#darya will explain mist sometime

[baidar-oroq]

23-Shuffle

(The Rising Stones, Mor Dhona)

Thancred watched as Urianger laid his cards out again on the table in front of him for the fourth time in the last half hour, closed his eyes, and selected one with an extravagant gesture before replacing it and shuffling the deck again. 

It made for something remotely resembling entertainment while he waited for Y’shtola to finish imbuing cartridges with aether for his gunblade, but as an application for an astrologian Thancred had wondered about its practical use. He crossed his arms over his chest as Urianger laid the cards out again and yet again selected one, looking at it with satisfaction before replacing it and re-shuffling the deck for a fifth time. “You would have a fine career at the Gold Saucer dealing cards if we ever find the world at peace, you know,” he pointed out. That drew a modest and entirely unmuffled snort of laughter from Y’shtola. 

“‘Tis not for gambling that I assay such maneuvers,” Urianger replied, laying out the cards again. “In times of direst strife, being able to locate the correct card for the situation is of utmost importance. One doth not have the time to search in battle, after all.”

“Ahhh, I see. And the dramatic poses as you do?” 

Urianger selected another card again, looked at it, nodded, and then reshuffled the deck again. “Allow me the rarest of moments of vanity, Thancred.” 

“You think it looks dashing,” Thancred replied. 

Urianger’s reply was interrupted by the chime of Thancred’s linkshell, and he raised a finger and said “Hold that thought,” as he answered.”Yes?” He frowned as he listened. “Baidar? Were you trying to get a hold of Y’shtola?”

“For once, no, I didn’t call the wrong person. Got Alisaie the first time, she was...amused. No. Actually, I have a problem down here in Vesper Bay and it seems more up your alley than mine.”

“Is this about your investigation for the Ironworks? Y’shtola told us what you were doing.” 

“Oh, yeah, it is. Dug into it and turns out that the shipment that was stolen had been stolen by Garlean soldiers.” 

Thancred blinked. “I’m sorry, did you say Garleans?” Urianger looked up from his cards, while Y’shtola finished imbuing a cartridge and frowned. 

“Yeah. We were questioning the clerk that allowed the theft and he said he’d been hired by someone named Servius pyr Verrus. Shortly after that, we got jumped by three Garlean soldiers. LIkely left behind to kill the clerk if he ratted them out. Had to kill them, they were shooting first and not even bothering to ask questions.” 

“A Garlean cell active in Vesper Bay? That’s decidedly bad news. What do you need from me?”

“Your expertise. I was in Othard for most of the Ala Mhigan war, and you spent your time infiltrating Garlean bases. Not going to lie, I’m over my head dealing with military intelligence matters.”

Y’shtola threw him the bag of imbued rounds, which he caught one handed, having anticipated what was coming next. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, then. See what I can bring to the table. Keep your eyes open.” 

“Generally do. See you soon.”

Thancred disconnected and looked at Y’shtola. “Your boyfriend has a knack for finding trouble, you know that?”

“He’s a Warrior of Light, Thancred. Trouble finds him well enough on its own..” 

“He was right to call me, though. I’ll notify you if things are really out of hand.” He walked past Urianger and patted him on the shoulder. “Keep practicing, Urianger.”

Urianger’s expression was best described as sour.

(Vesper Bay, later that day.)

Thancred found Baidar and Darya, along with another Viera woman who was clearly keeping an eye on a lalafell that he recognized as a worker at one of the local warehouses, beside a charred and burned wagon. In front of them in pools of dried blood were three bodies, covered by burlap sacks. A  few of the locals were ringing the scene, talking among themselves in whispers that increased as he arrived. “Hey Thancred,” Baidar called. “Thanks for coming.”

“Garleans active in our old home base, I wasn’t about to miss that. Darya, was the wagon your work?” She nodded. “I see Y’shtola is teaching you well then. And who might this beauty be?” 

He had directed this at the other Viera, but she nudged the lalafell with her toe and said “This would be the source of your problems, Jajariku. I’m Mist.” 

Thancred knew when a flirt had failed to land properly. “Well played, ma’am.” He knelt by the nearest body and pulled the burlap from it, examining the remains. “Hmm. Definitely the uniform of the XIIth Legion, though they’ve removed their insignia. Fairly typical of Garlean soldiers when they’re on deep penetration missions into enemy territory. Can’t hide their origin, but if all we’re left with is bodies like this we have no idea of their rank or much anything else.” He searched the pockets and came out with a coin purse, opening it. “Local currency, stamped in Ul’dah, generally used. They’d been operating behind lines for a while then. Long enough to have exchanged coin here. Has the feel of being here for a time.” “In Vesper Bay?” Baidar asked, scowling. 

Thancred dropped the purse on the body, covering it up with burlap again. He brushed his hands off and stood. “Vesper Bay, unlikely. No doubt the XIIth learned of the location of the Waking Sands from the XIVth Legion, which is why even after we relocated-and we Scions who were scattered after that unfortunate business with the Sultana returned-we kept an eye out for them. Raubhan had been doing it for a while, and after he decided to stay in Ala Mhigo that passed on to Pipin. No, this unit was likely operating in Western Thanalan and their presence here was a more recent thing.” He looked down at Jajariku, who was moving nervously from foot to foot, likely expecting the Garleans to try to kill him again. “You said someone calling himself Servius pyr Verrus contacted you?” 

The lalafell blew out a long breath. “Yeah. Biggest fucking mistake of my life. Told me to keep an eye out on any military shipments, or magitek, or Ironworks shit, and arrange for him to get a hand on it.”

“Hmm. If I had to wager a guess, this pyr Verrus was assigned to mapping Alliance supply lines during the Ala Mhigan uprising. Probably contacted a great many people in doing so. Thanalan is rife with people willing to put gil before patriotism, after all. I imagine he had no idea what he was taking, just that it was Ironworks.”

“Could they have, I dunno…” Baidar thought about it for a moment, clearly searching for a term. “Some kind of order to get their hands on Cid’s work?”

Thancred nodded. “Standing orders, most likely. If this was an intelligence unit-if they were spies-they could very well have been told to make acquiring Ironworks technology a priority. Highly likely that this unit has no idea what they stole.” Thancred looked at Baidar. “You haven’t mentioned what was stolen to this upstanding gentleman, have you?” 

Baidar shook his head. “Just what shipment was stolen. Not about to let a thief find out what was taken.”

Thancred smiled. “Very good, Baidar.” He thought about the situation for a moment, arms crossing over his chest as he was wont to. “If they were with the XIIth, odd that they’ve not been recalled by the Empire and are continuing their mission. Didn’t you say the VIIth had taken over on attacking at Ghimlyt Dark, Baidar? With this Weapon Project?” 

“Pretty much. The XIIth basically fell apart after Zenos was defeated and pulled out of Ala Mhigo.” 

“Perhaps the VIIth took over their infiltration operations, then.” Thancred thought about this for a moment. “Unless there was so much chaos when Ala Mhigo fell that this unit was lost, left behind, and they’re just following their most recent orders until they get new ones.” He looked up and noticed Darya was frowning. “Is something troubling you, Darya?”

She started, surprised at being questioned, before she said “I was, uhm. Just thinking, Had an idea, wasn’t sure how valid it was.”

“What were you thinking?” Baidar asked. “Right now you’re having more ideas than I am.”

She brightened at that, as she usually did at Baidar’s attention. As if your personal life isn’t already complicated enough, Baidar, Thancred thought. “Ahh. The idea, the thought I had was...you said that this man was keeping track of shipping to know what Alliance supply routes were?” 

“The Garlean commander, yes.”

She pointed at Jajariku. “Does it seem likely, then, that he’s the only one in the area he used?”

Thancred’s eyes widened, as did Baidar’s. “Oh. Oh, very good, Darya. That does seem highly unlikely. I still have contacts in Ul’dah, of course. Can start asking them. Baidar, would you mind delivering our ambitious clerk to the local authorities? I suspect little will come of it but it is worth a try.” 

“I’ll do it,” Mist said, nudging Jajariku in the back with her knee. “Try to get in the good graces of the locals, maybe get some work out of it.” She started to walk away, but she stopped beside Darya. “Take care of yourself, Darya. Looks like your life is very interesting these days.” She kissed Darya lightly on the lips once, then led Jajariku away.

“I feel,” Thancred said after a moment, “that is going to be an interesting story, whenever you get around to explaining it, Darya.”

Darya could only blush in response.