(2024-06-26) Hired Swords and Shadows

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	Elohad and Jocoza meet with Siamus Fallon, who has a job for Cobalt Company.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Season 14

Several days after the Aspenwood wedding, Vice Admiral Siamus Fallon presents himself at the Ironforge headquarters of Cobalt Company, by prearrangement with his House of Nobles colleague Lord Elohad Ference.

The knock at the door is punctual to the minute, and then there is the tread of boots on the floor above. "Ference?" calls Siamus as he starts down the stairs. He's in naval uniform today, his hat beneath his arm.

Ference is sitting in his usual chair, second from the end, counterclockwise. His clothes are neat and flattering, which means his wife dressed him today. He is reading over some reports, but sets them aside and stands with a smile when Siamus approaches.

"Fallon," he says, holding out his hand.

Siamus answers with a smile of his own, and clasps Elohad's hand firmly for the handshake. "I'm obliged to ye for meeting me. I realize Cobalt must be busy these days. And that you're a man with a great deal already on his plate." He makes a wry face.

They are both on the House of Nobles; they both know how that's been, lately.

Elo echoes the wryface for a moment, but then melts back into his warm, crinkly-eyed smile. "Have a seat," he says. "We have things to discuss, hm?" He lowers himself back into his chair, though he does not give further attention to the paperwork.

It's at that moment that a gnomish mage appears at the doorway, and then blinks to the top of the stairs.

"I didn't keep you waiting, did I?" Captain Jocoza Sparkwire asks as she walks down the stairs in a more conventional manner. "So much to organize these days, but this meeting is important."

Siamus turns, smiling again. "Captain Sparkwire! A pleasure to see ye."

He waits before approaching the seats for The Lady to settle herself.

Elo becomes warmer by several degrees at the sight of his old friend, and he was quite warm before. "Hey," is all he says, eyes almost disappearing in happy crinkles.

"Hi Elo," Jo beams up at him, and moves to take her seat. Then she nods at the other person in the room. "Vice Admiral Fallon."

"Two of my favorite people in one room," Elo says. "Shame about the circumstances."

Siamus grimaces. "Aye. Well, to better times soon. But meanwhile…." He crosses to the chair between Elohad's and Jo's and sits, resting his hat on his knees.

"Ye've both heard of the — well. Everything. I know I've bent Ference's ear often enough in recent days, but I'm sure you're aware as well, Captain Sparkwire, about the situation in the Baradin Bay, and wi' the navy."

Elohad frowns at the very mention of it, but lets Siamus do the talking. It is a testament to his profound respect for the man that he is letting anyone but himself do the talking.

Jo nods. "I've heard about it, yes. I hope you're here to bring good news?" She looks up at him hopefully, but there's something in her eyes that makes it clear she knows this is unlikely.

Elo gives Jo a look that clearly reads oh sweetie.

Siamus gives Jo the same look, though there is maybe a deeper degree of you're joking, right? in it. He does not know Jo as well as Elo does.

"No," he says. "I'm here to hire Cobalt Company. On behalf of the Stormwind Admiralty. I've official consent."

Elo sits up a little straighter. Business posture.

Jo also sits up a little straighter. She is maybe an inch taller. Her hopeful expression is now all business. "I… see. We don't have a lot of people with sailing experience, if that's what you're looking for. What would be the mission?"

"If I could hire marines from ye I would, to be sure. As it is, I haven't even got ships of my own to offer. But no, what I need is fighters, your people doing what they do best. We're struggling to turn the Horde back at Tol Barad, and the mercenaries the… man in charge has seen fit to hire till now aren't proving much obstacle for the orcs." Siamus rubs his brow.

When he drops his hand again, he says, "And as I say, I can't offer ye ships. Your people would be sailing with Alliance relief deployments on a mercenary ship. It's a three day journey, two if the weather's favorable and the crew's a good one. The work for your people would be when they land, the battle on the isle itself. Baradin's Watch have managed to hold a landing in the east open for our troops to come in."

Elo nods crisply. "We could send a squad. If they made the journey to Northrend, this will be an easy matter for them I'm sure. Just a matter of which squad. I'm a little hesitant to send Atley directly against the Horde right now, if I'm being honest. He's calmed some since the early days, but it seems a situation likely to bring out the worst in him, and while he's a bit isolated from HQ and… moderating influences. So Ben might be a safer bet. Thoughts, Jo?"

Jo considers, and then nods. "Ben would do well. He has a lot of experience in leadership by now, spanning two worlds and multiple continents. And he's pretty level-headed, I think. But for something like this, you might need more than just one team. I think Dane can handle it. He's been under worse stress before, and came through for us."

Elo frowns a little, but nods thoughtfully.

"I'll take whoever ye can spare me," Siamus says frankly. "Sir Atley and Lieutenant Hazan are both on my list." This is not figurative; a moment later he reaches into his pocket and takes out a folded paper. He has a list. "I'd also request that ye send Knockfathom. I'm sure the area around the isle has… shifted, in the wake of recent events, and I'd like her to make survey of the coastline and see whether we can deploy underwater mines anywhere in the defense." He looks up. "And ye have shadow priests, aye?"

"Oh, um, yes, a few," Jo says, ticking off on her fingers as she goes through a mental roster. "Honestly, most of our priests are the healing sort. But we have three who've used the shadow — one of them isn't available, she's already assigned to the Cobalt Blade, which is under contract elsewhere."

Elo smiles a little to himself at the mention of Vesyllah, his celebrity.

Siamus nods. "I'll request both of the other two, if I may. And Kyris Lysander if he's available — he mentioned to me some ongoing business wi' the Plaguelands, though. I'd ask for Bertrand Aspenwood as well, if he were available, but I know he's handling some critical business in Westfall at the moment." He inclines his head respectfully at Elohad, and then looks between the two. "Those are my particular names, but as I say, I'll take any ye can offer who are willing. They should be prepared for the possibility of digging in to withstand a siege, though tides willing, it won't come to that and we'll run them off cleanly."

He holds his list out to Jo. "This is, as I say, an Admiralty request, but I'm willing to pay a premium out of pocket on top of your fee if necessary, for the short notice and the critical nature of the job."

"Of course, Cobalt is happy to support the Alliance's efforts in this matter," Jo says, glancing over the list. "May I ask, why shadow priests in particular?"

"Chiefly for scouting purposes. I'm told they can… look through the eyes of others, and therefore serve more subtly than, say, a warlock. Though ye know I have the highest respect for a warlock's skills as well. But there are… places on the isle I'd not like to send people into without advance survey, and some of those places contain fel creatures of their own that might catch a warlock's eye at work." Siamus pauses. "I'm speaking, of course, of the citadel. I'm told that… something seems to be amiss within it, in addition to the chaos without."

He lets that potentially scary news sit for a beat, and then adds, "I worked with a shadow priest in Onslaught Harbor, as well, in Northrend. She wasn't one of your people, I don't believe, but she came with yours to the mission, and she was… efficient."

Elohad listens, taking careful notes in his Cobalt Company journal, which is separate from his House of Nobles journal, which is again separate from his personal journal. Elo has a lot of journals.

"Hm, yes, I have heard of that trick before," Jo nods. " I can see where it'd be useful. And I don't think we've any warlocks available at present, from our side. The main one in active duty's also on assignment at the moment, though I can ask her if she'd like to transfer. There's a few others on the roster, and I can send out word if you'd like them aboard. Who was it you worked with in Onslaught Harbor, if I can ask?"

Tides below, Jo wants him to remember someone's name. Okay. Siamus can do this. He can do this.

He tips his head back and squints at the ceiling. "She was a Miss… A Miss…."

Okay, let's try a different tack.

"Straight black hair, long. Fair skin. Strange smile. It was Miss Coit who brought her, I believe. She saved the life of one of my marines. The priestess did, that is, not Miss Coit."

"Strange smile?" Elo echoes. "That sounds vaguely ominous."

Jo ponders, murmuring strange smile, and black hair, and says, "Was her name Fey, maybe?"

"Wait wait wait," says Elo. "This would be the woman you hired unilaterally after a few too many glasses of wedding wine? You would also describe her as having a 'strange smile,' would you Jo?"

Elohad is basically that narrow-eyed Fry gif from Futurama right now.

"She has a nice smile," Jo says, her eyes widening with innocence. "Maybe a little more intense than most smiles, I'll admit…"

Siamus is looking between them with interest. Unclear whether he is waiting for details to confirm this is his Mystery Shadow Priestess or whether he's just real curious about Jo hiring people after too many glasses of wedding wine.

Elohad sighs. "Look, if Ben's there, I trust him to curb any potential… issues with strangely-smiling pale ladies. But in future, let's maybe make a rule about drinking and hiring, hm?" He lets out a short, dry laugh. "I will admit I have done my share of unilateral hiring in the past, but a) I was not drinking and b)… well." He just kind of gestures to himself like, I'm Elohad Ference.

Siamus eyes Elohad Ference appreciatively. He sure is.

Jo giggles. "Yes, yes, in the future I'll remember only to unilaterally hire people if I've had no drinks, and I'm not at a party, and… well, I think that covers it. Otherwise, I think you can trust me as a judge of character. "

Elohad… does not confirm or deny this.

"But look, Elo, it's already borne out… she saved someone's life!" Jo gestures at Siamus. He said so.

Siamus looks between them again. "If she's the lady I'm thinking of, then aye. She helped us defeat the Scarlet Onslaught, and then she saved the only man of my crew who fell to the demon. We — the fleet — were grateful. Worthy's a good man, a young man with a young family."

Elo nods, seeming to relax a little. "I can sometimes be a little wary of… certain types. But it sounds like she's earned a shot. And if it goes wrong, well, at least this time it's not me letting a spy into our midst." He sighs.

"Yes, so it's her, and Estel was the other I had in mind as a shadow priest," Jo nods. "Estel wields both light and shadow. Beyond that, we can contact those on the list to see if they're interested, and also ask for volunteers. After all that's happened…. everywhere… I'm sure there will be many good people eager to bring the fight to the Horde."

Siamus nods grimly and settles back. "I trust so, aye. The few of yours I had words with at the wedding seemed… keen on the matter." He gestures at Elohad. "And Ference and I are of a mind, I know."

Elo favors Siamus with a warm, dadly smile.

Jo smiles, too. She likes smiling. Then she asks, "How long of a mission will it be? Many of our people have families who would prefer to know a rough timescale, at least."

Siamus winces. "If I could give ye precise numbers, I would. I doubt we'll run the orcs off in a fortnight, at the rate they've managed to unload their own reinforcements. It could be a month. If they make it to the citadel and we're required to dig in to withstand a siege… longer. If whatever… trouble is going on wi' the citadel sets a second enemy at our backs…" He shakes his head. "Tell them — what's your standard contract term? Three months, isn’t it?" He looks between Jo and Elohad.

"You think they'll be able to set up stable portals and whatnot?" Elo leans forward, elbows on his knees. He may have some experience with sending Ben to places without portals.

Siamus nods. "That's the hope. There are mages among Baradin's Watch — they already managed to get a courier through to us here. If the reinforcements we send can take some pressure off the Watch, their mages will be freer to establish secure lines. Is the hope." Lotta hopin' goin' on.

Elohad seems to relax a little at the prospect of hoping for portals. He nods. "Seems like a safer bet than Outland anyway, or Northrend with Malygos on the rampage."

"Ye can tell them three months at the outside," Siamus says, looking from Elohad to Jo. "It may be less than that, tides willing, and I'll see them paid for the full term nonetheless. If it runs as long as three months — well, by then I should have new ships on the water, and hopefully new marines. I mean to find and train what I can from among the Gilneans, and speak wi' some contacts among the draenei. Your people are good enough if not to help us win the thing outright, then to buy us the time that matters, and I won't see them stranded out there. Is that fair?"

"Sounds fair." Elohad gives a crisp nod.

Jo nods. "I agree. I think these are terms we can bring to our people. We'll get you a full roster soon, of those who will be assigned to the mission."

Siamus nods gratefully, first to Jo and then to Elohad. "I knew I could count on Cobalts. I'm obliged to ye both. The Admiralty and the Alliance are obliged, I promise ye." He reaches over to shake Elohad's hand.

Elohad grips Siamus's hand firmly between his own and nods again. "And we're grateful to you as well for your service."

Siamus inclines his head respectfully to Elohad, and then turns and offers a handshake to Jo. "Captain Sparkwire. Thank ye for your time and consideration."

Jo reaches out and gives him a firm handshake. "I'm certain you'll be happy to have chosen us."