Mission Incomplete [Reiner, Eitan]

[Rune]

38th, Ash, 122

The morning two days after the Minister had hosted the family dinner in which he had introduced the newest member of his family dawned as cold and clear as one might wish. The sun was bright enough overhead to take the worst of the chill out of the wind that blew across the two landmasses that how dominated the sky a few miles out from what had once been the capitol city of Zaichaer, Jewel of the Northlands.

The Noble Gambit, the largest and most battle-ready of the ships that remained of the fleet that had been in or nearby the city was set to take Captain-Seeker Angevin, PFC Dornkirk, and a small contingent of other soldiers down to the surface so that Angevin could create a bulwark of Negation wards to protection the soldier's on the ground. Supporting those who were attempting to contain the horrors that now roamed the streets was a priority once the options was put forward to The Council.

Captain Merovech awaited his passengers with orders to take them down, support them in case of contact with the enemy, and, if required perform an extraction operation to get them back. It wasn't unusual for the captain to meet service men who had once served under him that were now of equal rank. It filled him with pride, more often than not, knowing that he had aided his men to rise. There was pride with Angevin, who had, only earlier that same year, been his second in command, but there were other things as well. What rank the man held in the ZADC was not the same as they rank he now held in society, such as it was. For the day, he would see to the Captain-Seeker's mission as instructed, and what came after, he could figure out in time.

They ship was scheduled to leave in less than an hour. Those on the ground had been informed of their coming and done whatever they thought best to prepare. When the contingent of mixed soldiers that were being integrated into a single group to protect the citizens of this strange new world Minister Dornkirk had created arrived, they would be off.

[Eitan Angevin]

Angevin didn't travel alone. He had arrived early so as to give the wards of his erstwhile airship an inspection, nodding along with the work the other warders had done to keep one of their remaining fleet safe from harm. He had also brought a plainsclothed Kindred mage to see if the Hotel Schiller's herb garden couldn't be urged toward greater productivity, and a Grymalka to ensure that none of the fallen became the restless dead. They had enough problems without that. Dr. Stechpalme had made herself comfortable, willing to offer what medical aid she could.

He still looked the very model of a modern Air Defense Corps captain with his hair slicked strictly down and his uniform spotless. If he had a mild ward set upon it to keep it from getting dirty, he well realized that he was a symbol as much as anything else. The people had to see that one of their saviors had returned from death's door stronger than ever, someone they could put their faith and hope into.

"Captain," he greeted.

"Captain," Merovech echoed. It was an old, ongoing joke that Angevin was now entitled to join.

"Despite the end of the world and all, the Noble Gambit remains aces."

"Thank you, Captain. We ought to have an easy flight down to the Schiller base—at least, based on current intelligence. Have to say, I feel nigh invincible with you back on board."

"Oh, you are, Captain. With me on board." Angevin flashed his white smile. Bravado was a part of morale.

As they awaited young Dornkirk, Angevin looked past the far taffrail where his home floated in the sky like some boy's dream. His wife was there, heavy with child. His sister, his niece, his devoted servants. He was as close to an Angevin king as Karnor had seen in generations, but this was a meritocracy and his blood was just an anachronistic detail.

White Knight Hall was a manse swathed in greenery in a wide blue expanse. He wondered if they had any artists among them.

[Reiner Dornkirk]

It felt good, Reiner thought, putting on his regular fatigues. Since he'd been up on the Islands it had been all dress uniforms and borrowed plainclothes. Kuno seemed to think wearing his infantry stuff around the aerial encampment would raise questions or remind people of losses freshly suffered, so he'd been wearing ill-fitting hand-me-downs when he wasn't at formal dinners or memorial services. When he was dressed, he stood before the mirror and smiled. He looked like himself again, he thought, as he slickened his hair with pomade and ran a comb through it.

"How do I look?" He asked, turning to cast a dashing smile toward his new roommate.

His high spirits weren't all based in superficiality. He was also really thrilled that one of the perks of being a Dornkirk... A Dornperk, if you will... was that his access to important influential people would benefit his brothers on the ground. He'd felt guilty leaving them in the lurch to attend some fancy funeral for family he'd never met, even though he very much felt obliged to go. He very much wanted and needed to be there, but still it was hard to leave his brothers in arms down in the dirt with monsters poised to besiege their not-so-safe haven at any moment.

Once Kuno had offered his approval and deemed PFC Dornkirk ready for duty, he marched out of the apartment and made for the Noble Gambit. He wasn't altogether accustomed to airships, having only been on a couple of transports and the luxury yacht that had brought him to the Islands and later to White Knight Hall. Well, and there was the Islands themselves, if one could consider those to be a form of airship. Whatever the case, he certainly hadn't been on any sort of battleship, so his eyes wandered the surroundings as he boarded.

Turning a corner and almost immediately stumbling upon the pair of captains bantering together, Reiner blinked in surprise and quickly stood to attention with a sharp salute and hazel eyes straight ahead.

[Rune]

Most of the way through his own preparations to join his fellows should any sort of attack or rescue be needed, Kuno turned when Reiner ask his question and took a moment to look him over, head to toe.

"Mm, you look good." A beat, "For a ground pounder." He grinned to take any sting out of it as they finished the last of their toilette for the important mission and headed out. Keeping up amiable chat as they went was easy, and Reiner seemed to almost have learned his way to the airship port so he hardly even had to steer them.

It would be his first time on the Noble Gambit's noble decks but he'd been on airships nearly constantly for years now. When they arrived he snapped off a salute to match that of his companion to the Captain and Captain-Seeker before heading off to join the other air-marines. He was superfluous today, just another private trying to earn his stripes by volunteering to throw his body between the State and whatever dangers might assail her.

Captain Merovech checked with his new first fate to assure all was in readiness and then nodded to Eitan,

"We'll be off then." Before stepping away to oversee the mooring, leaving the two principle members of the excursion relatively alone on the deck.

The trip back toward the city and then down close enough to allow for access to the ground would take approximately an hour, assuming there were no unforeseen delays.

[Eitan Angevin]

Angevin acknowledged the salutes with a nod, but he deferred to Merovech on his own ship. Soon enough, Lieutenant Kämpfer moved off to attend to his duties and the Captain left him to his own devices. Since the captain hadn't, Angevin said, "At ease, Private Dornkirk."

He smiled.

The military hierarchy was no longer so clear. With luck, the Riverland Corps would remain loyal to Stefan as Science Minister. With luck, helping the ground forces from on high would keep them working somewhat in concert with the air forces.

The captain without a ship motioned for Dornkirk to accompany him to the forecastle for the best view of things as they detached from the Zaichaeri islands and made their way to the remains of Zaichaer proper. It wasn't a pretty sight, not anymore, but it would remind them of what they had lost and what they must fight to preserve, and give them newer tactical information for the tasks at hand.

Recently given permission by Minister Dornkirk, Orator Beeman, and his wife to work his runic magic, he concentrated silently on making a bubble around them that slowly brought the volume of the wind down enough that they could speak without shouting. It felt good to exercise that power again, which was a problematic feeling he would examine later, though it did seem that he was one of those who achieved great power without great corruption. All the same, he had people paying attention to his behavior. The subtle use also, he hoped, prevented Reiner from noticing and being spooked. The wind still whipped at their uniforms, anyway.

"Once more into the breach?" he hazarded.

Despite his desire to pull Reiner immediately and fully into the family, he didn't know him well and he didn't want to scare him off.

[Reiner Dornkirk]

Reiner's eyes followed Kämpfer, though his face remained fixed forward and his posture at attention. He wasn't thrilled to see his roommate sent off to pursue other duties. In his brief time upon the islands, he'd come to feel Kuno was something of a security blanket. Where so much was new and different, Konrad Kämpfer was a little piece of home. Not just a compatriot and fellow citizen of Zaichaer, as all of them were, but just one of the guys from the old neighborhood. A soot-faced grungie like him, even when his hair was waxed and his face clean and freshly shaven. He was still anxious around the Westsiders. He wanted their approval, and that made them scary.

He shifted his stance and clasped his hands at the small of his back upon being given permission to stand 'at ease'. Reiner's regular infantry uniforms were not in nearly so polished a state as his dress blacks had been. Naturally, they were more 'lived-in', but they'd also seen their share of distress since the Blitz. He felt a bit ashamed to stand before officers- and those of another branch no less- in such a state, but Kuno had pointed out that the airmen were in similar straits and that his own uniform wasn't what would have been considered suitable for duty prior to the calamity. The one the private donned today was clean, but there were burns, frayed edges and bloodstains that he hadn't been able to get out no matter how many times he washed or how hard he scrubbed. And oh how he'd tried to remove those reminders. It wasn't his blood that stained his uniform, but that of his brothers who'd fallen close enough to mark his clothes indelibly with their spilt vitae.

At Eitan's gesture, Reiner marched after the captain. His steps slowed a bit as they drew closer to the forecastle and a breath caught in this throat. It was easy to forget how high up they were when one couldn't see the ground, as was often the case on the Islands. From this vantage and with the winds whipping at his clothes and face, it was hard to miss. After a moment's hesitation, he faced his fear- for fear was all it was, born of inexperience- he stepped up to Eitan's side. His fear of heights wasn't some unassailable phobia, but simply something he would learn to overcome with more frequent exposure.

As focused as Reiner was on the daunting sight of the distant ground below, the harrowing view of the horrors ahead and the management of his own emotions, he didn't even noticed the Captain-Seeker's plying of magic. Unaccustomed to the wending of the winds up here, he might have thought they'd just entered a pocket where the gusts gushed less forcefully.

Reiner's eyes remained trained ahead, as Eitan spoke up. If that was some sort of reference, it seemed to be lost on the private who replied in earnest:

"As many times as it takes, sir." The words were resolute. The private was prepared to make as many forays into the pernicious perdition below as it took to save as many of their people as he could. At least that was how he felt now that he'd been fed well, had a proper wash, and seen what the future of Zaichaer might look like on the Islands. When he'd been stationed at the Schiller, he'd been of a different mind. The defense of their encampment felt Sisyphean. The unending salvos against them came at chaotic intervals, and allowed little time for a full night's rest or the gathering of enough resources to fill everyone's belly.

"Thank you for arranging this, sir." Reiner offered a sidelong glance of his eyes, though his face didn't move. "The men down there need all the help they can get." He pursed his lips, "They're good men." And Reiner was far from the best of him, in his own estimation. He'd just wound up lucky enough to be plucked away first.

[Eitan Angevin]

"Of course," he said, eyes on the horizon and, finding it lacked threat, falling to the ground and the path the ship was most likely to take to get to the Schiller. "Now that we have secured the skies and have made a haven here and at Stefan's home outside the city, we are better equipped to help the other survivors of the horror."

If there were any airmen stranded at the hotel, they would be repatriated to the skies. Any of the engineers would be ferried to the chateau to help build it up into a village for other survivors to populate. Eitan didn't have to be a member of the Riverlands Corps to know that winter would be nipping at their heels and eventually their bellies before long.

It felt a mite strange to be standing here aboard the Noble Gambit as a captain. It wasn't his ship, but Merovech had deferred to him when it came to matters beyond the scope of the ship. Soon enough, he might be the Angevin who replaced Leir as Admiral even if only because the Air Defense Corps was so diminished. A part of him reveled in this; another cared little for the title so long as he had the power to keep the dream of the High City alive. The High City—he almost laughed aloud at the thought now that its remains were largely high in the sky now, arising like some phoenix out of the ashes of defeat.

"I would like you to be present while I speak to the Major. You are a familiar face and your word will carry farther than mine when it comes to what you have seen at the Windworks, what we have accomplished so far. We will tender our aid regardless, but in the end, we will need them as much as they need us. Survival for all—and a brighter future—requires cooperation and common goals. But we don't have time to jockey for position. The Mist-corrupted monstrosities won't abide by the rules of engagement. Our enemies, uncorrupted by Mist, didn't abide by the rules of engagement either."

[Reiner Dornkirk]

Reiner still felt very much as if he was feeling out his relationship with Captain Seeker Angevin. Obviously, their concourse was nascent at best, but he wasn't sure where he fit into the noble bastard's world or vice versa. Not that he knew where he stood with Minister Dornkirk, but he at least understood their connection. It was a cleaner thing. As for Eitan? It was more nebulous and further obscured by the different scenarios in which they found themselves.

First it had been the memorial service. That was sort of an easy one. Mournful affairs were something of an equalizer. Everyone's role was sort of the same, just with different levels of grief expected based on proximity to those lost. These days, everyone had lost quite a bit and both he and Eitan were connected to dead Dornkirks. So they smoked and drank and shared a friendly exchange, albeit with a bombshell or two perhaps pertaining to the nature of the Captain Seeker's background. Still, it wasn't complicated.

Second had been the dinner. That was tough. The air of equality was wholly absent from that setting, even if he was openly being encouraged to feel like one of the family. In a way that made it worse. He sort of just wanted to let it be acknowledged that he was different and didn't know how many courses to expect or what some of the utensils on the table were supposed to be for. And then there were the politics of that evening, which got very stressful. Reiner had probably indulged overmuch in the fine wine on offer to compensate for his great discomfort. He was still embarrassed at how he handled the issue of the witches, blurting out his litany of concerns in front of a lord and minister of the State, as well as the Captain seeker and their fine noble lady wives. But in the midst of all that, Eitan had been good enough to offer his aid in helping Reiner's brothers still barracked at the Schiller.

Which brings us to today. Now, he was placed in Eitan's orbit in yet another novel scenario. They were both military men, though of different branches, but this was the first instance where they were, essentially, soldiering together. Here equality was firmly off the table and no one expected it. There was a chain of command and Eitan was decidedly his superior. This was a ZADC vessel and Eitan was a ZADC captain. They were on his turf, even if they were heading for Reiner's.

All this is to say, Reiner didn't know how to interact with Eitan at the best of times, let alone in yet another new setting like the deck of the ZADC Noble Gambit. He didn't know to what extent the Captain Seeker wished for him to engage. Was this a casual conversation, or a briefing? Reiner would err on the cautious side.

"Of course, sir." He replied with an affirmative nod, considering his oratory. He did have to smile to himself. He could hear something of Brenner in the way Eitan spoke of their goals and of the State. Though he'd never met the First Minister, he'd attended every speech he could. And had even collected a list of his favorite quotations- Digs at the 'Iron Queen' and plaudits to Zaichaeri grit among them.

[Eitan Angevin]

Eitan nodded. It was strange trying to feel things out with Reiner; on the one hand, he wanted them to be close, but that would take time; on the other, he was glad that the man seemed an apt soldier, the better to make use of his skills such as they were.

"As you probably noticed at dinner," he continued, "Stef and I have our eyes on the big picture. I need to get an idea of the details while I'm at the Schiller. It has been a while since I ate in the galley with the airmen of the Noble Gambit, and I already feel out of step with their needs. I need to understand their specific experiences, the better to lead, the better to understand the status of our men. Good cheer and hope are excellent, but a stiff upper lip when there are real problems won't help them get solved."

Dark eyes turned on the dark-haired Dornkirk.

"So anything you can do to help me suss things out, I would appreciate. I'm already impressed they have held out as long as they have. I don't need to be further impressed, just well apprised of matters."

Everything was shit. There were certain shortages even for those of them lucky enough to live on the floating islands. Eitan was committed to getting a clear picture of things, the better to give aid as efficiently and effectively as possible. He wasn't a silver bullet by any means, but there was a great deal he could do. They would already be doing a great deal between wards, a victory garden, supplies, and medical aid. But Zaichaer needed to pull together under Stefan's genius, and the best way to bring the ground troops into the fold was to help them survive and, if possible, thrive.

"First thing's first," he said with a wry grin. "I brought a case of wine for the boys. How do we ensure the night watch stays sharp?"

[Reiner Dornkirk]

Reiner nodded, allowing himself a faint smile in answer to Eitan's resolution toward getting in touch with the people on the ground. There were many less fortunate than those on Islands. Most who still dwelt the city fell into that camp, and it was a relief that the castle in the clouds wasn't above sending its knights to rescue the refugees in the mortal realms that lay in their shadow below. It was even more encouraging to know that at least one of those knights took an interest in the vantage of the infantrymen with whom Reiner had served. Every man was an Everyman in his unit.

He listened and considered the Captain Seeker's concerns. There were indeed very large problems that needed solving, and if there wasn't a concerted effort on all sides to find and cling to common ground, it portended poorly for the future of Zaichaer. Times of upheaval could bring people together, but they could also widen divides. Seeing the status quo torn asunder could give people very brazen ideas that could burn important bridges in their wakes.

Reiner pursed his lips and pondered the request. He felt a bit chastised by the comment that he didn't need to be further impressed. He took it for a response to the plaudits he'd just uttered about his brothers in arms, but it didn't sting too deeply. It seemed more practical and direct than judgmental. Officers were often of that bent and noblemen, he understood, more so.

"If I may speak freely, sir..." Reiner paused, hazarding a glance to the Captain Seeker and awaiting his assent before speaking his mind. "There are rumors about what became of the Windworks, but no one down there has an earthly clue what's been going on up above the clouds. I expect there may be resentment in the ranks, sir. They may feel abandoned. They're tired, aching, hungry and their nerves are raw from the constant threats coming at unpredictable intervals. I would not dare to pretend I know better than an officer of your rank and esteem, Captain-Seeker, but I would recommend that you not try to make a case for the good work of the Islands yourself. They'll be respectful, but they'll likely see you as a politician. I've served with them. I can speak on your behalf, if you tell me what you wanna get through their thick skulls." He chuckled at the mention of wine. He had to squeeze his wrist to keep both hands behind his back in his 'at ease' stance, when his instinct was to scratch the back of his neck.

"Well, you'll want to make sure the Major gets the wine. He'll make sure the boys don't binge their way through the whole supply in an hour."