They left the military base at the crack of dawn, letting the long-lost place be fully embraced by Mother Nature. As the overgrown buildings had hidden behind the horizon, every person was overcome by the reverie, what the cryptic message could've meant. Last night was spent entirely on the heated brainstorm, but no one was able to figure out the final message. When they had fully awoken, Kurena was the one to resume the conversation.
"To summarize what we have put together: this message was made before the war had started, but recorded with a view on it. We are certain that it was made by the former Empire and has something to do with preventing the Legion. Some code had been supposed to block the transmission, but considering the number of repeats, it had been many years since anyone did that" The girl, now invested in the mystery, recapped yesterday's discussion. She felt excitement thinking what they had discovered might be important.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it. We have no idea what is in the drowned-out parts, but it'll become clear after I repair the device." Theo stated confidently.
"Maybe some clues will be in the documents Shin had gathered. We should show it all to Ernst when we get back, he would've known more about the old empire's structure and administration."Anju added enthusiastically.
"For the first time, I'm regretting we haven't arrived in the Republic yet." Kurena sounded bummed that their enigma won't move forward in the next few days.
"As soon as we get there, you'll be wishing to be in those fields again." Raiden said ominously like he was trying to scare her off.
"Obviously, those white pigs won't give us a warm welcome." She eagerly agreed.
"I wonder how our Colonel will handle that…" Shin for the first time had spoken up in today's talk, as the words slipped out his mouth. He didn't intend to say them out loud and felt a bit flustered inside, about this happening again.
"Don't worry Shin, she's strong. I'm sure she'll valiantly defend us no matter what we say, but that's how she is. With time, Colonel should understand it doesn't bother us, and she doesn't have to feel sorry for us." Anju said calmly, fully aware of their commander's temper and beliefs. There was no chance it could've been stopped with their suggestions.
"Somehow she had earned the nickname the Bloodstained Queen, so she had to toughen up a little at least. I still think it's a little tacky tho…"Theo snickered to himself.
During their journey conversation stayed casual, and the countless hours went by pleasurably. They've gotten back on track, on the muddy field area, with every step getting closer to the mountain. When the top was visible in the distance it got clear, that the swarm of voices wasn't invisible or airborne, but had to arise from the underground.
"We are directly above them, but no entrance is in sight. It has to be hidden under the mountainside or directly inside, but the blind search might take hours if not days." Shin told them with frustration. He regretted a bit spending so much time in the abandoned village, as those priceless hours would come in handy right now.
"Can't you call the Colonel? Maybe she has some old maps that could give us some useful clues." Raiden asked with hope, that the chaotic search without the plan won't be needed.
"I've already spoken with her. We got some old charts, but according to them, this place is riddled with cave systems and fissures. None of them were fully mapped, and some of them probably had been never discovered. Apparently, the old San Magnolia favored other places, and this one was overall wild. Only rock climbers and cave explorers ventured outside the man-made mountain road." He explained everything Lena had told him, but even she had no idea what might lurk in the deep.
"So annoying! If they are hidden, can't we just ignore them? Maybe they'll stay passive if the caves are so convoluted." Kurena wished the problem would disappear, as the dark, narrow caves filled her with dread.
"No way. Remember, I only hear the active units, we have no idea how many dormant ones might be on standby. Now we can surprise them, as they had no intel for a few days. If we ignore them and they attack while we will be marching with the refugees, there won't be a battle but a bloodbath." Their leader had gone through all the options, and this was his conclusion. The risk was way too high to take it on spec.
"What is your plan, Shin? Splitting up and checking every known entrance separately? This region is completely unknown to us, and we have no caving experience." Theo noted with a matter-of-fact tone, also not thrilled about the tight space prospect.
"It would take too long, sooner than later someone would get stuck. As you said, we have no background in closed-space combat or navigation, so this is out of the question. The maps won't be able to tell us which spaces are wide and stable enough for Reginleifs. Legion must have carved itself proper passages, that are adapted to machines of their caliber. I doubt however we'll find a Dinosauria or Löwe there, at least not in the active form. Shooting from a cannon that big would inevitably collapse the whole system." He summarized all the findings he had made in a previous call with Lena.
"That does not explain how we get in there."The blonde guy said impatiently.
"We will wait. The weather is clear now, so the Ameise and Eintagsfliege should come out on their own. I'll apply all the voices on the map, and your job is to look at the sky and spot if the disruption butterflies are coming out. I'll try to map the main corridor and the way inside, but it'll save us a lot of time if you locate their entrance. I doubt they'd have the finesse and tools to make them a separate tunnel, but that's just a lucky guess."
"You're brilliant Shin! We can start right away." Kurena was in awe, shouting the compliment out loud without thinking.
"Great, but shouldn't we move closer to the mountains? If we want an element of surprise in our hands, we cannot stay in an open field. First Ameise that'll come out could spot us without a hitch here."The kindest girl in the group swiftly moved on.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. We could use one of the above-ground caves, some of them look massive. That way we gain a good observation spot, but are hidden from the ground units." He had already chosen the most suitable spot, not far away.
"What are we waiting for then, I'm dying for a warm dinner!" Raiden grinned.
Reaching the hideaway was trickier than it looked, leading to the decision to leave Fido and the supplies hidden on the ground. The scavenger was unable to climb on the steep slope, so they found him a small fissure instead.
"Now, be a good dog and stay here until we come for you, got it?" Shin ordered firmly.
"Pi pi!"Fido responded with his usual enthusiasm, although leaving his Master behind was not easy to bear.
"It won't take long, I'm taking only the food for today. If all goes well, we should have everything figured out before sundown." With that, the boy left his faithful companion hidden behind a few bushes.
Contrary to their hopes, the night had fallen before they had found their answer. Shin was able to map a sizable chain of hallways, but the units were reluctant to leave their post the whole evening. They once again visited Fido to take all the sleeping bags and decided that one person would stay on guard every moment. When it was close to dawn, Theo excitedly woke everyone up.
"Look! The Eintagsfliege are flying out! It turns out that I am the lucky finder after all!"
May 17th Republic Year 368 (Stellar Year 2149)
100days until the Legion's Large-Scale Offensive
"Captain Vladilena Milizé, you are under arrest on charges of corruption, illegal purchase of explosives, industrial theft, weapons smuggling and distribution on the black market, and planning a rebellion. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you. From this moment on, your rights as an officer are suspended and you will appear before a civil and military court."The military squad of twenty people forced their way into Milizé's mansion in the first hours of the morning. They violently pushed her to the wall and cuffed her, making her mother faint on the spot. In a matter of minutes, the peaceful home became a crime scene, investigated by the top officers in the country.
"Wait a minute. Where are you taking me? I want to speak to the Brigadier General Karlstahl about this treatment." Lena tried to argue with the arresting officer, as half of the charges didn't make sense. Sure, technically they were right about the weapon theft and smuggling, but she didn't have time to send them to the Eighty-Six, even more, the so-called black market.
"I advise you to shut up, your connections will be of no use this time. The Pivot family will make sure that you are severely punished for your crimes. Who knows, maybe you will be the most famous case of the decade…" The man didn't budge and pressed harder, making her feel the bruises forming. What the hell was happening? They did consider the possibility she would be investigated shortly after their heist, but the soldiers were treating her like a convicted criminal. The initial idea assumed, that before the prosecution puts out a case, the Legion would have already attacked, and she would be free on bail before the trial. This turn of events was completely unexpected.
"I've got right to a lawyer!" She did not give up, even if the situation seemed dire.
"Sure miss, everything is in the right order. But first, you need to be transported to the prison, I've heard the Pivot family was kind enough to want to offer you some kind of deal." He scoffed, believing that such a criminal does not deserve mercy. Especially since there were rumors, that she was planning a bloody rebellion with those pigs.
"W-wait! What about my mother?" The girl asked with sincere concern while she was taken outside of her villa.
"Madame Milizé is in good hands but will be questioned during the inquiry. If you had cared about your mother, you shouldn't have made this mess to begin with." He responded with hostility, taking the young woman in her nightgown to the van. Nobody protested at the sight of the Milizé heiress being mistreated, as the rumors were quickly spread around the crowd of onlookers. When the police officer took her from the rude man, he was no gentler. He pushed her inside the prison van with such force, that when she hit the wall, a trickle of blood ran down her face.
"Bloodstained Queen, now it fits you right. Consider yourself lucky that your family still holds some influence, or this arrest would be much less pleasant." He spat at her feet, with pure hatred emanating from his eyes. Lena had no idea how this was their version of 'benign', but she felt grateful she didn't get to know the alternative.
The ride to the prison was silent, as the city hadn't woken up yet from its deep slumber. She had no window to look out from, and the metal floor felt cold under her bare feet. The thin silk nightdress could not protect her from the chilly morning, so she curled up and wrapped her arms around herself. This day was unusually cool as if the world wanted to join the mocking. When she had sighed a small cloud of steam rose from her mouth, sending a shiver down her spine. The vehicle suddenly stopped, making her anxious about what would come next.
"Get out criminal, quickly. Someone is eager to have an audience with you." The same policeman took her out of the van and escorted her to the strip room search. It was a humiliating experience, but at least the person conducting it was a woman. She did not get her nightgown back, instead, the scratchy orange jumpsuit with a number written on it was given to her.
"Take this handkerchief and clean up a little, unless you want to have a bloody face on your photo." The photographer took a pity on her and gave her the wipe.
"Thank you, but there is no need. I want to have it documented, so please continue as it is." Lena regained her composure, certain that this situation must be a mistake or a setup. No matter the reason, she had to do everything in her power to free herself from jail.
"Go with me, you have your first visitor. He told me a supervising officer won't be necessary, but try anything funny and you might 'accidentally' slip during your cleaning duty, got it?" The man glared as she nodded in agreement, then he opened the secure door. Inside of it was no other than Nicolas Pivot, with a phony pained expression.
"My dear, how could you do that to me! What about all those sweet words you had whispered to me, was it all a lie?" He dramatically exclaimed, putting on a show. As soon as the guard left the room he got serious and continued. "Please sit here, my love. I've had a little chat with my buddy, and he promised me this little talk will stay between us, so don't worry about the prying eyes."
"It was you doing, wasn't it?" Lena replied coldly, still standing.
"Why don't you loosen up a little? Look, I've brought you the cupcake you love so much, with extra cream on top!" The man said in a nauseatingly sweet tone.
"Stop this crap. We both know that you were the one who put me here, so why don't you tell me why you went to such lengths? I would've broken the engagement if you had asked without this fuss." She did her best to sound tough.
"Darling, how do you manage to be so adorable?" Nicolas laughed uncontrollably. "You may be right, but who knows? I'm terribly sorry for the way you were treated, it was absolutely not my intention. Those imbeciles did it on their own and I'll make sure they get punished properly."
"Why bother with this spectacle? Was it revenge for approaching you with ulterior motives?" The girl tried to find a plausible reason.
"Of course not, I'm not such a petty man. Besides, you surely have noticed that there were...things… that I also want from you. So feel no guilt, it was a mutual exploitation!" He put on a gallant smile, not suiting a man his age. "I've got more to offer, as I find our partnership remarkably suitable. If you, hypothetically, plead guilty to all charges, I promise my family will ask for maximal leniency. Sure, you won't get totally scot-free, but you must have been prepared for that outcome while stealing my weapons."
"You know most of the charges have nothing to do with me! Is that why you had let me do all that stuff without the question? To make me into a scapegoat?" She seethed with anger, feeling cheated and betrayed. All this time she thought she was dealing the cards, while actually being outplayed.
"That is why this is an 'offer'. You take a few burdens off my back, I'll take a few from yours. Those pesky investigators won't stop until they have the culprit, or a fall guy for that matter. I know you need my weapons for your pesky dolls, and I'm willing to bend a little. If you plead guilty to everything I might send them some toys in your stead." Nicolas negotiated, making Lena waver. It wasn't such a bad offer, she was willing to give up her freedom until the attack, but there was no guarantee the man would hold up his end of the bargain.
"How do I know you'll do that? If I'm convicted, there will be no way to revert that."
"Sweetheart, here the oldest way to make a stable alliance appears. I wouldn't go so far for a stranger, or worse, an ex, but the wife is a different matter entirely. You see, I've never lied about my captivation by your beauty, surprising even myself with this desire. My family is powerful and wealthy enough that with the help of your mother, we can easily change the prison sentence to a house arrest. After all, who would've done a better job of ensuring the atonement than the victims themselves?" He revealed his most inner desire to covet her, even when she would no longer be useful to his plans. It revolted her to the core, how this man can be so shameless. First framing her to take the fall for him, isolating her socially, and then playing the savior for exchange with her body? Utterly despicable.
"It's….it's not an easy decision. Can I get a little time?" Lena asked in a sorrowful voice, close to bursting into tears. She blamed herself for not wondering if this whole situation was a trap earlier. Was there any other way to resume the preparations on time? Security will surely get a lot tighter as a consequence of the investigation.
"Of course, Dear. But remember, no one can help you except me."