Nate gets the fires going in the gassifiers before chowing down a quick cold breakfast. Assuming Arkady will be driving the other truck, he waves him over.

"Just a heads up, I'd like to try and maintain about a hundred yards seperation between the trucks to give the dust they kick up a chance to settle. The knights are going to be in for a rough ride as it is, they don't need to be suffocated as well."

Felix relays the results to his compatriots concerning the radios. Slightly more detail than usual. While it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for something emitting radio interference to be on a truck, plane or satellite to move at such speeds, something like that on this world is indeed puzzling... Felix will have to look into this in more detail later.

In the morning after they've assembled, Felix double checks everything to make sure the trucks are in working order before assuming his position atop the turret. He gets on the radio and goes to see if there's anyone awake at this hour. He'll inform them of the situation and everything that's happened up until now if someone is on the horn. If not he'll try again later.

Arkady listens to Felix' report, then turns to either Sir Ulath or Vanire: "Can people use magic to fly or travel quickly across the ground?"

The next morning he'll nod to Nathan, and reply "If needed. Who will go first?"

"We should go first," Felix says as he pats the turret. "Preceptor Vanire in the passenger seat."

Felix nods to the Preceptor.

"If we happen to spot the impostor ruffians while on the road you can let me know it's them and I'll end the fight before it even begins."

"I have heard legends of such things," admits Vanire, "and I have seen Styric sorcerers do things I thought impossible. Perhaps it can be done, in rare circumstance. But I would not know how."



The Preceptor smiles. "I doubt we would know them from any other mob," he says. "They would not have their false armour yet."

--------------

The roads are poor, and the Knights more grateful for the straps than they'd expected to be. The journey goes swiftly; there are no signs of the ruffians to be seen and, after a brief overnight stop with some very surprised monks, the group eventually finds themselves facing a moat and a closed drawbridge. Preceptor Vanire steps out of the car, takes a moment to steady his shaking legs, and then calls out "Ahoy the castle!"

"Ahoy!" calls out a guard from the battlements. "Who goes there?"

Vanire removes his helmet. "I am Vanire, preceptor of the Pandion Knights, and I bring grave news!"

After a few moments' delay, the guard on the battlements calls out "Castle Radun is always open to the Soldiers of God!"

And with that, the drawbridge begins to lower.

Arkady, helping the knights debark from the rather less comfortable cart, comments to Piper in Elene: "As you can see, the men Primate Raven has sent to pretend to be knights would have been allowed in. Sometimes it is important to be remembering that a priest is chosen by men, not God; men are supposed to make mistakes."

Felix hops out of his position on the turret, grateful for the opportunity to stretch his legs. He waves at the guards as he approaches and checks to make sure the drawbridge is sturdy enough to accommodate the weight of the vehicles.

Piper nods solemnly, then giggles at some private joke.

The drawbridge looks more than sturdy enough to support the vehicles, especially as the Knights are all taking the opportunity, now that they're here, of getting themselves out of the carts as quickly as they can without looking like they're in a hurry.

A tall man with hair just starting to grey is waiting on the other side of the drawbridge. "Vanire!" he calls out. "It's been too long, cousin. What brings you out here?"

"Bad news, Radun," says Vanire, grasping the Count's forearm. "These gentlemen -" he nods back at the Terrans - "overheard a conversation that rather strongly concerns you. We should discuss the matter in private."

"My study," says the Count. He waves the Terrans over, and leads everyone to a nicely built room with wood-panelled walls.

Once he's sent out the servants, he turns towards the Terrans (still accompanied by Piper and Sir Ulath).

"Now, what is this grave news you bring?"

Nate pulls a digital recorder out of a jacket pocket, thumbs it on, and hits the play button.

"I think it best if you hear for yourself."

Arkady quietly considers just how they might go about proving their claim if this Radun fellow is inclined to be difficult about it.

"You know the castle of Count Radu(garbled)"

"(garbled)at do they look like?

"On the road between Darra and Sarrinium?"

"That's the place. I want you to meet with Krager, and have him pass a message on to Martel. He's to gather up all the men he needs, dress them in black armour have them *krrrssssshhhhh* banners of the Pandion Knights. They're to travel to Count Radun's castle. He's pious enough that he'll let them in without question. Once he's in, he and his men are to kill the menfolk His wife and unmarried daughters are to (garbled)"

"(garbled) almost as pale as a Styric(garbled)"

"(garbled) killed once they're done. Everyone is to be killed except the churchmen; make sure they witness it all, then let them go."

Count Radun has, by this point, visibly paled.

"And what's this?"

"Dunno. It was in thei(garbled)"

"(garbled) word of the atrocity to King Dregos?"

"It looks a bit like a crossbow stock. Without the crossbow."

"Yes, but I'll also want a fast messenger to let me know when it's happened. We can use this incident to have the Pandions (garbled)"

"(garbled) sort of weapon?"

"Dunno. Could be."

"(garbled) carry the message? He wouldn't expect to live afterward."

"Tell him to have the messenger drop Count Radun's signet ring in the collec(garbled)"

"(garbled)solutely no knowledge abou(garbled)"

"I'll know what it means as soon as I see it."

When it becomes clear that the recording is at an end, the Count clears his throat. "How long until they get here?"

"Almost three weeks, cousin," replies Vanire. "We got here - from Cimmura - in only two days."

"Two days!" exclaims the Count. "That's impossible!"

"Apparently not," says Vanire, "though it is uncomfortable to see the landscape rushing by at such a speed, and we were unable to bring our horses. I have a detachment of genuine Pandions travelling at a... less unusual speed, who I expect to arrive shortly before the fakes."

"...I see," says the Count. "And this is serious enough that we should pay attention to it, even if it later turns out to be false, or some sort of unlikely misunderstanding. Very well, gentlemen. You've all known of this attack longer than I have. Do you have a plan to deal with it?"

Arkady comments: "We have a plan to get rid of them, but that would leave less evidence for you to use later. We also have a few ideas that would let you take some number of them captive, possibly all if we are lucky; stun them so the real knights can rush in and disarm them." He shrugs, looks at Vanire, and adds: "We've given a lot of thought to waging war back home. Some of those thoughts bore fruit."

"We'll work together to hash out a plan for combating the enemy forces. Arkady, Nathan and I bring a wide range of skills, tools and weapons to the field that will be invaluable in fighting the hooligans that are making their way here," Felix replies. "Between yourself, Preceptor Vanire and his men, and ourselves, we can come up with an effective battlefield strategy that will assure our victory."

"Just tell us what you want." Arkady adds.

"Well," says Preceptor Vanire, "we have, thanks to you, the luxury of almost three weeks to plan. Ideally, we want to capture the leaders of the enemy force alive for interrogation, or, if that is impossible, to kill them; to kill the imposter Knights; and, above all else, to keep the Count and his family safe. We have a few Knights here - without horses, but we can obtain those before the attack - we have a castle surrounded by woodland, and presumably anything you bought with you. We have a full battalion of genuine Knights en route, expected but not guaranteed to arrive before the fakes."

"I have horses in my stables," says the Count, "if you -"

"Trained warhorses?" asks Vanire.

"...no." admits the Count. "Not to Pandion standards."

"Then we would have to make do," says Vanire. "We have close on three weeks, after all."

Vanire smiles slightly. "I already know how I would handle the battle, but I admit to being curious about how you Terrans fight. Since we have the time - how would you handle the situation?"