Korlen nods throughout Benji's explanation of the weapons used by Hitler's party, making mental notes. Anne plays with the spent shell casing as she listens, twirling it between her fingers as she tries to hang on everything Benji is saying. However she finds herself distracted by the turns the past day has taken. When the sun came up, they had left the Barbin and by midday found Jim's camp; which was a pleasant experience despite Albert's paranoid fantasy that Jim was some kind of budding dictator. Then that peaceful stop had turned around completely with the attack, and the loss of Yuzuki to some unknown weapon that had blasted her to bits(she assumed given what she'd seen). Then yet another peaceful period once the sun had set, followed shortly by...this.
Anne stops twirling the shell casing, and pinches it between two fingers as she thinks how things could have turned out better if only she hadn't been herself, and kept drinking that delicious liquid until she passed out. Maybe with all that alcohol in her, she could have powered right through whatever Hitler could throw, and ripped his head clean off. Maybe that last glass was to blame. One less and maybe, nobody else could have died, and Albert wouldn't have done what he did. Benji was quick to write off Albert as a traitor, and rightfully so, but in the pirate life Anne had been put in a position where she'd had to bend or break her already eschewed sense of morality in order to survive. Anne was able to reserve judgement until such time they met Albert again.
Korlen speaks aloud once Benji has finished, bringing Anne out of her thoughts back to the present. "No weapon is without flaw." He gives Benji a slight bow "Thank you. Armed with this, we can easily devise a means to exploit the weaknesses of their weapons. In fact, I would ask you both come with us to our barracks. You two may yet prove invaluable to our defense of the kingdom."
One of the Red Shield, a younger man than the rest, comes up with a huff. "How dare you! You stand here, your shadow on our fallen, yet still you wish to humiliate us?!" He points at Anne then Benji "Even now, you seek to recruit these two to insult our ability! Our mission!"
Korlen regards the young man with flared nostrils and narrow eyes. "Fool! You seek to quarrel now?" He reaches out and taps the man in the center of the chest, hard. "I forgive you only because I know you are rife with grief! Do not test my patience further."
The young Red Shield does not waver. His wet eyes flare open and he reaches for his baton. "I'll show you!" He yells and the rest of Korlen's men draw their swords. But Odallwa comes up behind him, and grabs his arm. The young one tries to pull away but cannot free himself from the other man's grip. "Odallwa?! Why-"
"Stand down." Odallwa orders while giving his arm a tight squeeze. "White Guard and Red Shield must work together. Our only enemy now is Hitler and all who stand with him." Odallwa closes his eyes and exhales slowly then opens his eyes. "We need time to gather our forces. The White Guard is more prepared than we are to face this threat with the help of the Strangers."
It is at this point that Anne clears her throat to get everyone's attention. "You." She jabbed the young Red Shield in the chest same as Korlen had done and speaks with a tone as if chastising a child. "Are forgetting we're not weapons, lad. We go where we wish, and since this one is bothering to ask I'm going with him. I know you're all hurtin'...but that's why I'm going. Ya can't be worryin' about us when ya got dead that need tending. That hurt yer pride? Well that's just damn tough." The young man, full of anger and bluster before, now deflates faced by his superior, Korlen, and Anne. He relaxes, and Odallwa releases him so he can return to the gathered dead.
"Sergeant, Captain." Odallwa addresses Benji and Anne "I apologize on his behalf. We have been at odds with the White Guard before, and he is too young to know set such pettiness aside. We will meet again when ready to assist in the campaign against Hitler."
"I thank you for your cooperation, Odallwa. We will keep you informed as our plans develop." Korlen gives his thanks and the two men give each other the same salute; arms held horizontally at chin height.
Odallwa leaves the trio as the burial shrouds are brought in from the front doors. The nurse comes up behind Anne, holding her hat in one hand and her light blue vest in the other. "Thank ye nurse." Anne takes them back and puts them all on as she talks to Benji. "Yer probably willing to wring Albert's neck next chance ya get, but I'll ask ya to not before I have words with him. Understood, Benny?"