The remnant of a lit cigar was extinguished in the colorful ashtray Silco had received on his birthday. Silco sat at his desk with his eyes on other reports in his left hand as Sevika stood a bit away from the desk.
"We lost our large shipment–damaging our relations with the buyer. We lost two chemtanks. We lost being inconspicuous, since chemtanks will get the Pilties tongues wagging. And we lost a morale advantage. But by reducing the fighting force of theirs by maybe ten percent, we aren't being humiliated by these lost children of Zaun?" His speech was cold and sharp; his fury at the failure contained–at least for now.
Sevika bit her lip. "That customs official and of course the Firelights were the only ones to see the chemtank. One is buried deep into the Pilt's bed and we brought the one Ali ended up dying in down with us."
"Let's assume the worst and we can be astonished if the gods smile on us instead of what they usually do on us," he scoffed.
Silco's lieutenant swallowed before shaking her head. "We've been underestimating them. Me, you, the chembarons, Jinx, all of us. We should alter our strategy."
Setting down his papers, he looked Sevika in her olive eyes with his mismatched ones. "To what?"
Sevika took a step closer to him. "These efforts at logistical defense and setting occasional traps don't work because they can hit-and-run us anywhere. We need to switch to the offensive. Locate and interrogate Firelight sympathizers; increase bounties for information on them; enhance out tracking efforts in the pipes…"
"Infiltrate them with a mole; conduct false flag operations to hinder their support," he added. Nodding slightly, Silco stood.
Sevika grinned at the approval. "Have Singed or–"
An unexpected sound made Sevika pause and take a defensive stance. Silco was surprised for a moment, then his eyes softened. He pointed up and Sevika followed it. Someone, with her forearms dangling over the edge, was in the rafters, and snoring.
"...or Jinx could study their technology for clues." Sevika finished, and looked back down. "You can think I'm shifting blame or not, but the brat has been distracted. She took herself off the airship to deal with some personal shit."
Her boss kept his eyes on Jinx and twitched subtly on hearing that. "Your adjustment sounds promising. Have Chross provide a list of suspected collaborators. Increase the bounties immediately. Discuss with Finn exploring the pipes… the mole, false flag, and tech plans will require more set up. They can wait until closer to the meeting with the chembarons."
Sevika nodded, but frowned that he was still looking up. "I'll have it done before tomorrow's talk. Any other problems?"
"None for you to deal with." He waved an arm in dismissal.
She began walking away, but she was rarely one to hold her tongue. "Are you sure about that?" she asked rhetorically.
After she was gone, Silco stretched his neck. He stepped on his chair and then his desk. "Jinx," he whispered and reached lightly to touch her finger tips.
The distance between them was too great. And jumping would be unwise. With a sigh, he brought his hands down. "Jinx," he repeated, still softly.
Her snoring stopped, but her eyes stayed closed and she didn't stir. "Jinx," he said again, in a low conversation level.
She woke up with more grace than he expected. "That's me," she said and yawned. Silco's eyes warmed while Jinx's chilled, as if she was just remembering some wickedness.
Perhaps she wanted to stay in her pleasant dream. Janna knows she rarely has them. "Sorry."
Jinx blinked and brought a hand to her mouth. "Are you?"
"You've been away." It was a statement, yet a question too.
She looked away. "I heard about the shipment. I didn't expect Ek–that he would kill Maria and Ali."
"Not the first of us the Firelights have killed. Morality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder." Jinx was not close to the two, but she had talked and sparred with them.
She grimaced. "First time he personally killed someone though, I think." She snorted. "Maybe it will change him–acting against what he claims he fights for."
"When I've spoken with you about betrayal, it can be not only external and to someone trusted. It can be internal and to a dream," he asserted in his rare gentle tone. "Was that why you've been detached? You don't wish to fight them–to kill him?"
Jinx brought her hands to her head and her ocean eyes were stormy. Silco knew that likely meant she was being haunted more intensely right now. Keeping his eyes on her, he stepped down in his chair with care and then sat down.
She struggled and her lips moved silently for a spell. Silco could have read her lips, but felt that would be invasive and it would anger her if she knew he was doing it. Music used to help when she was younger. Either playing on the gramophone or me playing the fiddle. That has been a while though.
"Maybe I'm being a dunce," she began when her composure and voice returned. "That Boy Savior tried to resurrect that girl for years and separate us. Still, he and part of his gang defeated two chemtanks. If we could make common cause, then wouldn't letting bygones be bygones, wouldn't it be better, for us, for Zaun, even if it's harder?"
She needs to steel herself more. That's why she's been conflicted; still haunted.
He took out the medicine injector. Jinx, almost on reflex, rolled herself over in a quick flip to land on the desk. "I feel you know the answer, but are troubled with the why. This evening, meet me near Pier 2."
Jinx groaned. That's actually a positive sign–how she'd normally respond. "I don't… will it take long?" She picked up the injector and methodically checked it was primed and ready.
"Minutes. Meaningful minutes," he answered then stilled.
Bringing the device to his infected eye, she stabilized it with both hands. "Aye-aye."
The needle entered his eye, bringing shimmer, secondary active ingredients, and pain. Jinx watched Silco double over in agony with a ponderous expression that he missed. She bumped into the ashtray as she tumbled off the desk. It hovered over the edge, but stayed up. The Loose Cannon didn't see or care about it as she had more tasks to see done.