The unit quietly followed the thickly built Fruhsunn on the pier. Their dialogues ceased, and the demeanor of the four individuals became silent and stoic. The Lalafell seemed unconcerned about what lied above his field of vision, though it was Ryanti and his Miqo’te companion that spotted the Elezen upon the gunwale. Although they didn’t show it, they were rather pleased that this crew was taking this mission seriously.
Ryanti could not help but blink and let out a curious sigh at the sighting of the first mate. She looked in every bit of a word someone born to the sea. He had never seen anyone so embroidered in jewelry and someone so south in the Lominsan accent. It was as if she had popped right out of a picture book. This voyage was going to be interesting indeed.
The Midlander stayed silent, and did not seem to acknowledge the First Mate’s words by doing anything else but following her lead. In truth, he was analyzing every bit and piece of these first few tidbits of introductions. He understood that, because this was a joint mission, it was a variable unknown of how the other half of this mission’s party would react. He could not afford to give them as much initial faith as he would one of his own, and he understood that they felt the same way about them.
As they approached further into the hold, Ryanti glanced about at the ambient light the lantern cast upon the empty gundeck. It was a soft light that, while accenting the area with that ‘warm, loving’ Limsan feel’, was a little less light than he expected. The Midlander in front of them cricked his neck a bit, as if popping a cramp there. In reality, it was a signal to expect a ruse. He had suspected this ever since he was not greeted by the Captain herself.
It was why the entire unit did not seem all that startled when their tour guide First Mate pulled a gun on them. The Midlander seemed the least startled, having absolutely no sign of agitation when being cornered from every angle as the possibility of death became a reality. The Lalafell was the most eccentric group member; therefore he seemed the most agitated by the sudden stick up.
Ryanti looked a tad uncomfortable having a spear being pointed at him, the same with his partner that stood adjacent to him. She seemed the most fearful out of all of them; she had death stare her in the face a little less often than the rest of the group, due to her being a bit more green. Still, this unit was assimilated into a very hostile and untrusting world, full of greed, power, and of course death. This was their world. Their reality.
Still, one would have the instinct to defend themselves. They were certainly not taught to suppress that instinct. Rather the opposite. And so, both Ryanti and # 85 had their free hands arched in draw, and # 43’s staff began to rise vertically to the floor. Though, right after the first phrase of the ship’s Captain was spoken, # 16 raised his hand to hiatus the unit, a serious look on his face.
“Go ahead.†The Midlander said to the two holding the crate. “It’s okay.†Slowly, and hesitantly, the other two complied, lowering the heavy wooden crate that composed half of their cargo down upon the floor where they stood. Beyond being a dignified maker of orders, it also appeared that the Midlander knew how to lessen tension within his men as well.
Upon standing back up from hunching over, Ryanti’s aquamarine eyes that reflected every tiny bit of light that hit it met Sounsyy’s right back. He sucked in his next breathe with an element of surprise. His eyebrows tensed up and he stilled his gaze in a dose of legitimate shock, but above all else, concern. He was almost embarrassed to realize that the very Mirke the Maimer he had challenged in a friendly spar in the recent past happened to be the Captain of the very Squadron assigned to this joint mission of theirs; embarrassed two-fold at having to meet again this way, on the bad side of her barrel.
Well, her crew’s anyhow. He felt at least briefly at ease to know that Sounsyy wasn’t herself armed.
“I understand your need for precaution, Captain.†The Midlander replied to her once she asked her the golden question he had expected of her. “As well as any negative impression one might have about being left in the dark. I admit, our interests do not generally result in joint-task operations. Rest assured that the secrecy behind this mission exists for a very good reason. However, I understand that both of our entities will be working most intimately with one another. Because of this, I will offer partial disclosure of our intentions, as well as display the materials of interest.â€
“Jonathan… “ The female Miqo’te blurted out in a whisper that reeked of concern and emotion. The Midlander narrowed his eyes, and seemed to be wrestling with himself over the decision. However, he was not planning to change it, now after what Ryanti said next. “Let them see.†The young man murmured, nodding his head slowly and agreeing with his commanding officer’s decision. “It is the only way they will understand the severity of the task before them.â€
The female Miqo’te clenched her teeth and allowing them visible by parting her lips. She seemed really stressed about the matter, but the decision was made. The Lalafell, indifferent until now, made a comment himself. “I hope you know what you are doing.†He addressed to the Midlander.
“I do.†The Midlander mentioned. “I am number sixteen of one-hundred and thirty-six of our specific entity. You may call me Jonathan, and I am the leader of this strike team. The Miqo’te lady you see before you is number eighty-five. The Lalafell under my command is the number of forty-three. Finally, the young man left is number seventy-seven. Treat these numbers as their names, I insist.â€
The Midlander glanced behind him and nodded. After he did so, both Ryanti and number eighty-five placed their hands upon the roof of the crate, jolting it a few times so hard that the crate itself moved, before finally opening the top of it. The wood did not creak nor squeak when they pulled open the top for it was newly assembled and well taken care of. Upon reaching down, the two lifted out what appeared to be two wetsuits. They were very slickly designed, pitch black and with various intricacies sewn into the fabric. Partially hidden by the dark environment, on could only tell that those intricacies and gadgets sewn onto the suite were chrome in nature.
They looked top-of-the-line in technology, rivaling anything Garlemald could replicate with their own efforts. “The rendezvous point is a scheduled dive that needs to take place. The objective is situated at the bottom of the Indigo Deep. We are unsure if Garlemald has knowledge of what has been found by our sources. If they do, however, they will not hesitate to lay claim to what lies down there.â€
The Midlander took a single step to the side, turning his gaze towards the two. “Go ahead and take the weapons out as well. You have my word Captain that they are not armed, please do not be alarmed.â€
After nervously glancing at one another, the two did as complied. One by one, they pulled out what appeared to be two rifles of some kind by the rail top carry handles. However, they looked incredibly foreign from any kind of musket. They were made of steel, and other heavy metals. They averaged three fulms in length, and weighted a fair bit as what could be told by how loud of a sound they made when they were softly laid upon the floor. There was an opening on the sides of these rifles where a horizontal magazine could be inserted, and the next pieces of equipment they pulled out were those magazines; long strips of metal encasing metal cartilages neatly lined up. They placed those next to the rifles. They were also top of the line.
It was obvious by this point that this 'mission' was serious.
“We are also armed with standard short swords, and small-arm pistols, that are currently on our person. At any rate, that is what is in that crate, and that, plus what is on our person, is the firepower and technology provided for us to complete missions of the highest importance and greatest secrecy. They are more valuable than our lives, as our objectives are too.â€
The Midlander turned around and notioned to Ryanti. “Hand me the VIA.†Ryanti stared at him for a brief moment, before shifting his glance to Mirke briefly, and then to the small, seemingly insignificant black lockbox that they were also carrying. Ryanti closed his eyes for a brief moment. “Are you… going to open this? In front o-â€
“No. I am not.†Jonathan interrupted him, gently taking the box away from Ryanti’s hands, presenting it by facing the Captain. However, he did not inch the box towards her in a manner of acceptance. Instead, he kept it close to him, and made it very important to what he was about to say next.
“What lies in –here-, however, is what makes this mission severe, and what makes this mission extremely dangerous. Very powerful individuals would pay with blood and bottomless coffers to obtain this, and this is what we must protect. As long as we are in possession of what lies inside of this box, we are in the interests of the entire Empire, as well as anyone willing to utilize it for evil means against the forces of mankind.â€
He gently placed a hand of his on top of the timid lock box. “We need this to get where we need to go. We need this crew to get where we need to be to use it. If you truly wish to know what is inside this box, it will have to be for the Captain’s eyes only. And I mean –only-. Whoever in your government believes they need to know, I will say that those in your government that need to know already know. I cannot emphasize enough that this is not a something to be taking lightly at all. This is why I will grant permission for the Captain to bear witness to it at a later time if she so chooses. Out of upholding the integrity of this unit, we will die before compromising any further on that matter. I place my faith in this crew's loyalty towards their Captain to keep what she may choose to witness to only within the walls of this ship.â€
He handed the black lockbox back to Ryanti, who held onto it firmly, staring down at it with a measure of concern.
The Midlander crossed his arms, glancing back at the Captain. “That is your mission’s briefing in its entirety. We will arrive at the destination and do our job and you do yours; at the end of it, we hand over our discoveries to Sharlayan, which will be of interest to both the Alliance and Sharlayan and cripple the efforts of the Empire. Granted, I could only afford to brief you all once we got here. I did not plan on giving this briefing to this crew in such a manner, but I understand that unorthodox units face unorthodox situations. Still, I cannot force anyone on this ship to go through with it. Just know that if you go through with it, you cannot turn back. So, will you accept?â€
Ryanti could not help but blink and let out a curious sigh at the sighting of the first mate. She looked in every bit of a word someone born to the sea. He had never seen anyone so embroidered in jewelry and someone so south in the Lominsan accent. It was as if she had popped right out of a picture book. This voyage was going to be interesting indeed.
The Midlander stayed silent, and did not seem to acknowledge the First Mate’s words by doing anything else but following her lead. In truth, he was analyzing every bit and piece of these first few tidbits of introductions. He understood that, because this was a joint mission, it was a variable unknown of how the other half of this mission’s party would react. He could not afford to give them as much initial faith as he would one of his own, and he understood that they felt the same way about them.
As they approached further into the hold, Ryanti glanced about at the ambient light the lantern cast upon the empty gundeck. It was a soft light that, while accenting the area with that ‘warm, loving’ Limsan feel’, was a little less light than he expected. The Midlander in front of them cricked his neck a bit, as if popping a cramp there. In reality, it was a signal to expect a ruse. He had suspected this ever since he was not greeted by the Captain herself.
It was why the entire unit did not seem all that startled when their tour guide First Mate pulled a gun on them. The Midlander seemed the least startled, having absolutely no sign of agitation when being cornered from every angle as the possibility of death became a reality. The Lalafell was the most eccentric group member; therefore he seemed the most agitated by the sudden stick up.
Ryanti looked a tad uncomfortable having a spear being pointed at him, the same with his partner that stood adjacent to him. She seemed the most fearful out of all of them; she had death stare her in the face a little less often than the rest of the group, due to her being a bit more green. Still, this unit was assimilated into a very hostile and untrusting world, full of greed, power, and of course death. This was their world. Their reality.
Still, one would have the instinct to defend themselves. They were certainly not taught to suppress that instinct. Rather the opposite. And so, both Ryanti and # 85 had their free hands arched in draw, and # 43’s staff began to rise vertically to the floor. Though, right after the first phrase of the ship’s Captain was spoken, # 16 raised his hand to hiatus the unit, a serious look on his face.
“Go ahead.†The Midlander said to the two holding the crate. “It’s okay.†Slowly, and hesitantly, the other two complied, lowering the heavy wooden crate that composed half of their cargo down upon the floor where they stood. Beyond being a dignified maker of orders, it also appeared that the Midlander knew how to lessen tension within his men as well.
Upon standing back up from hunching over, Ryanti’s aquamarine eyes that reflected every tiny bit of light that hit it met Sounsyy’s right back. He sucked in his next breathe with an element of surprise. His eyebrows tensed up and he stilled his gaze in a dose of legitimate shock, but above all else, concern. He was almost embarrassed to realize that the very Mirke the Maimer he had challenged in a friendly spar in the recent past happened to be the Captain of the very Squadron assigned to this joint mission of theirs; embarrassed two-fold at having to meet again this way, on the bad side of her barrel.
Well, her crew’s anyhow. He felt at least briefly at ease to know that Sounsyy wasn’t herself armed.
“I understand your need for precaution, Captain.†The Midlander replied to her once she asked her the golden question he had expected of her. “As well as any negative impression one might have about being left in the dark. I admit, our interests do not generally result in joint-task operations. Rest assured that the secrecy behind this mission exists for a very good reason. However, I understand that both of our entities will be working most intimately with one another. Because of this, I will offer partial disclosure of our intentions, as well as display the materials of interest.â€
“Jonathan… “ The female Miqo’te blurted out in a whisper that reeked of concern and emotion. The Midlander narrowed his eyes, and seemed to be wrestling with himself over the decision. However, he was not planning to change it, now after what Ryanti said next. “Let them see.†The young man murmured, nodding his head slowly and agreeing with his commanding officer’s decision. “It is the only way they will understand the severity of the task before them.â€
The female Miqo’te clenched her teeth and allowing them visible by parting her lips. She seemed really stressed about the matter, but the decision was made. The Lalafell, indifferent until now, made a comment himself. “I hope you know what you are doing.†He addressed to the Midlander.
“I do.†The Midlander mentioned. “I am number sixteen of one-hundred and thirty-six of our specific entity. You may call me Jonathan, and I am the leader of this strike team. The Miqo’te lady you see before you is number eighty-five. The Lalafell under my command is the number of forty-three. Finally, the young man left is number seventy-seven. Treat these numbers as their names, I insist.â€
The Midlander glanced behind him and nodded. After he did so, both Ryanti and number eighty-five placed their hands upon the roof of the crate, jolting it a few times so hard that the crate itself moved, before finally opening the top of it. The wood did not creak nor squeak when they pulled open the top for it was newly assembled and well taken care of. Upon reaching down, the two lifted out what appeared to be two wetsuits. They were very slickly designed, pitch black and with various intricacies sewn into the fabric. Partially hidden by the dark environment, on could only tell that those intricacies and gadgets sewn onto the suite were chrome in nature.
They looked top-of-the-line in technology, rivaling anything Garlemald could replicate with their own efforts. “The rendezvous point is a scheduled dive that needs to take place. The objective is situated at the bottom of the Indigo Deep. We are unsure if Garlemald has knowledge of what has been found by our sources. If they do, however, they will not hesitate to lay claim to what lies down there.â€
The Midlander took a single step to the side, turning his gaze towards the two. “Go ahead and take the weapons out as well. You have my word Captain that they are not armed, please do not be alarmed.â€
After nervously glancing at one another, the two did as complied. One by one, they pulled out what appeared to be two rifles of some kind by the rail top carry handles. However, they looked incredibly foreign from any kind of musket. They were made of steel, and other heavy metals. They averaged three fulms in length, and weighted a fair bit as what could be told by how loud of a sound they made when they were softly laid upon the floor. There was an opening on the sides of these rifles where a horizontal magazine could be inserted, and the next pieces of equipment they pulled out were those magazines; long strips of metal encasing metal cartilages neatly lined up. They placed those next to the rifles. They were also top of the line.
It was obvious by this point that this 'mission' was serious.
“We are also armed with standard short swords, and small-arm pistols, that are currently on our person. At any rate, that is what is in that crate, and that, plus what is on our person, is the firepower and technology provided for us to complete missions of the highest importance and greatest secrecy. They are more valuable than our lives, as our objectives are too.â€
The Midlander turned around and notioned to Ryanti. “Hand me the VIA.†Ryanti stared at him for a brief moment, before shifting his glance to Mirke briefly, and then to the small, seemingly insignificant black lockbox that they were also carrying. Ryanti closed his eyes for a brief moment. “Are you… going to open this? In front o-â€
“No. I am not.†Jonathan interrupted him, gently taking the box away from Ryanti’s hands, presenting it by facing the Captain. However, he did not inch the box towards her in a manner of acceptance. Instead, he kept it close to him, and made it very important to what he was about to say next.
“What lies in –here-, however, is what makes this mission severe, and what makes this mission extremely dangerous. Very powerful individuals would pay with blood and bottomless coffers to obtain this, and this is what we must protect. As long as we are in possession of what lies inside of this box, we are in the interests of the entire Empire, as well as anyone willing to utilize it for evil means against the forces of mankind.â€
He gently placed a hand of his on top of the timid lock box. “We need this to get where we need to go. We need this crew to get where we need to be to use it. If you truly wish to know what is inside this box, it will have to be for the Captain’s eyes only. And I mean –only-. Whoever in your government believes they need to know, I will say that those in your government that need to know already know. I cannot emphasize enough that this is not a something to be taking lightly at all. This is why I will grant permission for the Captain to bear witness to it at a later time if she so chooses. Out of upholding the integrity of this unit, we will die before compromising any further on that matter. I place my faith in this crew's loyalty towards their Captain to keep what she may choose to witness to only within the walls of this ship.â€
He handed the black lockbox back to Ryanti, who held onto it firmly, staring down at it with a measure of concern.
The Midlander crossed his arms, glancing back at the Captain. “That is your mission’s briefing in its entirety. We will arrive at the destination and do our job and you do yours; at the end of it, we hand over our discoveries to Sharlayan, which will be of interest to both the Alliance and Sharlayan and cripple the efforts of the Empire. Granted, I could only afford to brief you all once we got here. I did not plan on giving this briefing to this crew in such a manner, but I understand that unorthodox units face unorthodox situations. Still, I cannot force anyone on this ship to go through with it. Just know that if you go through with it, you cannot turn back. So, will you accept?â€