[007] Lady Alicia's Yacht - The Kiara Surabi

[Ramona]

“He looked so sad and lonely when we found him in that cardboard box on Shedizar a week ago. Unfortunately, Vee put out a saucer of champagne and caviar and we haven’t been able to get rid of him since.” Ana downs the champagne and wrinkles her nose, “Fizzy.”

Foix laughs and refills Ana's glass as he continues “I did come late to join the trader’s crew and would have travelled incognito had my old comrade Ana not recognised me. She has a very good eye - she knew me from when I was younger and less handsome".

“Please,” Ana says looking dismissively at Foix, “the only one who blew your cover was you. I didn’t suggest spending my monthly budget for ramen and alcohol on a single meal, and it certainly wasn’t me who decided to go on a shopping bender here instead of putting a deserving child through college.”

She shakes her head, “People like you and I, we secretly want to get caught, it excites us, the chase, the danger, we thrive when we’re surrounded and out gunned. It’s why we lead from the front and not the rear, why we run towards the gunfire and not away from it, we’re adrenaline junkies. Game’s different now, it’s not just our lives.”

Ana looks about the room at the others.

[shaidar]

Harper has been politely refusing any champagne, she seems content with her tomato-based brink

"I guess I'm not wired quite like that. Although I do find a kind of clarity and focus when I have something that needs fixing under pressure, there are still numerous lives in danger. Some of us are just different from the rest, I guess. Perhaps that's why I had so many issues as a teenager, subconsciously I knew I needed something that the family couldn't provide..."

Harper blushes

"...Sorry blathering on about me again. It's been a while since I've been around those who understand these things"

[Tiglath]

A touch of color appears in Vee's cheeks, and she smiles demurely. "I was simply following my heart, and the trend, it seems."She nods slightly to Sara. "Or, it could be that I, among others, recognize extraordinary people when I see them." She looks at Gauvain. "And, you shouldn't be surprised when your wit and charm actually attracts someone."

Foix turns and takes Vee’s hand, fixing her with his piercing blue eyes as he raises it to kiss her knuckles “My Lady, in my arrogance I know I am attractive to many people”. He smiles fondly “The surprise truly comes with quality of people I find myself able to attract”.

[Tiglath]

“Please,” Ana says looking dismissively at Foix, “the only one who blew your cover was you. I didn’t suggest spending my monthly budget for ramen and alcohol on a single meal, and it certainly wasn’t me who decided to go on a shopping bender here instead of putting a deserving child through college.”

Foix turns to Ana and replies levelly “I bought the meal to pay a debt of honour owed to you by La Légion for Hessia. The shopping trip at the Domain’s expense revealed something priceless and also had a purpose – the video propaganda will go out tonight and will be sectorwide within a month. We will be able to start recruiting within weeks - if not immediately”.

Foix growls passionately “We will then continue what we have already begun - a campaign that decides whether a generation of deserving children go through college! Those who volunteer to defend with their blood what the Imperium retreats from have paid their fees in advance. When I take back power La Légion will come with me as citizens of the Domain”.

She shakes her head, “People like you and I, we secretly want to get caught, it excites us, the chase, the danger, we thrive when we’re surrounded and out gunned. It’s why we lead from the front and not the rear, why we run towards the gunfire and not away from it, we’re adrenaline junkies. Game’s different now, it’s not just our lives.”

Ana looks about the room at the others.

Foix’s gaze meets Ana’s amber eyes and, after a long moment, he simply shrugs and says “True”.

Then he continues “The stakes are not too high for you and I but we should make the risks clear to the other players for our opposition will know the game well”.

Addressing the company in low tones he states clearly “No one is going to meekly hand over control of an entire Domain without a fight. That fight will be bloody and to the death. I plan to limit my campaign only to those directly involved on both sides but if in you are in my company you are all legitimate targets”.

Turning back to Ana he says coolly “We don’t instinctively agree but we both know what’s right – for both reasons I need you as a warlord. One of the most satisfying things I will achieve by ennobling you is to make you part of what you see to be the problem. As the Imperium withdraws you and I have a chance to care for and protect all the people of the Domain. There’s your redemption if you seek it – Baroness elect!”

[Tiglath]

Harper has been politely refusing any champagne, she seems content with her tomato-based brink

"I guess I'm not wired quite like that. Although I do find a kind of clarity and focus when I have something that needs fixing under pressure, there are still numerous lives in danger. Some of us are just different from the rest, I guess. Perhaps that's why I had so many issues as a teenager, subconsciously I knew I needed something that the family couldn't provide..."

Harper blushes

"...Sorry blathering on about me again. It's been a while since I've been around those who understand these things"

Foix replies “Lady Harper, it is not how we are but how we know ourselves. Since we met I have observed you. I believe you are ... stronger than you once were. Here, where all diversions are available, you abstain. You know yourself and you are my blood”.

He adds “I believe the family did not treat you well when you deserved it and I would make amends as you wish. I therefore ask that you join my efforts to recover the Domain - your support is important to me”.

[shaidar]

Harper freezes, and her already pale face drains of the remaining colour, the ice in her drink tinkles against the glass as her hand shakes.

She recovers herself and glances around the room, when she speaks it is barely a whisper.

"Foix, do you know what you are saying...a coup...I may have been away from the family for two decades and know nothing about the current political climate, but..." she shakes her head "Les Comtes Sanglants...you have obviously been planning this for a long time, is there no other way, it cannot be that bad, surely?" she casts another look around the room "Should we be discussing this here"

[joertexas]

Foix turns and takes Vee’s hand, fixing her with his piercing blue eyes as he raises it to kiss her knuckles “My Lady, in my arrogance I know I am attractive to many people”. He smiles fondly “The surprise truly comes with quality of people I find myself able to attract”.

Vee's flush darkens her cheeks, and she fixes him with a look that promises a more intimate conversation in their near future. She declines to comment further, and stands with her liege as the conversation continues.

[lenusmars]

Sara's eyes grow wide at Foix's words. Instinctively she half-slides in front of Ana, as if to protect her.

"Void, that's a hell of thing to ask."

[Ramona]

Ana looks at Harper, “He’s talking about figuring out what changed on your homeworld to elevate him both suddenly and unceremoniously to position of Count and whether or not his wife, the psychic witch, is behind it.”

She turns to Foix, “I am merely suggesting, given what you’ve told me about her, proceed with an abundance of caution and not telegraph your intentions. Gather information first, find out what is going on, figure out who you can and can not trust, build support, and then nuke the bitch from orbit.” She grins and winks.

“You were a seige General Foix, long bloody, street by street, violent slugfests, I was the one they sent in in the middle of the night with piano wire and silenced weapons. You need to be quiet and dark until we figure out what’s going on and where things stand.”

Sara's eyes grow wide at Foix's words. Instinctively she half-slides in front of Ana, as if to protect her.

"Void, that's a hell of thing to ask."

Ana smiles and hugs Sara from behind, “He is a horrible person isn’t he? So sweetie, should we spy on the mean psychic lady?”

[shaidar]

Ana looks at Harper, “He’s talking about figuring out what changed on your homeworld to elevate him both suddenly and unceremoniously to position of Count and whether or not his wife, the psychic witch, is behind it.”

She turns to Foix, “I am merely suggesting, given what you’ve told me about her, proceed with an abundance of caution and not telegraph your intentions. Gather information first, find out what is going on, figure out who you can and can not trust, build support, and then nuke the bitch from orbit.” She grins and winks.

“You were a seige General Foix, long bloody, street by street, violent slugfests, I was the one they sent in in the middle of the night with piano wire and silenced weapons. You need to be quiet and dark until we figure out what’s going on and where things stand.”

"That's not what it sounds like to me, you're both ultimately talking about taking power, violently. I don't know how much he has told you about the family history, but there was an extremely bloody time where the Counts fought each other for supremacy. He risks starting a new family war, a return to those dark times. I'm not saying things don't need to change...but...Foix, have you really thought this through?"

[Tiglath]

Foix replies "Violently taking power or, perhaps more accurately control, is the very essence of what Ana and I do. We both have a dark gift for it”. He smiles coldly “Taken together we are the “horriblest” people I know”.

“Lady Harper sees the shades of Les Comtes Sanglants looming in my preparations. They represent a period of history that the House would prefer to forget. The reality was that the House had lost its way and a series of warrior counts not only put it back on course but then further expanded the Domain. However, any noble or Herald learning of my apparent preparations would recognise the inferred threat”.

He smiles broadly at Ana “Général, you appear to be modifying and refining the altogether bold plan I put forward. Can I assume that you are “in”?”

At her mention of a nuclear strike Foix casually replies “It’s the only way to be sure. However, this is noble house warfare and, although we brawl, we don’t break the furniture. We’ll use surgical strikes – if anyone needs killing I’ll do it myself”.

“Siege work taught me to plan ahead and to pay attention to detail but I learned my trade in the jungles of Lorissia. I’m used to fighting an enemy I can’t see and offering them a lure to draw them out. The threat of Les Comtes Sanglants might do that. If my ex wife’s regime is as I suspect then, with the stakes so high, she may not feel secure enough to demand that the entire nobility pick a side. She may instead be provoked into showing her hand early”.

[shaidar]

Harper seems somewhat mollified by Foix's talk of surgical strikes

I have two questions, the answers to which will decide if I will help. If I decide not to help, you have my word that I will not speak of your plans to anyone. The first question concerns your ex-wife, I'd like to know what you suspect of her regime. The second question concerns your plans if you are successful, you have been promising to make changes that will benefit all, how will you do this and more importantly, how do you plan to stop future generations of the family from simply reverting back to how things are now?...I suppose that's really three questions"

[joertexas]

Harper seems somewhat mollified by Foix's talk of surgical strikes

Vee struggles to maintain a calm demeanor as the conversation takes a dark turn. War? She watches Gauvain's face as he speaks, searching for answers to questions she cannot yet ask.

[Ramona]

“I think,” Ana says drawing a deep breath, “you need to figure out what the hell is going on before drawing up battle plans and conjuring dust spirits to fill the gaps.”

“First look at the sector and subsector news services, investigative journalists, then look for those nobility chasing tabloids. Look at your homeworld’s news from the days before, day of and days after the event. Once the news is off planet it can’t be sanitized or altered. Figure out if your wife is still where she’s supposed to be.”

“You don’t need to announce your presence until you know enough of the picture that it makes sense and,” she looks at Harper and Vee, “I’m kidding about nuking his wife from orbit, I don’t have a nuke, it’s terribly messy and there’s a shit ton of paperwork I can’t be bothered with.”

“The Imperium is in the process of withdrawing from this whole region, hell it’s pulling back from most of the frontiers. Been going on for decades, that’s why they’re demobilizing divisions and army groups by the dozen, selling off the smaller naval ships and mothballing the big ones. Got to big to fast and it was unsustainable, can’t pay for today by selling off tomorrow, think they’d have learned after the last time. Anyway, your principality is likely to be on it’s own within a year or two.”

[shaidar]

Harper's demeaner continues to improve as Ana talks. When the shrinking Imperium is mentioned Harper looks thoughtful, and then nods at Ana.

"When you say it like that it seems obvious, I don't know how I missed it. she looks around the group "I can see your immediate worries about stability and defence. I'd still like to know what you think the ex-wife is up to"

[Ramona]

“I have an,” Ana thinks a moment, “uniquely long term perspective when it comes to these sort of things.”

She smiles and takes another long sip from her champagne glass, “Besides who doesn’t love forensic accounting?”

[Tiglath]

Foix raises a hand “We are early in the campaign and as Ana says we can still gather more Intelligence. We also need to give our own message time to spread. As to secrecy Lady Harper - your word is enough”.

Harper seems somewhat mollified by Foix's talk of surgical strikes

I have two questions, the answers to which will decide if I will help. If I decide not to help, you have my word that I will not speak of your plans to anyone. The first question concerns your ex-wife, I'd like to know what you suspect of her regime ... "

He becomes more sombre and states quietly “I met Lysette Eloise on leave after Lorissia. Les Paras were pulled out of the line after the defence of Firebase Beatrice. The insurgents were broken but we had suffered very badly. I had discharged myself from the hospital. I was wounded … and perhaps not quite myself”

“She was everything I needed then. She stopped the nightmares with her gifts and we married quickly. It was only afterwards that I began to have my doubts about her. Those doubts were proved true when she was found to have murdered several people. In medical terms it seemed that she had learned to mask her psychopathic tendencies with her intellect. I returned to my unit and the House fashioned her a mask to suppress her gifts and decided that she would be “counselled” for her illness”.

He smiles a tragic smile “Lysette Eloise has an iron will. It would take only one misguided act of kindness to unleash the maléfice and then her jailers would soon become her prisoners. The Domain can not be left in such hands”.

The second question concerns your plans if you are successful, you have been promising to make changes that will benefit all, how will you do this and more importantly, how do you plan to stop future generations of the family from simply reverting back to how things are now?...I suppose that's really three questions"

Foix looks mildly irritated “When I am successful I will put a worthy and unimpeachable noble whom I implicitly trust in charge of making it happen”. He gives Harper his most devastating winning smile “Lady Harper you would also be in charge of inventing a title to go with your new position”. Foix appears immensely satisfied with this solution and adds “Anyone who proves “difficult” you refer to me”.

With a smile Foix concludes “As to your third question, cousin, your attention to the detail of noble etiquette means that you already know the answer. I propose to correct my mistake and provide stability for the Domain".

[shaidar]

As Foix describes his ex-wife Harper's face darkens and a look of concern touches her features.

This concern changes to surprise as Foix offers her the job. She thinks for a few seconds and then shakes her head
"While I'm flattered, thank you but no. I'm not the right person for the job. Why not Anastasia? She seems far more suitable than I. That aside, I'm in."

[Ramona]

As Foix describes his ex-wife Harper's face darkens and a look of concern touches her features.

This concern changes to surprise as Foix offers her the job. She thinks for a few seconds and then shakes her head
"While I'm flattered, thank you but no. I'm not the right person for the job. Why not Anastasia? She seems far more suitable than I. That aside, I'm in."

Ana smirks, “Because, my dear, I am a heathen, a savage, and every bit the murderous sociopath his wife is.” She shrugs, “While the name Anastasia comes with a certain gravitas, no one of any importance is going to take a word that comes of my mouth seriously.”

“The direction and will for change has to come from within if it is to prevail. Populist uprisings, while terribly sexy and exciting, rarely end well.”

[lenusmars]

Ana smiles and hugs Sara from behind, “He is a horrible person isn’t he? So sweetie, should we spy on the mean psychic lady?”

Sara’s arms cover those wrapped around her waist and she leans back into the hug.

"I suppose." She says "I don’t know about this. I always want to help my friends, I just... it sounded like we were being asked to fight a war."

She doesn’t let go of Ana’s arm while Foix clarifies Harper and Ana’s questions.

Ana smirks, “Because, my dear, I am a heathen, a savage, and every bit the murderous sociopath his wife is.” She shrugs, “While the name Anastasia comes with a certain gravitas, no one of any importance is going to take a word that comes of my mouth seriously.”

Sara raises a finger. "Objection, you’re not a murderous sociopath, though I’ll provisionally accept the first two." Sara looks at Harper. "She tends to be a little over-zealous in her self-depreciation"