to kill everything. She really was doing what she thought was best for the people in the caravan, and he realized, for him as well. She's still very different. Her world is very different.
I do what I do because I've seen it all before and this is what works best. Jenna answered his unasked question.
By now, Vash was starting to get used to her invading his thoughts. I guess after being around for five thousand years you would have. I'm sorry too. Squaring his shoulders Vash let go of Jenna's hand and tured to where Cyric and Fantas, who had removed himself from Vash's shoulder on Jenna's approach, stood waiting patiently for an explanation.
"Ok boys, get ready for an exciting day tomorrow." Vash said extra cheerful.
At once both animals became very suspicious, "What do you mean 'exciting day' and whats this about 'tactical movements'?" Cyric asked
"Yeah! What the hell is going on here?" Fantus chimned in.
"Imposter Vash is about to make his move." Jenna said matter-of-f actly.
"What are we going to do about it? I assume you've already have a plan Captain?" Cyric asked.
"Captain?" Vash asked surprised.
Jenna smiled at Vash, 'I told you I have been through this before. Now trust me. I know what I'm doing." Jenna turned her attention back to Cyric and Fantus, but kept Vash's perplexed expression in her peripheral vision. "Fantus, I need some reconnaissance. I need to know what the layout of the landscaping is."
"Just around the camp?" He asked. Vash knew Fantus was loving this, his tail hadn't stopped moving since Jenna had mentioned the imposter.
'No. I need to know what the canyon looks like, the surrounding sand dunes etc. I need to know a safe place for people to go." Jenna answered.
"Right!" Fantus was about to take off, when he stopped, "Uh, why do I need to find a safe place?"
"Imposter Vash intends to catch Jenna and Cyric in an ambush tomorrow and we are assuming he's coming after me next." Vash answered a lot more confident then when the plan was first talked about. "I'm supposed to be a distraction so most of the innocent people can get away."
"We don't know when the attack is going to happen, so you'll need to be on the look out for multiple places to hide. Big enough for a lot of people." Jenna continued with Vash's explanation.
"Oh." Fantus said. Now it all made sense. Why Vash was so upset and Jenna had acted as she did. Fantus knew from what they had seen of Vash's personality, this was a very hard plan for him to accept. He exchanged a look with Cyric and knew he had put the same puzzle pieces together. "Well then, I guess I had better get going and get you your map." Fantus took off into the night sky.
"How is he going to be able to see what the landscape looks like in the dark?" Vash asked as he quickly lost sight of the drake.
"Fantus can see very well in the dark. Better than I can, and I can see for a very long distance." Jenna answered. "Now, Vash! How quiet can you be?"
"Whats that supposed to mean?" Vash asked slightly injured.
"Oh nothing. I just need you to sneak over and tell Peter what we are up to. When the chaos begins, some one is going to have to imprint it into people to run. And hopefully run in the direction we want them too."
"So you need me to let him know what going on." Vash answered, "But I thought we weren't telling anyone?"
"Its only right that we let him know. He's been good about keeping our secrets so far, and not asking stupid questions. I am sure we can trust him."
This seemed to brighten Vash a even more. "I can be as quiet as I need to be Captain Jenna"
Jenna got an annoyed look on her face, "Please don't do that Vash. I never liked it when it when I really was a captain."
"Fantus did it first!" Vash whined with a small smile playing at his lips.
Jenna saw that he was getting back to his old self so she let it pass, "Just go tell him! And make sure he understands what to do. We'll tell him where to take people in the morning."
Vash saluted and before Jenna could say anything, slid into the darkeness with out making a sound.
"That boy has many hidden talents." Jenna said admirably.
"Yes he does. Which is why I still think we need to be wary around him." Cyric said from Jenna's side.
"Always the cautious one" Jenna said as she rubbed the horse's nose. "Well shall we get to work and plan our stratagy for tomorrow?"
"I think that would be best since we are to be giving the warning to the others." Cyric answered.
When all of the party had retured, information was shared, a map was created in the sand, and details were laid out for the next day.
"All right everyone, I think that's all we can do for now. Get some rest, and hope all goes as planed tomorrow."