[center][color=#b3ccff][h2]Esben Mathiassen[/h2][/color][/center]
[hr]

"Oof!" Hien grunted as he was practically shoved towards Esben, giving the man a pained, rueful grin as he recovered. "Apologies, friend. She's always been like that. Though I'm impressed you got to her with [i]logic[/i] of all things." 

A moment passed as he observed Izayoi crashing into the Valheimr at Rudolf's side, and his smile quickly faded into the opposite. 

"She's gotten slow. Was she injured recently?" He murmured in concern as Izayoi parried a swordsman's blow before riposting with a slash to his throat.

[color=#b3ccff]"Injured? No, just out of practice and older than the last time you saw her. Being dead and getting married can do that to you, and I'm sure we'll be in much the same position after a decade. Miina!"[/color] He'd just spotted the small Mystrel girl as the two parts of the team reconvened, the rest of Ciradyl's people rushing out alongside them—luckily, it looked like she'd spotted them first, as she already had her hands outstretched ready to heal the injured nobleman. [color=#b3ccff]"Take him. Keep him safe or pass him to one of Ciradyl's as soon as you're able."[/color]

He passed Hien over more gently than Izayoi had, pulling free his sword and taking up his buckler in a single smooth movement. But for a little knife work and some rifle fire, he was—by far—the freshest of the group. Now that the Valheimer troops had been pushed back and away, thrown into disarray by the unexpectedly strong resistance, internal betrayals, and loss of their airship, the scene outside the makeshift prison had shifted away from an outright battle into something he was much more comfortable operating with.

Then, seeing that captain Reisa had survived the airship's descent, knowing that the others were already tiring and even wounded, the next necessary step in his plan to rescue Hien became clear. As with the infiltration, shock and surprise were his weapons—and there were more ways to achieve that than with stealth and secrecy.

Two fingers stretched out from the buckler's handle hooked around the scabbard on Rudolf's back, pulling the younger man back slightly as Esben took his place and continued walking forwards, into the empty no-man's land between where they were making their stand and the heart of the wreckage. [color=#b3ccff]"Captain Reisa!"[/color] he called conversationally, giving a polite salute with his sword. [color=#b3ccff]"This [i]is[/i] a shame—I didn't realize there was such a pretty face hiding under that helmet the last time we met."[/color]

He paused, halting his advance a short ways ahead of the rest of his team. Confident that they'd have his back—at least, Éliane would with her rifle—and that the brazen flirtation would keep the remaining soldiers shocked enough to hold back.

[color=#b3ccff]"I trust you're walking up to us to deliver your surrender? You shouldn't make this any more difficult than it needs to be—I guarantee I'll keep it clean if you submit to us."[/color]