Chapter 378 Public Transportation (1)
As a result of all the commotion, the schedule had to be delayed and subsequently changed. Since Morrill had been the point of contact between the Mercenary Association and Eula's security forces, it was safe to assume that their intricate phase-one plans have been shared with other terrorists.
However, coming up with a new and safer plan in such a short time limit wasn't an easy thing to do. Especially since it took them more than a month to come up with the previous plan. The two designated strategists of the team were having a hard time coming up with any plans now.
"Why are you so dead set on using a private spaceship?" Ashton immediately pointed at the obvious source of problems.
"Look, I know you are strong and all, but let us do our job." Qamnol waved his hands gesturing for Ashton to leave them alone.
"Yeah, go punch a hole in someone's body or something, let the brainy people do their job." Kargon, the second half of the strategist duo chimed in.
Although they did not look like it, they were twins that belonged to the Altos race. Although the Altos lacked in the physical department and mainly looked like a weird hybrid between humans and fish, they were highly intelligent beings.
The three horns on top of their heads could be used for telepathic communication as well as other psychic abilities. However, they couldn't use their psychic abilities without causing insurmountable strain to their minds, that's why they rarely ever were seen working on the front lines. To summarise it all, the Altos were created to play a supportive role and nothing more.
[Haha, I never thought creatures having half of your intelligence would mock you.]
'Weird times... I guess. I can only hope they'll learn from their failures.'
Ashton shrugged and turned around to leave when Vimur walked up to Qamnol and Kargon and slapped them on their head. They immediately grabbed their heads and turned to face Vimur while giving him a mixed expression of pain and confusion.
"I guess it was true," Qamnol mumbled, "Apes strong together."
"Oi, walking mountain! Why did you slap us?" Kargon got up as if he was willing to exchange blows, but a moment later he remembered the size difference between the two and quite sat down, "May I know my error for which you ascertained your animalistic tendencies at our expense, oh great fat piece of poop?"
For a moment Vimur was confused about whether Kargon was showing him respect or not. Since high intelligence wasn't a gift given to everybody it took him some time to process what Kargon had said.
"Save your dying brain cells, he just called you a piece of shit." Ashton offered a helping hand to his fellow teammate.
"Is that so..." Vimur coldly mumbled while cracking his knuckles, "First, you disrespect Reaper and now me? Looks like I have been going easy on you bastards... time to correct that mistake."
"So you just slapped us because we disrespected him?" Qamnol asked in his squeaky voice, "Dude, you haven't even known him for a week and you're taking his side?"
"I might not be intelligent as you guys, but I know one thing, without Reaper this mission would have been a bust since the beginning." Vimur remarked, "Also, I don't remember either of you suspect that there could be terrorists hiding within lady Eula's security forces. Only Reaper did, so why don't you idiots listen to him once?"
The mermen stared at each other and nodded. It was true Reaper had already helped them a lot and listening to his opinion wouldn't harm them. If they like it, then well and good, and if they didn't like his suggestion, they could keep brainstorming as usual.
"Thank you." Ashton patted Vimur on the back before taking a seat among the mermen, "So, tell me one thing, why are you so dead set on having Eula on a private ship?"
"Isn't it obvious? A ship that's entirely under our control would be better in defending against intruders." Kargon pointed out, "You don't expect us to not fight when someone invades the ship, do you?"
"That's the part where you are wrong." Ashton shook his head, "Why are you assuming that we'll be invaded in the first place? Instead, you should be planning how to evade such a possibility entirely."
The mermen looked at each other. They were clearly confused, not knowing where Ashton was going with his questions. As for Vimur, the discussion was boring for him so he resorted to flexing his muscles instead.
"What if, we don't get invaded at all?" Ashton smiled, "I know a way to make it happen. But it'll only be possible if we use public transportation instead."
"What?"
"Hear me out. If you were terrorists hunting down a popular actress in space, where will you look for her, in a private spaceship or in a spaceship that's used by commoners?" Ashton asked the mermen and they finally got what he had been trying to say.
No terrorist would look for an actress like Eula in a spaceship filled with commoners. After all, Eula's self-isolating tendencies were quite well-known to the public. There was no way she would travel in a spaceship full of strangers.
"I get what you're saying, but there's an obvious problem." Qanmol mumbled while scratching one of his horns, "If a public spaceship takes off from the tower and the terrorists were keeping an eye on us, it would turn out to be difficult for us to make a run for it."
"That's why we'll have someone follow the plan you made before." Ashton got up and began pacing around the table, "Get a private ship and a public ship. Use the private ship as we were supposed to but secretly transport Eula inside the public spaceship."
He continued, "The terrorists would most likely follow the private spaceship which would buy us some time. In case they find out about the plan after attacking the private ship, it'll be too late for them to do anything drastic to us. As for the event they attacked us, we'll still be able to retaliate in kind. Problem solved."