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Casey's nightmare begins.

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Refuge

by TypicalFloof

Chapter 11: Gambles and Gambits, Part 1

Chapter Theme: Defleshed - Under The Blade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mulVYJmXckQ

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“Talk to me, Salas," Chief Petty Officer Foster said. He was the current ranking watch officer on the bridge.

“No unusual activity. SkyEye reported a 'Mech entering the ship, but nothing came of it, sir," Salas replied.

He was monitoring the video feed broadcast from SkyEye. The agile Boomerang circling above Devraux's DropShip was capable of maintaining its high-altitude surveillance for many hours.

Foster swirled the remains of his coffee before tossing the cup in a trash container. “Probably just a routine resupply. Keep me posted."

“Aye!"

***

Casey next became conscious of a dull pounding. With a groan, he realized it was his own head. He coughed and tried to rub his face, but he couldn't move his arms. Opening his eyes, Casey saw he was shackled to a wheelchair in a small, windowless room, naked save for his underwear. He took in the low table in front of him and shivered at the plastic sheets covering the floor.

Casey heard a grating sound as the room's only door opened. He was surprised to see Devraux step through and sit at the table. Casey studied the man. Dark patches sagged below his bloodshot eyes. Roget must be keeping him very busy.

Devraux clasped his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Sergeant," he began, “you are now a guest aboard my DropShip. I can assure you that no escape is possible," he said, gesturing to Casey's restraints. Wiggling, the bound MechWarrior wasn't even able to move the chair's wheels because they were locked in place. No dice, Casey thought.

“I have defeated your mercenary company," Devraux said. “The only reason you are here is—"

Casey's derisive snort interrupted him. “Really, Devraux? If that was true, you wouldn't have bothered to storm the village just to capture me." Casey shook his head. “You're desperate."

“No one is coming to your rescue, Sergeant. I have all the time I need to crush the Vellan militia."

“So what do you want?" Casey asked, although he already knew the answer.

“Information, Jenson." Devraux produced a square packet and unfolded it. He spread it over the table. Casey could see it was a topographical map. He looked up at the Capellan.

“First," Devraux said, “I want to know where your DropShip is hiding."

Casey smirked. Roget using the storm to move the ship was a brilliant move. Devraux sighed when Casey didn't indicate anywhere on the map.

“Sergeant, I know you're a reasonable man," Devraux said. “And despite what you think of me, I am also reasonable." He hooked a thumb behind him. “Lieutenant Wei is behind that door, chomping at the bit to get a chance to become acquainted with you. I can assure you, Jenson, that you will find his methods much more unpleasant than mine. I take no pleasure in them, but Wei gets results. Always. You are no different.

“Believe me when I say — I would much rather have a friendly chat than let Wei off his chain. It's messy, painful, complicated; you get the picture. But one way or another, you will tell me what I want to know."

Casey knew he was right. No one could withstand interrogation indefinitely. Everyone had a breaking point. It was just a matter of how much suffering he was willing to endure.

The Capellan exhaled at his silence. “Alright," he said. “Let's try another question. What were you doing in the anthro village?"

Casey's heart skipped a beat. Why the hell did he care?

“Frankly, I am astonished that you made it there," Devraux said. “I have to commend your tenacity, Jenson. Surviving your engagement with my lance, and our ambush on the militia convoy? Bravo.

“And how in the world did you find the village? Wei knew the trailhead's location, but even then he had some difficulty locating it! You must have had some inside information," Devraux said smoothly. His teeth flashed. “Something that led you right to the village. What was it?"

Casey's heart hammered against his ribcage, but he held his tongue. Since Devraux had taken a sudden interest in the village, maybe that meant he wouldn't destroy it as long as he was unsure of Casey's motivation for being there. Devraux's cold eyes bored into Casey. Still he said nothing.

“Well, Jenson, if that's how you're going to be…" Devraux pulled himself to his feet and stepped to the door. “Just remember that I tried to reason with you when you're screaming in pain. It was entirely preventable. You have no one to blame but yourself."

The Sang-shao slammed the door behind him. Wei was hunched over the video screen that had captured the entire conversation. The lieutenant straightened himself at Devraux's approach. He looked like a starving man who'd just had a filet mignon set in front of him.

Devraux put a hand on his shoulder. “I'm letting you off-leash, Wei. You heard me; I want to know two things. One, where is Roget's DropShip hiding? Two, what is so important to the sergeant about the village? Take all the time you need."

Wei almost knocked the commander over when he shoved a cart past him. Devraux shook his head. The Sang-shao's boots thudded on the floor plating as he strutted to the bridge.

The interrogation room door screeched open again and Wei bustled through wheeling a cart before him. It looked like a rolling toolbox of sorts. Wei pushed it beside Casey and locked the wheels in place. He was joined by two hulking soldiers who took up positions on either side.

“I'm so glad we get the chance to talk," Wei said. He jerked his head. The soldiers stepped forward and leered down at Casey.

“Go ahead," Wei said.

One of the huge men got into position and drove his fist into Casey's stomach. He doubled over as much as the restraints would allow. The blow felt like he'd been kicked by a mule. The second blow hammered his ribs. Casey struggled to keep his abdominal muscles clenched. Once he relaxed them, the next punch would drive the breath from his lungs and he would be in serious trouble. Another fist hammered into Casey's ribs on the opposite side of his body. Casey couldn't prevent a small amount of air from escaping his teeth. Pain flared through his side and he thought he felt something pop.

“W-Wei," Casey choked.

The soldiers straightened and stepped back as Wei laughed. “You're not giving up already, are you?" He waved his hand over the map. “The DropShip location, if you please." Wei leaned closer, a disappointed look on his face.

Casey struggled to catch his breath while he kept a wary eye on the soldiers at his sides. They were far enough apart that he had to keep flicking his gaze between them.

“Tell me…" Casey panted. “What… kind of steroids do you have these gorillas taking?"

Wei's expression darkened. The hair on the back of Casey's neck rose as he saw the man's eyes spark. “I can tell you're going to be fun," Wei said. He gestured and the soldiers lumbered in front of Casey. This is just the warm-up, he thought, bracing himself.

***

Nora had watched the Liao men heave Casey's limp form aboard one of the 'Mechs. She could only look on in dismay as it turned and trundled out of the village. The other two 'Mechs remained behind. As the sun set, one of them stood guarding the village entrance while the other stomped through the winding paths where the villagers' houses were. The man inside broadcast over a loudspeaker every so often.

“Animals!" he would say. “Remain in your houses! If I see anyone outside, they will be shot!"

Nora cringed in the bedroom of Walter's house as the 'Mech thundered past. The ferret's cabin had been her closest option when the 'Mech started its patrol, and the bedroom was at the back of the cabin, as far away from the street as she could be.

Nora knew something had to be done. The only escape was blocked by the 'Mech at the front of the village. There was no exit at the village's opposite end due to the sheer cliffs that dropped off in every direction. They were trapped.

But what could they do? They had few weapons, none of which could even make a dent in one of the huge machines. Beside her, Walter clutched his revolver in his paw as he had done whenever the 'Mech lumbered past. Nora supposed it gave him some comfort, even though the gun was next to useless. Think, Nora, think! she commanded herself. The fox whispered with Walter as the night dragged on.

***

It took all of Casey's strength just to keep his head upright. He leaned forward with difficulty and spat a glob of blood on the floor before collapsing back into the chair. How many beatings had he endured? Pain radiated from his sides with each agonizing breath. Casey was pretty sure a couple of ribs were broken. Wei again tapped at the map. He didn't seem to be in the slightest hurry.

Casey was delaying as long as he could. Each piece of information he divulged would be of increasing value to his enemies. He knew that Devraux would not hesitate to have him killed once he stopped producing useful intel.

Wei looked like he was about to order another round, so Casey braced himself. Then Wei frowned and put a finger to his earpiece. He said something in Chinese that Casey couldn't understand and made an affirmative-sounding statement. The Capellan looked at Casey and cracked a smile.

“It seems you're in luck, Jenson," he said. “You get to take a little break! Don't worry; I'll be right back." Wei stood with a wink and exited the small room.

Casey heard the men behind him grunt and converse in low tones. They spoke in Chinese.

<“So, what do you think?"> one man said. <“I'm betting two more rounds.">

The other soldier laughed. <“You think he'll last two more? Look at him! He can barely keep his head up. I'm putting 10 on this next one.">

<“Deal,"> the first man said.

<“Don't you go easy on him this next time so you can drag this out! That's cheating!">

<“Me? Cheat?"> the first soldier replied. <“Wouldn't dream of such a thing!"> The meaning of his guttural laugh was clear enough to Casey.

Wei reentered the room and smoothed his fatigues. He clasped his hands in front of him and beamed.

“We're going to pause the 'official' interrogation for now and play a little game instead!" Goody, Casey thought. Wei swaggered over to the rolling cart and popped a few clasps. Opening the lid, he rubbed his hands together with glee. “I don't get to use this much, so I really ought to thank you, Jenson!"

Wei had barely finished speaking when he stepped behind Casey with a quick movement. Casey craned his neck, but he couldn't see the man. Wei's arms descended and stuck two adhesive patches on his chest. They ducked away and returned, eliciting a gasp from Casey as Wei none-too-gently pressed two more patches on his lower abdomen. Wire leads ran from the patches back to the box on top of the rolling cart. Casey heard Wei's voice behind him.

“These little babies are going to give me a wealth of information about you, Jenson. They'll monitor and record things like your heart rate, blood oxygen level, body temperature, and most exciting of all" —Casey felt a thin band encircle his temples— “your body's response to different stressors!"

Sweat trickled down Casey's back. Wei was back at the box, which he had now repositioned closer to Casey's front. The soft glow of the backlit screen reflected off Wei's eyes. Keys clacking, he concentrated on the device, occasionally glancing between the screen and Casey.

“Let's start with something simple," Wei said, hitting a button. Lightning shot through Casey's body. He went rigid as his muscles contracted painfully. The agony continued for several seconds before mercifully ending. Casey slumped forward, breathing heavily. He trembled involuntarily as tingles flickered across his larger muscle groups. Wei made a show of hovering his finger over the button and Casey immediately felt his heart rate jump.

“Interesting," Wei said, lowering his hand and jotting down a note. Wei unhooked the leads from Casey's body but left the band at his temple and the adhesive patches. Each of the small white circles contained a blinking blue light.

“These leads are for the shock treatment," he explained with childlike excitement. “But I can still monitor your vitals wirelessly."

Wei gave a sharp command in Chinese and Casey's head was yanked back exposing his chest. Wei leaned close. Casey was mesmerized by the scalpel gripped in Wei's slowly advancing hand. He shuddered at the cold sting as Wei gently ran the keen edge just under Casey's right nipple. A thin line of blood welled from the small incision. Wei consulted the screen and made another note. A sheen of sweat covered Casey's body as the implications of the dreadful game became apparent.

Wei barked another command and Casey's heart pounded as his face was encircled by rough hands. Try as he might, he was unable to move his head in the soldiers' unyielding grip. Wei again leaned in with the scalpel and Casey's heart rate doubled as his right eyelids were forced apart. Wei inched the scalpel ever-closer, a look of intense concentration dominating his face. Casey was on the verge of hyperventilation when Wei stopped the scalpel millimeters away from his eyeball. Wei finally lowered the knife and gave a low chuckle as the soldiers released their hold on Casey. Goosebumps broke out across his skin. He quaked in the chair. The sound of a scratching pen was audible as Wei scribbled yet another note.

Wei grabbed an instrument from a drawer in the cart and held it up so Casey could see. To his horror, Wei brandished a pair of large surgical scissors. He slowly lowered them. Casey gasped as the scissors banged against the front of his chair with a metallic clang. You sick bastard! He isn't even asking me any questions!

Wei tapped the scissors a few times. “You know, Jenson, it would be so easy to make a few snips down here." Casey's legs trembled. “But do you know why I won't?" The scissors receded from Casey's crotch. “While I do intend to have my fun, doing that would produce too much bleeding. You'd expire before we learned what we wanted to know." Casey took little comfort at that.

Wei issued another command. He and the hulking brutes left the room, leaving Casey to his thoughts. He knew how ruthless the Capellans could be since he had fought them various times over the years. But this… this was almost beyond comparison. This was torture for its own sake. Casey fought his rising panic. Thrashing against the restraints, he sagged back when the bindings remained painfully tight.

He was trapped by a sadistic monster who seemed to feed on his pain. He took pleasure in it! Casey could only imagine what the gray fox had gone through under Wei's ministrations. The bastard had sought out the invaders of his planet voluntarily and led them right to his village. All to find Casey. He shook his head. It didn't make any sense.

With a screech, the door again admitted the two strongmen. Grunting, they were carrying a large basin between them. They shuffled into the room and Wei dragged the table away from Casey. The men lowered the basin to the floor with a thump; Casey heard water sloshing. His eyes stared aghast as the soldiers approached him on either side and began working on his bonds. They freed his legs first, and then his arms. Pinning Casey's arms behind his back, they half dragged, half frog-marched him out of the chair and shoved him to his knees in front of the large container. Wei's boots clomped to the cart. Casey's head was locked in the soldiers' grasp. Slowly, they bent him over and forced his face down until it was inches away from the water. Anything but this!

“Go ahead, men," Wei said.

Surreptitiously, Casey drew in a large breath. The soldiers leaned on Casey's neck until his nose brushed the surface. He felt them tense as they prepared to plunge his head under.

“Oh, wait a moment," Wei said. A shock ran through Casey at his next words. “He's holding his breath."

Casey contracted his aching abs, but they spasmed with fatigue. A blow hammered into his gut, forcing all the air out of his lungs. The instant he gasped for breath, Casey's head was plunged under the water. Outright panic took hold of him. He jerked and thrashed, lungs burning, but he was caught in an iron grip. Casey's head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice.

Just when he thought he was about to drown, he was yanked upright and released. He collapsed to the floor, coughing and spluttering. With a violent heave, Casey expelled a jet of water from his mouth and nose. His heart rate had not begun to normalize when he was manhandled and again forced over the basin.

The men held Casey there. “Alright, Jenson," Wei said. “I'm giving you another chance. What are the coordinates of your DropShip?"

Gasping, he relented and rattled them off. Wei chuckled. It was beginning to grate on him.

“Please, spare me, Jenson. You and I both know that's the old location where you first landed. I want to know where Roget moved it to in the storm."

Grimly, Casey set his jaw. Muscles shaking, he resumed his struggle, but it was futile. The brutes leaned on him, and with inhuman ease, they again forced his head under.

***

Nora crouched in shadow next to Walter between two buildings on the main street. Her gaze was focused on the 'Mech posted by the entrance. A rough plan had formed in her mind as she and Walter hid in his cabin.

“You sure about this," the ferret hissed. Nora nodded in determination.

Nora had recalled a humorous story Casey recounted about a lance of Steiner 'Mechs. He explained that the Lyran Commonwealth was notorious for the heavy tonnage and bumbling ineptitude of its 'Mech lances. Rumor told that one Steiner MechWarrior had the unfortunate experience of encountering stinging insects inside his cockpit on a deployment. The incident caused their entire mission to be scrapped. No one knew if it was a prank, enemy action, or even if it was true, but it emphasized an important point: even the most impenetrable 'Mech had a vulnerable man inside the machine.

Man inside the machine, Nora repeated to herself. That was her chance, however slim. The patrolling 'Mech was currently lumbering through streets at the outskirts of the village, but it was only a matter of time before he would come this way again. From her experience in sims, Nora knew her and Walter's body heat would show up like a beacon to the 'Mech's thermal sensors in the autumn night.

Nora stared at the stationary 'Mech. C'mon! she willed. You're tired, or have a cramp. It's stuffy in the cockpit! Something! Nora needed the man to leave the 'Mech for one simple reason: she was going to risk a mad dash out of the gate. She had agonized over her promise to Casey, but the memory of his appearance in the bandits' tent impelled her onward.

Walter reminded Nora that there was usually a horse hitched near the gate for the guards to ride. She couldn't see it from where she hid, but she prayed it was there. Huddled in the darkness, the fox gritted her teeth at the odor of burned flesh wafting from the village entrance. Walter cringed beside her as the thumping of the patrolling 'Mech gradually grew louder. She was running out of time.

Ensconced inside the Stinger at the village's gate, Andrey Mikkels was the most junior MechWarrior in the Capellan force. During Light Lance's sprint to the mountain, the sergeant had drawn the ire of Nash, his patrolling lancemate. It wasn't that big of a deal! Mikkels sulked. He had dared to scratch his nose, which caused his 'Mech's speed to slacken a little. Since Mikkels' 'Mech was in the middle of the pack, Nash almost crashed into his Stinger when Mikkels unexpectedly slowed_._ Mikkels had been chewed out by both Nash and Wei for several miles afterward.

Here he was, forced to stand at the village entrance for hours while Nash at least got to patrol. It didn't take long for Mikkels to become bored in the confines of his cockpit. He had not spotted a single anthro since they initially scattered. But in the past twenty minutes, Mikkels' boredom had been replaced with something else — he was indeed fighting the urge to step outside. Light Lance had only stopped once for a brief respite at the halfway point of their eastward journey. That meant Mikkels hadn't been able to relieve himself for many hours.

This normally wouldn't have been a problem because MechWarriors were rarely deployed for more than a few hours, and in the inherent heat of the cockpit, dehydration was the main concern. But if a 'Mech company was forced to leg it for an extended period of time, the foldout commode inside most 'Mech cockpits was intended to resolve that issue. But the Stinger cockpit had no room for a commode! It barely had room for a MechWarrior.

Mikkels finally couldn't take it anymore. Not wanting to further anger Nash by informing him, the sergeant made up his mind. He would only be outside for a few minutes. Nash would never know. Mikkels popped the hatch and grabbed a trowel. Before wriggling out, Mikkels switched on his 'Mech's searchlight. If any of the animals tried to sneak by, he was sure he'd see them.

Clambering down the ladder, Mikkels got to work with the trowel. He cursed. The ground here was hard and unyielding, probably compacted from the 'Mechs' footsteps. Mikkels stepped away from his Stinger in search of softer dirt.

The searchlight's sudden brilliance blinded Nora. She held up a paw against the glare and squinted. Her heart raced as she thought she saw movement at the 'Mech's head. Yes! It was now or never.

With the ever-loudening thumps of the patrolling 'Mech as a backdrop, Nora left her concealed position and slunk to the opposite side of the street. The lanterns had not been lit since the Capellan 'Mechs had arrived well before sundown, so Nora's main obstacle was the wide circle of light that stretched across most of the street.

Nora stopped a few feet outside the beam. Where was the MechWarrior? Nora had glimpsed him poke out of the hatch, but she lost sight of him because of the searchlight's brightness. Her ears strained.

She picked out a rhythmic scraping sound. What could that be? Nora listened as it continued for a minute or two. The pounding of her heart was just as loud as the approaching 'Mech's footfalls. If it rounded the main street corner, it would spot Nora immediately.

A violent sound assaulted the fox's ears. Nora's eyes shot to its source and her face grew hot as she finally saw the MechWarrior crouched in a low squat. She almost gagged at the foul stench that reached her even at this distance. Holding her breath, Nora flattened against the building's wall and tiptoed forward. She cleared the circle of light by mere feet, but she made it past without incident.

As fast as she dared, Nora hurried to the hitching post. Please be there, please be there! She almost wept with joy as she spotted an equine form. The horse lifted its head in mild alarm.

“Shhhh!" Nora hushed, patting its neck. Shrugging, the horse lowered its head and thankfully didn't make a sound. Nora unhitched the horse and swung into the saddle. Now, Walter! she yelled internally.

The harebrained scheme called for Walter to creep to a position where he could see Nora on horseback. Once she was ready, he was supposed to create a diversion. The ferret squinted through the harsh glare of the searchlight. Was that Nora he was seeing? Or just a floating speck? Walter shook as he debated. Finally, he decided to go for it.

Jumping out into the middle of the street, Walter waved his arms above his head and shouted.

“Hey! Ugly! Over here!"

Mikkels about had a heart attack. He yanked his pants back up and bolted toward his 'Mech. Taking the rungs two at a time, he reached the top of the ladder and stuffed himself back into the cockpit. There! His thermal sensors showed an anthro in the middle of the street!

Yanking the control stick, Mikkels swept his searchlight into the village as the Stinger thrummed and whined. The anthro darted behind a building, out of Mikkel's view. The Stinger lurched forward in pursuit. Reaching the buildings where the anthro had fled, Mikkels pivoted to view the alleyway. But the anthro had disappeared!

As soon as she heard the racket, Nora seized the opportunity and walked the horse toward the entrance. As much as she wanted to gallop, the excruciatingly slow gait was her best chance of remaining undetected. Nora drew level with the smashed palisade. Carefully picking her way through the rubble, she shivered. She was sure the 'Mech's crosshairs were trained on her back.

Nora forced herself to maintain the walk past the guard shack and then kicked the horse into a trot. She leaned close to the mare's neck as they rounded the first switchback. She had to reach Baker Company directly, or by proxy via the militia! It was Casey's only hope. Nora kicked again and clung to the horse as it cantered around another switchback.

***

Amid thumping dance music, Captain Royce leaned against a computer terminal on the bridge of the Capellan DropShip. He and the rest of the bridge crew focused all their attention on the swaying form weaving her way around the small area. The girl was the company's lone female MechWarrior: Parks. She was a skilled MechWarrior who had fought twice as hard as anyone else to achieve her posting. In the Capellan Confederacy's male-dominated hierarchy, this was no small feat. Devraux had been so impressed with her talents that he had requested her by name when he had an opening.

Because of this, Parks carried herself with a great deal of confidence. Some would even call it a swollen ego. Her conceit reached new heights once she had drawn first blood by shooting down Baker Company's Locust. She had done it; not one of the men!

To make matters worse, Parks was also a tremendous tease. Since she was practically the only woman in the company, Parks took every opportunity to flirt mercilessly with various men, never committing to anything, and always leaving them flustered and frustrated. The only ones she didn't dare subject to this treatment were Devraux and Wei. She had too much respect for the Sang-shao to ever attempt anything of the sort; Wei simply made her skin crawl.

Parks had been assigned to go with the DropShip because Devraux wanted an extra MechWarrior to rotate through Light Lance so that the exhausted MechWarriors could recover after their sprint to the mountain. Everyone, including Parks, had grown bored after the initial excitement of moving the ship had faded. Devraux assigned a relaxed schedule of patrols, but these were handled by the few ground troops who had accompanied the ship. It left Parks with little to do.

She was due to relieve Nash in a few hours, so in the intervening time, she “wandered" to the bridge. Parks was dressed in fatigues, but she teased the man posted at the bridge entrance by seductively unzipping her uniform jacket to reveal her favorite tank top. It showed off her modest cleavage well enough and hugged her toned waist. Once the company had been deployed long enough, it never failed to elicit a reaction. The tank top didn't fail in this instance either. Parks technically wasn't supposed to enter the bridge, except by invitation, but the man did nothing but gape as she calmly sashayed onto the bridge.

Captain Royce knew her game. Everyone did. Since the night was shaping up to be long and boring, with nothing but empty forest to monitor, Royce didn't kick her out. There wasn't any real danger, Royce reasoned, and it was good for morale. The captain persuaded himself that the fact that Parks was wearing practically nonexistent short-shorts under her pants hadn't factored into his decision. Someone had produced a speaker from somewhere, and Parks enthusiastically launched into a titillating dance.

Though the bridge had only one entrance, Royce wasn't stupid. He knew if Devraux caught her here like this, Royce would be relieved of command so fast it would make his head spin. As a precaution, he had posted a sentry to watch for the Sang-shao. The boy that drew the short straw was forced to stand with his back to the entertainment as the music tantalized his ears. Royce grinned and resisted the urge to adjust himself.

The boy signaled. Men hissed as they saw it and alerted Parks. She scrambled to retrieve her fatigues from the floor and dove behind a cubicle. Shit! Royce thought as Devraux strode through the door. The music is still playing!

Devraux sauntered into the room and cocked his head at Royce. The commander grinned at the captain, but it never reached his eyes. Royce glowered at the smug Sang-shao. How dare he walk onto my bridge like he owns the place!

Devraux bobbed his head to the beat as he approached. Looking the captain up and down, he raised an eyebrow.

“Interesting choice of music for a bridge watch," he deadpanned. Every crew member was suddenly very interested in his own screen.

Royce coughed. “It… helps keep everyone awake," he said.

“Mmmm." Devraux nodded. He patted the captain's shoulder. It was all Royce could do not to flinch as the commander raised his voice. “Well, keep up the good work then!"

Devraux turned and bobbed his head in sync with the music as he strode out of the room. The bridge crew breathed a collective sigh of relief. Parks popped her head up from her hiding place.

“I think I'll be going now," she said, stepping one leg through her pants.

“Yes; do that," Royce agreed. “And will somebody turn off that damned music!" Sighing, he turned and stared up at the large viewscreen. There's nothing but empty forest out here! Royce grumbled to himself.

While the captain was indeed correct, that was only because he had been distracted from the monitors. If anyone had been paying attention, they would have spotted a lone figure streaking through the night on horseback.