[center][h2][color=#b3ccff]Esben Mathiassen[/color][/h2][/center]
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While he'd managed to get his first good nap since the group was still in Kugane, Esben wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse than he had been. Given the nature of what all was about to hit them, though, he didn't have much time to contemplate that or imagine the glare that Chisato might still have for him. Rarely a coffee person, even given the lack of sleep he'd had lately—the moment Rudolf let go of the half-full mug he'd passed over Esben drained it, focusing intently on the plans and concerns that were coming up.

In good time, as well, as the more vocal members of the Kirins immediately started to look his way.

[color=#b3ccff]"She shouldn't be here for this,"[/color] he answered on the question of the turncoat SEED. [color=#b3ccff]"But Alex shouldn't have been here to begin with. The likelihood that we actually have to worry about her right now is low, but if she's crazy enough to throw in with Valheim, you've got the right ideas. [i]Any[/i] information should be distributed only on a need-to-know basis, and everybody that receives anything should be verified beforehand. The big picture never leaves this room in one piece."[/color]

Unspoken was the agreement with Éliane that every prior method of secure communication [i]had[/i] to be considered compromised. Given that Kayliss had found the pair of them to talk face to face, rather than relying on the usual sort of distribution and had Darri or someone else waiting for them to arrive, and given that [i]she'd[/i] already noted that something strange was happening with Loki, then he could at least hope that SEED had already started to tighten things up even more than usual to stop up any possible leaks. But that still left them with the problem of coming up with [i]any[/i] good countermeasures to possible infiltration, at least amongst themselves.

Countersigns were a good start, but not in the way they were usually come up with. [color=#b3ccff]"No normal countersign or passphrase would get past her, or anybody she might assign to any infiltration work,"[/color] he mused after a moment. [color=#b3ccff]"She blends in too well for any shibboleth, she can copy any accent without trouble, and anybody she'd put forward would be drilled by her until they could do the same.[/color]

[color=#b3ccff]"Between her infiltration here, and then whatever information she may have gotten on all of us, whether generally, from being right in front of us, or from whatever Isolde may have told her, I wouldn't even be willing to risk it on any sort of semi-random word associations between the group of us. The only outlier would be Chisato, and if she had anybody in the city that could report back to her about our newest little ninja, I don't doubt that she could manage to piece together enough of a psychological profile on any of us to make educated-enough guesses at what we might come up with that could beat us out before too long."[/color]

He was plenty well aware that everything he'd just suggested about her capabilities must sound ridiculous. Like a bad joke. He was [i]also[/i] keenly aware that she'd been considered the best spy that SEED had for quite some time, even before he was going on any training assignments. The risk of hyperbolizing was much lower than the risk incurred by not taking her as absolutely seriously as possible.

Perhaps it would be a bit convoluted, but he could see at least one decent way to come up with a list that she couldn't break short of absolute, random, freak chance, not to mention the trouble that Valheim would have with it. [color=#b3ccff]"I should be able to make something that will work for [i]us,[/i] for a decent while, any time we split up. Zacharias, I'm afraid you'll be on your own on that front."[/color] He pointed out, dividing the rest of the Kirins into groups of two. [color=#b3ccff]"Galahad and Miina, put your heads together and get me a list of twenty-five distinct words that come to mind. Rudolf and Éliane, you do the same. Chisato, you'll have to give me something with at least five letters. Izayoi, I'll come to you at the end to have you translate things for me."[/color]

Maybe he shouldn't have drained that coffee so soon. He was still thirsty. He wordlessly passed the mug back to Rudolf. [color=#b3ccff]"I wonder...Maybe it would be worthwhile to commandeer an airship if the chance presents itself to us? Even if we have to abandon it before long, sowing some chaos of our own with some supposed 'friendly fire' could help quite a bit, not to mention whatever I might be able to gain from what they have stowed onboard. Besides, I'm sure Elly and Rudi would like the chance to play with bigger toys than they've got right now."[/color]