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| Topic Started: Jul 1 2010, 09:39:10 AM (2,478 Views) | |
| Kangarawa | Jul 27 2010, 09:00:01 AM Post #31 |
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Maker of Coffee
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Ministry of International Affairs - Minister's Office Parliament Buildings, Tasman City, Kangarawa
Sitting at her desk, Masters couldn't help but laugh as she read ... and reread. She had absolutely no intention of trying to explain a rationale that was tenuous at best. Besides, the message had come from the Grand Duke himself rather than their Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She had a choice. She could either forward the message to the President's office or take it herself. No. No contest. She wanted to see the President's reaction. Grinning, she dialled the President's outer office, grin gradually disappearing during the conversation. "Brad, when can you get me in to see her? ... Nooooo, next Tuesday isn't good enough. It needs to be today. ... Classified, so no, I can't tell you. ... That will be her decision. ... Nothing before tomorrow? ... Certainly." Locking the communique in her top right drawer, she eyed her inbox and sighed. It was always the same. Getting past the President's dragons had become a most frustrating game. And tomorrow? Tomorrow she'd go through the usual rigmarole of a complete search before being allowed into the august presence. |
![]() ![]() If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around. | |
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| Reziel | Jul 27 2010, 10:21:48 AM Post #32 |
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Eternal Delegate
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New irem – The Fortress In the meanwhile – The terrace outside Reziel’s rooms «Technically, you shouldn’t wasting your time whatiffing and the like… your choice is kinda… obliged. Kadras… what do you think?» asked Reziel, moving his attention away from the Archangel Colonel and focusing it on his old mentor Kadras Lordameer while pouring some wine in his own crystal glass and then appreciating its translucency against the light of the dying sun. «I think that at ninety I should be left in peace and given the chance to dedicate my time to my…» «You’re eighty seven, Kadras» grinned the Grand Duke, before taking a sip of wine and appreciating its taste, inviting Lachdanan to serve himself. «I should have cut your disrespectful tongue years ago, smart guy. As I was saying… left to my hobbies. Taking care of my arboretum, enjoy the happiness of a young woman receiving my plants… and observing the efforts of another one trying to steal me the ‘Best air-ace ever’ title. Or probably prepare myself to be the grand-grandpa of Irem’s new son… if I’ll be allowed to, obviously» despite the warmth in the old man’s smile, it was obvious he wasn’t giving away his full thoughts. «Kadras, please… this is indeed a problematic…» «Ah! A problematic… what? A problematic problem? No… I would say this is a problematic you should have thought to this FAR before, Mister blockhead. It’s a problem because we’re messing with it now… instead than a couple of years ago» As the reproach finally came, Reziel could finally recognize his old mentor. Chuckling, he thought Kadras seemed now forty years younger. It was the Kadras of his adolescence, the wise counselor of the time pasts… the man who had forced the young Grand Duke to bow and accept discipline and self-responsibility. Remembering even too well the embarrassment of the times past, he didn’t really envy Lachdanan as… «And you have nothing to chuckle at, Young One. You’re co-responsible of this situation as well!» «Me?» the reproach was definitely unexpected and Reziel couldn’t think to a better counter-question. He was feeling forty years younger, too. A teenager facing an angry teacher. «Yes, sir. You were supposed to be a guidance… a wise one. You should have hammered some salt inside Lachdanan’s head… but then, how can I have expected you to do, when it’s so obvious you yourself have nothing?» «I… I…» «Shut up… both of you» he ordered, being immediately obeyed «Lachdanan… we cannot afford to outstretch the Tradition any more. Right now, we have so many boiling issues that we’ll have the nobility muttering and whispering and complaining for the years to come, so… yes, Marilyn will have her escort. And it will be the Second Blade of Irem, considering it cannot be the First One for obvious reasons. So… find Arian, whichever the hell he’s hiding into… and bring him back here. This will be his next assignment for the months to come… and nobody will care about your whining. Or his, for what matters. For now… that’s enough. You’re dismissed» Lachdanan remained speechless. Technically, he was the Emperor. Kadras was not even in the council of the Fives anymore. His dismissal was… «Which part of ‘you’re dismissed’ is unclear to you, Colonel?» The tone of unquestionable command was there. The Archangel inside Lachdanan reacted to it far before the Emperor had finished listing the tons of good reasons to feel outraged. Silently, the commander of the Rezielan military left the room, with the dignity of a wet chick. And as soon as he disappeared, Reziel understood it was now his turn. «Very well… up to you, now. I see one way only, to come out of this mess» |
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Armis Exposcere Pacem They demanded peace by force of arms ![]()
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| Dovakhan | Jul 31 2010, 09:02:00 AM Post #33 |
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They Desire a Better Country
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Rillanon, Christie Island Capital District A Downtown Parking Garage Mariana made a jerk to reach for her pepper spray, but the sound of her missing friend's name made her melt in the Rezielan's gaze. There was something in his eyes, too, that made her trust him utterly. She tried not to let on to this weakness: "What the hell do you want?" she crustily inquired, albeit with a tinge of anxiousness in her voice. |
| Holy CRAP! This is the Dovahkiin! | |
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| Reziel | Aug 2 2010, 03:40:23 AM Post #34 |
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Eternal Delegate
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«Well… before giving you a proper answer…» he begun, producing a small device out of his right pocket and keeping it on his palm so that she could clearly see it «…this object creates an incredibly strong interference against any form of tapping or surveillance. In this very moment…» he went on explaining while pressing a tiny button on the device, which buzzed quietly for a very short while «…our conversation becomes very private. Not even a surveillance from EspioDov will be successful, if…» «I do not have…» interjected the woman, meeting a warm smile in reply. «I know… but I cannot take risks. Others could be eavesdropping. I just wanted you to know about it… and to know it can stop whenever you’ll want, should you become uncomfortable with our… excessive privacy» As she nodded, he grinned. All of their information were correct… the woman had guts. She would have been the right person to involve, hoping to get Dovakhan’s support in what was probably going to happen. «Now… our topic. I know you’re aware of the close ties between the Grand Duchy of Reziel and the republic of Kangarawa. Lady Chantal Scythes… she was one of our most trusted counterparts. Thanks to her, many things went smooth over the years… yes, we can say she has been one of the craftsmen of the strong alliance between our nations. That’s why the Grand Duchy has been so troubled by her sudden… by her assassination» For a brief moment, the word remained suspended, then the Dovakhanese woman frowned deeply. «Mr Tyninan… according to official reports, it has been a tragic fatality» «Lady Respolitsa… Lady Scythes was the aunt of Lady Marilyn Janus, the Ambassadress of Kangarawa in the Grand Duchy. She is… very near to a number of our highest ranking officers. We are… we Iremians are a very close group. Touch one of us, and you’re touching us all. You… you’ve seen it during the Airbuisian mess some years ago. In that occasion, we overreacted… but that’s definitely inline with our personality. We do not have…» «You’re prevaricating, Mr Tyninan» the interjection came with the matter-of-fact tone of an unquestionable statement. This surprised the old Iremian… but only for a moment. Immediately after, he chortled quietly while nodding. «You’re right, Lady Respolitsa. Forgive an old man running after his own thoughts. What was I saying… oh yes. My Lady… are you aware that no more than seven hours ago, the Department of Diplomacy of the Republic-Khanates has been informed of Tasman’s intention to… replace the Ambassador to Tkânâtdövâkhîastâât?» Had it been the news, had it been the perfect Dovakhanese of the man… this time, it was the woman’s turn to be surprised. She shook her head. «I suspected» he smiled, reverting to standard English «We know because… New Irem has received a similar message. The same for Liberty City… and we’re still waiting for further confirmations. In a word… this new government of theirs… they’re trying to sever whichever tie the old Kangarawan establishment had created. President Mappins assassinated… and the same for Lady Scythes. The most part of their officers are being either replaced… when they do not simply disappear. The purpose? We’re not really sure, but… well, in the meanwhile half Kangarawa switches hands. Mines, licenses, raw materials… the Republic is on sale. So… the purpose? What about having free hand in doing whatever you want with your own country… with nobody being in the position to oppose it?» «Their government…» «Their government has been elected on the long wave of an emotion. The plebiscite which followed… has given to the Faction unlimited powers. They hide behind a democratic and republican façade… but they’re something else. A corporation ruled with iron-fist by an incredibly limited number of persons… with the masses being manipulated and the opposition being purged» «I still fail to understand why…» «Why I’m contacting you. You’re right. Again, I follow my own thoughts…» he smiled, before a flash of steel shimmered in his eyes «Lady Respolitsa… the Grand Duchy of Reziel is willing to support… no. The Grand Duchy of Reziel is supporting the Kangarawan resistance. Till now, it has been a low-scale operation… but as the faction pushes on the accelerator, we have to do the same. This means we could find ourselves in the need of… supporting Kangarawans who need to leave their nation, for example. Something we cannot do… in the sunshine. We cannot operate through our Embassy. We’ll need… we’ll need a safe passage in Dovakhan. And… no need to play with covert cards. I need your full trust about this, so I’ll be sincere. Yes… we need to be authorized to set up camps in the Dovakhanese jungles. For the refugees… and not only, if the circumstances will require it» |
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Armis Exposcere Pacem They demanded peace by force of arms ![]()
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| Dovakhan | Aug 8 2010, 12:04:55 PM Post #35 |
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They Desire a Better Country
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Rilanon, Christie Island Capital District A Downtown Parking Garage It took all of the will within the ambassador's power not to shout at the unequivocal news of her dear friend's death. Like a poison it twisted her stomach and throat to the point where she felt as though she could barely talk. However, as she often had to do, Ambassador Respolitsia managed to turn off her emotions and speak in an official capacity, at least for the time being. She turned her pent-up rage and sorrow into an indignant bluster appropriate for a bureaucrat of her seniority and experience. "I am the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic-Khanates and ALL of its people. To imply that I should carry out the bidding of one state against another is not only repugnant to the moral character of a diplomat, but also a significant risk to the integrity of the Republic-Khanates itself!" she loudly whispered as she stiffened her back and neck to show her contempt." A couple of moments of silence followed. Then, if one could hear inside the mind of the ambassador, one would have heard a sigh as the memories of a dear, dear friend raced in. She had to help her niece, even if it seemed as though she had indecently, intemperately, and undiplomatically given herself out to some or another New Iremian official. Even then, on some level, the amabassador was Dovakhanese and understood the vagaries of true love. Also, despite her initial rant, she trusted Lord Tyninan a fellow statesman and a gentleman. She knew well of his actions in the external affairs New Iremian government to try to stabilize and increasingly troubled region. Therefore, she relaxed her body and tone: "Equally repugnant, however, are the actions of this rogue regime, even to the limited extent to which our government has known them. Obviously, the Republic-Khanates recognizes states and not individual governments, but the actions of the Faction have worrying implications for the integrity of the Republic-Khanates, of regional peace, and of liberty itself. I obviously tell you the following in confidence, which I personally know you to be able to keep: Because of these dire implications, the Republic-Khanates has been unofficially monitoring the internal actions of the Kangarawan regime to prepare to mitigate the effects thereof in Dovakhan and its environs. For example, all those entering on the visa waiver programme have been monitored for suspicious activity and Kangarawan institutions installed in the Republic-Khanates have come under special scrutiny, if you know what I mean (obviously I cannot comment on any specific monitoring techniques that have been used). It is in this unofficial capacity I can potentially honor your request. I am prepared to contact the Department of Diplomacy and recommend that the expiration of the tourist visas of certain key individuals be ignored. It would be up to the covert agencies of your government to provision aid and comfort to these individuals in Dovahkan. I could never promise you any jungle camps, even if Dovakhan were tropical enough to have jungles, but I can ensure the Khagan-Chancellor looks favorably upon the visit of New Iremian defense contractors (who may or may not have tangential connections to the New Iremian military) and their staff for the purposes of helping Dovakhan bring its military into the 21st century, naturally. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend," said the ambassador blandly. Once out on the road, the ambassador pulled a special encrypted SIM card out of her wallet, put it in her mobile phone, and dialed several digits. "Hello, Anatol?" she said to the Khagan-Chancellor on the other end of the line, "Don't you think it's time we talked about how you can repay me for brokering the parliamentary coalition agreement between my Social Democrats and your Liberal Democrats?" she asked with a bit of a smile on her face. |
| Holy CRAP! This is the Dovahkiin! | |
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| Reziel | Aug 9 2010, 10:29:13 AM Post #36 |
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Eternal Delegate
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New Irem – The Fortress Three hours later – 7 PM – Reziel’s rooms When it crumbled under its own weight, the roots of the Iremian Empire dated back to almost three thousands years, even if the Empire itself had been existing only for the last for one thousand eight hundreds and eighty two years. Could have been eighty nine, now, if only… During its whole existence, it had been ruled by a single bloodline, whose last heir was now being Lachdanan Uth Reiser… Emperor of an Empire which was no more. A thing that didn’t happen so often, the royal family had survived its own Empire… and so had the symbols of their power. The crown, the globe, the purple mantle… everything had been hidden from the Ziganian’s fury when they had stormed the ancient capital. So had the two swords. The Blade… and the Protector’s sword. The weapon which had been traditionally entrusted to the bulwark of the Empire. A general, a leader, a commander… the man the Empire itself had relied onto for its own safety. In a number of cases, the reigning Uth Reiser had brought it, but starting from some four hundred years before, it had been traditionally entrusted to someone who didn’t belong to the ruling family. In eleven cases and in the last five ones, the sword had been given to the standing Reziel to be finally entrusted to him. Elistar Reziel, the twenty-seventh Grand Duke of a Grand Duchy which didn’t exist anymore. The Last Protector. The Betrayer, as someone had named him. Dragonhunter. A man. Grinning, the Grand Duke smiled to that last thought. Someone would have told his life had been a permanent and endless adventure, glory and danger and fortune and betrayal hiding behind any corner. It seemed his biography had come out from a novel… but despite that, his ultimate dream would have been to finally have the chance to be… nothing else but that. A man. Free to show his affections in public, free to say he didn’t care about so many schemes and projects and games. Free to be himself and nothing else. But… «I am not» he sighed, his gaze wandering purposelessly over the old and shiny armor right near the entrance door. The armor of his youth, when his one concern seemed to be the leadership over the Talons, the group of elite Iremian chevaliers which were meant to be the horse-mounted version of the modern Aerobatics. His youth… when he could have given his own life a sudden turn. He wouldn’t have had to do anything else but outstretching his hand and… so many things would have changed. Ileana would have been his spouse. His lineage… probably, it wouldn’t have extinguished with him. The sudden knocking at his door brought him back from his own thoughts. When the guard outside his door announced the young Kangarawan Ambassadress was there, Reziel nodded. «feel free to take a break, Lizard» «My Lord, guarding your door is a ple…» «I’m rather sure Lady Janus won’t stab me with her stiletto heels, Lizard» he grinned. As the Archangels chuckled back and nodded, Reziel grinned with satisfaction. Just as almost everyone else, the man adored the young diplomat. Her temper, her understanding of the Iremian traditions, the respect and the polite curiosity she had always shown towards her culture… «Elistar? Are you ok?» Focusing his attention on her, he smiled. Understanding why Lachdanan had fallen so deeply in love with her was even too simple. It wasn’t just her beauty. It was… her inner light. «I apologize, Marilyn. I go on being trapped by the enchantment of your beauty» he smiled warmly. «Elistar, Elistar… you should behave. You know that Ileana has spies everywhere. Should she happen to be eavesdropping, we’d be in terrible troubles» she giggled. Despite stressors were piling on her shoulders with appalling speed, her tone was calm and warm as always. Giving away her sorrows too easily was a luxury she couldn’t afford, not even with a man who had become a good friend. Smiling back, he invited her to sit down and then poured her a cup of the strong mint tea he knew she adored. A little hint from all-knowing Ileana, to be exact. «Your message… its urgency… my staff has gone crazy with wonderings, Elistar. What’s… what’s going on? I mean… aside everything else» she asked. For a brief moment, Elistar Reziel wondered if a long long long talk would’t have been a little easier to handle… but he should have expected it. Marilyn had an impressively high number of things to do… and despite her attempts, she was in desperate need to have some time for herself, if only to reorganize her own thoughts. Which wasn’t what Reziel had planned for her, unfortunately. As dear as he held her… that was something which couldn’t wait. Too many news would have started running very fast, and they had to have a plan to contain them. So… «Marilyn… I’ve been informed by Ileana. No… not the diplomatic mess from Tasman. I’m sure an accommodation can be found rather easily. No. About…» «The child» she added dryly, putting down the porcelain cup. The Duke nodded so gravely that she couldn’t avoid herself a shiver. Something which should have been a private joy for herself and for Lachdanan only… it was coming out as some kind of State matter, with the spicy addition of demons and demon-hunters dancing all around it. «Not just the child, Marilyn. More… the Heir. The First in the Line of Succession to the Iremian Throne, to be exact. Which is, in the end… hell yes: the core of what I’m going to say here» «The Empire has crumbled, Elistar. There is…» «Formally, Lachdanan is the Emperor. In Exile, probably… but the Emperor anyhow. I suspect he’d be rather happy to turn the whole title down… but the aristocracy won’t allow it. They want… they need the hope we’ll move back to the ancient capital, sooner or later. This is why… this is why Kadras suggested him not to explicitly renounce to it. The turmoil and the unrest… we simply couldn’t…» «What has this to do with my child, Elistar?» «He is…» years of his own life came back to his mind. Years hiding his feelings for the woman he loved so dearly. Years spent protecting their honors. Years spent being aware of the rumors and the talks and the whispers behind their back «Marilyn… our people, they aren’t easy to handle. They are… they stick to their own Tradition. They worship their Tradition, as if they hadn’t anything else. It’s… it’s so incredibly present in our lives that… it influences them. I failed the Empire because of it, because rebelling against my Emperor wasn’t something I could think at. I… it has prevented me to make what anyone else would have done in respect to Ileana. I…» «Why didn’t you marry her. After, I mean. It’s something I’ve wondered for a very long time» she shot. Reziel froze, as if the question had been completely unexpected… even if it wasn’t. «Codric was a close friend of mine. To some extent, it was for me what Lothar is for Lachdanan. A brotherhood even deeper than the Archangelic one. He was… my right arm. My most trusted lieutenant. The man I instinctively relied onto, when things were going bad. And… yes, he had married the woman I loved. That day… I sent him to the Eastern provinces. I knew I should have waited… but Codric convinced me of the contrary. A quick reaction was needed… and he was my only man. I authorized his departure. He was so sure about it that he had brought Arian with himself. And then…» «They were attacked b the Ziganians. Codric died… Arian managed to survive. This doesn’t answer my question, Elistar» «When… when the news reached Irem, my world crumbled. I had just lost my best friend… but that wasn’t what a number of others perceived. ‘He has sent his rival to death’… that’s what they told. Old rumors were brought back to life and…» «Old rumors?» «Arian… for a long while, he has been suspected to be my son» he replied. For a moment, the answer remained suspended. «I didn’t…» «That’s Irem. When I came back from the Eastern provinces, Lachdanan and Lothar at my side… well, nobody had really believed the rumors. Nobody had started them. Nobody had anything to share with similar foolishnesses… but despite that, the rumors survived. Obviously enough, nobody ever talked about it openly. Nobody accused either me or Ileana of anything… but gossips can be as piercing as an accuse, sometimes. So…» «You didn’t marry her because… you wanted to avoid giving some kind of ‘legitimacy’ to said rumors» «That’s it… and that’s why we’re here, Marilyn. I… I am not such an interesting target anymore. Lachdanan… he is. Definitely. A young Prince, in love… with a foreigner. The ruling Emperor engaged with a woman who hasn’t blue blood in her veins. That’s what they will say… the same person who elbow to have you at their gala dinners. Your child… they will have just a name, for him» «A bastard» she hissed, anger mounting inside her. «That’s what they will say, Marilyn. That’s what you’ll hear behind your back, unless…» «Unless?!?» «A marriage… a union between the house of the Uth Reisers and the house of the Reziels. That’s… that’s something nobody will ever dare to question. That’s something which will bury any rumor inside such a deep grave that not even a whisper will…» «Elistar… I’m not following. The house of the Uth Reisers and the house of the Reziels… Profer… what do you mean?!?» «Marilyn… as foolish as it may seem… become my daughter. Allow me to adopt you» |
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| Kangarawa | Aug 9 2010, 10:03:10 PM Post #37 |
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Maker of Coffee
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In the long two hours since she'd received Elistar's summons ... and regardless of the fact it had been couched as an invitation, both Marilyn and her staff had known it for what it was ... she had thought that she had run through every possible scenario. She hadn't. His proposal caught her completely off-guard. Personal and professional feelings warred one another. She felt her cheeks flush with both shame and an undefinable ... something. She paused before responding, both unwilling and unable to meet his eyes, rose and then walked to one of the windows, staring unseeing at the darkened gardens. She felt closer to him than she had ever felt to her own father but there were some things one simply didn't discuss with even a father, and despite the political ramifications, this was one of them. From the moment Lach had told her she actually was pregnant and that she'd been communicating with his twin, Marilyn had wondered not only how she could have been so careless but how much Reziel and the other affected Archs had known. There were many times, too many to count, that she'd confided in Ileana over the years, knowing that what she'd said would go no further, but in fairness, how could Ileana not have said something? Lord Swales had thrown a monkey wrench into the mix. If he knew, then others did, so it had only been a matter of time. She wondered how she could have been so cavalier as to have put off an appointment for her depo shot with the doctor on the Marine base. There was simply no excuse. She knew the traditions and customs here, knew the history ... but somehow she'd lost sight of her mandate. Responsibility, professionalism, duty ... she'd ignored them and indulged in the luxury of "feeling" since meeting Lachdanan. Her naivete and growing sense of familiarity and affection for the Rezielians had made her arrogant, allowing her to forget who and what she was. She was an army brat. Profer knew she'd watched her mother, an incredibly intelligent woman, uproot the family time and time again without complaint as her father was moved two or three times a year, constantly ignoring the abuse of the Captain and trying to maintain a stable home simply because it was the "right thing to do". Michael, her eldest brother, had committed suicide rather than sully her father's reputation or that of the Corps. Even her father, bastard that he'd been, had finally done the right thing to save Paddy ... all out of a sense of duty. And then there was Chantal ... dear Profer ... her aunt, Chantal; murdered along with her husband and children; murdered because she was chairing an Oversight Committee even though she knew the risks. No, she didn't have "blue blood" in her veins but she knew only too well the meaning of the word "duty" and the ramifications of ignoring it. Elistar had also known. He'd just admitted as much. She turned to face him, slowly, her smile sad and her voice very gentle as she finally met his eyes again. "Thank you, Elistar, but that's not the answer." "Marilyn, listen to me." As she shook her head, something in her expression stopped him from saying more. "I'm sorry. Please. Excuse me. I need to speak with Lach." Voice breaking on Lach's name, Marilyn quickly left the room, relieved not to have to face the usual sentry outside Reziel's quarters once she reached the corridor. As she reached the Esplanade, she ran toward the Embassy. |
![]() ![]() If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around. | |
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| Reziel | Aug 10 2010, 03:47:26 AM Post #38 |
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Eternal Delegate
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Somewhere The woman was so focused on her own storming thoughts that she rushed straight between his arms without even realizing he was there. It was just when his arms wrapped her in a warm embrace that she finally realized. Raising her eyes into his, she found an ancient emotion shining in the depths of an unspoken and demoniac oldness. For a brief moment she remained still, enjoying the sense of protection, but then she remembered what the creature was and suddenly broke free from his arms. Shaking his head, he smiled in what was a gelid warmth. «Confusing, isn’t it? My lover and my mother at the same time. This is…» «I am not your lover. Never… and I’m not…» «Oh come on… we cannot go on quarrelling and discussing every time you come to visit me, Mummy. We should…» he began, his gaze embracing the grassy hill all around them as he leant against an half-fallen basalt column. «Why am I here? How do I come here?» she asked angrily. «Well… sometimes I call you. It’s a bit fatiguing, as the child inside you has no consciousness yet. I have to… exploit the blood link. And drag the Lonely Prince’s energy, of course» he grinned devilishly. Too shocked to reply, Marilyn could do anything else but remaining speechless «In other cases, your consciousness become weaker and you are… dragged here, where you are safer» «Safer? Safer… from what? And what do you mean with the tale about a weakening consciousness?» «Well… right now, you’re overstressed. That rush towards the Embassy has been… a bit too much. You’ve fainted in the middle of the Esplanade and…» «Fainted?» «That’s what I was saying. Your consciousness has become weaker… you tie with the external world has loosened. Your guards are trying to bring you back… I suppose they’ll bring you to your rooms, sooner or later. And the Lonely Prince has been alerted, so you’ll probably wake up with him holding your hand. However… this makes things far easier for me. And…» «What do you want?» she impatiently shot, too busy to waste her own time in circular talks with an over-chatting demon come from the beginning of times. «I guess that a bit of cuddling will not be matter of discussion, won’t it?» he grinned, chortling at her incinerating gaze «Oh well… I’d like you to know that Doombringer’s proposal would make things far easier for everyone. Your duties, your loyalties… do not allow your beliefs to hinder your insight. Stay focused on yourself and do not allow anyone else to take decisions for you. Not your father, not your brother… not your countries: nor the old one, nor this new one. Exploit the world’s inconsistencies and conflicting demands and grow stronger… for yourself and for your child. Many things are deemed to happen… things whose impact and whose implications outstretch far beyond the life and the history of a single nation. In this perspective…» «Mare?!?» the interrupting voice was distant and confused. «…in this perspective, the Sons of the One Thousand Columns City can…» New Irem – The Kangarawan Embassy Marilyn’s rooms «Mare, please… wake up» Lachdanan’s voice was warm and cuddling, his hands holding tight her left one. «…can be extremely useful. Reamin with them as long as possible and... exploit them and their knowledges» the voice whispered in her mind before fading away. «Mare!» relief in his voice, Lachdanan smiled warmly as she finally opened her eyes. |
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| Kangarawa | Aug 10 2010, 07:34:57 AM Post #39 |
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Maker of Coffee
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New Irem – The Kangarawan Embassy Marilyn’s rooms Marilyn returned Lach's gaze unsmilingly as she searched his eyes almost frantically. She finally relaxed as she saw no signs of the gelid warmth of his demon. Gently, she touched his cheek with her right hand, remaining still for a brief moment and savouring the contact and his warmth before pulling away and sitting on the edge of her bed. "I'm fine. Really." The tone of her voice appalled her. Even she could detect the undercurrents of irritation, frustration and ... fear. How could she make him understand her decision if she didn't sound sure of herself? And it was the only logical dicision. She couldn't trust the demon. He had his own agenda. "You're not fine. You just fainted." Lach's voice was gentle and reassuring as he reached over to stroke her hair. She rose unsteadily, moving away from his welcome touch and walked slowly to the crackling fire, extending her hands to its warmth as if to gain strength before turning back to face him. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, she met his concerned look. "Lach, you know I love you. That's ... that's not the issue here. Elistar loves Ileana and she him but they've never been free to do what they wanted. Nor are we." She paused, then continued quickly at seeing the comprehension and stubborn determination replacing the concern in his expression. "Let me finish. Please?". He nodded almost curtly, eyes never leaving hers. "Yours is an ancient history, steeped in tradition. You're of royal blood, the Emperor ..." "A title and a role I've already offered to give up at least once, " he cut in grimly. "I know but ... but they're not yours to renounce. Okay, they are, " she corrected herself quickly as he shook his head. "But don't you see? Any child of ours will be branded, the subject of gossip, a hub of discontent. Even if I accepted Elistar's proposal ..." "What proposal?" A look of puzzlement creased his face. "He offered to adopt me so that our child would at least not be regarded as a bastard." Surprise and relief evident, Lach smiled, warmly. "That would solve ..." Marilyn cut him off, her voice gentle. "No, Lach. It ... it wouldn't. Sure, he wouldn't be a bastard in the truest sense of the word, but he'd still be the subject of animosity. I ... I can't do that to a child. I won't do it to a child. And ... and despite your history, your twin's involvement, your ... despite everything, he's not yet a child. It is a foetus. I want to terminate the pregnancy." |
![]() ![]() If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around. | |
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| Reziel | Aug 10 2010, 08:36:10 AM Post #40 |
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Eternal Delegate
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«Wh…what?!?» «WHAT?!?» The answer had been almost stereophonic. Lachdanan’s tone showed complete surprise. The voice in her mind… it did, too. But there was something more, as the thundering rage of an earthquake besieging the very foundations of Earth itself. In the same moment, Marilyn perceived… no: she saw the demon’s attack. For a brief moment, any whiteness disappeared from the sclera of the Colonel’s eyes, which became pitch black, his face grimacing with unexpected pain… but then, the blackness was fought back. Breathing heavily as if he was in desperate need for oxygen, Lachdanan smiled crookedly, then sat on the nearest chair. «It’s… I mean, your decision… he will fight it back. I’m… if he has ‘decided’ to tie with this child, it’s because… I think they have some kind of premonitions. They cannot predict the future or… Ki’jo, if only I had paid more attention during the lessons… they more or less see possible futures or something like that. If he has chosen this child… this foetus, it’s because he considers it as the best possible option for his own survival. Trying to sever the line of succession… it will become a matter of his own survival. You… you can push a beast away, if you need it. I… I can push him away, sure. But if there’s no exit, at the end of the alley… the beast will face you and it will fight in complete despair. If you… if we decide to put him into a corner… we have to expect the worst» «Lach… I’m aware this won’t…» she begun, being suddenly interrupted by the voice in her mind… and by the inexplicable awareness that Lachdanan was hearing it, too. «Mother… the Lonely Prince is right. I will not allow this. I will fight back… to protect myself against whoever will try to harm me. This is not something you should ignore. I like you… but this will not change my nature. I’ve killed before, I’m ready to do it again, if necessary. I am hoping this won’t be the case and that we can find some kind of… equilibrium in our relationship, Mother… but this child is needed» As the voice went silent, the two of them exchanged a long and silent glance, the Twin’s last words still resonating in their minds. «Mare… honest, my knowledge of their ways is lacking at best. If you’re serious about this… we should be extremely careful and… and yes, we have to request the Brothers’ assistance. They… ion their records, in their damned books… they probably have an answer to…» «And yours, Lach? your answer? You’ve not yet told me anything about your feelings. You’ve given me the information you would have given to your soldiers during a pre-planning brief… but I am not an Archangel. I’m your… woman. Nothing else, in this moment» the tears in her eyes shining of frustration, she patiently waited for him to answer. «For the people of Irem… I’ve always been lacking. Too weak during my youth, too impulsive during my adolescence… and in the end, unable to be the leader they needed. Bastards or not… my children will always and forever be the children of the Prince whose incapacity caused the Empire’s crumbling. Yes… being called a bastard is an heavy burden for a child. So did being considered the most useless Prince Irem had had in centuries. But then… we’re not there anymore. Despite their talks and their gossips and their complaints… the world… our world is changing. We do not bath in the Aren river anymore. Nobody sits on the Ruby Throne. Lothar… he lives, when Tradition would have required his life: Reziel himself has stood against this… and yes, there are talks against him. But the point is… what we’ve believed for numberless centuries… it’s being unhinged. Many will try to resist… but the Aurum Gates have fallen, even if we grasp to the idea that Irem has been handed over and not conquered. This… this comes with a cost and in the end no Iremian, child or adult, male or female… nobody will be spared the consequent sufferance. If this is this child’s weight… I’d honestly say ‘be it’. Because… because this is what we need. The bravery to stop allowing our past to determine our lives. We… we already have enough burdens over our shoulders. A meaningless etiquette… we can live without it. Really. Our child… he will be… he could be our nation’s new beginning» |
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Armis Exposcere Pacem They demanded peace by force of arms ![]()
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| Dovakhan | Aug 10 2010, 10:09:24 AM Post #41 |
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They Desire a Better Country
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New Irem, The Grand Duchy of Reziel Embassy of the Republic-Khanates of Dovakhan "If there was supposed to be some sort of review of the foreign missions, why didn't the Director of Diplomacy conduct the matter himself?" asked the Dovakhanese Ambassador to Reziel with a hint of a whine. Indeed, it didn't exactly follow the chain of command that the Representative to the Confederated East Pacific would be reviewing his office. This greatly disturbed the Ambassador "The Magisterium of the Confederated East Pacific is not in session right now. So, given my relative lack of duties, I was asked by the Director himself to conduct a special review of this and other missions in advance of expanding our operations here," replied Mariana Respolitsia with a tight smile as she presented the official letter from the Director of Diplomacy. It amused her to imagine what the exceedingly rigid Director thought when the Khagan-Chancellor informed him of all this out of the blue. "Alright then... is there anything I can do for you?" asked the Dovakhanese Ambassador to Reziel. "A spare office with a telephone and network hook-up will do quite nicely. Also, could you please get me a cup of chai?" she asked with the same levity. (...) "Hello, Mr. Tyninan? It's your erstwhile acquaintance. I have just arrived in the Grand Duchy. I will need for you to arrange a meeting with the interested parties and, at the earliest occasion, the specific person in question. I'd prefer not to be seen at a certain embassy, for reasons I'm sure you understand," said Ambassador Respolitsia matter-of-factly. |
| Holy CRAP! This is the Dovahkiin! | |
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| Kangarawa | Aug 11 2010, 07:12:30 AM Post #42 |
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Maker of Coffee
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Kangarawan Embassy Marilyn's Rooms "Our child ...he will be ... he could be our nation's new beginning." Marilyn allowed the tears to fall unchecked as she walked over to perch on the arm of his chair, resting her head on his shoulder, his arm automatically reaching around her back to pull her closer. It wasn't that Lach hadn't talked about his childhood. He had. Ileana, Elistar and Kadras had always taken great delight in sharing stories, often embarrassing Lach with their chuckling reminisces. And Kadras? Kadras had a gift for story-telling. Many a night over a glass or two of wine, she'd listened, fascinated as he spoke of not only the history but of the fall of the Iremian Empire and his hopes for the future. Never had any of them even hinted that Lach had been "lacking" in any way ... but then, they wouldn't. They all loved him. She'd certainly never heard rumours about Lach. To now hear how he'd actually felt growing up came almost as physical blow. She'd known even as she listened to Kadras that many stories had been left untold. She wasn't Rezielian. Given Lach's comments and the anger and threat by the twin, she was frightened. She'd been convinced that hers was the only logical decision. But now? There was so much she didn't know, so much that she didn't understand. Too much. She ... no, they needed answere before they could do anything more. But not tonight. Lifting her head, she turned slightly so that she could see his face. His eyes mirrowed the fatigue and uncertainly in her own. Her vice was tremulous as she spoke. "Lach, I know it's early but ... but can we just sit by the fire for now ... listen to music and just ... not talk anymore about this tonight? I can't ... I don't ..." She stoped, unable to say anything more. Without a word, a myriad of emotions jumbled together in his eyes, he drew her to her feet and held her tightly before gently releasing her. "Of course, my beloved." They sat entwined on the couch, each gaining strength and comfort from the other, but as they stared into the flickering flames, each was alone with his thoughts. |
![]() ![]() If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around. | |
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| Reziel | Aug 11 2010, 07:24:06 AM Post #43 |
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Eternal Delegate
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New Irem – The Fortress Later that evening – 12 PM – Reziel’s rooms «Indeed, she has definitely met my expectations. It has been a worth try… and I’m sure we’ll be able to get all of the unofficial assistance we’ll need» grinned Lord Tynian, sipping a bit of the tasty wine the Grand Duke had just offered him. Nodding, Elistar Reziel smiled back. «Sooner or later I’ll have to meet this Mariana Respolitsia… she seems a rather interesting woman» he chortled «But please… summarize me the timetable again: I want to be sure I’ve understood everything. Details are…» «Fundamental, as always» added the NISA operative commander «As I’ve told… Lady Torvaen’s lunch will be a fundraising one, for ‘the little sweet children of Airbus UK’» he added, his voice being a falsetto imitation of the old Lady’s «It’s scheduled to take place in Solanthus at 1 PM. Lady Almsyck has been…» «How have you been able to involve Lady Torvaen, my friend? I mean… the woman is a witch! She…» interjected the Grand Duke, immediately going silent as he met the older man’s stern glance. «I’ve pulled strings and pushed buttons, Grand Duke. I’m not here to discuss my methods… nor to give out my net. You take the information you’re given as… facts» he replied dryly «So… 1 PM, in Solanthus. Lady Almsyck has been officially invited. Her copter is scheduled to take off at 10.30 AM from New Irem International. Incidentally, she’ll be able to offer a passage to both Lady Janus and Lady Respolitsia… whose timely arrival in New Irem is a grace, considering how much the Dovakhanese are humanitarianly worried about the situation in Airbus UK after our intervention» «A lucky coincidence» grinned the Grand Duke. «Indeed. Myself… I’ll be on the copter, too. My presence will be unofficial… again, do not worry about this. This way, Lady Respolitsia will be able to confront Lady Janus about the whole matter. Lady Almsyck’s presence will be both justified and very important to equilibrate the conversation… while mine will be fundamental as I suspect the Dovakhanese Ambassadress will require supplemental information about…» «Undoubtedly. Lady Janus will probably…» «Yes… I suppose she’ll need more information, too. This is a perfect chance. 10.30 AM to 1 PM… two hours and a half will have to be enough, in this phase. After that… we’ll have to see» As he went silent, Reziel nodded. As always, Tynian hadn’t left anything unexamined. «Now… the Deltas for the…» «One of my Silver Snakes has been requested to forward a decrypting code to Swordfish Norrell down in Free Pacific States. Assuming you would have approved my choice… I’ve already required one of my net experts to forward him an untraceable encrypted e-mail containing his instructions» Free Pacific States – Garneldo Naval base Later that night – 02 AM Even if the message was still being erased from the armband’s memory, William Norrell’s mind was already running fast, despite the unexpected and nightly intrusion in his rooms. Together with the inventory of needed equipment, a full list of names was already forming in front of his eyes: the men who had been with him during the Airbusian mess four years before, men who had become accustomed to work side-by-side with the Dovakhanese Green Crescents… who seemed destined to be their counterparts once again. «Defense contractors… hired for an independent evaluation of the Packilvania-Dovakhanese northern border» he chuckled, selecting a number of names from the armband’s list. Moments after, all of the green lights had turned on… except one. Not too bad, for a 2 AM call. And they had even found the one taking care of cooking, it seemed, he grinned. «Swordfish here. Operative within 5.55 AM, preliminary briefing at 6 AM. Embarking at 6.45 AM from Garneldo… civilian seaport. Standard Delta equipment. Undefined permanence. Swordfish out» he closed, without even waiting for his guys’ confirmations. Observing the clock, he smirked. Despite the Snake’s statements and despite the fact his men were born ‘ready to go’… there were a number of things to do. Even if his guys weren’t questioning ones, the preliminary briefing had to be prepared carefully. While pretending to be defense contractors, in the first phase they were required to perform preliminary surveys of the Dovakhanese/Kangarwan borders… with the ultimate goal of evaluating the chance to install a second-line supporting camp. After that, they would have received further information… but they had to be prepared for possible incursions into Kangarawa. Rescue ones… but not only. And the Protector’s seal shining at the end of the communication proved the seriousness of the whole thing. |
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Armis Exposcere Pacem They demanded peace by force of arms ![]()
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| Kangarawa | Aug 11 2010, 04:31:29 PM Post #44 |
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Maker of Coffee
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Office of the President, Parliament Buildings, Tasman City, Kangarawa Inner Sanctum - 9 a.m. Definitely not the reaction she had hoped for but most certainly one she ought to have expected, Masters thought. Just once, she'd have liked to have seen Adrienne Miller lose her cool. Miller had read the communique from Reziel and then ... nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not a flicker of emotion, no heightening in colour, no tension ... nothing. Would that she herself had that kind of control. Miller merely shifted her gaze from the communique to the large cube of black electronic equipment which always sat on the right corner of her desk in this small office off her "public office" for a brief moment and then fixed her gaze on Carolyn. "Thank you, Carolyn. Why didn't you get this to me yesterday?" Masters glanced over at Miller's assistant then back to Miller, not answering her question directly. "How would you like me to respond, Madame President? I'd like to suggest that ..." "I'll respond, in time. That will be all." Brad, standing by the door as usual, opened it and held it wide. Despite her countless dealings with the woman, Masters was taken aback by the abrupt dismissal. One didn't put off dealing with a staunch ally, particularly given their rare diplomatic status. "Madame President ..." The chill of her eyes contradicting the small smile she gave, Miller repeated, "That will be all." Cheeks flaming, Masters returned the cold look with one of her own and rose from her chair. With great dignity, she passed by Brad, hearing the door close behind her. Miller's tone was flat as she addressed Brad. "Get me a copy of our current diplomatic relations with Reziel as well as a listing of all Rezielian nationals currently in the country. Tell Dmitri I'd like to see him immediately and get General McKinstry here within the next two hours." Brad nodded and shut the door quietly as he returned to his desk. Setting the required search parameters on his system, he contacted the Under Secretary of Intelligence, relaying the brief summons. While waiting for the requested information to load, he wondered again at the President's refusal to have anything electronic in her inner office save the black generator, and her insistence on having hard copies of everything. It never made any sense. There were no filing cabinets in her office. In fact, the only things in her inner sanctum were her desk, four chairs and the black cube. Quickly scanning his screen, he keyed a synopsis of the lengthy diplomatic spiel, printed a copy of both it and the numerous pages of Rezielian nationals currently in country and took both into Miller's office, leaving immediately to wait on Dmitri Kostrov. Once alone again, Miller scanned the first page, ignoring, for the time being, the countless pages attached to it.
When Kostrov entered, the pages were face-down on her desk. "Madame President?" "Good morning, Dmitri. I want the doessiers on Chantal Scythes and all relations, including distribution of assets." Kostrov smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Something going on that I should be aware of, Madame President?" Miller passed him the communique from the Grand Duchy. Chuckling as he read it, he passed it back when finished. "And how do you intend to respond?" Miller's smile was grim. "In a way I'm quite certain he'll not expect." "As you wish, Madame President". Once the Under Secretary had left, Miller gazed into the black cube. The smile on her face was not pleasant. |
![]() ![]() If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around. | |
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| Reziel | Sep 27 2010, 11:05:56 AM Post #45 |
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Eternal Delegate
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New Irem International – Governmental area 10.28 AM As the member of the ground crew closed the door of the Bell 429, Lord Tynian smiled charmingly at the three women. «Lady Respolitsia, Lady Janus… I’m honored to meet the two of them. Lady Janus… I thank you for the passage» «You should thank the Grand Duke, Lord Tynian: it’s his personal copter, after all. And then… it seems your presence has been considered… warmly advised, to use an euphemism» replied the Rezielan Minister. She knew the man rather well, having had to work side-by-side with the Iremian Secret… the New Iremian Secret Agency quite often during her diplomatic career. But despite that, she had never been able to become ‘used’ to his presence. The white-haired man seemed able to move behind and beyond any regular scheme of predictability, which made him definitely hard to read. But then, his loyalty to the nation was unquestionable… just as his efficient proficiency. «We’re expecting a smooth flight, my Ladies» he told, with no apparent reply to Ileana’s comment «And our pilot is confident we’ll reach Solanthus International in due time… which means we have roughly ninety minutes. Too few for a complete exchange of pleasantries… therefore, I’d suggest we could skip that phase and move straight to the gist of the topic. I’m sure that the general concept of diplomacy will survive to this impolite violation of the game’s rules» he smirked. As the copter gently took off, the three women remained slightly bemused by the man’s words, giving him the chance to simply go on. «The copter is safe from any chance of tapping. At present moment, not even the Archangels are able to eavesdrop, therefore… Lady Janus, Kangarawa cannot be considered a trustworthy nation anymore. The change in its leadership is nothing else but a disgrace… and yes, we definitely fear your country is not able to protect itself from the internal threats. Above all because said threats happen to have occupied the most part of seats in the buttons’ rooms. Consequently… yes. There are intervention plans. There have already been operations inside your country and… we’re not acting out of the blue. Our intervention has been requested, and we’re working on multiple levels together with… let’s call them ‘anti Faction’ activists. Unofficially, of course. So unofficially that some of those activists are actually believed dead by your Government» «Lord Tynian, this is… I mean. Despite everything, the present Kangarawan Government is a legitimate one and… you are… we are…» started Ileana, definitely surprised by the implications of what she had just heard. «Taking all necessary steps to annihilate it. Yes, my Lady. And as I’ve anticipated to Lady Respolitsa… we’re basically needing help with this. More help coming from Kangarawan activists… and even more help coming from other nations. And due to its geographical proximity… Dovakhan comes into play straight here» he smirked. |
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Armis Exposcere Pacem They demanded peace by force of arms ![]()
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| AirbusUK | Oct 8 2010, 05:17:08 AM Post #46 |
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Kilroy was here
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Airbus UK – Capital City of Port Jennifer Office of the President Balaji Darmutsan – in the meanwhile Immediately after Darbat Singh’s spectacular death, the military oppression he had created with his coup started to collapse under the weight of internal rivalries between his main officers… the whole thing being spiced up by the progressive and merciless annihilation of their troops. In the end, the remnants of the Singhian army routed… and the invading Iremians did what he wouldn’t have ever thought they would have. They had stopped… and they had sent out an official communicate. With it, they accepted the unconditioned surrendering of the troops and asked for a possible interlocutor to discuss about their own withdrawal from Airbus. In the power-vacuum, the nation took the easiest route, restoring the legitimate Government. Thus, he had entered the Presidential office once again. Unofficially assisted by FPSian diplomatic representatives, he had gone to the table… just to find out the Iremians had no specific request but one: the official acknowledgment their intervention had been useful to annihilate a dictatorship and to restore a legitimate status quo. Basically, nothing else. They weren’t asking for years and years of exclusive exploitation of the nation’s riches and deposits of raw materials. Well… not that they weren’t interested at all about it, but they seemed to be far more interested in their own stance in front of the international community, as if they feared an official accusation of having started the war or the like. Well… to be accurate, they indeed had. But the re-appointed President was a practical man. Without an army, without a steady national apparatus, the situation was a mess. A mess which would have taken ages to come out of. If nothing else, the Iremian had given excellent proofs of their own discipline and organization. In those contingencies, their support was something Airbus would have made great use of. So… Balaj had accepted. Two months after the cease-fire, he had appeared in front of a large meeting of foreign reporters to officially thank the Iremians for their intervention, stress the main atrocities perpetrated by the Singhians and announce the start of a period of side-by-side co-operation with the Iremians themselves aimed at the quickest reconstruction possible. Now that five years had passed and that he finally had some ‘free’ moments to breath, Balaji Darmutsan decided the time had come to satisfy a curiosity of his own. In the end, the Iremians had done a great job training the re-founded Airbusian police… and they had been good buyers of a number of being-decommissioned military installations and equipments which Airbus simply couldn’t afford to maintain anymore. Thanks to their efforts, the Iremians had finally been able to start their own withdrawal… with a single and notable exception. Indeed, they had restructured Singh’s main military installation just outside Madras… and then, they had requested to be authorized to rent it for a renewable duration of ninety-nine years. Basically, they planned to use it as a de facto permanent garrison of them in the southern part of East Pacific… officially, as a second-line support to their FPSian installation in Garneldo. Once again, Balaji himself had carefully examined the situation… and he had accepted their request. Not only because of the fresh money the Iremians had put on the table… but because a garrison of them would have been rather useful to protect the nation and dissuade foreigners to take hostile steps. Something Airbus itself wasn’t able to, due to its own progressive demilitarization. But then… after some years, something curious had started to happen. Namely, Kangarawans showing up. In the beginning, it was no more than single operators or at best couples of them… but lately, their presence had definitely increased, the Iremians’ answers on the point being increasingly elusive and vague. The whole thing was definitely irrelevant… but that very vagueness had drawn his curiosity. And now, after having examined a good ton of document, he had finally started to understand. The whole thing was somehow linked to the deep changes happening in Kangarawa after the tragic deaths of President Mappins and Mrs Scythes. There still were grey zones… but the picture was beginning a bit clearer: the Iremians and the Kangarawans intended to use the Madras installation for some unofficial purpose of theirs. And he had to find out which kind of risks and/or possible advantages for Airbus this could have implied. |
| When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost. | |
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| Reziel | Oct 18 2010, 02:24:40 AM Post #47 |
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Eternal Delegate
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New Irem – The Fortress In the meanwhile – The terrace outside Reziel’s rooms As soon as he entered the terrace, Lachdanan perceived that something had changed inside the young Archangel Lieutenant. Arian hadn’t yet noticed the Colonel’s entrance and he was leaning against the marble railing, his gaze lost on the city at the Hill’s feet, part of his arctic-combat uniform still on, as he hadn’t even been granted the time to take a shower. But then… without needing anything else but seeing him, Lachdanan couldn’t avoid… Elsewhere When the gentle breeze suddenly ceased, the man put down the flute. Frowning, he observed distant clouds coming far closer and obscuring the sunshine. When the grass began withering in front of his eyes, he shook his head in what seemed an annoyed disagreement and then he waited for the armored figure to materialize. «Interesting news, Cousin. But I’d have expected to be… informed» the crimson eyes were shimmering in challenging rage as he nonchalantly sat on what could have been the fallen remnant of an ancient column. «Not my fault if you suddenly disappear, freezing your own ass chasing for fallen angels… Cousin» For a brief moment, the light seemed to be sucked away as the level of rage inside the shining crimsons increased. Grinning, the other man remained imperturbable, as if the show wasn’t impressing him so much. In the end, it was the armored knight the one who broke the stalemate. The light come back as he laughed loudly. «Good point indeed… even if you’re obviously failing to understand the ultimate purpose of my… wandering. So… interesting choice. No blood from the One Thousand Columns City runs in her veins… this could well have unexpected implications… can’t it? But then… there’s something more, and I’m not sure I really like it» «Oh… should this imply anything, Cousin?» the man asked, his tone being exaggeratedly interrogative in what seemed a clear derision. Catching it, the armored knight rose on his feet… but the other man did just the same, ready to hold his own position. «You shouldn’t dare to challenge me, Dealmaker. You should remember your place… and who I am. What I’ve always been… what I will always be» «Been? Will be… what? The shadow around the One Thousand Columns City? The unspoken terror, the blade in the night… the death-giver? Ah! Live your illusions, Cousin! You come here, threatening me… implying you have some kind of power over me… you haven’t. You’ve not had in centuries. While you played your comedy of the shadowy darkness… I’ve been playing a far more serious game. I am the One Thousand Columns City. I am the Empire. I’ve sat on the throne for countless centuries… I’ve shaped it. It has been my influence over the Imperial Family what allowed everything to happen… if we are where we are, it’s because of me, not because of your endless schemes and goals and anything» there was no passion, no sense of triumph. The tale was being told with a matter-of-fact tone… and the knight grinned. «Where we are? Half a world away from the ruins of your precious Empire, its glory lying in ruins behind your back?» This time, it was the other man the one who laughed, his head being shook in disbelief. «All of this time… and you’ve not learnt anything. Despising the Youngsters so much, you’ve wasted the centuries, Cousin. Everything has its own purposes… nothing happens randomly. Nothing. Not even the fall of the Empire…» «Funny… you’re trying to convince me you’re the hidden architect? The one whose…» «I’m not in need to convince you of anything. Facts speak by themselves» «Facts?» «You’ve finally realized that your precious castle is nothing else but at extension of your mind… well… rather lately, aren’t you?» This time, the armored knight froze. «What? So many years of your veiled sense of superiority crumbling because of a simple question, Cousin? So many years making fun out of me because I was… can’t remember the term… tamed? Not even a moment of re-thinking… not even when I abandoned the Fool to possess the Lonely Prince?» New Irem – The Fortress In the meanwhile – The terrace outside Reziel’s rooms «Lach. Come back here» Shaking his head, Lachdanan followed Reziel’s voice. When his eyes focused back on him, Lachdanan threw a quick glance at Arian. A quick nodding from him told everything. Whatever had dragged his attention away… Arian knew. It was that. Arian’s increased consciousness. «Storm… nice to see you» «Nice to see you back, Rainbow» he smiled. The Lieutenant’s posture. Something in his voice… the arctic mission had changed the boy… no: the man in front of him. How old was he, now? Twenty one, sure. Time was running quickly. It was just yesterday when Codric had been killed and now the brat annoying all of them was standing in front of him… an Archangel. The pot of gold at the Rainbow’s end? «Storm… Reziel has anticipated me the reason of this call and… yes, I think I’m ready for that. The Second Blade of Irem will be at Marilyn’s side, as my…» «No» Arian remained speechless. Interrogatively raising an eyebrow, Elistar Reziel glanced at the Archangel Colonel. It didn’t make sense. The choice had been made, this whole rethinking was… even more puzzled, he observed Lachdanan signing him not to interfere. «It’s… yes. The time has come. I had honestly thought it wouldn’t have happened so soon, but…» Lachdanan seemed a bit unconvinced of his own words, but in the meanwhile he unsheathed the sword at his side «I mean… I’ve carried it for so many years, now. I’ve won it from the one who was carrying it before me…» here, a sign of mutual nodding with Reziel was exchanged «…but as I was saying, the time has come. The sword is meant to be carried by a person only… the First Blade of Irem. It has been me… now, it’s your turn» With the grace of a master swordsman, Lachdanan changed his grasp on the ancient weapon. With a fluent gesture, his hand moved on the sword’s blade, its hilt being presented to Arian, who on the contrary seemed too astonished to make a single move. But when Reziel smiled at him, nodding his assent, he hesitantly placed his hand over the ancient metal. «It’s unusual… but it has happened in the past. Ki’jo knows if this is unexpected even for me… but I have to do what has to be done. Your turn, Arian De Corde. Be…» he started, suddenly stopping. Clearing his own throat, he instinctively assumed what could have well been described by an Imperial stance, his body irradiating an aura of obvious majesty «Be it known from Irem to Zigan that the First Blade of Irem is passed. Be it known in the four corners of the world that Arian of the De Cordes, son of Codric and Ileana Almsyck is now its caretaker» |
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| Kangarawa | Oct 19 2010, 05:37:33 PM Post #48 |
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Maker of Coffee
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Department of Intelligence - Communications Centre, 5 km north of Tasman City, Kangarawa Eric Patterson was good. In fact, he was damned good. He was arguably the best analyst in the service when it came to satellite surveillance since Ray Sibthorpe had resigned but the last month's work had frustrated him and his team no end. The Kashaboholeth Mountain Range ought to have been fully covered but only one of the two satellites that covered it was sending images, and it wasn't the only satellite in the network to have suddenly gone "silent". At least three others had as well. He'd asked. Profer knew he'd asked but had been repeatedly told to work with what he had and not to discuss the matter with anyone but his immediate superior. Satellites didn't "go silent" without a reason. Hell, if the country was ever nuked the damned satellites would keep sending images regardless. He'd even asked if they'd been reprogrammed. Nada. He was beginning to understand why Sibthorpe had left. As it was, only one hundred and fifty kilometres or so of the eight hundred kilometre range was covered. For the rest, he had to depend on aircraft surveillance. Security wasn't normally a problem given the inhospitable nature of the Kashaboholeths but his orders had been to find the location of a rebel encampment. Who in their right minds would set up camp there? It had to be big. Why else would two battalions have been moved in? One was camped in the foothills in the north of the north-south running chain along the eastern borders, the other on Jofet's Pass just out of satellite range. Jofet's was the lowest pass at just under three thousand metres, still a logistical nightmare in terms of supplies given the winds and weather. But if it was big, it wasn't in the northern part of the range. They'd have found it by now even if the guys they were looking for knew when the satellite was overhead. Wearily, he rubbed his eyes. Rezielian Military Base - Outskirts of Madras, Airbus UK Fisher leafed through the damning evidence again, reluctantly admiring both its brilliance and simplistic complexity. They'd covered everything: land transfers within holding companies, licenses, phone records, bank statements, eye-witnesses, DNA evidence, death-bed confessions, travel records. All led to only one conclusion of course, false, but who would be able to prove it? The Mappins' government had spent years trying to break into the Faction's communications network. It's complexity was designed, brilliantly designed, to intimidate by sheer scale. It was a haze. For every tentacle they'd managed to sever it seemed another dozen grew. Whoever had managed to put this together would not have left a trail. Absently massaging his right knee, he closed his eyes briefly before placing the papers on top of the Tasman Daily Telegraph. He picked up the phone and dialled a number known to only a few. "Robert Delaney, please." "Speaking." "Your shirts should be ready at 9:30, sir." "It's fine, Charles. I'm alone. The line's secure." David Miller sounded impatient. Fisher nodded. "The Grand Duke has the response from the President now. They want Janus extradited for complicity in the murders of Chantal and Peter. He won't be able to dispute their so-called evidence. The paperwork links her directly to Lucille Haskalah. We knew the link was there from sources in Kandarin, but this effectively proves that they collaborated with her. Nothing was ever recorded on our end ... there was no proof and her name was only a suggestion." During the long pause that followed, Fisher could almost hear his old friend's mind at work. "So ... Marilyn is the sacrificial pawn to get at the Resistance. If the Grand Duchy refuses to extradite, they have room to manoeuvre ... and my guess is that it will refuse to extradite. They know the situation." "Yep. Have you seen the Telegraph?" "Not yet. Why?" Fisher read the highlights of the pertinent article, smiling slightly as he heard David chuckle. "I'm flattered that they think me so important. Not like them to be so obvious about it though, Charles." "Perhaps not, but with attention focused on the Pax ..." "... few will pay any attention to an internal dispute that spills over onto another country because it refuses to honour a treaty. The joint military installation?" "That's our best guess. It's the only one of its kind. Once the Rezielians are out ..." "Can they get away with it?" Fisher paused before replying. "I don't know, David. I just don't know." |
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| Reziel | Oct 25 2010, 10:05:14 AM Post #49 |
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Eternal Delegate
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The Grand Duchy of Reziel – Solanthus The Archangels’ HQ - Emergency meeting - Immediately after When Reziel’s fist thundered against the table, everyone went silent. Even Lachdanan, who was obviously the most worried, sat back on his chair, waiting for the Grand Duke to speak. «Everyone… panicking won’t help us. Overreaction won’t help us» here, his glance danced over Lachdanan and Lothar De Corde «Nor stressing the many risks… I’m aware of them all. But this is a dangerous situation… so, dangerous solutions have to be examined. Therefore… Arian. A quick debriefing and then your field considerations. Sirs… this is the whole point: strategy and tactic. The one without the other and everything will be screwed. Arian?» All of the eyes over him, Arian De Corde stood silent for a brief while, his mind analyzing the plan. Chances. Risks. Possible problems. Hindrances. Logistic… tactic. His left hand moving instinctively over the sword’s hilt at his side, he finally raised his glance. «It can be… I can do it» he stated «The first part won’t be too difficult… taking down the copter without really harming its occupants, I mean. The real problems will come immediately after. The impact with the water… and then, during the sinking. There will be no surviving gear, inside… and as we’ll need to do it in open waters, we’ll have no more than a couple of minutes to locate, secure and ring the two of them back to the sub. After that… hypothermia will do its course. But… yes, I’m confident I will…» «’Confident’ is not enough, Arian» interjected Lothar De Corde, glancing straight at his younger brother. «I’m requested field considerations, Major. I’m speaking under a field-perspective. With all due respect, I cannot say anything more than ‘it can be done’. I will say ‘it has been done’ only after I’ll be back inside the sub» replied the young Lieutenant, his gaze sustaining his brother’s. «So, you’re saying…» began Reziel, being immediately interrupted. «Two specifications are needed, Grand Duke. I’ve told I can do it… but under two provisos. First… I’ll be given the men and the teams I’ll request, with no limitation. Assuming this won’t be a problem… Lachdanan will not take part to the operation» added Arian, his gaze immediately moving on the Archangels’ Colonel. «What the…» «Storm, you’re too involved. This will limit your perceptions. Secondly… the backbone of your training is not a SEAL’s. And you do not have specific training for polar waters… I do. This is my field… and your presence won’t be of any help. You… you’ll have to trust me» For a moment, the whole assembly went silent, everyone thinking to what had been told. The whole thing was absurd… but absurd moves coming from Tasman City required absurd reactions from the Grand Duchy. In the end, it was Elistar Reziel the one who spoke again. «So… under a tactical perspective, it can be done. Now, the point is… what about the overall strategy?» here, the Grand Duke looked straight at the two Kangarawans, the only foreigners attending the meeting «David, Patrick… it’s Marilyn’s life. In our opinion, the extradition request is filth. But if we simply deny it, we’ll do the Faction’s game. They’re looking for an excuse to kick us all out of Kangarawa… they know we’re observing them and they want us out of the playing table. As an alternative, we can reshuffle the deck and try to put them in the corner… but we’re not ready to play this game, if Marilyn is not safe. And we honestly think there’s no other way to protect her but to make everyone believe she’s dead» Going silent, the Garnd Duke waited for the Kangarawans’ answer. |
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| Kangarawa | Oct 26 2010, 03:58:19 PM Post #50 |
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Maker of Coffee
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Patrick had stiffened as Reziel's fist hit the desk. He had not been "panicking" as the Grand Duke had suggested, merely angry as hell. Miller caught his eye and almost imperceptibly shook is head as Patrick started to rise. Miller was pale, but as far as Patrick was concerned, looked as though he could have been discussing the weather. Then again, Marilyn wasn't his sister. Taking a deep breath, Paddy watched the interplay between the Archangels, his attention focussed mainly on Arian. He's too young ... Swanie had mentioned that Arian was "OK' when he'd arrived unannounced a few days ago; high praise from the usually laconic mountain goat. Apparently he and this Arian had been part of something somewhere up north. Miller spoke with his usual calm dignity. "Can we not get their permission for this? We're not only talking about Lady De Corde and Marilyn but of Lady Respolitsia as well. Is this worth risking an incident with Dovakhan?" |
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| Reziel | Oct 27 2010, 01:30:54 AM Post #51 |
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Eternal Delegate
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Among so many who were definitely more entitled than him to take active part to the discussion, Arian had just one asset. He was quicker. In that situation, it was enough. «Lord Miller… this will not happen now. If the operation will be authorized, my team will have to gather. We’ll be ready within thirteen hours from the ‘go’. Underwater, four persons would be too much… we should take for good at least one loss, something we cannot afford. No. Mar… Lady Janus will be the one occupant of the copter. Aside the pilot of course» he replied, before adding a final consideration accompanied by a crooked smile «Moreover… Lady De Corde is my mother. In no case I’ll be able to have her obeying my orders… and down there, I won’t have the time to open an endless mummy-and-kiddo discussion» |
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| Kangarawa | Oct 27 2010, 09:38:14 AM Post #52 |
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Maker of Coffee
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Patrick had stared at Miller in bemusement at the question. He's more upset than I thought ... "Of course. I should have realised." He shook his head slowly from side to side. "Forgive an old man who ought to have thought things through." He paused, lips slightly pursed. "So. You'll bring all of them back now. By playing it out this way, you could make it appear that you are acceding to the extradition demand and only then will Marilyn "disappear". It could work provided that you, young man, ..." his gaze focussed on Arian, " ... are as good as everyone seems to think you are." "As I've said, Lord Miller, I ..." "I heard you. You believe it can be done but can't make any guarantees. Nor, I suppose, would I expect you to. There remains the problem of convincing Lady Respolitsia that the whole extradition thing is a sham if we want the assistance of the Dovakhanese. Frankly, I'm not sure I can see that happening. That, however, is something we can address later. Patrick?" "She'll do it." The political implications might become important to him later, but right now, he found himself too angry to think of anything but Marilyn's safety. "She'll do it but I want McSwaine as part of your team, De Corde." |
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| Reziel | Nov 10 2010, 01:03:48 PM Post #53 |
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Eternal Delegate
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Once again, Arian replied before anyone else. «McSwaine is ok for me. If I have to bear the burden of an useless Kangarawan… let’s be someone who’ll not end strangling himself with his own shoelaces» For a moment, the tone had been serious… but the moment after, a shining smile appearing on the Lieutenant’s face told a whole world about his real consideration for men at whose side he had spent so much time training and Patrick couldn’t do anything else but nodding in appreciation. «With that… Phantom, Storm, I’m taking your word about having free hand in choosing my own team and I’m sure you’ll quickly make the needed arrangements. Dragonhunter, if I’m not needed anymore I’m planning to excuse myself and move along… many things to do» With that, without really waiting for an authorization, the young man saluted and simply went away. Grinning, Elistar Reziel observed the door closing behind Arian’s back and then turned to David. «His mother’s blood… definitely. Sometimes I wonder if his father wasn’t right about supplemental discipline lessons… but he is the man we need, no doubts about that. Whichever unexpected development… Rainbow will be ready to deal with it» |
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| Kangarawa | Nov 19 2010, 10:22:44 AM Post #54 |
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Maker of Coffee
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David chuckled appreciatively though to Patrick's ears, it sounded slightly forced. "Definitely his mother's son, Elistar." He took his time looking at those remaining in the room. Lachdanan still looked troubled. No, that was an understatement. He was in control, but he looked thunderous. Lothar obviously trusted his brother's competence. If it could be done, Arain could do it. Elistar knew what he was doing. He might not like it, but he knew what he was doing. As for Patrick? Try as he might, David couldn't read him right now. Steepling his fingers, he spoke quietly and pedantically, deliberately trying to diffuse some of the tension still in the room. "One plan neatly in place. We still need to consider what to do with Lady Respolitsia. She's gone out on a limb in order to assist Marilyn and there's no doubt but that it will cause her problems down the line. I'd like to suggest that in order to keep her safe and to protect that fragile balance Dovakhan holds with the Pax, we consider leaving Dovakhan out of this unless absolutely necessary. Granted, it's far easier to move men there than to Airbus from the camp, but it's adding a risk that I'm not sure we should have asked her to take." |
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| Reziel | Nov 23 2010, 12:31:00 PM Post #55 |
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Eternal Delegate
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The Grand Duchy of Reziel – Solanthus The Archangels’ HQ landing strip – Fifteen minutes after Observing the Bell 429 disappearing between the distant clouds, with Elistar reziel beginning his trip back to New Irem, Lachdanan finally turned towards Patrick Janus. «A lot of meat to cook, here» he smirked. As the Kangarawan simply nodded, Lachdanan couldn’t avoid noticing his increasing irritation. The ‘betrayal’ coming from his own country, so many plots circling around her beloved sister… he definitely needed a bit of steaming out. Or at least… to have his mind busier with operative tasks. Which Lachdanan himself had plenty of. «Moreover, there’s something else we have to discuss» added the Archangels’ Colonel. A simple statement which finally won the Kangarawan’s full attention «Fraternity… it’s too vulnerable, right now. This step of supporting Mrs Miller about Mare will reshuffle the deck gaining us all a bit of time, but we all know it’s just a matter of time before those scums start being extremely un-cooperative about the joint installation, with the final aim of…» «.. kicking you all out of Kangarawa» ended Patrick «So… what’s your idea? It’s patent obvious we cannot afford it. Fraternity holds too many projects… too many things we have to keep out of their grasp. Each single tech advancement being experimented there… if it falls into their hands, it will be used against us in the weeks and months to come» «That’s it» interjected Lothar De Corde «But luckily enough… this comes from far away. We’ve already taken precautions, fearing for a moment like this. Miller has done an impressive job with his dossiers… and we’ve used the same method with the Kangarawan guys inside Fraternity. Trusted members can be easily approached. Soldiers, technicians, analysts, researchers. For a number of them… the key ones, we have evacuation plans. The others… they will be extremely useful for the planned attack against fraternity itself» For a moment, the statement remained suspended, then Patrick signed the two Archangels to go on. «Basically everything inside the base has a ghost copy… you know, safety reasons in case of a major crash. Those copies can be easily… repositioned» explained Lachdanan «this is not an issue. Nothing will be lost. But this won’t be enough. We have to…» «Annihilate everything» ended Patrick. «Or at least… to make it extremely difficult for the Faction to take something useful outside the damaged and non updated copies they will be left. You can easily understand that to achieve this, we need two things» here, Lothar stopped, observing the man he had begun considering as a brother-in-arms. «The cooperation of the Kangarawans key elements… and the complete trust of ourselves, as there will be a moment when only the Rezielans will have the possession of so many years of joint efforts» answered Patrick, his tone dryly matter-of-fact. «Paddy…» just handing his wave, the Kangarawan signed him to stop. «How are you planning to ship all of that outside Kangarawa? It will be a rather huge pile of documents» «As soon as the filth will have touched the fan, there will obviously be a moment of great uncertainty. Our respective Foreign Affairs will be busy trying to cope and understanding who’s where doing what. Remember that Tasman is processing the whole Open Borders Treaty… it will be a mess. In the middle of it, we’ll move. Rules and protocols will become details. We’ll start a major ‘replacement’ operation, pretending there’s an high risk of… exposition to this filthy Resistance, for our guys. To cooperate with the nation, we have to be sure our guys down there have no sympathy for the betrayers. So…» «A massive airlift, Paddy. Swiftly enough to cut out any possible chance of immediate reaction. They will not risk a major incident… not with New Irem officially stating they have our full support. They will not be in the position to afford it… not in the immediate, at least. And with Dovakhan out of the games… who cares about anything. We’re men of action… let’s act. And let’s show them all they’re stomping over the wrong feet» closed Lachdanan, his tone as gelid as ice, his personal angriness at the whole situation finally coming to the surface. «Paddy?» glancing at the man, Lothar waited for the needed answer. |
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| Kangarawa | Nov 25 2010, 05:48:12 PM Post #56 |
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Maker of Coffee
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"It could work." He spoke slowly, thankful to have something concrete on which to focus. The scientists, encryption gurus, at least some of the trusted guys, particularly those already suspected of being in the Resistance, could all be taken out but ... "That window of opportunity is gonna be mighty small and it will all depend on how convincing Lord Reziel and Lady De Corde are." Lothar grinned wryly. "They'll be very convincing." "They'll have to be. I'm low man on the totem pole but Montgomery can likely put things in motion. Time line?" Lothar nodded as Lachdanan replied. "Two to three days. No more." "I'll talk to him and see what he says." Camp Dibenindizowin - Kashaboholeth Range - Kangarawa As usual, the hut was cold but after almost two years up here, Greg Montgomery, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, considered himself virtually immune. You could get used to almost anything when you had to. Standing in the middle of what was affectionately referred to as "The Hub", he drummed his fingers on the metal table, three of the techs watching him curiously and with more than a little apprehension. Past experience told them that that drumming signified something was going down and that they probably wouldn't like it. Montgomery was oblivious to the watching eyes. The call from Janus had been unexpected but then again, the kid couldn't have gone directly to Fisher. He didn't have the credibility with him that Montgomery did. What the Rezielians were proposing was risky but much as he wanted to get involved, with a highly active search under way for the camp, he couldn't risk it. As he became conscious of the eyes on him, the drumming stopped of its own accord. Mildly, he said, "Nothing to worry about. Searchers have yet to find us. Paul, mind getting Fisher for me?" Within five minutes, Montgomery was seated, a warm thermos of tea in one hand and a receiver in the other. "Think they can make it work?" As he waited for Charles to reply, Montgomery could picture his old friend rhythmically massaging his right knee . The initial questions had come fast and furiously as he'd given a general description of what the Rezielians were proposing. "It will, at the very least, buy some time and that can be used to our advantage. It's unlikely that the President will move against the joint installation given the current situation in the region. At best, with a little persuasion, it's possible that she could be persuaded to have the troops stationed at Fraternity assist in the search for you. That would remove some pressure. At worst, she shuts it down. Regardless, everything we've worked together on remains out of her hands." "Don't underestimate her, Charles." Fisher's tone was dry. "Oh, trust me, I don't. I'll have a wee chat with Colonel Abhrams at Fraternity. Between them, he and Colonel Clarke will be able to work out who stays and who has to get out. I'll also get them to remove a few we know are supplying intel. That ought to slow the President down a little." Montgomery swallowed a mouthful of tea. A hint of resignation in his voice, he continued, "You realise that we could stop this now if ..." "No. We couldn't. She's not ready, there's still not enough concrete proof and without that, we'd only be throwing her right back into the line of fire. Either we take out the entire network or we fail. Two days then?" "If it can be done. Profer guide us all." Montgomery sighed as he disconnected. |
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| Reziel | Nov 26 2010, 12:07:57 PM Post #57 |
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Eternal Delegate
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The Grand Duchy of Reziel – New Irem The Ministry of Foreign affairs – Three hours later «For the records, this is the darkest and saddest moment of my own career. I had sincerely hoped I would have been spared…» «Lord Margrav… I’m aware of it» Kadras’ voice was flat, the gaze of his one blue eye remaining firm over the Deputy Minister «But then, in dark moments, dark measures have to be taken. You’ve seen the Protectors’ Seal under the message… and I’m sure you’re not going to object to it» «Lady De Corde wouldn’t…» «In this very moment, Lady De Corde lacks a number of elements… elements which are vital for the correct interpretation of what’s going on. Moreover, the Grand Duke is triggering the special provisions of our Chart and…» «With all due respect, Lord Lordameer, I’m not discussing about formalisms. I wouldn’t have the littlest hesitation in executing any possible order coming from the Grand Duke… aside this, probably. I’m questioning the fairness of this…» «Once again, the Grand Duke walks right over a razorblade. He has done it before… and at that time, you’ve trusted his judgment. What you’re being requested, Lord Margrav… it’s nothing else but trusting it once again» Their eyes still chained, Lord Richard Margrav sighed deeply. Marilyn Janus was probably the best ambassadress he had had the pleasure to work with. And now… but in the end, Kadras was right. Elistar had to have his own reasons if he was doing what he was doing. He had always had. A moment after, the message had been sent. Strangely enough, Kadras’ nodding didn’t help at all in relieving the burden.
A single moment after, the Archangel escorting Kadras turned his electronic armband on and whispered a command. Somewhere else, the electronic attack which would have deafened and blinded the Rezielan Ministry started without delay. If the Kangarawans had concerns about Marilyn’s transfer… well, there was no chance the Rezielans will have known about them until it won’t have been too late. The Grand Duchy of Reziel – Solanthus The Congress Hall – Fundraising lunch for Airbusian children – In the exact meanwhile Perfect in his Archangelic high-uniform, Major Lothar De Corde glanced all around for a brief while, observing the attendees. Iremian and Michelslandian nobles, together with notables from the two countries. CEOs, diplomats… and himself. Doing what could have well been considered the filthiest thing ever… but Storm was right. Had anyone else been sent, the whole thing would have been impossible to carry on. The Archangels guarding the building would have simply thought an enormous mistake was happening… and, while doubting, they wouldn’t have allowed anyone to touch Marilyn Janus. With he himself bringing the… «Major De Corde! This is definitely a surprise! Can I introduce you…» Glancing at Lady Alexandra Torvaen, Lothar paled. He had to hurry up. He definitely didn’t need to focus so much attention over himself. Politely, he simply shook his head, ignoring the sudden frowning of the old Lady as he simply crossed the room, having finally located the Kangarawan Ambassadress. Moments before he had finally reached her, however, he realized with great dismay that what he had been fearing… well, it was happening right now. Marilyn was with Ileana. That would have been a possible complication. And indeed… «Lothar? This is… wow. I can’t honestly remember the last time I’ve seen you at a gala lunch. What’s…» «Mother… I beg your pardon, but I’m in a great hurry. I definitely have no time for pleasantries» he replied, his tone unable to hide his own increasing unrest as he turned towards Marilyn «Lady… Lady Janus. I’m requested to escort you out of this room. Your attention is urgently needed… elsewhere and now» |
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| Kangarawa | Nov 29 2010, 09:35:39 AM Post #58 |
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Maker of Coffee
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Both women maintained their professional demeanor with little noticeable sign of their disquiet observable to those who had watched Lothar's progress across the room and the uncharacteristically cavalier way in which he had brushed off Lady Torvaen. Lothar was, however, conscious of the many eyes following him and the sudden stillness of the two women in front of him. "Lach? Paddy? What's happened?" Although the words were quietly spoken, the anxiety in Marilyn's voice was unmistakeable to him. Lothar's voice softened slightly. "Lady Janus, they're both fine." Steeling himself, he continued, "As I said, I am here to escort you ..." "Lady Janus not Lady Marilyn? Pleasantries? Common courtesy is not a pleasantry, Lothar." Ileana spoke just as quietly as Marilyn had done, but her mothers' eyes were quick to discern Lothar's discomfort. "What exactly is going on?" The hint of steel in her voice demanded an answer. After looking meaningfully around the room, Lothar met his mother's eyes and stood his ground. "Mother, this is neither the time nor the place." He directed his gaze to Marilyn. "Lady Janus, come with me, please. Now." As Ileana's eyes sparked with anger, Marilyn placed a placating hand on the older woman's arm. Relieved, but slightly bewildered, Marilyn looked from one to the other. "Lothar, I'll be happy to go with you once you tell me what's so important that it can't wait for a mere two hours until my responsibilities here are done." Parliament Buildings, Tasman City, Kangarawa Office of the President Adrienne Miller had allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction as she read the second paragraph of the communique from the Grand Duchy. The smile disappeared and her eyes narrowed as she read the last line of the third paragraph however. "Message Margrave immediately. There is no need to move her to Kasmir Island. Have them put her on one our military jets and transfer to the military base at Lake McQuarrie immediately. Hold all calls until we have confirmation." "Yes, Madame President." As her aide left the room, Miller eyed the document thoughtfully. It had been too easy. Office of the Minister of International Affairs With utter disbelief, Carolyn Masters read the missive a third time. Extradition? Evidence? Evidence of what? Mind reeling, she dialed the President's Office only to be told that, as usual, the President was unavailable to take her call. Frustrated, she stood and walked to the window, staring but not seeing the harbour in front of her. Something was terribly wrong. |
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| Reziel | Nov 30 2010, 07:49:58 AM Post #59 |
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Eternal Delegate
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The Grand Duchy of Reziel – Solanthus The Congress Hall – Fundraising lunch for Airbusian children «Lady De Corde… is everything ok?» Noticing the obvious stress, the Archangel had crossed the room discretely but without hesitation, smiling and nodding here and there at those he had been meeting, but keeping his whole attention focused on the busy trio. Strangely enough, Lothar seemed to note him only after he had spoken… which was definitely unexpected, considering that he was trained in being constantly aware of the whole surroundings, whichever the situation. «Cuddler, this is not… oh Ki’jo!» sighed Lothar. Things were becoming complicated. The high rank Archangel knew the other man well enough to know that the escorting Archangel wouldn’t have hesitated to neutralize his own commander, had he considered some kind of threat was being posed to Ileana. Moreover, his own mother was a witch… yes, he should have thought about that. A single detail which could have messed up everything just because of her cursed temper. «Lothar?» asked Marilyn, frowning slightly at the man’s obvious distress. «Mother… Lady De Corde, I have to ask you to stay out of this…» «Phantom, you seem a bit over the edge. I think you should…» interjected the other Archangel, his feeling of ‘something strange’ becoming stronger and stronger. «No, Cuddler. This oversteps your loyalty to my mother… and, mother, this oversteps any authority of you. This is not the place nor the situation… and the more attention we draw, the bigger the danger for us all. Therefore…» here, he turned towards the Kangarawan (ex) Ambassadress «Lad… Mare, please. You have to trust me. I’m here on behalf of both Elistar and Lach and… you will have all of the answers. You have my word of honor. Just please: not here. Not now. Just… follow me» Rezielan waters North of the Grand Duchy In the meanwhile «Try not to break yourself a leg!» chuckled the Captain, helping Arian keeping his own balance as the Archangel seemed to be on the point of slipping over the wet metal of the submarine’s structure. Chortling, the Captain appreciated how the young man replied with a simple grin. «Is everything ok?» asked the Archangel, moving swiftly towards the entrance hatch. «Yes, Rain…… yessir!» smiled the Captain, an amused glance meeting Arian’s eyes as the boy observed the older officer «I mean… Solanthus has been rather clear, on that. You’re the big guy round here… Sir!» Puffing, Arian disappeared inside the hatch, then waited for the Captain to follow. Seconds after, the entrance had been sealed and the officer grinned devilishly. «Well… chances for me to have bits of information? I mean… the guys are rather used to move without delay, but this seems a matter of incredible urgency, so we’re very curious. Above all… couldn’t have we waited for you in Candle in the wind, instead than picking you up in the middle of the sea?» «This will save us at least three hours… and Ki’jo knows if we’re in great need for them. McSwaine?» «He was still in Candle, so it has not been a problem. Aside the fact he wanted to bring a whole pack of those dogs with him… well, we’ve reached a compromise. A single dog… and it’s more than what I was supposed to do. But again… it seems we have to bow to your ultimate power, Sir» winked the Captain, still waiting for some kind of deeper answer from the younger man, who blatantly prevaricated. «Very well… I have to reach the command bridge. I will update the systems with the needed coordinates myself» «What the… oh. Wow. This is Protector’s Seal, right?» As Arian simply nodded, the Captain went immediately serious, signing the Archangel to follow him. |
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Armis Exposcere Pacem They demanded peace by force of arms ![]()
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| Kangarawa | Nov 30 2010, 12:51:39 PM Post #60 |
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Maker of Coffee
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The Grand Duchy of Reziel � Solanthus The Congress Hall � Fundraising lunch for Airbusian children "No, Lieutenant, everything is NOT ok. Lothar, how dare you take it upon yourself to decide ..." "Ileana, this ..." Marilyn tried to interject but Ileana pointedly removed her hand from her arm and shook her head while cutting her off. "No, Marilyn. This is totally ridiculous. My son has over-stepped his bounds." Her eyes never left Lothar's as she continued, "Lieutenant, remove my son from the room." Extremely uneasy by now, and looking from one to the other, the Lieutenant hesitated as Lothar pressed a button on his armband, quickly turning his head as the wide oak doors of the Congress Hall swung wide. His eyes were not the only pair to widen as a full dozen Archangels entered in formation moving directly towards the four of them. The sudden silence in the room would have been deafening were it not for the measured tramp of booted feet. "What the hell?" Ileana looked about to explode. Resigned to having lost what little control over the situation he might have had had he been able to diffuse his mother, Lothar grimaced, mentally cursing Phantom and Storm. If his mother had been difficult to deal with before, this would result in her making his life hell on earth for the foreseeable future. As for Marilyn ... "Move back, Cuddler. Lady De Corde, I would ask you to step away from Lady Janus, if you please." Lowering his voice, he added, "Mother, do not make an already impossible situation worse." Ileana's response was to move closer to Marilyn as the soldiers surrounded them. "Impossible situation? I want ..." Shaking his head, Lothar's voice could now be heard clearly throughout the room. "It doesn't matter what you want, Lady De Corde. Lady Marilyn Janus, pursuant to Section 5, subjection 4, paragraph 2 of the Extradition Treaty with Kangarawa, I am taking you into custody." Although her colour had risen immediately, Marilyn's voice was calm as she asked, "With what have I been charged to warrant extradition, Lord De Corde?" "Murder." Marilyn simply stared at him, totally aghast, almost sure she'd misunderstood. Ileana's startled, "Murder?" disabused her of that notion but as the furious older woman began to speak again, Marilyn stopped her by raising her hand, speaking very quietly. "Please, Ileana. For my sake ... not here." Eyes moving around the room, watching those with whom she'd exchanged pleasantries only minutes before avert their eyes, hearing whispers start, her heart started pounding. That they'd not even meet her eyes ... Inwardly, she cringed, deeply wounded, knowing only too well that reputations could be ruined by rumours and that this went well beyond a rumour. Refusing to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her discomfited, Marilyn spoke clearly and decisively. "All charges against me will be refuted beyond a shadow of a doubt. I am innocent of any wrong-doing." Lothar bowed and offered her his arm, his eyes softening. "I sincerely hope that that is exactly what occurs, Lady Janus. Please, come with me." Taking his arm, she allowed him to lead her from the hall, the Archangels and Ileana following, leaving a room full of speculation behind. |
![]() ![]() If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around. | |
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7:51 PM Jul 10