"Interesting," Herman rumbled down at the ponies with a voice like a distant avalanche. "I gave you the perfect opportunity to run, yet you came right to me instead. Have I misjudged our relationship, Valey? I assumed you despised me, and would flee at first chance. But here you are..."
Valey snorted, glaring in his general direction but not making eye contact. "Ask your stupid mercs about that. You had them practically herd me here. You want me? You got my attention. What's up, boss?"
Herman smiled piteously at her. "The band of mercenaries I kept on call? I had them do no such thing. Their contract with me expired this morning; I was told they wished to leave the city. If one of your numerous enemies hired them first with a job to fight you and they accepted, the fault is yours for being so unpopular."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're pulling my tail." Valey rolled her eyes. "They sure didn't sound like it was a job they wanted to do. Anyway, the only thing stopping me from leaving now is you, so if you want me gone, kindly take a hike and let me through that door?"
Herman shook his head, his hairy, uniformed visage blocking one of the cave's arched doorways. "No. I expected better of you, Valey. Vandalizing the project room, then rather than making a silent escape, you enter a fight highly destructive to the Flame District, and then come straight to me? You damaged Yakyakistan property, Valey. Valuable property. And cleanly admitted it to Selma minutes ago in these caves... which echo very loudly. I would be just as much a failure of an ambassador as you are a failure of a saboteur, Defense Force operative and equine if I let you get away now. Your actions force me to endure your presence slightly longer."
"How tragic," Selma snarked. "I feel so sorry for both of you. Now, if you're going to be getting it on, I have some preparations to attend to. Save a recording if it gets too frisky; I'd love something to blackmail Valey with if you keep her around." With a pout, he vanished around a corner back in the direction they had came.
"...You heard me say that, huh?" Valey flicked her ears, not looking at Herman. "I suppose you heard all the other stuff Selma said, then? Was he lying? Reading from a script you prepared? Or are the both of you just so big, bad and macho that he can spill his plans right in front of you and you don't even care?"
"The latter," Herman rumbled. "Selma is too smart to think I was in the dark about his plans before telling them to you. But he can do as he pleases. Our plans operate in different spheres. His ambitions do not concern me... though I am admittedly curious how he plans to make peace in the event of two warring sides when my weapons contract has seen to it that his own is so terribly outgeared."
Gerardo narrowed his eyes. "Pardon me, but does that mean you've arranged for a battle at the top of the dam where you fully expect your own side to lose?"
"Yakyakistan is my side," Herman countered. "Not Sosa. Not the Defense Force. I helped both of them, ensured both of their existences through financial and legal aid, sustaining Sosa through the weapons contract and lobbying Skyfreeze for the necessity of a Defense Force, but neither are my side."
Maple coughed. "If the caves are so echoey, then wouldn't the rest of the Defense Force hear us too? Do you really want them knowing how you're not on their side and Selma just wants a battle, and all?"
"Does it matter?" Herman looked at her sideways. "They can hear what they will, but the Spirit will still be knocking on their doors with explosives and artillery. Most of the guards will be readying for battle at the north end of the district, regardless, and we are at the south. Any who hear us would be in the minority, and the others will have better things to do even if those who hear us feel it prudent to share. Finally, I care not what any guards hear or know. Selma may, but his plans are his and not mine. None of it will change the course of this night, regardless." He frowned, then snorted. "These are things an intelligent pony could figure out for themself."
Maple's ears flattened, and she backed away, Gerardo moving to stand defensively in front of her.
"I suppose this is where you brag about your own big, bad plan in front of us just like Selma?" Valey glanced up at him, then looked away. "Since you can apparently just let whoever hear them and it won't matter? I mean, you've caught us. Yay for you. Now what?"
Surprisingly, Herman nodded. "You are aware that the Defense Force is terribly equipped to survive an assault from the Spirit of Sosa?"
"Well, yeah," Valey huffed. "These are things that an intelligent blob of blubber and yak wool would remember just telling us."
Herman smiled. "Touche. You are a Defense Force commander. Gerardo accepted compensation as a contracted Water District inspector and as such a legal member of the Defense Force. And I recall you explaining to Selma yesterday morning that this mare and filly were new recruits of yours? As in, also members of the Defense Force? Since we are so short-staffed and outmatched, I thought you could lend your considerable fighting experience to their side. You did just prove yourselves better than an entire troop of elite mercenaries, did you not?"
"That single piece of money you bade me accept in order to make my so-called work yesterday official?" Gerardo's headcrest rose in alarm. "Blast... Are the Sosans not armed with a large amount of heavy artillery? I'm not imagining two melee specialists, a civilian mare and an unconscious filly will prove themselves of much use, here. Particularly since we are already more than slightly worn out from our earlier battle."
Valey took a step back. "Yeah, you know, that sounds like a lost cause already, and I really just wanna get out of here. Maybe you like picking fights the Defense Force can't win, but seriously, I'm done with this stuff. I quit. Would you mind horribly if we just bailed instead?" She looked hopefully at the door.
Herman's smile grew. "Request denied. The Defense Force is on red alert. Every active member is required to participate, and withdrawals are temporarily suspended. And besides..." His eyes twinkled, and they weren't merry. "I want you gone, too."