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There was much that had to be done.  Langley had to find a contract for her next shipping, preferably one that would pay well.  The trip to Swerthia had been less than profitable and Langley wished to not only make her crew's payroll but also give them a bonus.  They were loyal because anyone who sailed on a Stormrider had to be loyal to a fault to endure the madness that usually ensued when a Captain got an idea in their warped head.  However, this loyalty was rewarded for with excellent pay and ample bonuses when something went wrong.  Langley felt their latest trip was one of those situations that deserved a bonus.

However, there were other matters to attend to first.  Langley sent Ajiin out to sniff out a contract as he always put forth a good impression with merchants.  It could be his calm demeanor.  His honest face and few words.  The fact he didn't have the Stormrider insignia emblazoned on his jacket.  So Langley sent him to scrounge up some new merchants to do business with, as she was afraid that her current contacts wouldn't be enough to last if her track record continued the way it was.  Shipping lines dried up.  New ones had to be found.  Perhaps they'd get real lucky and get a bounty contract to go hunt down some pirates.  Stormriders always did enjoy those.

While Ajiin was out contract hunting Langley had other plans.  As always, there was the Academy.  Brin would be hurt if she and Sabreur did not come and visit him.  Dog would probably beat them up more than he normally did.  So the two approached the complex in the afternoon, after the formalities of getting their skimmer docked had been attended to.

Nothing had made Langley happier than to see Sino departing the ship with his belongings and then paying for their docking fee.

While no one was allowed on the Academy grounds unescorted it was a very simple matter of getting inside for a former student.  One just had to know the secrets.

"Front gates?" Sabreur asked hopefully.  

"I don't feel like seeing you blow them up and I don't feel like fast-talking the guards like usual," she replied.

"Another route, then."

"Yep."

There were a number of possibilities that meant.  But when Langley managed to fish a small key out of her bag Sabreur groaned.

"Does it have to be the river?"

"Oh yes.  It comes out right at the practice field and I think Dog has his evening class at this time."

"It's too cold for the river."

"That's assuming you fall in.  C'mon.  I've seen you balance out on the side of the Ark to check the rigging before.  You'll be fine."

He only groaned.

This particular route into the Academy was not used very often due to its unpleasant nature.  A river cut through the city, emptying into the ocean, and wound its way past the Academy fields.  To prevent entrance into the walled grounds there was, of course, a grating through which the river could pass and continue on its way.  And to allow access in the case of maintenance there was a small gate in the bars.  At some point of time someone had swiped the key and made a copy and then distributed it among every Academy student to ever pass through the front gate on the way to class.  It was like a rite of passage, similar to stealing the wooden dining trays to go sledding on during the winter months.

Or course, most students preferred other methods of entering the grounds.  The walkway leading to the grated door was thin and often wet.  Langley considered this merely an exercise in their agility.  Sabreur considered it a nuisance.

The two approached from the streets, dropping down onto the walkway that led to the grate like they belonged.  That was the key to sneaking into a place.  Acting like one belonged.  Then they sidestepped along the narrow ridge, Sabreur swearing the entire time, Langley just remembering that she'd done worse in the past.  At their toes the river ambled past as its leisurely pace, sometimes dragging bits of debris past.  After a brief walk they reached the gate and Langley fumbled with the key for a moment.  Fumbled a bit more.  Finally, she wrenched it and swore in frustration and the piece of metal slipped out of her hand and into the river.

"Nice," her twin commented.

"It doesn't fit!" she protested, "They must've changed the lock.  Give me one of your firebombs."

And Sabreur laughed and handed one over.  She wedged the capsule in between the bars of the gate and then the two of them edged away.  Langley drew her pistol, took careful aim, and fired.

The bomb went off, taking half the gate with it.  Langley ducked against the wall and raised an arm to shield herself from shrapnel and Sabreur lost his balance entirely and fell into the river.  Then the smoke and debris cleared and laughing, Langley skipped through the now open gate while Sabreur swum behind, swearing about the cold.

She didn't make it two feet past the wall when a hand reached out, seized the back of her captain's jacket, and hoisted her away from the riverbank.  The hand also did not put her down.

"I thought I heard an explosion," Dog said happily, "Should have put money down that it was you two, back from one of your escapades out on the ocean."

"Hi Dog!" Sabreur yelled, climbing out of the water.

"Good to see you too, pyromancer!"

He started off, lumbering away from the river like a mangy hyena, Langley still hoisted in one hand as he went.  She didn't try and protest.  It was futile in these sorts of situations.  As she had predicted, there was a class assembled along the field.  These were older students, leaner, and more experienced.  One of his upper classes.  They watched Dog with a wary eye and Langley with a curious one.

"Right," he said, finally setting the Stormrider down, "Langley, my older students.  They're a bunch of arrogant idiots and I'm trying to impress upon them that their finely toned muscles aren't good for much for than posing for the ladies.  Notice the lack of women that signed up for this class?  A good number of them dropped and enrolled in a separate class to get away from… those five."

He pointed.  The students being singled out shifted and then stared at each other, and then back at the professor.

"So," Dog said, "Since they have such high opinions of themselves and enjoy pressing these opinions on ladies, wanted or not, why don't you demonstrate that size is not the deciding factor in a fight."

Dog considered for one more moment, scratching his chin.  The rest of the students wisely backed up.

"No holds barred?" Langley asked quietly.  Sabreur was tromping up the hill behind her, dripping wet and emptying water out of his goggles.

"Did I even teach you how to fight like that?" he asked.

Of course not.  And so the small, lean, Stormrider woman went running headfirst into the group of boys, drawing her rapiers as she did so.

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