Midsummer 6, 6105

The yacht's plush dining hall has been converted into a temporary war room, with ship blueprints and navigational charts scattered over the main table. Elise de Bellefeuille sits at the head of the table, the blueprints for Siren's make of ship arrayed before her, margins scribbled with notes. Dominic haut Glas and Grant de Ayde flank her on either side. The five guards the lady poodle brought, along with the ship's captain and the single crew member who could be spared from his duties, are also gathered in the chamber to hear her plan of attack.

Elise de Bellefeuille looks between each man gathered around the table, taking note of each of them for a moment and making certain they have given her their undivided attention. When she sees they have, she slides a strategy map out for them all to review. It is a copy of the Siren's ship-type blueprint with several lines, notes, and other indicators of military strategy drawn across it. "The plan is fairly straightforward, gentlemen. There are three courses the initial contact can take: that is, they slow and allow us to board, they attempt to flee, or they prepare to repel boarders and prepare for battle. Because this is a civilian vessel likely carrying many innocents we must attempt to peacefully board, and we fly colors and hail them to this end," she explains before pausing briefly to look at them all again. "Is there any questions before I continue further? If not, all questions will be held until the strategy has been completely outlined."

Dominic looks grave. "Are you certain it's wise to advertise our presence to them? If the Siren's crew are in league with them, we will be giving them added time to prepare – and even if they are not, we are certainly giving the kidnappers time to plan."

"And what do you suggest, we hide our origin and come upon them like pirates out of the clouds? Or simply a pleasure vessel who just happened to chase them across the sea?" inquires Elise, the slight hint of sarcasm tainting her voice.

The black poodle opposite watches his counterpart with flinty eyes, offering no support, and haut Glas wavers, but he persists. "The scryer will let us know where they are long before they know we are here. While Destiny cannot sneak up on them, it's possible that a small boarding party, using our flyers, could use the cover of their envelope and infiltrate the vessel."

Elise glances at the black poodle and nods to him. "An interesting proposal, and one I am willing to entertain. What do you suggest? That four of us board? It has surprise but lacks numbers, and the support of both our mages and those remaining on this vessel. There is also the matter of a potential mage on board the Siren's Tail, or mages, possibly even priestesses," inquires the lady poodle.

"I would rather four of us take them by surprise than all of us face them prepared," the white male says. "Mages need time to prepare their tricks – if they have mages among them, all the better that we give them no time to employ their powers. As for our own mages – I am not sure how much use they will be in a fight. Mage Shanna has performed admirably propelling Destiny at speed, but if we take her from that task to some other purpose, I fear this vessel will quickly lose ground to Siren's engines. As for the scryer – what use is a spying mage in combat?"

"You forget, my lord," Grant begins, his voice icily polite, "that we are facing an Eeee foe. 'The cover of darkness' may cause us problems, but it will be little hindrance for them."

"A spying mage can locate other mages," answers Elise, "and dispel active tricks of the spheres likely to be involved. They are also of some use in benefiting the senses of others – though that can be accomplished before we strike."

The other white poodle spreads his hands in a non-committal manner. "If you think such services are of more value than stealth," he begins, his tone suggesting he does not, "then what do you propose?"

"What I propose, then, is that we launch as Lord haut Glas suggests, however, we stall our vessel long enough to allow us to board. Then Sweet Destiny can show herself as we search the vessel unnoticed. If the trader is in league with the bats, we will know then, and perhaps the scare of it will stir our targets in to scrambling along their plan and right in to us. Before we board I will ask our scryer if he cannot augment our own senses for the stealth mission, assuming he is powerful enough that would be of benefit," offers the lady. She looks between the two nobles, awaiting their opinion.

"So you suggest we approach covertly by flier using a separate avenue, Lady de Bellefeuille, while Destiny overtakes Siren overtly and mounts a formal search?" Lord de Ayde asks.

"Correct," the lady officer answers.

The two male poodles exchange glances, neither looking entirely satisfied. "Well enough, my lady," haut Glas offers first. "Better than beginning by showing our full hand."

"If the crew of Siren was not opposed to us," Grant says, "They will be if they catch us trying to sneak on like pirates. Still… " His eyes flick to the diagrams on the table. "If they feel aware of how cornered they are, they may due something … drastic."

"Indeed. And, should the merchant crew prove hostile, we will be well positioned to cripple them or have already departed with Katherine." The woman reaches over and places a finger on the map, indicating the starboard side. "Sweet Destiny will, when able, secure its lines on the starboard side. This is not terribly important, but of minor benefit given a majority of the hatches and the non-crew quarters would likely be to starboard. One of my guards and the captain will speak with the trader captain, with my men present and armed. You will ask to search the vessel and see that all crew and passengers are brought to the deck unarmed for inspection. This should lessen the opposition below decks, and allow a few men cover a great deal of the crew. The rest the infiltration party will handle."

"We will present ourselves as a Temple search party, one of many and one made from what was available. We will not announce our names, and especially not our connection with Katherine. The Eeee are not to know she is my sister. They would kill her to spite me," continues Elise.

Dominic flinches, but Grant betrays no emotion, his eyes fixed on the plans. "Where do you intend to have the infiltration party board?" the black poodle asks. "On the main deck they'll be spotted immediately, especially if Siren has any third-class passengers on the deck."

"We can attempt to land at the rakhtor bays, giving us a good jump-off point, or else attempt to open one of the starboard cargo holds. Both are risky, but less so than landing on the deck." The woman takes a takes a breath, reviewing her map a moment. She then asks, "Do either of you have experience boarding in such a manner, or with the various workings of cargo holds and rakhtor bays?"

"If the Siren's rakhtor bays are like Destiny's, they'll have rolling doors that slide upwards, secured by latches from the inside that attach them to the bottom. We could smash through them, at the risk of alerting the crew. The cargo holds… " Grant frowns in concentration. The sole crew member present coughs into his hat, twisting it around in his hands and glancing at Elise.

Elise looks up to the crewman, her cool blue eyes regarding him curiously. "I take it you have something to share? Please, speak your mind," she bids him.

"Begging your pardon, great lords and lady," the Gallah begins apprehensively, "but the Siren won't have fancy doors like ours. They'll bolt across the front, and unhinge from the bottom – then you have to lock them in place as a sort of launching platform, or they flap around in the wind. Sir. Ma'am. And the cargo – Siren's captain always works out how much of his hold'll be filled and packs the cargo so it's closest to the doors. Takes less time to load and unload that way. If he's got anything in the bay, it'll be lined to block the doors."

"And do you see another way for several large creatures to board the vessel?" asks the lady poodle after she nods to the crewman's advice.

The canine shakes his head. "Not really, ma'am," he says. "She'll be flyin' with third class passengers if there were any who wanted, and going to the Himaat, there prolly were. She might be flyin' light – she probably is, or we'd've caught her by now. If she's flyin' light on cargo, the middle level bays are the ones most likely to be empty."

Another nod. "And how are the hatches secured? Can a rakhtor hope to dig its claws in the hull and open them?" Elise asks.

"They're latched from the outside, ma'am, 'cause in the standard design there aren't any other ways into them – they only open to the outside," the Gallah explains. "So you could just unlatch them."

"What good would that do us?" Dominic says, annoyed. "I doubt they're keeping Lady Katherine in an empty cargo bay, and we cannot use those bays to enter the rest of ship."

"We can take an axe and a crowbar to the floor and use a rope ladder to drop ourselves to the cargo hold on the lowest deck," suggests lady de Bellefeuille. "From there we can pass in to the rest of the ship, and no one would expect us from that avenue."

"That'll be as noisy as breaking open one of the rakhtor stalls," haut Glas protests.

"But less tricky than trying to fly and axe a door open. And at least we needn't worry about facing an angry rakhtor once we get inside," Grant counters.

"But it will be much farther away from anywhere anyone is likely to be. The rakhtor pens have crew quarters above them, and the engines. The engines would not hide us if we were just below them, but the noise may conceal us if we are deep in the ship," explains the lady officer.

The white poodle grimaces. "As you will, my lady. And after we enter from the lower port side, our guards will board the main deck?"

"Yes," answers the lady. "Or will be in the process of doing so. We should be prepared to head inside the vessel regardless of the progress Sweet Destiny has made, and not rely on her. It may come to pass we are to be left to our own devices, and I would much prefer to act quickly."

Dominic frowns. "My lady – you do not mean to be among the infiltrators, do you?" Even Grant looks hesitant at this prospect.

Elise gives them both a look, ranging from icy for Dominic to something more akin to disbelief for Grant. "I am as good a sword as either of you, and I do not intend to remain here while my sister is in jeopardy. My leg is a problem yes, but I have overcome it before," she answers in stern protest.

"Besides that, do you not think my landing upon their deck astride Secrets might be a little disconcerting to the Eeee aboard that vessel? Not merely the kidnappers, but any of them," the lady adds. "It would be best I use my presence sparingly."

"My lady," Grant says, quietly, "The infiltrators will be relying to a degree on stealth, and will be climbing up and down narrow ladders with potential attackers above and below. Relying on Secrets to carry you will not be an option – unless you enter with the overt boarders from Destiny. If you judge yourself more fit for the task of infiltration than any of your guards – well. You best know your own capabilities and limitations," the black poodle concludes, tone polite.

The woman sighs, the noise edging more on being a growl than a breath. Her sword hand flexes for a moment and tenses. They are right, she concedes, knowing herself to be much a cripple while her cast remains. "Very well. I … " she seems to struggle with the words a moment before continuing, " … I agree. As much as I despise the idea of remaining behind, I will do so for the sake of my sister. You do not need a hobbled woman with you, and though I would say I would not be in the way, I will not risk it. I shall lead the boarding party from Sweet Destiny upon my warhorse and give the Eeee a scare."

The woman's ears flick, displaying her obvious irritation despite her words. "Perhaps that will help you. I have found I have the most interesting effect on those who dream darkly," she says.

Grant releases his breath as well, giving de Bellefeuille a respectful nod for her decision. "Of whom will the infiltrators be comprised? I will lead them, if that suits you, my lady."

The white male poodle's look of relief at the lady's decision turns to a frown. "I outrank you, Lieutenant de Ayde," he reminds the black canine a touch sharply, "and given my considerable military experience, I believe I am more qualified to lead the party."

"It does, Lord de Ayde," says the eldest de Bellefeuille, over haut Glas's objection. "I will chose two of my stronger guards who have served military duty, they can assist in the breaching. Lord haut Glas, you will also accompany them and offer your advice but you will mind the orders of Lord de Ayde on this mission. That is final. I will have no arguments. They are unseemly for men of your breeding."

Lord haut Glas bristles, the fur on his neck rising, and he opens his muzzle, but one glance between the other nobles, and he snaps it shut again. A brusque nod is the extent of his reply. Though de Ayde looks scarcely happier, he makes no protest, either. At that moment, the doors to the dining hall burst open, revealing a white robed mage. "My lady! Lords! I've sighted The Siren's Tail!" he cries excitedly.

Elise suddenly inhales despite herself, caught by the weight of the situation now upon her more than the sudden news of it. She moves to stand, reaching for her sword to use as a cane. "You have your orders, gentlemen. Do not fail me," she tells the others, wanting for a moment to say so much more. Bring her home. Return my sister, whatever you do, just bring her home … First Ones, please, bring her home safe … She keeps her thoughts to herself, hiding them behind the icy mask of Elise the officer and keeping the worry stricken face of the sister hidden away. She glances at them once more, then heads for the door. "To your stations."

Late evening affords the infiltration group as much cover as they will get. Sweet Destiny hangs well back behind clouds, out of sight of the vessel the scryer assures them is there. The small group is comprised of haut Glas, de Ayde, and a Khatta from de Bellefeuille's guards – a small woman and not the best in a head-to-head fight, but a ruthless opponent more familiar with stealth and subtlety than most guards. Elise opts to reserve their last mount, the winged Drokar, for herself and the formal boarding party, with the agreement of the other two nobles.

They agree to give the infiltrators a lead of twenty minutes before Sweet Destiny approaches the Siren herself. As the moments slip past, those remaining on the airship have nothing left to do but prepare, and wait.

Elise has made ready early, her cumbersome tack and saddle needing time to prepare – time she cannot spare should she need to launch early. As she waits for more time to pass she checks her equipment. Her sword – her cane as well as weapon these days – has been fastened to her girdle for the moment. Her two pistols are loaded and ready, and her ornate main gauche has been brought as well – though, of the weapons, the main gauche sees the least use, given she cannot manage two weapons in her present state of injury. She wears her armor too, as much as can be managed given her broken leg, and even her helmet finds use today. The empty staring eyes of the unadorned blue dogs-head helmet makes for an imposing visage. They will know me. Let them. If fear will save my sister, so be it. A hundred dire titles if it will save her, she considers.

The lady poodle finds herself grateful when the time comes to launch, feeling hopelessly out of touch with all that goes on above and ahead of her. Once in flight, on Secrets' back, she immediately can tell that Siren is making no effort to slow – her engines run at full bore, though Sweet Destiny is gaining on them. Her three guards prepare grappling hooks as they draw alongside the vessel.

For the moment Elise circles down to land on the deck of Sweet Destiny, using it as a shield should arrows begin to fly and keeping herself in range for orders. "My guards, weapons ready. Deck crew prepare lines for boarding," she calls out.

Secrets soars along the starboard side of Destiny, keeping the yacht between himself and the potentially hostile Siren. As Elise gazes over the deck to the opposing ship, she sees that Siren's deck is curiously clear of the anticipated passengers and crew – just before two crossbow bolts launch across the gap towards Destiny.

One bolt soars harmlessly across the deck, while the other imbeds itself in the wooden hull below the deckhands. The crew member nearest the bolt cowers behind the rail, yowling, but the other two hurl their lines anyway. They thud against the opposite rail, and the guards join crew in hauling on them, hard and fast, to pull the two ships together.

"Battle stations!" orders Elise from alongside Sweet Destiny. "Bring the ship hard against her! Those who are not pulling the lines, kill those crossbowmen!" Having given her orders, Elise breaks from beside the friendly vessel and directs Secrets to soar in an arc forward, intending on sweeping out from the enemy vessel's deck, firing once, then moving past the bridge and around the other side for another shot.

One of the guards drops his position in a queue of three hauling on the line, to return fire instead, though the shooters have good cover from their position, and his shot goes hopelessly wide. As Elise begins her pass to the prow of Siren's deck, she spies one of the shooters – an Eeee now fumbling with his crossbow. She snaps off a shot at him, but the angle is bad and it goes wide of the mark.

Meanwhile, the still unseen shooter takes another shot at the Destiny crew, but with no better luck than his opponent.

Having no more shots left to her, Elise bides her time for a moment, and allows for the enemy crossbowmen to contend with her guards – waiting for them to unload their crossbows and make themselves vulnerable. She prepares to dive down on to the deck when they look spent, or mostly spent, and awaits her chance while flying an evasive pattern off the port side incase she should be noticed.

One of the Eeee throws down his crossbow in disgust and draws his sword, hacking at one of the lines as the two ships start to touch. Awkward with adrenaline, his slash fails to cut, while the second Eeee proves equally useless with his own crossbow, making a porcupine pattern in the rail of the ship by the guard he's targeted. Two of the guards swarm over the rail while the last covers them with crossbow fire. Elise sees her chance and tries to land Secrets on the deck, but the window between the envelope and the deck is too narrow, and one of the Drokar's legs tangles in the rigging. He screams, threatening to entangle his wings as well.

Elise, having holstered her second pistol, draws her sword and slashes to cut the lines before they can tangle her mount further.

The envelope of the Siren groans and shifts as the poodle slashes at the rigging, and the deck tilts to port as she frees her mount. The guards who've just boarded yelp and grab for the railing. One of them misses, and tumbles wildly across the deck, slamming into the port rail, which cracks under the impact. The guard gasps and clutches in a panic for something more stable to grab as he stares into infinity. The two Eeee by the starboard rail fare better, grabbing the rail and giving up their attempts to repel for the moment. A third figure, previously unseen, plummets off the port edge of the ship – but this one has wings that unfurl to save her.

Elise takes this moment to capitalize on the chaos the cut rigging has caused, and dives down after the Eeee that plummeted off the deck. She raises her sword high and attempts to cleave the bat while she recovers from her fall.

One of the bat's wings crumples beneath the blow, and eyes glare pure hatred at Elise as the robed Eeee struggles – and fails – to stay aloft. She says something – a curse, maybe – but the wind snatches it as she plummets to the sea below. The guard struggling to find purchase on the port rail fails as it splinters entirely, and he joins the Eeee, hurtling down.

The Gallee noblewoman briefly watches her guard plummet to what is very likely his death, falling to a watery grave far below along with the robed Eeee. First Ones forgive me … and guide his way, she prays for the man who served her loyally to the end as she begins her ascent back towards the airship.

The remaining guard on the starboard side tries to fend off the two Eeee pressing against him in, while his fellow on Destiny scrambles across the gap to support him. One of the Eeee slices open the guard's sword arm, and the man screams as he drops his sword.

Secrets recovers and tries to soar through the new gap that Elise sliced in the rigging, but the winged Drokar once again tangles in the ropes – this time a wing. He manages to slide gracelessly, rear first, onto the deck, screaming in rage as he struggles to free his wing.

Again the lady poodle tries to sever the rigging to free her mount, and considers briefly abandoning him and freeing him on foot. She'd be slow, but at least she'd be on solid ground.

Together, they manage to free the Drokar, though he holds the wing in a strange manner once freed. He wheels around and charges the two Eeee by the railing, just as one delivers a death blow to the first guard, and the second guard swings wildly at him, yelling something incomprehensible.

As Elise charges across the deck, she desperately tries to get the Eeee's attention, lest their combined attack kill the second of her guards as well. "Die like your pathetic gods, heretic!" she cries as she races on, sword raised.

One of the bats pivots from the guard, eyes transfixed by the sight of the charging warhorse. He doesn't even have time to scream as Elise's sword scythes through his neck. The other Eeee, unfortunately, has better luck, skewering the hapless guard, who seemed almost as startled by Elise's sudden appearance as the dead bat.

From inside her helmet, Elise is dimly aware of the whistle of a crossbow bolt going by, though from where it came, she can't be sure.

The Gallee snarls as the last of her boarded guards dies, another of her trusted household guard – the guard of her father before her. Her anger turns to the desire for revenge, and she spurs her mount to ride down the Eeee who faces away from her, the motion she hopes allows her to dodge as well as kill.

The Eeee is still flushed with his victory, turning to face Elise, when the Drokar runs him down, and the poodle's blade slices open his chest. He dies without a sound.

Elise keeps her mount moving, trying to present a difficult target as she moves towards the door to the rear of the ship. While she does so she turns her head and tries to locate the origin of the crossbow bolt that passed her earlier.

As Secrets wheels around in response to her command, and dodges for the rear of the vessel, Elise's twisted head briefly catches glimpse of the crossbow – wielded by an Eeee shooting from the navigator's door, at the front of the vessel. Even as she spots him, pain blossoms in her side, and the crunch of splintering chitin is felt almost as much as heard. She doesn't need to glance down to know a quarrel has sprouted from her body.

Wound and bleeding, the lady poodle spurs Secrets to run that last distance to the door to the hall, where she prepares to dismount quickly and when down grab the hallway door as cover and dismiss her mount.

The crossbowman must still be reloading, because no more quarrels come as Elise swings down from her mount and slides through the door. The hallway inside is covered in blood, and two bodies – one Eeee, one Kavi – lie torn upon the carpet.

"Secrets, fly! Secrets home!" calls out Elise before she slams the hallway door closed and reaches to slide the latch shut. If Secrets follows her commands, he should take flight and return to bay of Sweet Destiny. Once the door is secure, Elise pulls her sword sheath free to use as a cane, and she carefully proceeds down the hallway and prepares to stop at the first doorway.

The lounge to her right appears empty, but even as she glances in, she hears a voice speaking on her left. "You don't have to do this," haut Glas is saying, his voice urgent, full of trepidation but somehow managing to stay level and calm despite it. Ahead of her, from the hole the ladder leads down, she hears a soft gasp, as if of a man in pain.

Seeing that the first door is clear and hearing voices ahead, the lady poodle presses on slowly, careful to not jostle her wound any more than need be. When she reaches another doorway she pauses, and uses her sword as a mirror to peer around the corner while listening for further exchanges.

Even as she tilts the blade to try to catch a reflection of what lies down the left-hand corridor, she realizes that the gesture is useless, the sword's steel coated in drying blood. Haut Glas is saying, "You can still get out of this. I'll tell Lady de Bellefeuille you're dead." His breath hisses, indrawn as if with pain. "There's enough blood around to make that convincing."

But who are 'you'? She pauses around the corner, and carefully tries to wipe some of the blood off her blade using her robes, and continues to listen.

There's more noise from the ladder ahead of her in the corridor, and another muffled groan. A soft click behind her is almost drowned out by haut Glas's next words. "You're not like these bats. Surely you can't want to die. Please … just let her go." She can see him now, the white poodle's frame leaning against the door frame, blood streaming down from his left temple, a maroon stain spread over his left thigh. His sword is on the ground beside him. Whomever he's talking to can't be seen.

Having nowhere to hide but the nearest door, Elise steps across the hall to hide herself in the ship's head. She keeps her sword ready to strike should anyone else have that same idea.

There's no one else inside the water closet as the poodle steps inside. She hears soft footsteps padding down the corridor, pausing by the lounge to look in, just as she did moments ago. Suddenly, the ship lurches violently, and she hears a dreadful grinding noise from below and to the left, where one of the engine rooms lies.

Elise's sword clangs against the wall of the small chamber as she catches herself against it. "What's that?" she hears a muffled voice say, from somewhere near haut Glas.

A moment trickles past like eternity, and she can't hear anything except haut Glas saying, "Whatever it was doesn't matter to you, now. Just put the sword down. I will find a way out for you."

The Gallee woman waits, silent and ready, and slowly edges up to the ajar door. She eases it open, planning to put her back to it and push it against the wall, getting herself in position to strike anyone coming down the hall. Unfortunately, as she slides it open, she glances out to see the quarrel of a loaded crossbow, in the arms of an Eeee poised against the wall opposite the water closet door. She has just enough time to see him smile, and then he pulls the trigger.