Chapter 67:
---
{The tense situation at Ooarai's new forward fort, Sanctuary, was broadcasted live for the audience to see, ignoring all the other skirmishes happening at the moment. When Cass brought the newly-repaired Sherman back into battle, for the sole purpose of using its wired microphones to hear the audio, it truly did work}
It bewildered the officials since they weren't aware of the microphone's magnificent range, and put the audience at the edge of their seats because the negotiation scene happening between Ooarai and Saunders was the first ever to happen in new Hohei-Dō history.
~~~
It started as an ambush of sorts, taking the General by surprise, but after the initial botched rescue attempt by one of Ray's loyal soldiers, the twist on the fact Saunders captured the Ooarai student council president as well as one of Ray's distinguished officers and used them as bargaining chips has gotten the audience gasping in (almost) unison.
But even when it looked like Saunders had the upper hand, when the kidnappers tried to get under Ray's skin with threats and taunts, Ray shoved their words back into their mouths by cleverly manoeuvring the leader of the operation, Cass, by pointing out the rules they overlooked.
The audience were convinced that Ray was speaking the truth, but the officials, and the student representatives who actually read the Art of Infantry rule book knows that Ray was bullshitting, or exaggerating some bits of the rules to trick Saunders.
~~~
Major Ashole, who read the rule book cover to cover after his arrival, points out that while Ray is right from the part of a 'GLA public execution style' causing a penalty, his statement on Andrew taking over after he gets taken out is wrong.
And since Andrew is medically repatriated, he's out of the game, albeit temporarily. Until he recovers from his concussion. Saunders could indeed win by just capping Ray then and there, and they won't earn a penalty, but because Chuck will get upset by getting his kill stolen, and convinced by Ray, they just lost their chance at a quick victory...
Major Ash can't help but laugh at that slip up. His subordinates didn't find it as amusing as him, and Kanon Sasagawa thinks that Saunders should be given a strongly worded letter because of their favourite pass time of kidnapping.
It's a frequent thing in Sensha-Dō to capture prisoners, but when the kidnapping is more hands-on, involving ransoms, interrogation, and negotiation than a forced invitation to a tea party, these leave a sour taste in her mouth, and mean that the admins in the federation should come up with more rules concerning that.
~~~
Elsewhere, the St. Gloriana representatives, before returning to the spectator cabins for the night, stick around and watch the entire negotiating scene.
The way Cass mimicked Darjeeling's phrase of 'You ever heard of the saying—', and how she quoted Shakespeare before departing flattered the matriarch of St. Gloriana.
~~~
Darjeeling visited Saunders before and met Cass, and the former found her to be... an interesting woman, albeit rather crass and pushy like the rest of the people she's acquainted with at Saunders. But for Cass to copy Darjeeling's obsession of unnecessary quoting? Even though Cass might be taking the piss, the young queen took this as a compliment.
Of course, the way Cass suffered heart palpitations near the end of the tense scene concern them to a degree.
They are very relieved to see she made it out okay; braving through her heart acting up.
YOU ARE READING
The Favourite Brother: Complex Edition
FanfictionForced into a position he didn't asked for, but is perfectly qualified to; bamboozled by corruption in the ministry of education, and surrounded by people who are looking up to him to do the right thing, Ray Gonzales has to do the best he can, in hi...
