The General's Mask

Desperate Measures

Antagonists: Garan (archer), Ivolk (spear), Shar (former assassin member of Cai Fei), Gado (a fighter mainly using big swords), Ryulin (hired assassin), Agur (leader).

Shar, Ryulin, and Balto Hakkins trudged back to Agur's office, the air thick with a mixture of frustration and apprehension.  Seeing the plump face of the governor, Agur's head began to throb. He knew, with a weary sigh, that the foolish Hakkins was about to unleash a torrent of complaints.

Hakkins, his face flushed with anger, slumped into a chair, his frustration overflowing. 

"You have to hear this!  Those…" he paused, struggling to find the right words, "those…  those women! They tricked me!"

"Don't even start," Agur interrupted, rolling his eyes. 

"You deserved it.  Coveting women without checking them first?  What were you thinking?"

"How was I supposed to know they were dudes in dresses?  Their bodies, looked just like… just like… women!  " Hakkins sputtered, his voice rising in indignation.

"Just because they looked like real women, and put on a good show with that makeup, you go blind?" Agur scoffed.

"Even if they were real women, you should have at least given them a proper once-over before you shipped them off!   At least look for… well, you know…" Agur's voice trailed off with a suggestive gesture towards Hakkins' crotch.

(This is turning comedic ... ¯⁠\⁠(⁠◉⁠‿⁠◉⁠)⁠/⁠¯)

"Yeah, yeah, I get it.  They tricked me!  And I’m the one looking like a fool!  But tell me, Agur, what were you doing?  I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!" Hakkins retorted, his anger simmering.

"Oh, I was busy," Agur said with a smirk.

"Busy planning how to kick your ass for inviting troublesome people to the ship"

"You know, keeping our little secret safe. And I assure you, I wouldn't have made the same mistake." He leaned back in his chair, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Besides, your loss is my gain!  All those lovely ladies, now they're mine to…  uh…  well, let's just say I won't be making the same mistake you did."

"You're a jerk!" Hakkins yelled, throwing his hands up in exasperation.  "But you're a jerk who knows how to get things done.  So tell me, what do we do now?  How are we going to get back at those… those…  those..." He paused, searching for the right term.

"Generals," Agur said with a knowing smile. "Those were generals from the empire, disguised as women.  They infiltrated your ship and...well, it's not exactly a secret anymore."

"Generals?!  What?!” Hakkins  sputtered.  He felt the heat rising in his face.

“You’re telling me I was outsmarted by women...no, by generals?!”

Agur and the rest nodded with a sarcastic look on their faces.

"Not just any generals," Agur said, enjoying Hakkins' growing frustration.

"They're some of the best, highly trained, and very clever too. You wouldn't believe the lengths they went to.  Makeup, costumes, even their voices... they were masters of disguise."  He chuckled, shaking his head.

"You have to hope that the empire didn't send some of their high ranking generals just to capture us"

"But how?!  How did they get through our defenses?" Hakkins asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Seems like your defenses aren't as impenetrable as you thought, Hakkins," Agur said with a smirk.

"Let's just say they had an inside man or someone from your people spilled the beans" He looked at Hakkins, his gaze piercing.