Chapter 17: Enemies

Juen Nu joins Hilo Kaul, Wen, Shae, Woon, and Anden at the Twice Lucky. After updates on Lukang and growing anti-clan anarchists, Shae reveals aerial photos of an Espenian prototype ship dredging for jade near Euman Island. The Kauls outline strained ROE-Kekon relations and the risk of Espenia bypassing Kekonese control.

Wen cites geologists who confirm jade likely exists offshore; Shae identifies Anorco and its politically connected CEO, Art Wyles. Recognizing the strategic threat, Hilo orders the ship destroyed while avoiding foreign casualties and diplomatic blowback.

Juen, emphasizing organization over brute force, arranges a covert joint mission with Mountain Horn Aben Soro to share cost, cover, and deniability. They launch at night from a remote cove with two boats and eight divers—half from each clan—targeting the vessel’s propulsion and extraction systems.

The Green Bones plant limpet mines on the hull, rudder, propeller, and crawler hose, timing explosions to disable the ship without killing crew. They withdraw undetected, expecting repairs and possible repeats but confident the sabotage raises costs and preserves Kekon’s leverage over jade.

At dawn, No Peak and Mountain part warily, returning to their ongoing conflict elsewhere. The temporary alliance achieves its narrow goal while underscoring intensifying external pressure, internal unrest, and the clans’ readiness to act beyond Janloon to defend Kekon’s interests.