Cedric blinked, then grinned. He set the carving down and leaned forward.
"I can make smoke bombs," he said. "I know the parts. Cloth, charcoal, oil, a binding herb. Simple fuses. No fancy chemistry and it can be activated with Aura."
He thought for a minute, then gave numbers.
"Solo, I can make about twelve basic units a day. That's careful work, neat seals. In five days that's roughly sixty." Feeling more and more excitement as he elaborated, "With one helper I double output. Two hands, steady work, you get about twenty-five a day. Five days, about one hundred twenty-five."
He listed variants, for Jett to specify what he wanted.
"Basic smoke. Good for cover. Lasts a minute or two."
"Dense smoke. Slower burn. Stronger cover, shorter range."
"Blinder variant. Brief flash, disorients lookouts for a few seconds. Needs extra materials and testing."
"After that each unit takes ten to twenty minutes to finish, depending on the variant."
"A hundred and twenty huh?"
'I'm pretty sure you're the only one around your as that can boost of such.' Jett thought as he watch Cedric go on and on about the specifics while he himself could only understand half of it.
Cedric tapped his workbench with a grin.
"You can use them for distraction and cover. Smoke drifts over decks fast. It can hide movement, force people below, break lines of sight. Don't set fire. Don't kill. Use confusion to move, not to slaughter."
He looked at Jett.
"You want me to start now? I'll need materials, and someone to hand parts or just assist me."
"Alright, I get it." Jett sighed, realizing they might not have every material on hand. "I more or less know what's needed for this. Nimbus powder, Ashflower resin, Glimmer mesh, Sparkseed, Waxcord, Sealant oil, and Monster Cores."
Cedric's expression shifted. He didn't expect Jett to know that much.
"You look shocked." Jett smirked. "I played WARBOUND so much I memorized half the production materials.
At first, anyone could make any item or weapon themselves meaning the production class hardly ever got commissions and therefore developed slower than other classes in the game.
This made the game a pain for production class players, so the devs patched it. After that, only production classes could craft anything. The rest of the players had to farm and hand over materials to them. This made them the backbone of the whole game economy."
Cedric scratched his head, impressed but focused. "Well, I've got most of it. Everything except the Cores and the Glimmer mesh. And I'll need help if we want this done fast."
Jett thought for a second. "What if I get someone to handle the smoke mixture separately?"
Cedric froze. He already had an idea of who Jett was thinking about, and it made him uneasy.
"That would speed things up," Cedric said carefully. "Oh, and Finn should have some Glimmer mesh stored. Maybe a few spare Monster Cores too."
"Perfect." Jett forced a small grin and turned toward the door. "Wait here. I'll handle it."
Jett paused outside the door and sighed. He could not tell Cedric the truth. Cedric would never help if he knew the plan as he's more prone to followed rules and wouldn't want to go against his morals. He feared consequences. He needed Cedric kept in the dark.
'No use thinking about it now He turned as he headed for Finn's room.
But just then heard footsteps getting closer to him.
[Stealth]
He melted into the shadow.
Two guards on patrol passed within arm's reach but they did not notice him. Jett walked the opposite way.
'I really love this skill,' He smiled as he kept going.
*****
"They will not let you do that, Rey will try to stop you, not just him. Almost all of them will disagree with your plan." Finn said, voice low. He pointed a coin at Jett as if that proved anything, "As for Aiden, he's a necessary evil, he'll help you as long as it ends the trial faster."
Jett did not flinch. He had laid out the plan in detail to Finn. He knew that since Finn had already experienced it he would understand what he was trying to do.
"So your plan is to poison everyone on the ship so they can die so the trial can end then you do the whole cleansing thing with holy magic to bring them back?" Finn asked calmly be his tone changed, "Are you out of you freaking mind!?"
"You saw it work," Jett said. "You know it will work."
"You really are the spawn of the devil." Finn bristled. "You are using my trauma as evidence," he snapped.
"Come on, you know I am right," Jett replied.
"That does not change anything," Finn said. "I can defect to your side if it helps. The others will not agree. They will panic or refuse." He shook his head. Then he added, quieter. "Still. How did you pull it off?"
Jett's eyes went wide. "Pulled what off?" he asked, unsure now what Jett meant.
"I find it hard to believe Cedric agreed to help you after hearing all this. Marcella, maybe. But Cedric?" Finn said, narrowing his eyes as he studied Jett's face. That look told him everything. He sighed. "You didn't tell him the plan."
Jett laughed weakly. "You're too good at this."
"You really are something else." Finn shook his head, looking tired rather than angry.
"Just trust me, it'll all work out," Jett said with a sly grin, wrapping an arm around Finn's shoulder.
"The last time I did, I almost met my maker," Finn muttered flatly. He walked to the door, opened it, and gestured outward. "Get out. I don't want to see you till you put your plan in motion."
"You really don't have to be like that," Jett said with mock hurt as he walked out, already thinking ahead. His next stop was Marcella.
*****
"Seems like you've already made yourself at home," Jett said, smiling as he appeared at her door.
Marcella looked unimpressed. "What do you want, Jett? I'm not even going to ask how you got on the ship. I feel like I'm better off not knowing." She blocked the doorway without budging.
"Won't you let me in?" Jett asked, keeping the same easy smile.
Marcella eyed him. "That look again. You need something, don't you? Spill it or I'm closing this door. I have better things to do."
"Come on, let me in. I do not want anyone seeing me here." Jett pleaded as he watched Marcella enjoy the moment they were having.
"Does Freya know you snuck on? You haven't gone to see her yet?" Marcella asked, voice flat. "Does Rey know? Elora? See where I am going with this?"
"Are we really doing this right now?" Jett said, dodging the question.
"Say it...," Marcella teased, dragging the word out.
He hesitated. She smiled like she had him. He sighed. "I need your help."
"Why?" Her smile sharpened. Her red eyes pinned him.
'What's with this girl?' he wondered as he looked at her, "I cannot let the others know. Not yet."
She opened the door. "Fine. Come in. Mind the mess."
He stepped inside. The room smelled of herbs and oil. Bottles lay tipped on the bed. Vials clinked. Small pouches spilled powder. Shelves sagged under jars. A workbench held half-made concoctions. The floor was a map of notes and scraps.
He cleared a corner on the bed and sat. He thought of Morrigan watching Marcella. He thought of rules and plans. He thought of how tight he had to keep this.
Marcella pulled a chair close. "So? What is the plan?"
Jett let the grin out slowly. He held the bundle of Lyk herbs tight. "I will kill everyone on the ship," he said. "Then I will bring them back to life."
"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Marcella asked. Her voice showed signs of concerned. But her eyes were betraying her.
Jett feels it. He knows what comes next.
"When? How? Where? With what? I need details Jett, details." She fires questions like a machine. Her voice grows urgent. She steps closer. Too close. Jett pushes her back with a quiet, "Calm down."
A dark herb appeared in his palm. He held it up so she could see it much closer. "You know what this is?"
*
*
*
Not surprised she's rolling with it.