Sean and the others returned to Aldwyn with another five dozen Cygnean troops. Cylian, Anyon, Carver, Dillon, and Sidra all helped with the transit. Brodwyn herself came over to survey Logan’s preparations. If the general was disconcerted by being shifted between planets in the space of half a heartbeat, she gave no sign. She flatly rejected Anyon’s request that Praetorian Guards be permitted to enter the conflict. The political implications, she insisted, would make this a council decision, and they did not have either the evidence or the time for such.
They ordered Logan to outline his strategy, and he drew Sean and Dillon into the mix. The general and Anyon both heard them out in silence. When they were done, and all Sean could see was the potential for deadly mistakes, Carver drew the twins aside and said, “You both have the makings of great leaders.”
Dillon’s only response was to go crimson from his collar to his hairline. Sean said, “Right now I’m filled with the prospect of total failure.”
“This, too, is part of leadership. But your plan is a good one.” Carver started to turn away, then said, “It is an honor to serve with you.” He drew himself up to rigid attention and threw them both a parade-ground salute.
When he had departed, Dillon said, “Talk about making my day.”
Sean pointed over to where the general was talking with Logan. “Not just us.”
They were too far away to hear what the general was telling Logan. But her words were clearly impacting him very deeply. She noticed them watching and said, “Join us.”
Up close, Sean thought Logan had never looked more the leader.
Brodwyn said, “I am making a battlefield promotion of Major Logan, subject to final approval once this sortie is concluded. I take it you have no objection.”
“None whatsoever,” Sean replied.
“It’s a great step,” Dillon said. “He deserves it.”
“You will be the youngest officer of this rank in Cygnean history,” Brodwyn said, and revealed her version of a smile, all taut edges and honed precision. “Keep this up and I will soon be saluting you.”
Logan said weakly, “Thank you, General.”
She seemed not to notice Logan’s struggle for control and waved over her adjutant. Sean’s first impression was that Gerrod was a snotty, conceited officer who liked using the general’s clout as though it belonged to him personally. Clearly Sean’s opinion was shared by Logan and his officers. Which might have been why the general made such a public display of saying, “I am hereby assigning Gerrod duty as Logan’s adjutant.”
Gerrod jerked as though he’d been zapped. “General—”
“You may thank me later,” she snapped. When she was certain his protest had been stifled, she continued in an even louder voice, “Unless Major Logan directs otherwise, you will be responsible for the newly arrived Cygnean troops. Major Logan’s end-of-battle report will have a direct and lasting impact on your own opportunities for advancement. Is that clear?”
Gerrod wilted to the point that Sean almost felt sorry for him. “Perfectly, General.”
“Excellent.” Brodwyn turned to where the troopers were rendered utterly dumbfounded by the shock of being transited to Aldwyn. “Major?”
Logan nodded to Vance, who shouted, “Attention!”
Brodwyn’s voice was made to carry far. “Obey Major Logan as you would me. Learn from the experience. I am certain his tactics will soon be adopted as a major component of our army’s battle strategy. Good hunting.” She saluted the room, then turned to Anyon and said, “Ambassador?”
When the pair had departed, Logan stepped in close to the twins and said, “I’m very glad indeed that I trusted you.”
While they were still absorbing that, Logan turned to his three officers and ordered half of the newly arrived troops to serve as backup to his own crew, and the other to patrol the market. He charged Nicolette and Gerrod with the patrols and sent two of his ghost-walkers with them. There was no telling, he warned, whether Havoc might try to outflank them by transiting in troops of their own. But Sean didn’t think that would happen, and Dillon shared his opinion. Senior Diplomats like Kaviti would consider it an insult to transit local troops under orders from an outpost world’s duke.
Dillon pulled Sean aside and said, “Want to see what I did on my summer vacation?”
“Absolutely.”
Dillon held out his hand. “Grab hold.”
They stepped together and wound up on top of a hill that should not have been there.
Sean took a slow look around. “You’ve been busy.”
While he was away, Sean’s plan had been turned into a dusty fortress. He had figured the Havoc crew assumed they held the element of a double surprise. They possessed a secret weapon, and they were allied to the off-world ghost-walkers. Not to mention the size of the Havoc army.
Odds were overwhelmingly in their favor. The Havoc crew probably assumed they would waltz in and take over.
Sean hoped it might be possible to shock Tiko’s forces into the Aldwyn equivalent of next week.
With the help of Logan’s team, Dillon had cleared away the first three rows of market stalls fronting the Havoc tunnel. Actually, the local crew had mostly watched, at least at first. Dillon had used the hill’s construction as a means of both testing and training Logan’s crew. They had showed an uncommon ability to lift and grind and transport. By the time the conical hill was completed, Logan’s ghost-walkers had honed a new tactic.
Sean now found the tunnel mouth facing a semicircle of utterly bare stone. The open space extended back about two hundred feet. And it was now rimmed by a semicircular hill.
Dillon had fashioned a killing ground.