[center][color=#b3ccff][h2]Esben Mathiassen[/h2][/color][/center]
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[color=#b3ccff]"The hopeful part of you is thinking at the wrong scale,"[/color] Esben replied. The rest of Rudolf's thoughts could wait for the time being, but given how many of the group [i]did[/i] seem intent on rescuing Lord Hien, the time to focus on strategy and tactics was fully upon them. Better to focus on keeping them all from getting killed in the moment rather than cleaving only to the long-term view. [color=#b3ccff]"Distractions are a tool for larger units and full armies. Not one as small as ours."[/color]

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a small sip of his tea as he tried to visualize the troop movements that Ciradyl had told them. At least the knowledge that Hien had been active within the resistance alleviated some of his worries about what to do with the young man, assuming that his allies could keep him from getting recaptured. Lessened patrols would make moving around the city easier in the immediate time frame, though either success or failure would be enough of a shock to make them bring the patrols back to their original strength, if not increase them.

He still wasn't [i]entirely[/i] sure that freeing Hien would be better than martyring him or smuggling him into Edreni hands as a bargaining chip, but if Ciradyl's network could handle him then, Esben supposed, his freedom could prove as usefully inflammatory as his death might.

[color=#b3ccff]"A rebellion known to be active, within the capital city of a recently captured nation, with a primary target and a band of militants surrounding her already known to be on approach to the city? He'll be under the heaviest guard of any save whoever they've appointed to govern this territory, and any sign of unrest the night before his execution will only serve to make them tighten their net further. We'd be signing his death warrant ourselves with tactics like that."[/color]

By the time he'd finished, his flat stare had fallen on Rudolf. These were men they dealt with, not beasts...and tactics like that didn't work on beasts, either. The closest would be trapping or corralling them.

He turned back to Ciradyl after a moment. [color=#b3ccff]"How many do you have on the inside, how many of yours in general are comfortable possibly showing their faces in connection to this, and how much do you believe in their loyalty?"[/color]