Cavalier's Gambit -ch 20-

“— and you think they’re ac-acting as… gifts,” finished Tink, her hands in front of her mouth as she spoke. She was watching Wayne across the small table.

After he showed up, hugged her just as he had threatened, he then told her he needed to talk to her. Tink had checked Natalie in with the medical facility and took them to a small cafe that had private booths and rooms.

“Yeah,” Wayne confirmed. Thankfully he had told Tink all about the captain incident previously. At the time she had found it shocking and amusing at the same time.

There hadn’t been any anger on her part at all.

“I mean, come on. ‘I’m here for your personal convenience’ and ‘working underneath you’,” Wayne parroted with air quotes. “That isn’t just something anyone in their position says without wanting to get a point across.

“Right? I don’t think I’m over thinking this. This feels like what Michael said. They’re gifts. Boobs and promises instead of money.”

Tink sighed, closed her eyes, and her hands moved up to cover her face. She sat there quietly in the seat as she contemplated the situation.

“Wayne?” she asked after a few seconds.

“Yes, dearest Tink?” Wayne replied with a grin.

Tink’s eyes appeared over the top of her hands. They were crinkled at the corners, and he surmised she was hiding a smile.

“I’m not that smart. I’m-I’m a bit stupid,” Tink confessed, her hands covering her from the nose down. “I’m really good with engineering and mechanic stuff. Really good. I’m-its-yeah, I’m great at that.

“I’m not really smart at this stuff with the-the bribes. I don’t know what to do. I personally feel like I’d want to hide. To pretend none of it was happening and just uhm-wait for them to leave.”

“I don’t think I can do that,” Wayne countered, grinning at her.

“No. You can’t. I just… this isn’t what I’m good at. I’m sorry,” Tink apologized. “If you asked me about stuff like-like… the garage! I’m good with stuff like that. Not this. I barely understand why you even decided to make me your person to begin with.”

Wayne sighed, put his elbow onto the arm of the chair, and sunk his chin into his palm.

“You agree that the major and the captain were sent to bribe me with themselves?” Wayne asked.

“Yes. They-they were,” Tink confirmed.

“The Confed and Mirkil both want me to either swear allegiance to them, or just… help them,” Wayne continued to the next point.

“Yes. Hence the-the gifts and the bribes that are also l-liaisons.”

“So long as I don’t pick one or the other, or both, I’m not in any danger from the other one,” Wayne surmised.

Tink’s brows came down and nearly reached her fingers. Though her eyes were still locked to him.

After a few seconds, she began to slowly nod her head at that.

“Yes. Both or neither. That’s-that’s the right choice,” agreed Tink.

“The station manager is a neutral party to them, but also wants his own things taken care of. Which so far is primarily us just staying here.”

Tink continued to nod her head in agreement.

“Alright. So! I think we stay here, keep working contracts, and keep our eyes out for somewhere else to be. Preferably not so close to the front and less in the spotlight,” Wayne suggested.

After a moment, Tink shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t know… I’m just your armorer, Wayne,” Tink apologized. “That sounds like me trying to hide. If both the Mir-Mirkil House and the Confederation sent you their… gifts… they would follow you. It’s their job. Isn’t it?”

Wincing, Wayne knew Tink was right.

Yeah.

They were willing to sacrifice a captain and a major as bribes to me.

If they fail, or I leave, they’ll just follow me. Or they’ll send someone else in their place.

I’m sure if I had family, they’d be pressuring them as well as me.

“If-if you have sex with them, make sure that you’re not able to-to-to have kids,” Tink advised. Her hands yet still over her face. “That mi-might be their goal. You’d h-have less leverage then.”

Wayne took in a slow breath, held it, and watched Tink.

He knew she didn’t like that idea, but she also seemingly thought it was a possibility.

“Just be s-safe about it,” Tink advised, nodding her head minutely.

“I mean, I don’t have to sleep with them. I can just be nice to them,” Wayne countered. He felt like Tink had gone straight to the extreme.

Tink considered that, then shrugged.

“Just be safe. I-it’s… just be safe,” Tink finally let her hands fall. She smiled at him and then shrugged for the second time. “You came straight to talk to me about it after we hung up. You didn’t st-stay there and talk to them.”

“Well, no. I said I was coming for you,” Wayne asserted.

At that moment, the waitress that’d taken their order swooped in and began laying everything down on the table.

“Yes. You did say that. And… you did,” Tink whispered as the waitress finished up.

“Anything else, Lord Hesh? Miss Tink?” she asked, looking between them.

Tink shook her head, smiled, and picked up her napkin.

Ever since their kebob outing, Tink’s manners had radically changed. She was acting quite dainty. A stark contrast to the greasy haired mechanic he found in a bar.

The waitress waited for Wayne to nod his head, then left.

“Are they… pretty?” Tink asked, picking up her fork and then looking to Wayne.

“Extremely. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. You’ll eventually meet them. You’ll see,” Wayne confessed. “But here I am. Ever pursuing my dearest Tink.”

“You tease me too much,” Tink complained, delicately working to pick up some food on her fork.

“Oh? I think you like it. You like the attention,” Wayne accused. “Admit it, Tink. Admit you like it and I promise to always give you attention.”

Tink froze, her fork halfway between her mouth and the plate.

“I-I admit it,” she whispered, looked away, and stuck her fork into her mouth. Chewing steadily and avoiding his gaze.

“Then attention you shall get,” promised Wayne.

***

Blinking, his eyes not adjusting to the light of the hall coming from his darkened room, Wayne looked from Hablin to Chilton, then back to the first.

His brain didn’t process anything that was happening.

“The busty and beautiful major and the witty and attractive captain. Awesome dream. Never had a three-way dream before,” Wayne slurred. He had spent the evening with Natalie and Tink. Going over a lot of things he had learned in Horrace’s training and trying to impart all of that to Natalie.

She actively took notes, asked questions, and was eager to learn from him.

All the while, Tink listened, but worked on Patchwork as well as the Assault Walker she was building for him.

Wayne had lost track of the time and had gone to bed late.

Blinking, he swung his head to the left and stared at the major. Then looked to the right at the captain.

“Who’s first?” he croaked.

“I am,” the major stated. Then she shrugged. “I rang the doorbell, so I figure I’m first.”

With a grunt, Wayne just stared at her.

Then looked to the captain.

He stared at her.

His brain was now warning him that this wasn’t a dream, but rather, that it was reality. That he should close the door and go back to bed.

Turning around, he stumbled back into his room and closed the door behind himself. Wayne had mentally crashed to the idea of indeed returning to his bed.

“He’s not awake,” one of the women whispered.

“No. It’s… well, it’s four in the morning station time,” said the other.

Wayne had no idea who said what, but it brought him up short.

Tottering around, he looked back to his door.

The captain and the major had entered.

In that moment, his brain finally stumbled into awareness.

“You’re in my room,” he said, blinking rapidly.

Wendy Chilton looked frustrated.

The major on the other hand, looked pleased for some reason.

“Wayne, can I make you a cup of coffee?” offered the major. “By the way, I don’t think it was ever said. My name’s Miriam.”

Without waiting for his answer, Miriam went right into the part of his living room that’d been separated into the kitchen area. She went right up to the coffee maker and started in on it.

“Miriam. Wendy,” Wayne stated and looked from one to the other. His brain went from waking up to shooting ahead to paranoid concerns and what he’d spoken to Tink about. “What’s going on? Why’re you both here?

“You’re both competing. Rivals. You both showing up makes me really nervous. I thought you were both here to convince me to work for you and not the other, with yourself as the prize.”

“I mean, that’s not wrong. I’m so glad you’re as direct as the report said you were. I’m rather glad I volunteered for this posting now,” admitted Miriam. “I’m here because I need you for a mission. She’s here to invite you to the same mission. The difference is in who you’ll work for.”

Wendy growled but said nothing, her mouth a flat angry line.

“Captain?” Wayne asked.

“You’re right. She’s right. We’re both here to convince you to work for us,” Wendy confirmed. “Same mission. Nearly the same job and end goal. Different starting point.”

Miriam turned partly toward him and leaned against his counter top. She was still dressed in her uniform, and it was splendidly fit to her. Thankfully her pistol and sword were missing. As was her cap.

“The Dashi announced their intention to annex Faesin-III,” Miriam divulged with a flat look. “They’re not leaving after they finish their raid. They’re here to stay.”

“They’re staying?” Wayne asked in an incredulous tone.

“Yes, they’re staying,” Wendy confirmed. She’d made her way over to one of the barstools at the counter and sat down on it. She opened her hands in front of herself and splayed them as if she were showing him her palms. “Now we don’t have any choice but to attack. They’ve already had time to build up defenses.”

“Every moment we wait, they get more time to dig in,” Miriam picked up after Wendy finished. Miriam had taken the opportunity to dress up a cup of coffee and added creamer to it. As well as a single sugar cube.

She brought it over to him and held it out with a smile.

Ah fuck she really did research me. I didn’t realize they even knew how I liked my coffee.

“Busty and beautiful, huh?” she asked as he took the cup from her.

Wayne shrugged.

He wasn’t going to apologize for his words. She could be mad about it or accept it. He wasn’t concerned with her.

“Not wrong,” he argued and took a sip.

“Anyways,” Wendy put in with a sharpness to the word. “The rest of the Blood aren’t so happy about this. Not happy, but also not angry enough to step in.

“Their normal routine is fight, raid, leave. This will forever change the relationship between the Confed and the Bloods.”

“Is that the truth though?” Wayne asked, taking a deep sip of the far too hot coffee. Wincing, he ignored the burning sensation in his throat.

Instead, he drained the cup, and just held it out to Miriam.

Who took it from him with a quirked brow, a smile, and going right back to the coffee machine.

“Honestly, that’s above my paygrade. I’m not privy to that kind of intel,” Wendy said, though she looked over to Miriam.

“Above mine. I’m just a local sector intelligence agent,” Miriam said and began making another cup of coffee from the brewer. “If it’s above yours though that makes me feel a bit better. No offense, captain.”

“None taken, major,” Wendy replied. “So… we don’t know. It’s possible it’s just a hoax. That the other Bloods are waiting to see what happens and may or may not take the opportunity to jump on it.

“What I do know is there are no other houses moving to support Mirkil. Only the Confederation units that are stationed in the area, some extra regiments not being used elsewhere, and that’s it.”

Miriam sighed, her head hanging partially as she heard that news.

She’s a local like me.

Isn’t she?

“Thank you for telling me that. It’ll be good to confirm that to my superiors. No one has told us anything useful, really,” Miriam murmured, to which Wendy shrugged her shoulders. “Mirkil is moving all forces in. We’re pulling from the border, house guards, recruits destined for the Confed. Everything.

“Stripping emplacements, gun crews, trainees… it’s all-it’s all going. Only a few are being spared front line duty for other missions. Like me.”

Miriam came back over to him after making the coffee up once more.

She graced him with what he could only define as a self-depreciating smile and held out the mug to him.

“Your own personal major here for your convenience and leisure, providing you with coffee per your request,” she whispered with a hint of something else in her tone. “Though… I volunteered for this before anyone realized the alternative was going to the lines.

“After they stopped accepting applications, they announced the mobilization. Suddenly every woman in every sector of Mirkil space wanted to apply.”

“Ah… thank you for telling me that, Miriam,” Wendy offered with a concerned look on her face. “I… that’s not something we knew.”

“Information for information,” Miriam remarked as Wayne downed the coffee in one go again.

“Can I get you a cup, Miriam?” Wayne asked.

Miriam blinked, chuckled, then shrugged.

“Why not. Thank you,” said the major. She walked over to where Wendy was sitting and took the seat next to her.

“Wendy?” Wayne asked, moving over to his brewer.

“Please, yes, thank you,” confirmed the captain.

“Okay. So… what’s the mission?” Wayne asked, setting his used coffee cup into the brewer and grabbing a second one.

Wendy looked to Miriam.

Who had already turned to look at Wendy.

“You got it?” Miriam asked.

“Yeah, I got it,” Wendy said, then cleared her throat. “We’re going to make landfall on a planet that was taken by the Dashi as they moved toward Faesin-III.

“It’s not really a useful planet other than its importance as a depot. A storage and resupply point.”

Wayne nodded and came over with both cups of coffee. He’d been able to get them both put together quickly.

He picked up the powdered creamer and set it down between the cups.

“Either of you need sugar?” he asked.

Miriam reached across to the cup that’d been put down in front of Wendy and pulled it over to herself.

“I’m sweet enough as it is,” Miriam said, grinned at him, and took a sip of her coffee without any creamer.

Wayne chuckled and looked to Wendy.

“I thought you were the Witty and Attractive one?” he asked.

Wendy inhaled quickly, then shot it out just as swiftly.

“Yeah, I’m kinda failing aren’t I,” Wendy mumbled. She stared at the counter in front of her. “I’m adjusting. As you guessed, and I was forced to make clear, I’m a prize up for the taking.

“I didn’t think I’d be sacrificed to such a goal, though I suppose I should have expected it to a degree. After I came back with every question they wanted answered with the excuse of ‘he was attracted to me’ I set myself up for failure.

“Anyways… anyways. We need to drop Walkers planetside. It’ll be a small number of Walkers with a set number of objectives. They’ll be moving to a series of targets.

“Destruction is the only goal. That’s it.

“The exfiltration will be just past the objectives some distance. Dropships will be inserted at the same time you’re dropped off and will wait.”

“Ah,” Wayne said, looking at the coffee cup Miriam had just set down.

He noted that there was a line of coffee that’d dribbled down one side. In that moment he realized that she’d taken the cup he’d used, deliberately.

“And if I sign with Miriam, I go where Mirkil starts. If I sign with Wendy, I go where the Confed starts,” Wayne summarized, looking between the two.

“That’s right,” Wendy said, grinned, then shrugged. “Beautiful and Busty or Witty and Attractive.”

“You know, it might be rude to say, but I think your own figure is quite lovely. That and you’re so pretty,” Miriam put in before Wayne could respond, leaning forward and looking at Wendy. “I’m not exactly super fond of my own sizings. It causes me as many problems with people as it does help.”

“Why thank you. You know… I was rather concerned that whoever I’d be working against was going to be some awful trope-y villain-like woman. Trying to make me look bad at every opportunity,” Wendy said, looking back at the other woman. “This is rather pleasant. You’re rather pleasant.”

“That’s fair. I thought the same. You’d be some overbearing Confed big-brother monster,” offered Miriam, and tapped her coffee cup against Wendy’s. “Here’s to a fair competition between intelligence officers.”

Both women then looked to Wayne.

“Uh, can I sign with both of you?” Wayne asked. “What if I said I refused to sign with either of you, unless I could sign with both. Is there like… a set of targets you’d both agree on, so I don’t end up fucking either of you over?”

Wendy tilted her head to the side.

While Miriam’s eyebrows went up.

“I mean… there is a set of targets that actually coincide,” Miriam admitted, looking to Wendy. “For us they were overlapping on ah… group F-Three for us and G-Two and Four for you, right?”

“Yes, I think so. I’d have to check, but I think you’re right,” whispered Wendy, her eyes locked on the cup. Then darted up to him. “You’d be willing to write that out? That you were unwilling to sign with either, without being able to sign with both?”

“I don’t mind. Besides, the longer I keep both of you around, the better my contracts will be in the future, right? You’ll keep fighting one another,” Wayne explained. “Maybe I can take a contract with Miriam and promise the next to Wendy. Play you back and forth off one another and keeping you both balanced.”

Miriam laughed at that, shrugged her shoulders, then took a deep drink of her coffee.

“Goodness, Wayne. Are you trying to keep both intelligence officers dangling on a hook?” Wendy asked in a purr. As if she suddenly found her old self again.

“I mean, who wouldn’t want that? I’m a country bumpkin, not an idiot,” Wayne countered. “Now… either of you want another cup?”

Miriam flipped her cup around, licked the coffee drip on the other side of it, then set it down in front of him.

“Please, yes. Also, could we order breakfast? I had to stumble out of bed, and I’m hungry,” asked Miriam, then glanced to her counterpart. “Wendy? Breakfast?”

“Yes, yes please. Coffee and breakfast,” agreed the captain, nodding at the major, before both looked to Wayne. “You know… I was all mopey for no reason. I should’ve known how you’d be about all this.”

“What, eager to keep you both in my apartment as long as I can? Yes, who wouldn’t want the beautiful and busty major and the witty and attractive captain alone with them in their room,” Wayne argued, his mouth running away from his thoughts.

Miriam laughed at that and nodded her head.

“That’s fine by me. Now! Now… Wayne… tell me about this squire you just picked up. It wasn’t in my information packet,” Wendy directed.

Miriam suddenly looked interested as well.

Though not in the same way Wendy was.