Populate Cried Wolf - [TIC Populate of Empty Hex]

[Her]

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New Alderaan, Outer Rim Territories;
The Establishment for the Commission of Civilian Interests, C.O.M.E.C.I.

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"As I left the Exarch's office I knew my time was drawing to a close. That it was only a matter of time until he put it all together. Everything that I have done. Until that day I will continue the work. I have Thandon back in my sights again."

– Excerpts of Her thoughts as she left the offices of the C.O.M.E.C.I after 'All you need to do, is knock.'

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It is a time of political turmoil in the nascent Imperial Confederation.

The reign of the Imperial Empress LIRAETH DESCHART has come to an end.

Following an emergency session convened within the hall of the Commission of Civilian Interests [C.O.M.E.C.I], Imperial Exarch, Karl Von Strauss , enacted SPECIAL MEASURE 'EX-42A' to depose the sitting, defacto Head-of-State and nominated as monarch at the behest of the Second Imperial Occupation of the Outer Rim Territories. Uncertainty, combined with speculation of a coup d'état, have been rampant ever since, complicated by the announcement of an investigation into von Strauss by the Imperial Corrections Directorate and the emergency powers that were used to remove Deschart from power!

Confidence must now be restored in the Imperial people before anarchy and disorder return to the former lands of the Empire of the Lost.

The enigmatic Warden Primus of the I.C.D is set to host a speech in New Aldera to announce her findings after concluding the investigation into the special measure that was used to dethrone Empress Deschart. A new session has been called by the C.O.M.E.C.I to hear what the elusive Her has discovered about the Imperial Exarch and the reasoning behind his decision to enact 'EX-42A'. After meeting with von Strauss, secured in the knowledge that Project Tion is set to continue, and an incursion back into the Thandon Star Nebulae now an inevitability, will Her back the Imperial Exarch's decision to remove Deschart from power and subsequently exonerate him in the public sphere? Or has she discovered evidence of the corruption implied and alleged against the Imperial Exarch when the I.C.D investigation was launched in the first place?

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OBJECTIVE I

THE COMISSION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVILIAN INTERESTS
[C.O.M.E.C.I]

​

New Aldera is rife with speculation and uncertainty. The Imperial people require order to be instilled before the sins of the past threaten to boil over into the present day. Outside of the offices for the Commission for the Establishment of Civilian Interests [C.O.M.E.C.I] a speech is set to be held and distributed across the Imperial Confederation as the Warden Primus delivers the findings of the Imperial Correction Directorate's investigation into SPECIAL MEASURE 'EX-42A' that was used to dispose of the Imperial Empress LIRAETH DESCHART.

When the speech draws to a close a new session is set to be held by the commission that will determine the Imperial Confederation's future. It is a rainy day in the city, and dignitaries from across the four Imperial remnants– previously banded together under Deschart's rule– have arrived planet side to discover what the next era holds in store for them and their people as they are set to enter a new era unbesmirched by a sycophantic monarch, backed by her tedious subjects from the so-called Risen Empire, while the rest of the galaxy watches on.

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OBJECTIVE II

THE RISEN IMPERIALS

​

As part of their negotiations into joining with the other Imperial remnants, who went on to form the Imperial Confederation with them, the RISEN EMPIRE demanded that LIRAETH DESCHART– reigning monarch of the defacto Risen-Imperial bloc– be installed as sitting IMPRESS EMPRESS at the beginning of the Second Imperial Occupation of the Outer Rim Systems as the former lands of the Empire of the Lost were retaken by a resurgent presence brought about by the newly formed nascent Imperial government.

After the Battle of Brosi (following the enacting of 'EX-42A') Empress Deschart was dethroned and subsequently placed under house arrest by Imperial Exarch, Karl Von Strauss . This has caused unrest and backlash from the Risen-Imperials who now find themselves leaderless in the Imperial Confederation!

They must be dealt with. Just as their superiors were.

SELRIK LORCAS, the former Grand Imperial Moff, was consequentially exiled from the Imperial Confederation after its loss at Brosi. Others are now set to join him. Arrest warrants delivered by the Imperial Corrections Directorate have called for the immediate detainment of all Risen-Imperial officers and personnel found in the capital of New Aldera– in concert with security forces deployed by the Imperial Sector Authority, Empire Reborn and Mahporeem Imperial Remnant– to bring order and a smooth transition of power on New Alderaan.

As one era ends another is set to dawn under cast iron grey skies.

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[Her]

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New Alderaan, Outer Rim Territories;
The Establishment for the Commission of Civilian Interests, C.O.M.E.C.I.
Tags: Lur Kri'fula | Nolle Tron | Aurelian Veruna | Nora Laan | Allyson Locke | Karl Von Strauss | Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory | Marlon Sularen

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OBJECTIVE I
' The Commission for the Establishment of Civilian Interests '

Why does it feel like all the walls are closing in around me?

Fog was forecast for New Aldera bringing with it a smell of pollution that made your eyes water and left a taste in the mouth. This city used to be lovely once. The Alderaanians certainly knew something about class which was distinctly the opposite to their Imperial occupiers. Sometimes, as you travelled through the streets, you could see the remnants of that past where architecture had been melded with art in a design that gave off the feeling of tranquillity and peace. You couldn't say that about this place now. Not when one false step could get years taken away from you for the most minor of infractions and where peace, or order, were kept by the end of a blaster held by men that wouldn't think twice about putting you down. Agitators, they called them.

At the beginning of the second Imperial occupation of New Alderaan the top brass negotiated a series of agreements which had seen to the establishment of several organisations dotted across the nascent Imperial Confederation. It was by the design of the Imperial Exarch, Karl Von Strauss , that the affairs of the military and their civilian subjects were to be separated at a state level with intervention brought by the former upon the latter when it became absolutely necessary. He went onto call this civilian oversight as 'The Commission for the Establishment of Civilian Interests', or, as it was known by it's military codename: C.O.M.E.C.I.

Up until now, as the Confederation expanded it's star empire, which had seen to the discovery and subsequent absorption of a fourth Imperial remnant colloquially known as Mahporeem, the arrangement between the military and this civilian oversight had worked out well with the likes of Sularen (and others like him) given free reign to run military matters without being disturbed by matters pertaining to the state and subsequent running of the six star sectors that were initially taken after the Empire Reborn, Imperial Sector Authority and Risen Empire merged to create the Imperial Confederation.

Nobody could have predicted the fallout after Brosi.

It had begun with the immediate expulsion and subsequent exile of the former Grand Moff: Selrik Lorcas. Then, weeks later, a special session hosted within the assembly hall of the C.O.M.E.C.I where the Imperial Exarch announced the enactment of a special measure to remove the Imperial Empress from power. No explanations had been offered by von Strauss as he closed the session leaving the smell of a cover-up and rumours, particularly among the Risen-Imperials, that a coup d'état had taken place had become rife and bothersome. As it looked like these events were set to dissipate into superstition and rumour a branch of the civilian oversight announced that they were set to investigate the Imperial Exarch and his decision to remove Liraeth Deschart from her throne as the Imperial Empress. Finally, everyone would have answers.

With their investigation complete, in compliance with the directives and regulations put in place by the Exarch himself, the Imperial Corrections Directorate were ready to share their findings with the Imperial people. It was a time of uncertainty which required clarification, and, according to an analysis conducted by Vūm, the subsequent revelations made by the I.C.D investigation into special measure 'EX-42A' would expedite hostilities between the nascent Imperial Confederation and the Eleventh Sith Empire that the former had attacked at the Battle of Brosi...

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[Rohlan Basra]

OBJ II. THE RISEN IMPERIALS

"You know, I never thought I'd be fighting Imperials again," Sergeant Major Harkas said. "Thought those days were behind us for good."
Captain Weber scoffed. "What, you haven't been watching the news the past decade? INN bandwidth might be bad, but it's not that bad. You know-- despite the censoring and all."
Basra caught Major Desyk's narrowed eyes on Weber, but the man said nothing. Harkas jerked his chin toward the pile of cards between them. "Yeah. But I mean like this." The cards lay scattered across the IFV's armor plating. Most Wanted Risen Imperials repurposed into a sabacc deck.

The Barran-class IFV rumbled forward with the rest of the battalion, rolling into New Aldera from the southwest. Rice pattered against the hull. Cheers echoed off the buildings. Civilians flooded the street, hands raised, voices breaking into jubilation. But there were equally as many faces looming from behind windows, expressionless. Whatever fiery words the Warden Primus may have uttered to win hearts and minds, not all sentients were inclined for change; change always demanded a price, and not all sentients were willing to pay it.

Basra wanted to want to bask in the jubilation of the locals, but his own heart and mind were elsewhere. A holo-message flickered at the edge of his thoughts - 'When are you coming home, dad?' 'I don't know when, son, but we'll get together then.' His boy had learned to walk while Basra was away. Learned to talk while he was away. A hundred thousand light-years away.

This had to end.

From out of nowhere, blaster fire slashed past his head. The IFV lurched as the driver slammed the brakes. Basra pitched forward, hit the ground hard, and rolled. His helmet skittered away across the plating.

"Contact!" he shouted and hurried for the cover of a nearby building.

A missile screamed in. The IFV vanished in a white-hot flash. Shrapnel tore through the air. Cards burst upward like a flock of birds, spinning, burning, raining down with scraps of armor. He dove through a doorway as debris hammered the street behind him.

"I thought this sector was combed, damn it, Sion" he growled.
"Reports coming in now, sir," his XO said. "Tunnels found beneath multiple buildings."
"Get the IFVs off the main street. Start clearing structures. Now."
"Affirmative, sir."
Weber leaned in. "Hey, Colonel."
Basra turned. "What?"
"There're two cards under your boots. You mind telling me what they are?"
"Are you out of your mind, Aldous?"

Aldous didn't bulge and neither did Harkas. Basra looked down. Two cards lay half-crushed in the dust. He bent, picked them up, and flipped them toward his staff. "Idiot's Array."

Noshe Rubin.
Biron Leteo.
Manakhem Lapad.

Three faces of the Risen Imperials' Most Wanted.

"I want them cuffed or dead by tonight."

 

[FN-999 (restored)]

OBJECTIVE II
Tags: Open

Sadly, FN-999 was all too familiar with Imperials fighting Imperials.
​

It was how the New Imperial Order had collapsed twenty-seven years ago, destroying not only the strongest empire in the galaxy but also marking the demise of the Barran clan that had once led them to greatness. The scars of Imperial infighting then had been so deep that it had taken nearly two decades before the warlords of the former NIO could put aside their differences to form the Empire of the Lost. It would take another eight years afterwards for the Lost Empire, Imperial Sector Authority, and Risen Empire to meet and negotiate a mutually agreeable treaty to confederate, at last restoring a strong central authority to most of former New Imperial space.

Now, the arrogance of the Risen Imperials threatened to pull the Empire back into another decades-long calamity, taking its greatest leaders along with it.

FN-999 would not allow the Empire to fall again.

The full might of the Seventh Army’s 23rd Regiment was deployed on New Aldera, composed of young stormtroopers from all four Imperial remnants of the Confederation. They had recently proven their worth in the war games on Dac, defeating the Diarchy’s legions after a long and hard-fought battle through the tropical jungle. The 23rd now faced a different kind of jungle - the urban jungle of the Imperial Confederation’s capital.

Massive AT-TLs towered over the massed stormtroopers and Gladius repulsortanks below, all marching in unison through the city streets of New Aldera. The capital was on total lockdown for the duration of the Risen Empire’s insurrection, its streets empty except for the advancing 23rd. Near the front of the formation, stormtroopers atop repulsortanks carried loudspeakers that blared out into the buildings and roads around them.

{All citizens, shelter in place. This is a lockdown. This is not a drill. Do not give aid to strangers or let them enter your home.}

The message repeated every few seconds, spoken by several different troopers at different points in the formation.

High above the advancing formation atop one of the AT-TLs, FN-999 stood behind the pilot’s seat.

His unit had fought well in the war games on Mon Calamari, but this was a conflict of a whole different intensity. The unity of the Imperial Confederation lay on the line. FN-999 could not afford to be as cautious as he was in the war games, not when failure to subdue the Risen Imperial uprising could end the Confederation itself. Furthermore, FN-999 had intimate knowledge of his enemy. Unlike the ancient Laphisto on Mon Calamari, the top brass of the Risen Imperials were well-known humans of FN-999’s age or younger. Like FN-999, they had once been Imperial warlords, and they now once more behaved as if there was no central authority to stop them.

That misconception would be their undoing.

FN-999 reached for the walker’s comms to the right of the pilots to address his unit.

[All units, this is FN-999. We are facing an insurrection of so-called Risen Imperials. Do not spare them any sympathy. If possible however, aim to stun the rank and file troopers. They are not guilty of the conspiracy of their superiors. For the officers and ex-warlords that have led this conspiracy, I have only one message.]

[Surrender, or die.]
​

 

[Nora Laan]

Objective: One

Power struggles. They persist throughout the Galaxy like planets rotating around a star. Their cycle is neverending. History has proven that; as has the present. The future will only continue that trend. Some struggles were bigger than others. And for a former leader of a planet exiled as the foreign occupiers took over; Nora found herself curious as to how others handled it. Perhaps it would provide a bit of a learning opportunity.

The hall had not yet settled. Conversations overlapped in low currents as attendees found their places, the air thick with anticipation rather than revelation. Nora stood among them, one more figure in tailored attire, listening without appearing to listen. This was the part of gatherings she found most instructive; before official words smoothed rough truths into something presentable.

“It’ll be framed as a necessity,” someone murmured nearby. “Order had to be restored.”

“They’ll never call it a coup outright,” came the reply. “Not if they want legitimacy.”

Nora let the words pass, committing them to memory. She had heard the same arguments before, spoken with the same confidence, on New Cov. Power rarely introduced itself as conquest. It arrived draped in process, in reassurances that this time would be different.

A cluster of elites laughed softly a few steps away, trading predictions on how far the investigation would truly go, who would be named, and who would be carefully omitted. Nora’s gaze lingered there a moment longer than politeness demanded. These were the people who understood the mechanics, how an empire corrected itself publicly while preserving what mattered behind closed doors.

She shifted her stance, neither retreating nor pressing forward, making herself available to conversation without demanding it. If this speech was meant to explain how an Empress fell, then the room itself already explained how power survived. Nora intended to learn which of those present merely observed such moments; and which quietly shaped what came after.

Tags: OPEN

 

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

OBJ 1
TAG: Aurelian Veruna | Nora Laan

The reality had hit Amalia hard, she was first and foremost a spy, an agent to the will of the Lord of Hunger, secondary an assistant to ease the work of the Marquis of Valkan. She was always better in the work as a soldier, a commander or as a logistics operative, not in a position or function which demanded diplomacy and long talks. Still, it was demanded from her to take the forefront, to no longer remain in the background and to show the expertise she had build up over the decades in unyielding service to House Nargath.

the conversations where rife with tension, the words uttered silent and understatedly stressed, there were enough people who were doubting the current course of action, who feared that the Confederation had managed to outgrow its current system and was dangerously close to imploding. Yet, there were also those who saw this as an opportunity, as a way to gain favor from those who'd be left standing when the rubble was cleared, who believed this was not a civil war nor a battle, but a surgical amputation of the confederation's rotten flesh in order to allow the rest to flourish. Both assumptions had merrit, both beliefs had a ground of truth.

Amalia in the meantime could only watch it all happen, the Warden Primus giving her speech, delivering it as if she were in charge, a figure of absolute power and authority, declaring the end of an empire, the end of a bloodline, the dismissal of one of the Confederation's oldest remnant allies. She didn't clap, she didn't applaud or cheer to this news, because to her, it wasn't news, but old, rehashed words that lingered in the air like a bad aftertaste, the odor of sweat lingering within the lockers of the workers of the mines on Corvus.

Calmly she raised a glass filled with Corellian Whiskey into the air, taking a sip from it before she let out a sigh. "Shattering the perception of the old in order to herald in the new... bit cliché, no?"​

 

[Ronhar Tane]

CAPTAIN RONHAR TANE, TK-3301
OBJECTIVE II: THE RISEN IMPERIALS
NEW ALDERAAN

"Lock and load, Reclaimer Squad! We've got a job to do!", Ronhar shouted over the drone of the Night Reaver's engines as Salvage Team Six deployed their forces all across New Alderaan in the hunt for the so called "Risen Empire" Imperials. Ever since its failure to secure Brosi, the Imperial Confederation had been looking for someone to take the blame, whether that be as a scapegoat or because their actions caused the invasion to fail. It didn't really matter to Ronhar, because he had his orders:

Arrest the traitors, and kill them if necessary.

Down below, several STR - "Rancors" rumbled along the city streets, occasionally stopping to deploy ARC Troopers and Storm Commandos into buildings suspected of harboring the terrorists and traitors. Though FN-999 (restored) had been rather clear in his orders of trying to spare the rank and fire troopers when possible, so far they weren't really giving Ronhar and his men much of an option to do so. Several times already the Night Reaver had been targeted by missile fire, and Ronhar could see streaks of blaster fire slamming into the Rancors as they returned fire with their heavy laser cannons, though they made a deliberate effort not to use their missile launchers for fear of causing collateral damage.

Hopefully, the civilian population was either sheltering in place or had already evacuated, but Salvage Team Six had to be ready for anything, as minimizing civilian casualties was a top priority for Ronhar. He didn't doubt that they would be a problem, and he wouldn't be surprised if the enemy decided to use them as bait, hostages or even human shields. That meant that each building would have to be cleared by hand and each room individually searched. After all, if their were civilians inside, Ronhar would make sure that they managed to get out alive.

After a few more minutes, the Night Reaver touched down, followed by Ronhar and his ARC Troopers and Storm Commandos. At least two of his ARC Troopers were equipped with the latest generation of Wampa-Pattern Industrial Exoskeleton, which Ronhar hoped would provide his men the advantage that they needed to take down the enemy forces. All around him, the situation was chaotic: a number of Medic Troopers had set up a makeshift field hospital, treating injured soldiers and civilians alike. Nearby, a pair of Wookiee Troopers and other civilians were clearing rubble from a collapsed building in an attempt to rescue those still trapped inside. Further down, a squadron of Jumpmasters were getting ready to assault a multi-story apartment building, using their Jetpacks to rapidly ascend to the upper levels.

The situation was still rather fluid, and Ronhar hoped to change that. He began broadcasting over Imperial comms on an encrypted channel:

"This is Captain Ronhar Tane of Salvage Team Six. We have arrived to reassert control over this city and the whole planet. Stay sharp and stay alive. May the galaxy be with us."

Ronhar cocked the charging handle of his EGR-16 as he and his men made their way toward the nearest building, ready to clear it of any and all hostiles that might be hiding inside...

TAGS:
FN-999 (restored)
Rohlan Basra
OPEN

 

[Nolle Tron]

CRIED WOLF

​

Objective: 1 - COMECI
Location: Offices of Prefect Nolle Tron
Outfit:Imperial Prefect Uniform
Entourage: Dayna Rhyss | Prystill Oasay
Tags: Her | Karl Von Strauss | Nora Laan | Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory

Prefect Nolle Tron sat at the desk insider her offices. The holoprojector was tuned to the upcoming announcement from the Warden Primus. On the couch nearby sat her two most trusted advisors. Supervisor Dayna Rhyss and Tron's assistant Prystill. All three were curious how power was going to be wielded after the Empress had been removed from office. Supervisor Rhyss was particularly interested as she had received a warrant of her own from the Warden Primus.

"The meeting with the Mandalorians?" Nolle asked Dayna who had listened silently as the mentioned meeting had gone off the rails. Nolle had requested Dayna to be present in her place as the last meeting with the Mandalorians Nolle had allowed the military folk to take the lead. She was hoping that the more military minded Supervisor would have more to add to this new meeting, but it had devolved rather quickly.

"Never had a chance Prefect," Dayna responded with a sigh. "Both sides were very concerned with other potential alliances in place. Semantic arguments resulting in little productive discussion and an interruption of the joint TIC/Mando facilities, by the order of the Warden Primus."

Tron nodded her head. Another problem for another day. She had thought that these facilities would be mostly military and that the Mahporeem, military establishment and the Mandalorians would have things handled. Perhaps she should have pushed for more oversight. And independent council to ensure fair and consistent use was being maintained. It was too late to do more on that subject now. "I hear that Captain Ronhar Tane is on planet for security mission. Perhaps Prystill can meet with him before he leaves and get the Mahporeem perspective. And where we might go with the Mandos from here." Prystill blushed slightly at the mention of Captain Tane, but she gave a subtle nod that she would do just that.

"Today however, my focus is on how the Confederation citizens will be ruled," Nolle stated leaning back in her chair awaiting the beginning of the conference that would lead into the meeting of COMECI. "The lack of an Empress has not really been an issue. She had veto powers but the disappearance of the Grand Moff has had more affect on the people than the Empress' ouster. We don't need an Empress to be Imperial. It does however change how power is distributed. To some there is a gap in power. Someone will likely move to fill that gap. Will the Ruling Council allow COMECI to take on some of that burden? What plans does the Warden Primus have? It seems she may be reaching out for power herself."

 

[Lur Kri'fula]

Objective: 1 - COMECI
Location: In front of the COMECI offices
Tags: Her | Karl Von Strauss | Nora Laan | Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory

New Alderaan, a setting that Lur never imagined herself being involved with. For quite some time the area had been connected to humancentric philosophies and most recently connected with authoritarian "Imperial" ideals. That almost never was something that Lur covered unless they took to genocide, which this group had seemed to avoid.

Lur had separated from HNN for quite some time now. Getting caught up in network politics was not something she was good at. And her show was not a particular ratings grabber. Her viewpoint was in the minority of the galaxy. Whether you followed a tyrannical authority favoring the darkness of the galaxy, or an open free government trying to shine light upon the same galaxy, the angry voice of a Bothan complaining about the crimes Humans committed on a daily basis against Non-humans was a narrow viewership. As a result, Lur had gone independent.

"What the heck are we even doing here?" Lur huffed into her headset as she waited for the conference to begin. Her staff was on the Visionary's Herald in low orbit preparing to broadcast her hovercam feed to her viewers. "No one who listens to me will care about one human confronting another human about their role in jailing a third human. The Imperial Confederation is of no consequence to me or my viewers."

"The Imperial Confederation is one of the first 'Imperial' governments that does not have a strict xenophobic stance," came the garbled voice of her Mon Cal director. The truth was he convinced her to come and cover the government that oversaw his homeplanet. He wanted to know if these Imperials were worthy of commanding his people or if there was room to start to rail against TIC and create public discord by using their platform. "They've also recently had talks with the Diarchy and the Mandalorians. Two groups that are historically friendly to all species. We can look for an angle there. We also need to pay bills and I have a network lined up to pay for our coverage."

"Fine. I suppose it doesn't hurt to hear what these silly humans have to say for their actions."

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: OBJ I
Tags: Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory

Aurelian hadn't planned on coming. That alone should have warned him something was wrong with his judgment. Curiosity had teeth tonight. After Her, after Sularen, after watching an entire Imperial Confederation bare its throat to Mandalore on a broadcast meant to look like strength, he'd found himself on New Aldera with rain on his collar and the taste of metal in the air. No banners. No titles. Just a few guards who knew when not to be seen.

The speech rolled on behind him, words smoothed flat for public consumption. Findings. Necessity. Stability. He listened with half an ear and found nothing he hadn't already expected. The truth was never the point. Control was. He felt it before he saw it. Someone beside him lifting a glass, unconcerned with the performance. Whiskey, by the smell. Corellian. Expensive.

Interesting.

Aurelian shifted closer, boots quiet against stone. "Bold choice," he said lightly, eyes forward. "Drinking through history." He glanced at her then, properly. Composed. Still. Watching the room instead of the stage.

"What do you make of it?" he asked.

Internally, he smiled. He liked moments like this. When people forgot to guard their reactions because the galaxy was supposedly being explained to them. Rain traced thin lines down the transparisteel above. Applause rippled and died too quickly. Aurelian noted who clapped late, who didn't bother, who was already whispering again. The future was arranging itself in small, ugly gestures.

Aurelian looked back to the woman with the whiskey. "I can't decide," he said, voice dry, "if they just ended an era or opened a market."

His grin came easily, dangerous and amused. "Either way, it seems rude not to comment."

​

 

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

OBJ 1
TAG: Aurelian Veruna | Nora Laan

For just a mere moment, a flicker of a faint smile could be seen on Amalia's face, before it went back to the usual neutral, apathetic and somewhat bored expression she usually seemed to carry. Still, when this stranger mentioned "drinking through history", the first thing she did was raise a hand, so one of the many servers running around could take her order.

"Give me another one of these," She calmly wiggled with her glass, letting the liquor swirl within its glass container. Looking at the man besides her she seemed to smile rather softly again, nodding while letting out a sigh when the server managed to come back with a glass which he mistakenly offered to her, but again, she nodded, making it clear the glass wasn't for her, but for the stranger. "See, now we both can drink through this mockery of history."

Amalia sighed again, letting her head tilt backwards a bit as she closed her eyes for a moment.

"I can't decide," he said, voice dry, "if they just ended an era or opened a market."

"I'd reckon the platitudes sound familiar?" She was fishing, since the man hadn't introduced himself, she didn't bother doing so either. That didn't mean she wasn't interested in his position though. After all, she was still a multifaceted person herself, a lab-grown child, a freak, a science project, a bodyguard, a spy, an assistant, a governor, a chief executive, an assassin... she was and had been many things, but even now social interactions weren't her strong suit. "If you'd ask me... neither, they just closed a market, threw all their employees on the street and now proclaim it as part of a rebranding. That's how it all feels... an illusion, a eufemism hiding a bitter reality. While the people live in ignorant bliss, people like me are so much more aware of what's to come and let me tell you, the future is never as bright as so many would wish it to be."