"Hammerhand does appear to be the reasonable sort," Mini pointed out. "He might hide behind a façade of noble and honorable justice, but he will see the tactical advantages of what we did in Auburn as well as the moral implications of lifting the people out of subjugation by Athena."
"I hope so." She shook her head gloomily.
After this news, the slow trip to Auburn seemed almost interminable. It was well beyond mid-afternoon before the heavier cover of trees forced them to slow even further. Jessica13 noticed the tracks that had been left by the Beast on its approach and realized she no longer looked forward to seeing the Knights again.
It wasn't so much seeing the Knights as the forthcoming conversation, however, that was the problem. Windchime’s silence seemed to echo her own reluctance, but she also realized the discussion was impossible to avoid.
They entered Auburn and easily located the Excalibur Hammerhand piloted. He appeared to be deep in conversation with a group of Auburn folks as well as Tinker.
The conversation stopped abruptly and everyone watched the two teammates pull Athena's supply train to a halt in front of the bunker.
"I can't imagine why you would think that it was a good idea to come on a surveillance mission and decide to take over a whole town," their leader said as they moved toward the group. It was directed at Tinker but they could tell it was for them to hear as well.
"Well, technically, we didn't take the town over so much as liberate it, laddie," the man said.
"And we brought back the supplies Athena stole from them besides," Jessica13 pointed out. "She called it a tax, but I thought it was extortion since they turned those supplies over in exchange for the water she used to keep them compliant."
"You found our supplies?" one of the town elders asked. She recalled that he had been the one who had asked her to fix their water purifiers but couldn't remember his name for the life of her. "You brought them back?"
"They're all in the supply train over there," Windchime said and pointed to the vehicle that a handful of folks had already begun to peruse. Their supplies were found inside and like those that had been taken from Athena’s agents, they were quickly handed out in what appeared to be a fair manner.
"Bless you," one said.
"Bless the Knights Mechanica," said another.
They had originally looked like they weren't sure if the Knights were there to take over the role Athena had been ousted from. Now, however, they were far more accepting of them given that all their food and supplies had been returned.
"We saw an opening and we took it, boss," Windchime explained to Hammerhand. "It was a tactical decision. Besides, it worked, didn't it?"
The Knights leader looked at the people who unloaded their supplies from the convoy, their expressions all of relief and gratitude.
"It was risky, Tinker," he said but his deep and his commanding voice gave way to one that sounded more pensive as he moved to the private comm channel.
"Will you tell me it wasn't the right choice?" Tinker asked.
Hammerhand paused before he shook his head. "No, it was the right choice. There was a risk involved, but our life is one of risks. You should still have consulted me, however."
The other man nodded. "There were risks involved with that too."
A group of residents moved over to them and brought the conversation to a pause.
"We don't know how to repay you," one of the men said to Hammerhand. "You or your Knights, but we would like to try."
"Your payment is appreciated," the Knight said and his voice resumed the booming supremacy that Jessica13 had come to expect from the man. "Our resources need replenishing as well, but we will not take what you cannot spare. I would ask that you agree among yourselves what you can give."
It wouldn’t be a quick decision, Jessica13 realized suddenly. Those who had returned from the fields were given the responsibility to decide, and it appeared that they tried to elect an admin to make the decision instead of simply agreeing on what to give to the Knights.
"Tinker, we might be here for the night," Hammerhand said, once again in the private comms. "See if there's anything you can trade for from our parts and pieces from the Beast. Anything we might need and anything that might have to do with—"
"Citta del Mar, of course," Tinker said with a nod. "I know, I've done this before."
"Take Jessie with you," Windchime suggested. "The townsfolk know her mech and face a little better."
"Agreed." The other man indicated for her to follow him. "Now you can play the peddler without any kind of subterfuge."
"I don't know, I rather enjoyed infiltrating the town under false pretenses," she admitted. "It made me feel like I was on an adventure. Well, maybe it was less enjoyable when I was in the middle of it, personally, but in view of what came after and what we're looking at now… Well, I think I might want to try it again someday."
"Hopefully not anytime soon," Tinker said and laughed. "I don't know if you realized it, but Chime and I were a puddle of nerves for the whole day you spent inside the town on your own without either of us to cover for you if you got in trouble."
"It's good to know the two of you care, anyway," Jessica13 said as they strode to the Beast. "Oh, by the way, did I forget to tell you? I picked up a couple of new fuel pumps that should help your big baby over there move with a little…well, I'd say more speed, but the reality is less needing to stop for repairs. You really do need to find a way to get some of the nuclear cores to help power it. Even taking over