by Choi, Bryan
“Yes, Captain,” Taki said. “Where’s the headquarters, anyway?”
“There.” Lotte pointed, and Taki raised his eyebrows. Looming above the cityscape was the Potala, a massive, blocky keep set atop a hill and ringed with stone walls. Red in the center and white on its wings, it was as striking and overpowering to behold as the open sky.
“There?”
“Yes, there,” Aslatiel said, shaking the dust from his cap. “The Korps uses the white parts to house its members and garrison, and the regional government uses the red. It’s a symbol of authority for the people. I’m told that it was once a monastery that ruled an entire kingdom.”
“Looks like a painful climb,” Lotte said.
“It was built for aging monks, so there’s gentle stairs everywhere. Let’s get a move on.”
From the outside, the Potala seemed absolutely massive, but on the inside, Taki found it to be cramped, smoky, and dark. Just like what Eastern monks—and old Hecaton—would want for their lodgings, he figured. The compound had also been built to withstand sieges and earthquakes. Redundancy was everywhere, from the thick wooden beams crossing overhead to the walls reinforced with ancient metal bands. Eventually, their Korps escort led them to an office on the top floor, and the two squads filed in.
“Glory to the padishah,” Aslatiel said; he saluted a woman sitting at an ancient wooden desk. “I am Oberleutnant von Halcon. We’re Alfa.”
The woman at the desk did not rise but returned the salute. She was squat and looked to be in her fifties, with the leathery features of one who’d lived at high elevations all of her life. Taki noticed the wheelchair before the others did.
“Rinchen Wangchuk, the rector here. I command the garrison and schools. Zhang here is my second in command.” She gestured to a lean-faced man behind her. “Forgive me for not rising to greet you, but I lost the use of my legs long ago. My sincere thanks to you for the quick response to our crisis. Please, sit and have some pocha. We always serve it to guests.”
Zhang hefted a nearby silver-colored kettle and started to pour into bowls. Aslatiel accepted a bowl and sipped from it. Taki looked down at his bowl and decided not to try the oily, purplish liquid.
“There is nothing to forgive. Thank you for your hospitality,” Aslatiel said. “Defense of Imperial education is our most important task.”
“Glad to hear it,” Rinchen said. “How was your journey here?”
“Uneventful. We look forward to getting to work. At our commander’s request, we’ve also brought supplies and weapons for the garrison.”
“Good. Most of our equipment is outdated. It was adequate for a peaceful province, but with the rebels gaining strength, we cannot answer them with mattocks and padded jacks.”
“How many fighters do you have ready?”
“A thousand from the province. I have a dozen or so who could be line officers and a handful trained in the use of artillery.”
“That’s rather few for an army.”
“We’ve never needed more. This is a harmonious place. No one’s fired a gun in anger in nearly forty years. We’re teachers and administrators first. Soldiers second.”
“Your artillery forces? Cavalry strength?”
“A few catapults and a pair of bronze cannon.” Rinchen shrugged. “Most people here can ride and shoot from horseback, but we have no armored kataphracts, if that’s what you’re asking for.”
“How about the enemy? Do they use the same equipment?”
“Probably close to two thousand in number. I think they’re being supplied by smugglers from the Nathu La pass. The teachers who survived recall seeing relic rifles and plate armor, and perhaps some bombs. When you see the school, you’ll understand. We couldn’t best them in a fight, not without your help.”
“Do you know where they’re holding their captives? The girls from the school?”
“Unfortunately, we don’t. The rebels did a good job of covering their escape, and the men I sent after them have either been killed or found nothing. The people are scared and upset. There are over a hundred girls missing, and the terrorists are issuing unreasonable demands. They want the Korps to leave permanently and for the region to revert back to rule by the Lamas. I’ve tried to stall them as long as possible, but now they’re saying they’ll sell the girls off as slaves if we wait longer. We both know what will happen to them in that case. We can’t track them all down.”
“Rector,” Aslatiel said, “I can assure you that we will find and eliminate the Mandate of Heaven. I’ll need the full cooperation of your subordinates and the authority to issue orders to the garrison troops. Is this acceptable?”
“Can you rescue the girls?”
“If the rebels are dead, they cannot sell their captives.”
Rinchen nodded. “I understand. You will have authority over my troops. Zhang will see to your quarters and allocations.”
“Excellent.” Aslatiel set his empty tea bowl on the desk. “One more thing, before I forget. A trainee should have arrived here direct from Sevastopol. Do you know where she is?”
“I’m afraid not. I’m told the girl came; however, she’s not reported to me. Hopefully, she hasn’t deserted.”
Aslatiel raised an eyebrow. “Indeed. Thanks for your help. We will unload the supplies, survey the base, and then investigate the school in the morning.” He looked back at the others. “Captain Satou and I will stay and talk more with the rector. The rest of you, follow Zhang and assist with the unloading.”
Strange. I’m the highest-ranking member of my squad right now, Taki thought as he followed Zhang down a side staircase that led back to the White Palace courtyard. Lucatiel followed alongside him. Her presence still raised his hackles. He could tell she still seethed over their duel in Pristina. His only comfort was that if she wished him dead, he would have been so already.
“You look troubled,” Lucatiel said.
Taki blushed. Was it so obvious on his face? “Sorry. I was just thinking about the battle to come. Your brother was right. Your Imperium is always at war.”
“We don’t choose the life given to us.”
“I’m curious about something he said. Surely we’re also here to rescue the captives and prevent them from being sold as slaves or killed, right?”
Lucatiel shook her head. “No, he never said that. We’re here to destroy rebels. If we can free some imprisoned schoolgirls, then we’ll do so. If it’s a choice between the girls and eliminating the rebels, we’ll eliminate the rebels. Everything else is collateral.”
“That’s fuckin’ shitty,” Hadassah said. “How are you gonna conquer the world if you can’t prevent your own people from getting raped to death?”
“Watch your tongue,” Lucatiel said. “If the girls die, they die. But if we don’t kill every single traitor, that only encourages more of them to crop up. And then you’ll damn many more to the same fate as those girls.”
“So we’re supposed to turn a blind eye to those girls’ right to live?”
Lucatiel spat. “No one has a right to live. Not you, not I, not anyone. Those girls know the risks. And if I need to carve through ten of them to hit one rebel, I’ll do so without hesitation.”
“You’re pretty sick.” Hadassah grunted in disapproval. “Maybe if you were better at what you did, you’d be able to save innocent lives.”
Lucatiel wrapped a friendly arm around Hadassah’s shoulders. “Fight me, bitch. Ten minutes, behind the Palace. Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. Far too much trouble.”
Hadassah grinned and tenderly squeezed Lucatiel’s hand. “You’re on, girlfriend.”
Taki narrowed his eyes. “Mikkelsen, don’t you dare.”
“No one likes an eavesdropper,” the two shot back in unison.
“The caravan’s pulled up,” Zhang said as they stepped into the courtyard. The drivers had done a painstaking job of maneuvering through the congested and ill-planned streets of Lhasa, and the wagons were now arranged in a circle. “I’ve o
rdered my men and some of the garrison to help unload this all. I’d appreciate it if you Spetsnaz would post guard throughout. I’m sure the Mandate of Heaven knows you’ve arrived by now, but your presence will prevent them from trying anything for now.”
“Will do,” Lucatiel said. “My people and I will take the east flank. Natalis, you and your inferiors can do whatever. Just don’t get in our way.”
“They’re not inferiors,” Taki said. “Emreis and Gillette, watch the rear. Mikkelsen, you’re on overwatch. Take turns surveying the base, too. I’ll rotate between posts.” Part of him expected them to either laugh or simply stare, but to his surprise, the others simply shrugged and went off to their posts.
“Oh, so they do listen to simple commands after all,” Lucatiel said with a smirk.
As the tarpaulins were rolled back and fell aside, Taki realized: we’ve enough weaponry for a small army. Now he could see that the wagon train had been stuffed with implements of battle: stacked wooden crates of muskets and sabers, pikes and spears tied like cordwood, and sets of boiled leather and cloth armor bundled into sacks. Chattering in their native tongue, the garrison gleefully set to work pitching the valuable arms to waiting comrades.
Zhang flailed. “Careful, dammit!” One of the crates fell and broke into pieces, and cartridges rolled merrily every way. “Clean this up, and don’t scratch the bullets. And no filching! This is your only defense from the rebels.”
“I’m sorry, where are the jakes?” Taki asked a porter nearby. He would have to check on Hadassah soon, just to make sure she wasn’t getting into a dustup with the Prince of Maladies. But first, he needed to attend to his bladder. The porter half nodded, half shrugged, and pointed unhelpfully at the perimeter fence. Annoyed, Taki decided to find the latrine himself.
The search ended up fruitless. Of all the mess of sheds and lean-tos near the perimeter fence, none seemed to have a toilet attached. Taki considered simply going against a wall when a jingling noise nearby quashed the thought. His bladder forgotten for the moment, he peered around a pile of pallets. A girl had scaled the top of the fence, avoided death by impalement on its spikes, and made her way down. Her movements were too feline, too wary, to be anything but a product of martial training. He stepped out to block her way.
“Halt!” Taki said, annoyed that his voice had almost cracked. “Who are you? Why did you climb in here instead of taking the gate?” His hand hovered above the holster at his waist. The girl was also armed—and with a first-class pistol too—but he could still beat her to the draw. She flashed him a look of indignation that quickly turned to sheepishness. As far as Taki could tell, she appeared to be his age or slightly younger, with a rounded face and curly, uncontrolled hair. She wore ill-fitting battle leggings stained with mud and dust and a thin linen top that was nearly translucent with sweat. Taki’s eyes strayed involuntarily to her chest, which was still boyish in silhouette. He quickly looked away, hoping she hadn’t noticed.
“Not so loud! I serve the padishah.” She waved her hands to shush him. “I just got here, myself.”
“Where are your papers?”
The girl reached carefully into a leather purse and pulled out a small pamphlet of bound parchment. Taki took it and flipped to the front page. The ink drawing was smudged but seemed to grossly match her features, and he quickly scanned over her name and company standard.
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re with Alfa?”
She flashed him a row of gleaming white teeth behind sunburned, chapped lips. “Yep! Enilna Shpejtspate. I’m apprenticed to Aslatiel von Halcon.” She saluted stiffly.
“Cornet Taki Natalis.” He silently chided himself a moment later for slipping up the ranks.
“Corn? Are you a farmer?”
“No, I misspoke. I’m a fahnrich.”
“That’s too bad,” she said. “An army marches on its stomach, so I thought maybe they’d put tactical farmers in the units. You know, harvest the wheat and thresh the oppressors!”
“What are you talking about? It takes an entire season to grow crops. You can’t just plant grain on the front lines—” Taki realized with a start that he had forgotten entirely about preventing whatever mischief Hadassah was planning and also about the need to relieve himself. He shifted his feet, feeling harried again.
“So you are a farmer after all! No one else would know the ancient secrets of agronomy.”
“What I told you is common knowledge!”
“You shouldn’t be embarrassed about your profession. I think it’s cool that you can coax food from the poisoned soils and stuff.”
Taki waved his hands. “I need to get going. Nice to have met you and all…”
Enilna sidled up to him. “Hey, can you help me?”
Taki blinked.
“Thanks!” she said without waiting to hear his answer. She grasped his wrists and whisked him into a gap between a pair of tin-roofed sheds.
“What’s goi—” Taki said.
Enilna clapped a hand over his mouth and pressed both of their bodies into a sliver of shadow. “Shush! Elsa’s coming,” she whispered.
Taki heard the approaching footfalls of boots in the dust. He had many reasons to simply push Enilna away and report the intrusion. Though she seemed to have proper documents, they could always be forgeries. Hell, she could have killed the real Enilna Shpejtspate for all I know, and I’m next.
The logical, proper thing to do would be to shout for the guard and especially for another member of Alfa. But logic was nothing compared to the sensation of her pressed against him. His earlobes felt pleasantly warm, and his heart thudded in his chest. Occasionally, Enilna would press even harder when she heard Elsa stop.
Eventually, the footfalls faded after a tense, pleasant eternity. I think she forced herself on me a little, Taki thought as her hand came off his lips. Her fingers smelled earthy and sour but not unpleasant.
“Sorry,” Enilna whispered. She looked genuinely apologetic. “I’m really sorry! I mean, not for hiding. I was supposed to be on base waiting to rendezvous with everyone, but I really wanted to explore some nearby ruins and thought I’d have time. Oberleutnant Aslatiel wouldn’t care, but Commissar Irulan is a hardass. Okay, I must be off! Thanks for your help.” She stepped away, gave a perfunctory bow, and scampered off.
Taki ran his fingers through his hair and blinked incredulously. “What the hell just happened to me?” His bladder twitched painfully, and he cursed his luck.
Hours later, he returned to the mess hall with a sore back and aching arms. Unloading had gone slower than anticipated, and everyone had been pressed into labor to complete the job before sundown. Crates of muskets and sheaves of pikes were surprisingly heavy, especially when there were a hundred to handle. Taki nodded to Aslatiel, who had already started to eat a meal of black bread with pickled cabbage topped with shavings of mutton. Beside Aslatiel was the blond woman, Irulan. Noticeably, they seemed to be playfully feeding each other, and the sight made Taki blush.
Lotte and the rest of his company were absent, save for Hadassah. She sat at the other end of the table, talking excitedly with Lucatiel. Taki furrowed his brow when he noted the bruises and split lips adorning the pair. He shot a warning glance at Hadassah, pulled out a seat across from Aslatiel, and wordlessly sat down to eat. The day had been grueling, and he was not entirely recovered from the journey. The soft glow of the sconces overhead invited dozing, but he resisted the temptation.
“There you are,” Aslatiel said.
Taki blinked and realized that someone was standing behind him.
“Oberleutnant, I’m reporting for duty,” Enilna said. She stood nervously at attention. It was obvious she hadn’t bathed.
“Join us and eat,” Aslatiel said, and gestured to the food.
Enilna nodded and took the seat next to Taki. She reached for a slab of bread, but Irulan’s fingers caught her ears and twisted.
“Not so fast,” Irulan said. “So, did you have fun playing around in the mud,
climbing the fence, and molesting an officer?”
Enilna let out a pained chuckle. “Ah, nothing gets by you. I was merely discussing important supply logistics with our unit farmer.”
“What are you even talking about? Natalis, you should’ve shot her.”
Taki raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry, sorry. Can you let go now?” Enilna winced as Irulan twisted harder.
“Not until I’m done lecturing you. First, when you’re given orders to stay in one place, that doesn’t mean go and screw around in crumbling hovels. Second—” The clattering of a metal tray stopped Irulan midsentence.
“You!” Lotte stood wide-eyed nearby with the tray and spilt breadcrumbs at her feet.
Enilna’s face lit up in recognition. “Big Sis!” She wormed her way out of Irulan’s grasp, bounded over the table, and wrapped her arms around Lotte with crushing strength.
Lotte closed her eyes and smiled. She stroked Enilna’s hair. “So you finally made it to Sevastopol.”
“I did! I never thought I’d see you again. I thought you might have died. I thought—”
“You didn’t lose my gift, right?”
“No. I could never do that,” Enilna said and buried her face in Lotte’s chest. “It reminds me of you.”
Lotte’s mouth twisted. “I want it back.”
Enilna gasped and seemed about to burst into tears.
“Just kidding,” Lotte said. “I had to get you back for shooting me in Kosovo.”
Enilna blushed. She stepped back and crossed her arms in indignation.
“Wait,” Taki blurted, “is she the one who killed Duke Hekmatyar?”
“The one and only!” Enilna grinned. “You got a problem with that?”
“No,” Taki said. “Not at all. Actually, I think that’s really amazing. It must’ve taken a lot of courage.”
Enilna blushed deeper at that.
Nice to get her back as well, Taki thought.
“Actually, I have a problem,” Hadassah said. “Because that asshole duke kicked it, we were all sentenced to peel potatoes while we waited to get hanged. I had to listen to these jokers”—she gestured at Draco and Karma—“whinge about how they couldn’t find any privacy to wank it. Can you make me unhear that?”
