Evan exited the bunkhouse sheathing his sword. "Click, Click". Everybody snickered when they heard Midshipman Fenix sigh heavily. "Request permission to disrobe…I mean remove this disguise, Sir" Evan asked. "Permission granted, Midshipman. Good work. Let me just get one more photo." The Commander responded and quickly took one more photograph. "Ummm, Sir – If there is no current need for the bodies of the snakes, I do have a request - The armorer I got the swords from requested to see 'the beast' we were battling, as partial payment. I was thinking of shipping one of them to him, if that is not a problem, sir. This peaked Madam Bones' interest. As she was used to dealing with the magical world, the only armorers who would make such a request were the Goblins. If Midshipman Fenix was not magical, how would he know about them? And if he did, how? She had already checked the registers for "Muggles in the Know", and he wasn't on it. "Who is this armorer of yours, Midshipman Fenix?" she asked. "Like all warrior clans, the makers of quality Japanese swords pride themselves with the stories of battle in which their weapons were used. Anonymity is also important to them, and one of the conditions imposed on the buyers of their ware. I am sure you understand, Madam." He concluded.
"Madam?" Evan asked with a thoughtful look on his face. "You used a ….portkey to bring the snakes here, correct?" Madam Bones nodded in agreement. "These terrorists, they must have used one to get the snakes to their target area. Unless they were considered expendable, wouldn't they need a portkey to get back to their base?" "What's on your mind, Midshipman?" the Commander prodded. "Well, sir, it stands to reason that there may be a portkey on or in the snakes. Perhaps one on a timer? And if there isn't, is it possible to trace the origins of the portkey used to bring them to their target area? And if so, could we not use a portkey to 'return to sender'?" Evan responded. "I heard you mention 'sending a message' before. This may be an opportunity to do that, sir." Evan continued. "Go on, Midshipman", the Commander prompted curiously. "We need to find the terrorist's base of operations. Since the terrorists appear magical, it stands to reason their base of operations is somewhere in the magical world. As the Ministry of Magic doesn't appear to know where the base is (no offence, Madam), it is likely hidden by some magical means. Hermione explained to me that magic and electronics don't mix well, so using direct means of electronics is not likely to work. What if we used the second snake to help us locate that base?" Madam Bones, the Commander, the General and Sensei looked on curiously as the Midshipman continued to develop his line of thinking. "What if we use the snake to set off a non-electronic marker that can be seen by the eye in the sky?"
The eyebrows of the Commander and General rose. Madam Bones began looking for the 'eye in the sky'. Sensei had a smile on his face. "Ummm. I'm not quite understanding your thought, Midshipman, but it sounds promising. Perhaps if you complete the thought – how are we going to use the snake to set off this marker of yours?" "We recently had an intro to EOD (explosive ordinance device) training – I did some additional reading and came across a description of Thermite. Once ignited, it burns at approximately 2,862 degrees Celsius (5,183 degrees F). Shouldn't the eye in the sky be able to identify such a high flare up, with the correct eyewear of course, even if it's indoors?" Evan asked. "We could pack the snake with enough Thermite to burn for at least five minutes, insert a delayed fuse, and return to sender. The eye in the sky can scan for the thermal signature, thus locating the base." Evan concluded. "You make a valid point Midshipman" the Commander responded.
"Madam Bones, are you able to determine if the snake is equipped with a portkey? Are you able to trace it's origins? If it's on a timer, can we halt the timer without erasing the destination? " the Commander asked. "Let's find out" replied Madam Bones. She waved her wand at the snakes – both glowed blue, indicating the presence of a portkey and that they were active. She then attempted to accio the portkeys, resulting in the snakes moving a bit, suggesting the portkeys were embedded into their bodies. Another wave at the bodies revealed that the portkeys were set to go off at 10pm that evening.
"What's your plan now Midshipman?" the General asked. "I recommend getting the sushi chef out here to gut the snake that is inside the bunker. We can get the materials needed for the Thermite easy enough; then pack it in the skin, sew it up, and insert a fuse. If Madam Bones can spell the fuse to ignite after a pre-determined delay, that should do it." He responded. "How long does a portkey take to go from here to, let's say the northern tip of Scotland?" he asked. "About a minute" Madam Bones responded. "Can you set up a 90-second delayed fuse, to start countdown from time of portkey activation?" Evan asked. "I believe I can" Madam Bones replied. "Excellent. Um…..we need the snake to burn for as long as possible. Is there a spell they can use to banish the snake? If so, is there a way to prevent that from happening?" Evan asked. "There is, and I can" replied Madam Bones. "Then we have a plan, sir." "Proceed Midshipman" said the Commander. "Yes, Sir. Request permission to change out of these clothes first, sir." Evan asked. "Approved, Midshipman."
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