Ace brushed dirt off his hands and sprinted inside with a puzzled frown. He'd been hard at work, fastening iron beams into the ground with Aaron and Baird's assistance, and their progress had been considerable for only half an hour's labor. But one scruffy worker in particular had caught Ace's attention. 

The man had been glancing back constantly at the stronghold behind them and peeking at his watch as he did so. Whenever he caught anybody looking back at him, he would pale and redouble his labors with a theatrical air. The cycle had repeated itself continuously. 

Ace presently tailed the scruffy man down a hallway inside from several yards back. With the silencing soles he'd attached to the bottoms of his combat boots, keeping his footsteps inaudible was no difficult task. Even so, the man glanced back sharply and spotted Ace. He gave him a nonchalant nod in return. 

The rugged man hurried his step, passed through a doorway and made a left. Ace smirked to himself and continued walking straight, until he reached a door of his own. He opened it and found himself in the midst of the base's administrative center. 

A crowd of kneeling Kemarians sprawled across the way and made Ace's advance difficult. He rolled his eyes and tiptoed through their midst, careful to avoid stepping on hands, feet, and the colorful tulips laying on the floor before the prostrated people. One man emerged from his prayer and leered at Ace as he passed. He only shrugged in response. 

Finally, he reached another door and flung it open. He raced up a flight of steps and found himself in an enclosed hallway, bounded by glass all around. He glanced down, and sure enough, the scruffy man sprinted down the corridor below him. The two men dashed down the parallel hallways in perfect sync for a while until Ace finally outran the man. 

When Ace came to the end of his passageway, he crouched and stared down, waiting to see if his suspicions would be confirmed. He slipped his pistol from its holster just in case. 

The scruffy man skidded to a halt below and hugged the wall just beyond the doorway of one of the confinement cells. He reached for something behind his back. Ace swallowed and disengaged his gun's safety. With narrowed eyes, he watched the man slowly withdraw an object in the shadows, its black color concealing its shape. 

Ace swiftly slipped a pair of light-enhancing lenses onto his eyes. He frowned. Just as he'd thought, the man had a gun and was currently removing the safety. Ace inhaled and placed his finger on the trigger. 

Just as the rugged man spun around the corner and pointed his weapon into a cell, Ace fired. Glass shattered under his feet, and the shards sliced into the man's face below. While his opponent was stunned, Ace snatched his arm, twisted it back, and disarmed him. Then he threw his head into the wall, rendering him unconscious. 

The dark-skinned man sighed and took a step back before glancing into the cell and meeting Brant's gaze. "You're welcome." 

Brant's stare remained on the limp body on the ground. "I'm assuming that was the Overseer's plan B?" 

Ace shrugged. "Plan A, for all I know. All I know is, that dude was shady from the moment I saw him." 

"So, what's going on out there?" 

"Well..." Ace began, pocketing the lenses, "we're building something Aaron calls an 'iron skeleton'. Basically a dome thing to protect the base." 

"I wish I could help." 

Ace met Brant's gaze and studied him for a few seconds. Finally, he nodded. "Me too. I know how hard it is to be an outsider, trying to get in." 

"I'll bet." Brant said as he examined his hand. "Trust shouldn't be such a fickle thing." 

"It really shouldn't." Ace agreed. "Lot of these people expect all men to be cut outta one mold, to be the same. But that ain't how it works." 

"I agree. I know I haven't been perfect, but—" 

Ace snorted. "Nobody is, buddy. Haven't known Chariya long, but I can tell that's a lesson she ain't learned yet." 

A hint of a smirk came to Brant's lips. "Likely not." 

"In fact," the dark-skinned man said, slipping a lock-picking kit from his pocket, "let me get you outta there. You don't deserve—" 

Brant held a hand up. "Ace, don't. I—" 

"We'll need a lookout, anyway. Nobody more qualified." 

"No, don't do it. You'll just make it worse for us both. Instead, I want you to get Chariya. Please?" 

Ace narrowed his eyes and stared at the brawny man behind the bars. After a minute, he finally nodded. "Alright, I'll be back." 

******************** 

Ten minutes later, Chariya followed Ace down the hallway leading to the confinement cells. She glanced over his shoulder and frowned at the sight of a motionless man on the ground in the midst of a mess of shattered glass. 

Ace stepped over the man's limp form and stopped before Brant's cell. "Ignore that." he said, pointing at the body. 

The princess squinted at him. "How can I—" 

"I dunno. Brant has something to say, I think." 

She turned to the cell and peered in at him. "What is it?" 

"Well, it's just a simple question." Brant said, "Why am I in here?" 

"Because, the brutality you displayed toward that man, the Overseer, it bothers me. As far as I am concerned, he could be any of us." 

"For that, I apologize. I shouldn't have given in to my temper. But I ask you further, what ordinance of our code of conduct have I violated?" 

Chariya bit her lip. "Not...well...nothing in the code, I suppose, but still..." 

"Then I'm unrightfully being held in here, aren't I? Merely because you are concerned? I wonder what other country has a problem of people being unrightfully detained and unjustly treated just because of the current ruler's personal preferences." he said, dramatically putting a finger to his chin. 

Chariya's mouth dropped open. "How dare you? Comparing me to them?" 

Brant shrugged. "Face it, your highness, if I were a monster," he began, grasping the barred door and sliding it open with a shove, destroying the lock in the process, "why would I have willingly stayed caged up all that time?" 

The princess gasped and took several steps back, only stopping when she hit the opposite wall. With widened eyes, she stared at Brant before resting her gaze on Ace. 

Ace frowned. "Don't look at me! I had nothing to do with it." 

"So if it still seems right to you," Brant continued, "go ahead and lock me up again. But I'd suggest you put more safety measures in place." 

"No." Chariya said, covering her eyes with her hand, "You are released, Brant, but if any more incidents arise, I will not hesitate to do whatever is necessary." 

Brant nodded as he hoisted the limp man over his shoulder. "Of course. I'd expect no less." 

With that, he marched down the hallway with his would-be murderer draped over his shoulder. Chariya and Ace exchanged a shrug and followed. 

******************** 

Brant's hair rustled in the wind as he leaned against the railing of a lookout tower erected atop the metal-plated dome that was the culmination of three days' hard work. He stared into the distance, beyond the carpet of swaying trees, at a grassy clearing between two hills. With the stronghold hemmed in by a circle of hilly terrain, and only three flat openings appropriate for land-bound military vehicles to travel through, he focused his gaze on those spots, though still sweeping a glance over the surrounding area just in case. 

Ever since the incident regarding the Overseer three days prior, Brant had been allowed complete freedom, and he'd labored with the others to raise up the iron skeleton. But nonetheless, skepticism and mistrust lingered between himself and the other members of the Insurgence, except Ace. 

Even Hannah's kindness seemed to have slightly diminished. She sought out his company less often, and when they did speak, she seemed to less often take his words at face value, instead appearing to thoughtfully evaluate every word that left his mouth. In Aaron or Wendy's presence, her new behaviors seemed all the more exaggerated. 

As for Aaron, he had returned the gloves. But even so, Brant could hardly spend a minute without looking up and noticing him staring back, or lingering in close proximity that sometimes lacked practicality. In the rare moment the two spoke, Aaron's delivery was always curt, with replies hardly any wordier than Sila's. If Keira, Wendy, or Hannah were in Brant's presence, Aaron was sure to be lurking somewhere nearby, even if he imagined himself sneaky about it. 

Brant presently inhaled the breezy air and exhaled it in a sigh. He clenched his jaw. I'll show them. he thought, I'll show them I'm deserving of trust and respect, just like they regard each other with. And I'll show those Alconteans, too. That they should think twice about messing with us now, especially with me here. They'll learn it's worth their while to fear me. 

With that thought, Brant turned to face the ravine far in the distance to the east. He squinted for a second and nodded. He unpocketed his communicator. 

"Hey," he spoke into the device, "Alcontean soldiers coming in from the east. I've seen about a hundred men so far, and...two tanks near the back. But they're still comin'." 

"How nice of them to wait for us to be fully prepared for their arrival." Chariya's voice remarked through the speaker. 

Brant smirked. "Yeah, let's return the favor." 

"Alright, come down here. As an extra precaution, we should send some men outside to meet them." 

Brant nodded and flipped open a hatch in the middle of the floor. "Sounds good. I'll be right down." 

He pocketed the device and leapt through the opening. He caught his fall by grabbing a long rope that led down to the highest point of the stronghold underneath the dome. From there, he descended a flight of steps and raced down a few passageways. 

******************** 

Several minutes later, Brant marched up to an opening in the iron dome, which Aaron had created moments prior by unscrewing and displacing one of the panels. A congregation of fighters followed behind him, among whom stood Wendy, Keira, and Ace. The remainder of the away team's personnel was comprised of Insurgence soldiers aplenty. 

Aaron met Brant's stare and tightened his mouth to a thin line. He inhaled and shook his hand. "Fight well." 

"I think I can manage that." Brant remarked, a hint of a smirk on his lips. 

Aaron observed his cocky demeanor, but gave no reaction to it. Instead, he turned to Keira and swept her into his arms. Her feet dangled in the air as he lifted her. 

"Now, you be careful out there." Aaron said, "Can't go losing you." 

Keira nodded. "That was my plan. And you be safe in here." 

Aaron acknowledged his sister's words with a bob of his head and let her down. 

After Ace exchanged a handshake with Aaron, Wendy stepped up to him, her helmet tucked under her arm. They stared at one another for several seconds before the blonde sighed and closed her eyes. She gave him a peck on the cheek. However, her lips ventured far enough over that the kiss touched the very corner of his mouth as well. Aaron grinned and returned the favor before also giving her a smooch on the forehead. She smiled and slipped her helmet on. 

Hannah hurried over from a worktable a ways off with a beaming face. She gave Keira a hearty farewell, complete with an air-constricting hug. Next, she went for Wendy. She embraced the Danlashian before kissing the spot her cheek lay under the helmet. Hannah giggled. 

Ace was her next target. She reached her arms out for a hug, which he accepted only with a few seconds' frown and a hefty serving of reluctance. Even when he did accept, his body refused to fully commit to the gesture. 

Hannah finally turned to Brant, and she gave him a shy smile. After her eyes dropped to the ground for a moment and she inhaled a deep breath, she reached out to embrace him as well. 

"Do good." she mumbled, "And uh...be good too." 

Brant nodded, and with a last squeeze, he released the girl and took a step back. "I'll do that." 

With all farewells said, Aaron and Hannah stepped aside, allowing Brant to crouch and exit the protective dome. As he straightened his posture outside, everybody behind him stooped and stepped through, until finally, everybody had emerged. After a deep breath, he led the way eastward. 

A few minutes into their march, Brant spun to face the troops behind him and called a halt. "Okay, so the princess sent us out here with just a general goal, just to be an additional layer of defense so even the dome doesn't have to get destroyed. But she gave no orders as to how we'll go about that." 

"Does it really matter?" asked a sooty-faced soldier near the front of the formation. "Usually, being adaptable and wingin' it works fine 'n well enough for us." 

Wendy's maroon helmet bobbed up and down as she nodded. "All we really need to do is bash some bloody Alcontean heads." 

Brant narrowed his eyes and shook his head on the two. "Oh yeah? How did 'winging it' help in Jasmidian? Or how about Antevitelis Valley? Because I can testify that from our side of the battlefield, you guys were a hot mess, and survived complete annihilation only through sheer coincidence and—" 

"That's enough of that!" Wendy snapped, "Sure, we're not as bloody organized as you 'conte bastards, but neither do we have your budget, nor the luxury of adequate training time!" 

Keira crossed her arms. "How about instead of just berating us and beating dead horses over spilt milk, you educate us and be useful, wise guy?" 

Several soldiers snickered over her conglomeration of idioms, and at first, Brant felt an urge to join them. But he bit his lip and saved face. 

"Okay, all I'm saying is, fighting without a plan is just asking for disorder and defeat." 

"Exactly." Ace chimed in, blowing a puff of cigarette smoke from his mouth, "Since those idiots are gonna be thinking the same thing, let's exploit that." 

"How?" 

"Easy. Take a look at where they're headed. Find hiding spots in the middle of their path. They can plan all they want, but nothing beats a good ol' ambush." 

Brant nodded vigorously. "That's perfect! And I know how we can make it still better." He turned to Wendy and the sooty-faced man. "You wanna bash Alcontean heads? Let's make a diversion—lead them right into the ambush." 

Ace narrowed his eyes. "Isn't that overcomplicating things?" 

"No, because I can see what way they're headed, and there isn't really any good cover that way. But over there," he began, pointing at spot where boulders and trees abounded, "group A can ensconce themselves, while group B engages the enemy, and hopefully distracts them from their main objective. Then, whenever necessary, they can retreat into the cover, and whoever follows will become consumed by group A's firepower." 

Wendy shrugged. "Sounds reasonable enough." 

Brant exhaled a sigh of relief. "Alright, then. Ace, you're our stealth expert, so you should guide team A. I'll be over team B. Whoever wants to engage these guys head-on, follow me." 

Wendy and a majority of the soldiers rallied behind Brant. About a quarter of the remaining troops, including Keira, followed Ace's trail of smoke into the pile of rubble full of concealment opportunities. 

Brant turned to face the troops. A massive battle axe appeared in his hand, and he raised it dramatically above his head. "For Kemaria! For the Insurgence! And for our honor! Onward, march!" 

With that, the rebellious march began. They proceeded with heads held high and weapons readied to slaughter their oppressive foes. 

******************** 

A/N: With what I'd call the Overseer arc complete, our battle is almost underway! These soldiers will need your prayers, and I'll need your votes, so get busy. 😂 

(If that wasn't smooth, I don't know what is. 🤣) 

Anyway, I'd like to know, what character dynamic do you find most gripping so far? 

And lastly, our random question: What genre of music do you most enjoy? 

(Jazz here, although I try to be very openminded and allow myself to enjoy stuff outside of that. I play saxophone, so my answer's hardly surprising, lol.) 

That shall be all for me for the next six days, ladies and gentlemen. (Unless you're hoping to follow my upcoming Reformation Wars series that'll launch tomorrow morning. It takes place in the same world as this book, just in their "Medieval" time. Not a direct prequel, but will have some sweet tie-ins if anybody's interested.) But anyway, have a great one, and I'll see you in the next update! Peace and blessings!