02-14-2020, 10:17 PM
Alvarez’s Office, Buttercity, Lauchenoiria
14th February 2020 – morning
“Gabriel Fleming has been hunting down Auroras and imprisoning them in a building used by the communist dictatorship, a site that was thought decommissioned in 1993,” Josephine Alvarez said as Victoria Penners sat down across from her, having been led into the room by her secretary. She wasted no time with formalities.
“Then why am I here, instead of there?” Veronica asked calmly. She was uncertain what game the Prime Minister was playing, but she was curious and hopeful. They’d been travelling all night, through back roads and doubling back, ensuring they weren’t tailed. Leonie and Darya had been curiously asking questions of both Veronica and Jae during the journey, while Zahra had spent it pale and frightened, silent. The other four were now somewhere, likely being asked to sign some form of confidentiality agreements.
“Because Gabriel Fleming is not working for me. In fact, he disobeyed an express order by me to refrain from hunting down members of the Aurora Programme,” Alvarez replied, leaning back and watching Veronica’s face.
“Why?” asked the Aurora, curiously. “Why would you give that order? Surely, you’d want rid of all of us, especially after the Clarke affair.”
“I don’t know why those leaks happened. Three of them, coming from unknown sources. Different sources, if the rumours are to be believed,” said the Prime Minister, picking up a teapot on her desk and pouring two cups, pushing one over to the Aurora. “Somebody wanted you to be found. And I do not know that person’s motivations. Their reasons may be contrary to what is best for Lauchenoiria.”
“I cannot see in what way,” Veronica shrugged, taking the tea and sipping it. It tasted fresh, and she relaxed, needing it after the long night. “I will be honest with you. As far as I know, such a move would not benefit either of the present factions on the Council.”
“No?” Alvarez raised her eyebrow. “I would have thought the end of the Aurora Programme would benefit the pro-reform faction.”
“You would think, yes,” nodded the Aurora, “but there are things at play here that you are not aware of.”
“Do you care to enlighten me?”
“Not at this time. There are things I cannot say yet. Events are in motion, that are going to conclude very soon indeed. Speaking now would undermine those events, and could have catastrophic consequences. But I will be able to speak in a week’s time.”
“That’s… curious,” Alvarez said, drinking some more of her tea. “But I won’t press you at this time, if that’s the case. I didn’t ask you here for information, in any way. I asked you here to help me with my Fleming problem.”
“The disobedient one?”
“Yes, him. I fear he plans to make some kind of Chaherian move against me. It worries me. There are two people I trust who, up until yesterday, he believed were working under his command. Jae Chung, who you met, and Jessica Cassidy, who you may have heard rumours of. The others are his, as far as I know.”
“I’ve met Cassidy, though not in an intelligence capacity. We have a mutual friend in Leonie Bennett, we were both at a Halloween party she organised last year. Before the incident with the Xiomerans – now, that I heard through my, um, occupation.”
“It wasn’t the Xiomerans, as far as I know, and I have no reason to distrust my sources. I do not know who was responsible, however. But that is another matter. The problem is that many in my own intelligence service are associates of Fleming. I don’t know who to trust, but we have to do this behind the back of the Sanctarian forces.”
“Lest they believe they must stay longer, yes,” nodded Veronica. “With the help and expertise of Chung and Cassidy, I can of course handle the Fleming problem, depending on the parameters you allow me to work within. In exchange, I would wish for freedom to remain in this country, and the chance to speak with the other Auroras you have in custody.”
“To speak with them? I assumed you’d ask for their freedom.”
“No, I have my own reasons, to do with that affair which I cannot yet mention, to refrain from asking for their freedom at this time. Not before I can speak to them of such matters. Their goals may not be compatible with mine.”
“Why do I get the feeling I’ve stumbled into something I’d rather have never heard of?” Alvarez said, her tone exasperated, but her face smiling.
“Most likely, yes,” nodded Veronica, chuckling a little. “Don’t worry, they wouldn’t dare touch you, it would cause a civil war amongst the Council, and nobody wants that. I do worry, however, about the person behind leaks two and three.”
“Not one?”
“That was Councillor Robinson, and it was an accident.”
“An… accident?”
“Yes, but most Auroras won’t know that. I do, however. Councillor Robinson meant for the USB to be delivered to Jennifer Hale. It was never meant to be leaked publicly, Jennifer would have known that.”
“Huh,” Josephine said, leaning back, not knowing what else to say.
“The other two, however, are an unknown quantity, and they threaten the plans of both factions on the Council. All I can think is either this is an outsider, or an unknown third faction, but I doubt anyone would be able to keep that secret from the best and brightest minds in Kerlian intelligence.”
“You seem to be speaking very freely here,” noted Alvarez.
“I trust you implicitly because I know Councillor Hale does. I know you would not sabotage the plans we are carrying out, especially since I can promise you that they will benefit Lauchenoiria, if anything.”
“You work for the reformist faction?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that. But I will say, it is an oversimplification. The reform faction, as we speak of, is a coalition of multiple groups who disagreed with the prior regime. It would be safer to say that certain individuals may or may not have an allegiance to one group within said coalition.”
“Do I want to know?”
“Almost certainly not, but I imagine the Councillor will speak with you of this matter when you visit Kerlile in the summer.”
“I… I’m not planning to visit Kerlile this summer,” Alvarez said, confused. She genuinely wasn’t, it was not as if the Aurora had managed to hack her schedule, or anything.
“No, but I rather think you will when things are announced. Regardless of the election results, but for different reasons depending upon them. If I was one of your advisers though, I’d advise you to distance yourself from your present coalition partners. Or, if you don’t want advice from a foreign agent, to contact Laura Moore. She is a damn sight smarter than people have given her credit for since the coup.”
“I’ll… consider that advice,” the Prime Minister said carefully. “As for Fleming… if something was to happen to him by accident during an attempt to take him into custody, I would not mourn his loss,” she said meaningfully.
“I understand. Shall I speak with Ms Chung on this matter?”
“Yes, and I would urge you to do anything promptly.”
“If he is planning what you suspect, I would also like him out of the way within the next week for my own reasons. Our plans align, Prime Minister. As I’ve been hoping they would,” the Aurora smiled.
“I would love to ask more, but I think it’s best we leave it there. You’ll find Ms Chung with the others in the Butterfly Suite.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister. I won’t let you down,” said the Aurora, and then she nodded her head respectfully and exited the room.
*
Emfields, Shuell
Meanwhile, a lot further north and west, a teenage girl was walking along the road, glancing around as if she couldn’t guarantee she would ever see daylight again. Mia Bruhn had become disillusioned with the country of her birth rather quickly, when it transpired all they had done was steal her freedom and her life. She was bitter, for one of 16, and she wanted revenge upon the people who stole her childhood, and may well have put her in a situation she couldn’t get out of.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try. She had few good options left, but she had made her choice out of the bad bunch presented to her. This way, she would hopefully be able to talk her way out of a lifetime of captivity, save her life, and get revenge upon her birth country, all in one go. She was going to tell them everything she knew, and they would never be able to get her here.
She came to the building, an IntSec public facility, in her town. She looked up at the building, and then at the sky, she breathed in deeply, savouring the fresh air. She’d never known freedom, anyway. She entered the building.
“Good morning, my name is Mia Bruhn. I’m here to turn myself in. I am a Kerlian agent.”
14th February 2020 – morning
“Gabriel Fleming has been hunting down Auroras and imprisoning them in a building used by the communist dictatorship, a site that was thought decommissioned in 1993,” Josephine Alvarez said as Victoria Penners sat down across from her, having been led into the room by her secretary. She wasted no time with formalities.
“Then why am I here, instead of there?” Veronica asked calmly. She was uncertain what game the Prime Minister was playing, but she was curious and hopeful. They’d been travelling all night, through back roads and doubling back, ensuring they weren’t tailed. Leonie and Darya had been curiously asking questions of both Veronica and Jae during the journey, while Zahra had spent it pale and frightened, silent. The other four were now somewhere, likely being asked to sign some form of confidentiality agreements.
“Because Gabriel Fleming is not working for me. In fact, he disobeyed an express order by me to refrain from hunting down members of the Aurora Programme,” Alvarez replied, leaning back and watching Veronica’s face.
“Why?” asked the Aurora, curiously. “Why would you give that order? Surely, you’d want rid of all of us, especially after the Clarke affair.”
“I don’t know why those leaks happened. Three of them, coming from unknown sources. Different sources, if the rumours are to be believed,” said the Prime Minister, picking up a teapot on her desk and pouring two cups, pushing one over to the Aurora. “Somebody wanted you to be found. And I do not know that person’s motivations. Their reasons may be contrary to what is best for Lauchenoiria.”
“I cannot see in what way,” Veronica shrugged, taking the tea and sipping it. It tasted fresh, and she relaxed, needing it after the long night. “I will be honest with you. As far as I know, such a move would not benefit either of the present factions on the Council.”
“No?” Alvarez raised her eyebrow. “I would have thought the end of the Aurora Programme would benefit the pro-reform faction.”
“You would think, yes,” nodded the Aurora, “but there are things at play here that you are not aware of.”
“Do you care to enlighten me?”
“Not at this time. There are things I cannot say yet. Events are in motion, that are going to conclude very soon indeed. Speaking now would undermine those events, and could have catastrophic consequences. But I will be able to speak in a week’s time.”
“That’s… curious,” Alvarez said, drinking some more of her tea. “But I won’t press you at this time, if that’s the case. I didn’t ask you here for information, in any way. I asked you here to help me with my Fleming problem.”
“The disobedient one?”
“Yes, him. I fear he plans to make some kind of Chaherian move against me. It worries me. There are two people I trust who, up until yesterday, he believed were working under his command. Jae Chung, who you met, and Jessica Cassidy, who you may have heard rumours of. The others are his, as far as I know.”
“I’ve met Cassidy, though not in an intelligence capacity. We have a mutual friend in Leonie Bennett, we were both at a Halloween party she organised last year. Before the incident with the Xiomerans – now, that I heard through my, um, occupation.”
“It wasn’t the Xiomerans, as far as I know, and I have no reason to distrust my sources. I do not know who was responsible, however. But that is another matter. The problem is that many in my own intelligence service are associates of Fleming. I don’t know who to trust, but we have to do this behind the back of the Sanctarian forces.”
“Lest they believe they must stay longer, yes,” nodded Veronica. “With the help and expertise of Chung and Cassidy, I can of course handle the Fleming problem, depending on the parameters you allow me to work within. In exchange, I would wish for freedom to remain in this country, and the chance to speak with the other Auroras you have in custody.”
“To speak with them? I assumed you’d ask for their freedom.”
“No, I have my own reasons, to do with that affair which I cannot yet mention, to refrain from asking for their freedom at this time. Not before I can speak to them of such matters. Their goals may not be compatible with mine.”
“Why do I get the feeling I’ve stumbled into something I’d rather have never heard of?” Alvarez said, her tone exasperated, but her face smiling.
“Most likely, yes,” nodded Veronica, chuckling a little. “Don’t worry, they wouldn’t dare touch you, it would cause a civil war amongst the Council, and nobody wants that. I do worry, however, about the person behind leaks two and three.”
“Not one?”
“That was Councillor Robinson, and it was an accident.”
“An… accident?”
“Yes, but most Auroras won’t know that. I do, however. Councillor Robinson meant for the USB to be delivered to Jennifer Hale. It was never meant to be leaked publicly, Jennifer would have known that.”
“Huh,” Josephine said, leaning back, not knowing what else to say.
“The other two, however, are an unknown quantity, and they threaten the plans of both factions on the Council. All I can think is either this is an outsider, or an unknown third faction, but I doubt anyone would be able to keep that secret from the best and brightest minds in Kerlian intelligence.”
“You seem to be speaking very freely here,” noted Alvarez.
“I trust you implicitly because I know Councillor Hale does. I know you would not sabotage the plans we are carrying out, especially since I can promise you that they will benefit Lauchenoiria, if anything.”
“You work for the reformist faction?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that. But I will say, it is an oversimplification. The reform faction, as we speak of, is a coalition of multiple groups who disagreed with the prior regime. It would be safer to say that certain individuals may or may not have an allegiance to one group within said coalition.”
“Do I want to know?”
“Almost certainly not, but I imagine the Councillor will speak with you of this matter when you visit Kerlile in the summer.”
“I… I’m not planning to visit Kerlile this summer,” Alvarez said, confused. She genuinely wasn’t, it was not as if the Aurora had managed to hack her schedule, or anything.
“No, but I rather think you will when things are announced. Regardless of the election results, but for different reasons depending upon them. If I was one of your advisers though, I’d advise you to distance yourself from your present coalition partners. Or, if you don’t want advice from a foreign agent, to contact Laura Moore. She is a damn sight smarter than people have given her credit for since the coup.”
“I’ll… consider that advice,” the Prime Minister said carefully. “As for Fleming… if something was to happen to him by accident during an attempt to take him into custody, I would not mourn his loss,” she said meaningfully.
“I understand. Shall I speak with Ms Chung on this matter?”
“Yes, and I would urge you to do anything promptly.”
“If he is planning what you suspect, I would also like him out of the way within the next week for my own reasons. Our plans align, Prime Minister. As I’ve been hoping they would,” the Aurora smiled.
“I would love to ask more, but I think it’s best we leave it there. You’ll find Ms Chung with the others in the Butterfly Suite.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister. I won’t let you down,” said the Aurora, and then she nodded her head respectfully and exited the room.
*
Emfields, Shuell
Meanwhile, a lot further north and west, a teenage girl was walking along the road, glancing around as if she couldn’t guarantee she would ever see daylight again. Mia Bruhn had become disillusioned with the country of her birth rather quickly, when it transpired all they had done was steal her freedom and her life. She was bitter, for one of 16, and she wanted revenge upon the people who stole her childhood, and may well have put her in a situation she couldn’t get out of.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try. She had few good options left, but she had made her choice out of the bad bunch presented to her. This way, she would hopefully be able to talk her way out of a lifetime of captivity, save her life, and get revenge upon her birth country, all in one go. She was going to tell them everything she knew, and they would never be able to get her here.
She came to the building, an IntSec public facility, in her town. She looked up at the building, and then at the sky, she breathed in deeply, savouring the fresh air. She’d never known freedom, anyway. She entered the building.
“Good morning, my name is Mia Bruhn. I’m here to turn myself in. I am a Kerlian agent.”
LIDUN President 2024 | she/her | Puppets: Kerlile, Glanainn, Yesteria, Zongongia, Zargothrax