Fontaine Beachhead

 

Vesti let her hand casually fall to her side as the last of the seeds dropped into their fleeting ripples. The witch had steadily let them go from her palm, watching as they sank softly in the flowing water, watching as they disappeared beneath shimmering circles expanding on the pane. They looked so minuscule against the wide current, but she knew holistically the magic would work. Whatever would transpire in the coming days would be blessed by the river's power, and this intention; these seeds given to the flow of the world. Ritual was important to her. It lent power to life because of the intention imparted in the acts, intuitive confidence stemming from knowledge of its power. She never considered whether her magic had an effect, but performed the spells and ceremonies knowing they were effective.

There had been a growing military presence around the river lately. Local troop exercises along the Winniaska were not unusual, but Vesti had felt a greater sense of unease than expected, especially west of here, where the river, passing around long bends, led into a series of gorges and tall urbanized waterfalls. Near to those metro areas along the river loomed the military fort, a sprawling complex above the north banks. Vesti stood on the south shore of the river, looking across the water at placid trees and farmland. No sound or sight out there gave clue to the situation. Trying as she was to read the signs, she could not quite tell what might be coming. There was only a feeling in the back of her mind, as if something had been left undone, some unknown window left open.

A sound entered the river landing, and Vesti turned to see another couple of black speeders enter the clearing. They came to a stop at the height of the beachhead and dismounted, walking towards the little group by the water. She had initially been put on alert, but saw that these soldiers did not bear the green hand-and-star that she had seen during her trip to the river. These had the same red and leaping mountain lion as the Commandant.

The meeting of the fort commander had been a bit of a surprise, as Riannath had come to the riverbank with an unlikely traveling partner. Among the squad of armored troops, Davai's brown cloak had stood out immediately. Vesti had rejoiced at the reunion with her old school friend, and enjoyed meeting Riannath as well. The military woman was surprisingly conscientious, and exuded an almost strange air of peacefulness along with her authority.

“Excellent, Geordi's arrived.” The Commandant inclined her head to address the approaching lead figure. “What news from your scouting Captain? How fare's the river valley?”

Geordi and his team stopped in front of Riannath and exchanged a salute with their commander. “Andrus has mobilized, for sure. We saw numerous patrols west of this point, doubtless it is worse on the other side of the river. The high bridge over the Gorge was under heavy watch.”

Riannath's look sharpened. “Could you tell what their business was? Were all of them really looking or waiting for me? You're right, it doesn't sound like the usual deployment.”

“You know better than anyone that these aren't normal movements ma'am. As far as Elgheny is concerned, you left the base under suspicion. It doesn't matter that you are the Commandant, he will have brought in help from the Imperium, and likely has turned the rest of the base against you by now.”

Vesti looked from the guard captain and back to Riannath. “I encountered quite a few such patrols on my way here from Jericho. They all bore different marks than your men do Commandant. Green hands reaching for the stars. I had to travel through some wild places just to avoid one of their checkpoints.”

“Then it is true.” Riannath turned her gaze out across the water to the far bank with its placid trees. “There are higher authorities, and powerful groups who do not want public acknowledgment of how the world is changing. They want to keep the understanding and power for themselves. This mobilization is Andrus' doing, but he has played his hand too early. I have done nothing outwardly to warrant this response. I will have my base and command returned.”

Davai could feel tension in the air, like a slight electricity underlying their words and movements. He realized though that the tension in the air was from more than their conversation, and at the same time realized that he had come to the awareness too late. The Commandant continued, “We will regroup d–” and was cut off by a blast from the nearby woods and an explosion where the speeders were parked. Whirling around, Davai saw that Vesti had gone from the bank, the spot where she had been standing wet with river-water.

Riannath had been about to discuss a possible fortification along the river when the attack actually came. It was like the compressed time of a dream, where the planning and preparation for a thing runs right into the middle of it happening. She turned to see the destruction of the speeders at the same time as she was directing the others to the nearby embankment. Geordi was right beside her, weapon hot and giving sparse fire back at the bushes to cover their retreat. Upon destroying their transports, the unseen enemy had attempted to shoot off their escape, firing into the sand. Riannath's crew were too quick though, and soon everyone had gotten to cover. They crouched by the side of a small ravine that held an inlet from the river. Behind them through the earthen bank they could hear the rumble of a military LDT entering the landing pad a short distance away. Soon the entire river landing would be swarming with Imperial troops.

In the situation, there were two things in which the Commandant found extreme fortune. One was the skill and training of her squad. They had responded to the threat with lighting speed, protecting the body of themselves while also firing back to maintain a line of engagement. Over the course of the retreat the whole guard had regrouped and not lost a single soldier to the surprise attack.

The second thing was the presence among them of a real witch, and a powerful one at that, though Riannath had little experience of their kind. Vesti had sensed something in advance of any of them. Though she did not have the confidence of vision to warn the others, Vesti had begun early on during her time by the river to tap into its energy. She had felt the water, deep beneath her feet, flowing and strong in its unyielding obstinance of force. She had let her own energy be embraced by that depth, holding the cord within herself so that she could pull that energy up for use; to flow with it as needed rather than be swept away in its current. She knew the methods of harmonizing with natural energy, and so her movements became precise and flowing, with no danger coming near to her being. Riannath was sure their should have been more casualties from the attack.

Ducking into safety, Davai had hardly been able to wonder where Vesti was, when he saw Geordi and the others helping her to ready a boat docked in the little cove. Once the troops had commandeered the vessel, the witch set herself in the prow, speaking words under her breath. All aboard, they sped out into the wide current, turning upstream to flee the landing. No sooner had they entered the open river, a horn sounded from the downstream side. A water patrol came right at their heels, the fast cruiser threatening to quickly overtake them. Vesti saw this and bent down towards the water, speaking some gentle, loving words. When she straightened in her seat, the river seemed to swell under their boat, and the current behind them picked up speed. The patrol cruiser seemed to have difficulty overcoming the flow of the river, and for a little while at least they were able to outrun their pursuers.