[Lauchenoiria]

Jointly written with Xiomera.

Calhualyana loved visiting the new Ministry of Loyalty complex in the foothills north of the capital. Internal security had been her specialty as an ASI operative. Whenever she walked around the MoL complex, it invigorated her to see so many people pursuing the same mission she had once had.

In truth, she sometimes missed the work. That was as much a reason as any that she had decided to pay a visit to Mariya as anyone to check on the progress she had made with the arrivals from Lauchenoiria.

As was her usual method, she arrived without announcement. The Empress entered Mariya's workspace with a simple nod of acknowledgement, waiting to be greeted.



"Your Majesty!" Mariya jumped up from where she was bent over a small laptop covered in Spanish-language activist stickers. "It's an honour to have you visit my workplace. I was just about to take this to the computer department and begin my report. Would you like a summary?"



"A summary would be excellent," the Empress replied, seating herself at a nearby table and dispatching a minion for a beverage. For all her usual pomp and circumstance, Calhualyana was almost treating the visit as a chat between colleagues. Only her eyes showed the eagerness with which she was awaiting the discoveries Mariya had made.



Mariya handed the laptop to one of her own minions with instructions to take it to the computer analysis division. She then clasped her hands behind her back and began her report.

"The laptop you saw me with just now belongs to Irene Ramos. She was kind enough to provide me with a password and a summary of the relevant contents of her hard drive, alongside her cloud access. I had just finished verifying that her information was truthful when you arrived. It appears she told the truth." Mariya paused just long enough for an overdramatic look of surprise.

"The other one, the male, is too busy screaming abuse at deities from assorted religions to answer questions. I have people in there just now to continue softening him up for me. Irene's laptop contains a summary guide of the file coding system used by WOE. It can be used to decode files that neither of our prisoners are aware of. Hopefully, at least. As for the layout and location of their offices, the rumours that Warriors continue to use Watchdogs' offices is true. That makes things easier."



"It does indeed. This is excellent work," Calhualyana said with a sip of her coffee. "If this information pans out, it could be the springboard we need for an operation to cripple this group of little terrorists. We will need to act quickly though, before they realize we have two of their people. If you can uncover any more information expeditiously, that would be of great benefit."



"The girl is cooperating so it should be easy to ask her further questions. Anything specific?"



"The hours that any WOE offices are open that she is aware of. Also, any upcoming large-scale events that will be held by them, and who may be attending. That information will be useful for future operations." The Empress finished off her coffee. "And any information on who their leadership is, and where they may be found."



"I'll get it done, your majesty," Mariya promised. "Now, Irene will be useful for this, but if we want specifics on the violent elements I'll need to end Clay's newborn baby impression." She mimicked the sound of a baby crying. "Irene claims she isn't involved in the violent aspects of the group, and I'm inclined to believe she's telling the truth. But she also told me that Clay is, in fact, involved with that aspect. It's a pity he's being so stubborn."



"I wonder if the classic good cop-bad cop approach might work here," Calhualyana mused. "If someone promises him the pain will stop once he stops being so stubborn...."



"Perhaps," Mariya nodded. "He's certainly feeling it, judging by the volume of his screams."



"Show me where his cell is," Calhualyana said. After being led to the cell, Calhualyana instructed the guard to open the door, then told Mariya to walk in with her. The unfortunate inside the cell would now be greeted by not just one nightmare, but two.

The pair of underlings Mariya had left to 'soften him up' did not expect to see the Empress and quickly bowed, stepping back from the prisoner. 

Feeling the change, Clay slowly opened his eyes from where they'd been squeezed shut and let his scream fall away. He recognised her from TV.

"This... definitely isn't an April Fools prank," he said weakly.



"Of course it isn't." Calhualyana gently took Clay's chin in her hand, a gentle expression on her face. "This is all real. Including the pain. It doesn't have to be, though."



"Why? Why are you doing this?" He whimpered.



"Why did your organization choose to attack us?" Calhualyana said softly. "We did not attack you first, after all. We don't want to do these things, but we must defend ourselves. You feel that you're defending something as well, and I admire that. But haven't you given enough? You surely never expected to end up here."



"You were gonna bomb the trees and then, like, the poisonous snakes and stuff will go eat humans instead... or something like that. The science isn't really my thing, I just know it will be bad and people will die, and you'll make money from snake stuff."

Mariya stepped forward to murmur in Calhualyana's ear. "The girl did say he was into conspiracy theories."



Calhualyana hid her contempt for that nonsense perfectly. Instead, she gently caressed Clay's cheek, probably the first physical contact he had since arriving in Xiomera that hadn't involved pain. "Let's focus on the here and now. You have suffered a great deal. You could suffer a great deal more, if I leave here without us coming to an understanding. That would leave you here with Mariya, alone." She paused. "I don't want that, though. I don't want you to suffer.  We can avoid all that."



He whimpered when she mentioned Mariya. "No please, she's not human, she's some kind of demon. Please don't leave me with her, please!"

From behind the Empress, Mariya waved her fingers and blew him a fake kiss while eyeing up the torture implements she'd left to the side.



"I can stay here, and keep Mariya from harming you any further. But for that, we need to have a conversation. About what WOE is planning next in terms of direct action." Throughout her performance, Calhualyana kept her voice soft and gentle, almost hypnotic, while stroking his cheek.



"On Saturday they're gonna have people wearing fake Alvarez masks pretend to have a fight with fake oil in front of Parliament," he tried.

From behind, Mariya groaned, "oh my Goddess, that is not what she meant!"



The Empress sighed in response, a look of disappointment crossing her face. "It appears that you have not taken me seriously. That is unfortunate. I will not waste your time further then." She turned to walk out of the room, gesturing to Mariya to continue.



"Nonononononono," he cried out desperately. "Please, I'm sorry, I'll answer your questions, please don't let her..." his voice trailed out into a wail.



Calhualyana smiled gently again. "That's better. Things go so much better when we cooperate with each other, don't they?" She touched Clay's cheek once before, before finding a place to sit. "Now. You will tell me everything you know about any violent action that WOE will be taking, anywhere. Once that is done, the unpleasantness will end as well."



"They hadn't decided at the last meeting," he began. "There were two options but people couldn't agree. One was to get divers - there are divers who do the things to the oil rigs usually - to mess with your boats in your exclusion line. With, uh, bombs." Looking sheepish he continued. "The other one was they were gonna go after the Xiomerans in Auria to make you forget about Manabí Rive. Oh, and during either thing they were gonna cover the Kerlian embassy -" He paused scrunching his face in concentration. 

"No wait, they changed their mind about that after the thingy, they were gonna look up if Novella Islands has an embassy with you, and if they so they'd do the Novellan one, but if not the Kerlian one. Anyway they were gonna cover the one in your capital, I can't pronounce it, with paint so your police thought it was the other ones. And there's some stuff in Lauchenoiria but please, please can I have some water?"



Calhualyana gestured to a guard, who returned with a glass of water. She watched Clay sip desperately from the glass with well-hidden amusement. "Thank you for cooperating. It does make all of this so much easier." The Empress handed Mariya the glass and stood back up. "If you continue to be cooperative, and the information you provide proves to be accurate, you have my word as Empress that no further harm will come to you. You will even be sent home, if all goes well. But if you are lying to us, or stop cooperating....." Calhualyana let her voice trail off into a stark silence. She looked meaningfully at Mariya, the message to Clay as crystal clear as the glass she had handed over.



Clay gulped. "Please can someone other than..." he looked at Mariya, "ask me questions? Please?"



"I would do it myself, but my time is quite occupied, as you might imagine. But someone will come in to complete your interrogation. I trust that it will not be required for Mariya to return?"



"No, I promise! I'll tell you everything you want to know!" He assured her quickly. "I'll even tell you every time I accidentally called my schoolteachers mama!"

Mariya suppressed the urge to giggle. Almost.



Calhualyana allowed herself a small smile. "That level of detail won't quite be necessary. Just answer the questions and you will be fine." With a nod, Calhualyana turned to leave the room, gesturing to Mariya to follow her.

Once out of the room, Calhualyana smiled. It was a genuine smile this time. "I haven't assisted with an interrogation in entirely too long. That was....exhilarating."



"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Mariya replied, attempting to sound enthusiastic. In truth, she was a little, just a little, sad that she wouldn't get to spend more time with the prisoner.

Calhualyana caught the nuance in her voice. 

"Don't be sad. You still have the other Lauchenoirian. And soon, many more of them, should the information these two are providing turn out to be good."



"Speaking of the other one, I ought to pay her another visit. Before someone catches on and locks her username out of things," Mariya replied, already perking up at the thought of Irene's wide, terrified eyes.



"I will leave you to it then. Good work." Calhualyana paused on her way out. "I feel like you deserve a reward for your work on these two. You should come to dinner at the Palace tonight."



"I would be honoured," Mariya said, smiling.