08-04-2018, 01:23 AM
A pair of Kerlian soldiers opened the door to the barn, dragging the Lauchenoirian teenager Daniel Serrano with them. They shoved him through, and he stumbled inside. The Laeralian and Resistance POWs inside caught him, and lowered him gently to the straw-covered ground.
"I didn't tell them anything," Daniel said, smiling despite the bruises on his face and arms. "Nothing at all."
"Good man," the de facto leader of the prisoners, Lieutenant Maxime 'Max' Bao, said. The others, including Matéo Labat, of the Laeralian Bureau of External Action, said.
"You," one of the Kerlians said, reading off a clipboard in her hand. She pointed to Matéo.
"Me?" Matéo said innocently.
"Yes, you." The Kerlian guard said. "Now be quick about it!" She patted the pistol on her hip. Matéo rose and walked towards her. Remember your cover, he thought. The guards led him out of the barn, locking the door behind them, and into the sunlight outside. He blinked. They marched him to what looked as if it had been a farmhouse. There were military tents in orderly rows outside, as well as parked military vehicles. Ranks of Kerlian soldiers marched around the dirt paths. The Kerlians led him into the farmhouse, which looked as if it had been taken over by the Kerlian officers. They marched him downstairs to what must have been a basement, and Matéo tried to avoid remembering that Kerlile had not, in fact, signed the World Assembly's Prisoners of War Accord.
Downstairs, there was a single table, two chairs, and a small electrical lamp. Sitting on the other side of the table was a woman in Kerlian military uniform, but curiously devoid of any insignia. "What is your name and hometown?" she asked.
"Anthony Powell, from Buttercity," he replied. It was one of his backup false identities, that of a Lauchenoirian day laborer.
"Really?' she replied. "Than I'm Charissa Clarke. Hit him." The soldier holding Matéo's left arm slapped him hard across the face, leaving it stinging.
"My name is Anthony Powell!" Matéo replied frantically. "I'm a Lauchenoirian citizen!"
"That's interesting," she said. "Because Anthony Powell likely never existed, and you are most definitely not who you say you are." She looked towards a large tub of water sitting on the floor. Matéo's heart sank.
"I didn't tell them anything," Daniel said, smiling despite the bruises on his face and arms. "Nothing at all."
"Good man," the de facto leader of the prisoners, Lieutenant Maxime 'Max' Bao, said. The others, including Matéo Labat, of the Laeralian Bureau of External Action, said.
"You," one of the Kerlians said, reading off a clipboard in her hand. She pointed to Matéo.
"Me?" Matéo said innocently.
"Yes, you." The Kerlian guard said. "Now be quick about it!" She patted the pistol on her hip. Matéo rose and walked towards her. Remember your cover, he thought. The guards led him out of the barn, locking the door behind them, and into the sunlight outside. He blinked. They marched him to what looked as if it had been a farmhouse. There were military tents in orderly rows outside, as well as parked military vehicles. Ranks of Kerlian soldiers marched around the dirt paths. The Kerlians led him into the farmhouse, which looked as if it had been taken over by the Kerlian officers. They marched him downstairs to what must have been a basement, and Matéo tried to avoid remembering that Kerlile had not, in fact, signed the World Assembly's Prisoners of War Accord.
Downstairs, there was a single table, two chairs, and a small electrical lamp. Sitting on the other side of the table was a woman in Kerlian military uniform, but curiously devoid of any insignia. "What is your name and hometown?" she asked.
"Anthony Powell, from Buttercity," he replied. It was one of his backup false identities, that of a Lauchenoirian day laborer.
"Really?' she replied. "Than I'm Charissa Clarke. Hit him." The soldier holding Matéo's left arm slapped him hard across the face, leaving it stinging.
"My name is Anthony Powell!" Matéo replied frantically. "I'm a Lauchenoirian citizen!"
"That's interesting," she said. "Because Anthony Powell likely never existed, and you are most definitely not who you say you are." She looked towards a large tub of water sitting on the floor. Matéo's heart sank.