Calm Before the Storm

[Treznor]

A short, indefinably ugly man taps idly at his terminal.

He's bored. He's not used to being bored. There was a time when he didn't have the luxury of being bored because there were so many items demanding his attention that he needed three of him to keep up with it all. But he knows he can't do it all forever -- although the option is occasionally dangled before him -- so now he allows others to handle the minutiae that had previously occupied his waking hours. Particularly his son.

He's worried about his son. Marcus is growing into his role and is now handling the majority of those duties. Marcus is why he's bored, but that's not why he's worried. He's worried because he's afraid his son has been corrupted by the Scolopendrans and other idealists among the Triumvirate of Yut. Not for the first time, he wonders if perhaps he shouldn't have taken a more direct role in his son's education, been more firm in guiding the boy's perceptions. It's a futile thought, because now the damage is done. He can only hope that seeing the reality of the world will disabuse Marcus of some of his idealism.

The future, for better or worse, rests now in Marcus' hands. And that's what has him worried. It isn't in his nature to let others take control. He knows it's a weakness in himself and he acknowledges it, but he can't help worrying about it anyway.

To his surprise, the terminal beeps at him to announce an incoming report. Only the most sensitive reports are flagged for his attention these days. He brightens in anticipation of an end to boredom and brings up the file.

She has gone over to Arda. Naiya is now in training with the Ardan military, to receive their indoctrination and learn their methods. It's a path he'd known she would take, had tried to warn Nathicana about. The only thing left was to learn that she had truly inherited her father's power as well as his nature, and the doom he'd foretold would be complete. He ponders his response.

The file, meticulously compiled, asks a subtle question. Will the Empire choose to respond to this? A small team, the new Alpha Team from Ben's department, could infiltrate Arda and neutralize the threat. It's tempting. Very tempting. He'd have to be very careful. Marcus has Naiya's file flagged for activity so he'll know his father is aware of this information. Should anything happen, Marcus will accuse him. Nathicana will likely figure it out as well. Arda...well...Arda would blame him even if it weren't his fault. He's not concerned about Arda's reaction. But Marcus and Nathicana...is it worth it, to arouse their ire? Can he afford to place the goodwill of the only people he truly loves before the good of the Empire? The safety of the entire world?

Never let your morals get in the way of doing what's right.

He can hear Raul's voice in his head as though he were alive today, standing next to him lecturing him about the difference between what we want and what must be done.

He hesitates, his hands poised over the keyboard. He closes the file.

He swore to Nathicana that he would do nothing. Naiya is her daughter, her problem. She has to have seen the same report by now, so he will trust her to do the right thing. He just hopes she'll find the strength to do it before it becomes too late. Or at least the strength to ask him to intervene. Until she does, he will watch and wait. He's taken on gods before, however obliquely. He can do it again.

At least he's no longer bored.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Naiya rubbed her hands along her arms over the thick fur-lined overcoat, not for the first time, and doubtless, not for the last. It was futile, she knew, but instinctual nonetheless. How they could stand the cold here escaped her completely. As if the past ... what, had it been nearly two months? As if they hadn't been hard enough, now it was the bitter cold. Bitter at least for one who had lived her entire life in more moderate climes.

Her expression these days had shifted from its usual mild neutrality to creased brows and set jaw. She'd borne it all as stoically as she could, but there had been times when her resolve had slipped, and her temper had threatened to ruin all of her hard work. Oh, she'd expected it to be hard, but nothing had prepared her for the reality that was Ardan boot camp. And to think, she hadn't even gone through the full course. Another shiver ran through her with that unpleasant musing, wondering again why she'd thought service was something it was important she see through.

Of course she knew why, but that didn't stop the mental grousing over it. Nor the painfully clear image of Nadia, arms crossed, scowling, reminding her she'd insisted in following this through.

"I said you shouldn't go through that, you silly girl ..."

"Yes, but I didn't think--"

"No. No you didn't."

The only reprieve she'd had was an all too brief visit from Edward, in which she'd decided to hell with propriety, and practically forced him into a rather vigorous, perhaps even a bit frantic session of lovemaking. And when he'd teased her about Dominion women and their appetites, she'd smacked him and informed him he'd best rest up while he explained more about this northwatch she was slated to visit, because they were going to do it all over again, and her expectations were high.

Her messages to her mother remained upbeat and free of complaint, reassuring her all was well, and that she would see this had been the right choice in the end. There were times she could see the doubt in her eyes as clearly as if she were in the same room in those return messages, and Naiya felt a twinge of guilt over making her mother worry so. But once begun, she was not one to let go or back down. Nor even consciously admit that her choice may have been a mistake on those hard days when she was woken before the sun had rish to face the yelling and the taunting, the seemingly endless physical challenges that left her aching and exhausted to the point of dreamless sleep about as soon as her head hit her pillow.

There had been a lot of those days. No quarter was asked, and certainly none was given. There were times she hated the officers, hated Konrad, hated just about everything to the point of nearly losing control. Of course these men, a good many of them at least, had seen Maia come and go, and a veritable god thrown down. No manifestation by some girl who didn't fully grasp yet what her abilities might be was going to cow them, nor did it.

All the same, she'd made it through, all to come here. To this frozen wasteland in the north, where they manned a huge mountain fort spanning a small valley. Where she never quite got as warm as she'd like, and her teeth chattered more often than not, much to the amusement of some, she was certain. Though she'd never quite caught him, she was convinced Konrad had been laughing his ass off on more than one occasion. Something in his eyes when they'd exchanged looks. And of course, she was in no position to call him on it.

Lesson learned. As much as the Ardan's seemed to appreciate forthrightness and plain talk, they could be just as duplicitous and conniving as the next Dominion politician, when it suited their purpose. And Konrad, she had decided, was one of the worst, having clearly set this entire thing up knowing how she'd react and what she'd choose. Somehow. The bastard. She hadn't yet decided if Nadia had been in on it, or if he'd played her too, like a fiddle. Whatever the case was, she'd be looking at any other offers that got made with clearer eyes, remembering a saying her mother, and admittedly, he, had always used.

There were only two kinds of paranoia; absolute, and insufficient.

Stomping her feet and patting her hands along her arms again, she silently swore not to be found wanting - either in this exercise of endurance, or in making future choices.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Walking briskly, Naiya makes her way through the hallway leading to the room she'd been instructed to meet in. Each step knocked a bit of snow from her boots that she'd picked up while out on the wall pulling a shift of artillery maintenance. Damned cold work, that, even with the protective gear. It was the kind of cold that seemed to cling to her, in spite of being indoors again.

Why, oh why did I think this would be a Good Idea again?

Ah, yes. That's right. Blast and damn though, why couldn't it at least have been less hellish a climate.

She reached the room ahead of schedule, which worked out to be roughly 'on time', considering. Naiya had learned early on that cutting it too close wasn't worth the potential hassle that could result, and had adjusted her timing accordingly.

"Good evening, Princepessa," drawls Guardis Imperica Colonel Astigar Lanziego, Konrad's aide and Naiya's present boss as the young woman walks into the room. Lanziego, unlike most of the MI stationed there, was a Northwatch fixture and had been working to train and develop the base's organic artillery since shortly after the facility's construction 7 years prior. A veteran of the Revolution, Lanziego always worked closely with the Angsiyan when he visited. Lanziego looked to be about forty years old, of moderate height with dark hair and eyes, with a touch of olive in the skin. He regards Naiya with a pleasant but focused glance, with a quick pinch around the eyes whenever she moved, a stickler as he always was (and often vocally: 'Have you forgotten how to salute, soldier?' wasn't an uncommon exclamation) for form and protocol.

"Polish your boots," he remarks. "Too much mud on the toes."

Naiya quietly draws the door closed, takes the usual three steps in, squares up and salutes sharply. "Yes sir, Colonel," she replies briefly, crossing over to his desk, then standing at attention, awaiting further instructions. Nevermind the fact she'd been up until midnight the night before out on duty at the gate, and had to be up at the crack of dawn this morning after a brief five hours or so of sleep. She'd hoped the snow would have done a better job of cleaning, but nothing got past the man. And it simply wasn't worth making an issue of.

Another thing she had learned quickly.

"Your reports from Fire Control were well done, Third Lieutenant." Lanziego always addressed Naiya by her title at first and then by her rank for the remainder of any given exchange. "You may yet have some administrative talent." The Colonel was tough but fair: he demanded a lot but if you got it done, he didn't go out of his way to bust anyone's balls. "Take your seat."

"Thank you, Colonel," she says with a short nod, then does as directed, sitting down in the available chair, straight and ready.

Seemingly unbidden, Lieutenant Johan Falck approaches, the co-commander of Naiya's Vzj'Nakai guard at Fort Starke. He hands Naiya a thick file folder and clipboard which signified a new assignment. She looks it over while the Colonel speaks, glancing between the data and his face, watching for clues. Topography, maps of the area in question, several holovids - a good hike, and more out-of-doors cold. Was going to be one hell of a good time, no doubt.

"Konrad has decided to launch an expedition to the far side of Mount Ehrlanger to lay down some gravitic generators into position so we can better hit an approaching vanguard taking refuge on the far side, about 35 kilometers north-northeast of here. The fleet will be here to support us, but most of the firepower will be coming from here," continues Lanziego as Falck retreats back to the couch on the far wall behind Naiya. "The Lieutenant has been instructed to take you to over to the Angsiyan's command for the operation tomorrow morning. I'll release you of your obligations here early, so you can study the op and get to your quarters a bit earlier tonight; he's having you on as a guest as he takes command of the Vzj'Nakai's Drago Company. With them you will plant the devices opposite Mount Ehrlanger and they will guide the incoming fire from our walls right where we want it. We can get out there before the fleet does and mop up any runners. It appears to be a reconnaissance in force, so if we can destroy it outright it might prevent or divert a more serious attack. Even Uruks know not to stick their noses where it hurts."

Taking the pause and return look as permission to speak, Naiya nods her understanding of what's been said so far, and does so. "If I may, Colonel - how many are we going out with, and what is the expected resistance? The details as to what we're to do seem clear enough."

"Drago Company has 266 men, you'll be along officially as an observer. "Enemy estimated at around two thousand, with an unknown reserve. "We think they've got more in the mountain and we want to seal it off or kill them while they're stuck in it. "Combat in your capacity will be unlikely, you'll be staying in our reserve and overseeing the installations, which won't take too long to assemble and wire after you guys drop off at 0710 tomorrow morning." The colonel looks at his watch. "It's.. 1730 now; I'll give you the rest of the night off so you can study that before the Angsiyan's situation meeting at 2100. Early lights out tonight and up at 0500."

"Understood, Colonel. And thank you." Naiya gets to her feet, already working the numbers out in her mind. Unlikely, but not impossible. With luck, she'd actually pull a decent night's sleep out of this. Making another sharp salute, she waits for the proper dismissal, acknowledging his indication that the briefing was at an end.

"Get my last maintenance report out of the way first, and you should have a good three hours to look over everything before Konrad calls the main briefing. Lieutenant Falck will answer any questions you might have after a first glance through," suggests Lanziego as he nods in return to Naiya's salute and gestures subtly toward the door with a flick of his fingers.

Taking the briefing material with her, Naiya wastes no time heading back to her quarters, going over things as she again briskly makes her way through the corridors. And boots. Couldn't forget the boots. Could check out the vids while cleaning them up, waste less time with that. As the Colonel had said, should she have any questions, Falck would be there for clarification.

Excellent.

Observational capacity or not, it was the first field assignment she'd been given, and even the prospect of working out in the snow couldn't entirely dampen her growing enthusiasm. It was a fairly big group, which in her mind, meant the potential - however unlikely it was said - for some trouble. The equipment they would be installing was unfamiliar, as was a good deal of what she'd been exposed to in her time here, but the principle of it all made enough sense. Set it up, fire from one point to hit two different angles without putting your own people in harms way. Perfectly sensible, so long as you set things up correctly.

Given the people she'd be working with, the the level of expectation, let alone the fact that failure out here as she'd seen, was simply not an option - they'd get it done, alright. And get it done well. It was exciting to be a part of it. And again, it was an opportunity to prove herself.

[Melkor Unchained]

"Alright you dogs, up and out!" barks First Lieutenant Johan Falck, Naiya's Vzj'Nakai minder, who had hitherto been fairly quiet and reserved. Drago Company's dropships were about to make their landing in support of Konrad's unit, who had been on the ground already for the better part of an hour. Naiya had been sent to the operation with the combat reserve force, but had orders to disembark and rendezvous with Konrad's entourage while the rest of the men took their positions. It was clear that while short of being afforded preferential treatment, the Principessa was sent to the LZ with a proper combat escort instead of with the logistics unit she was to work with once they reached the site.

She was on her feet and falling in practically before she even thought about it. She knew her duties, as mundane as they were, and set to unloading the gear with the others assigned to the task. It had occurred to her early on that being in good shape was hell and gone from fighting trim, and said good shape was no substitute for being used to physical labor. All in all, it had been a very eye-opening experience, in ways she hadn't anticipated.

These days, it wasn't quite the struggle it had been at first, and she set to the job with the same serious and quiet determination to get it done, and get it done right that she'd tried to apply to every task she'd been given. Some were simply easier than others to accomplish, and this thankfully, was one of them.

The past fourteen hours had seen a number of changes. She'd managed to get those boots shined, sure enough, and pored over the data she'd been given to review, committing it to memory using the tricks her mother and adopted aunt had raised her with. The final briefing had been informative, and the few questions she'd had had been efficiently put to rest. That night's sleep had seemed the best she'd had in weeks, though it ended all too soon. The loading up, the flight, and she found herself on site, hauling the supplies to their intended destinations across ice-crusted snow.

Not long after she stops and heads back to the dropship that had brought her, Naiya is stopped by Falck. "One load will do fine, Lieutenant. No need to head back for the next, the Angsiyan is ready to see you now." He pauses and holds his hand to his brow, scanning a nearby ridge for the Emperor's exact position. "Right there, he is. Here, I'll take you up."

The Vzj'Nakai leads Naiya up a narrow path towards the peak, but stops fifty or so yards up, pausing to let her catch up before he speaks again. "The Angsiyan," he announces as Konrad approaches from around a formidable outcropping. This meeting stood in sharp contrast to Naiya's meetings within the Serechav--Konrad no longer wore the now familiar dress uniform, but rather the mostly white (aside from grit and blood) combat kit of the Guardis Imperica's Northwatch divisions.

"Hello Naiya," starts Konrad in a calm tone that belies his dress and the harsh expressions of the men behind him. "Welcome to the field."

The young woman takes it all in at a glance. They'd been on the ground only forty or so minutes ahead, and already, it was clear they'd been challenged. Up close and personally. And here he was, offering a greeting in a tone that was not unlike 'so, would you care for some sugar in your tea?' Having no time to sit and ponder, she offers a sharp salute, and comes to attention. Just because he could offer an address however he pleased did not mean she could while on duty. She half wondered if that had been an intentional test.

"Thank you, Angsiyan. Orders, sir?" seemed the most prudent response, and she offered it respectfully. It still irked her, though she kept that fact carefully hidden. One thing she'd learned about herself over this entire venture was she wasn't nearly so down to earth and 'just like everyone else' as she had lead herself to believe. A life of priviledge had its effect on people. And those first orders, and expectations, and attitudes had grated. And still did, if she were honest about it. She'd been raised to lead, not to follow, and bending her proud neck to accomplish what she intended had perhaps, in the end, been the greatest challenge of all.

Konrad's Vzj'Nakai operatives had generally been pleasant to Naiya; being much lighter in general on issues of decorum than Lanziego and his Guardis Imperica soldiers. Now however, they chuckle openly behind Althalon, who turns partially towards them with a laugh. "See how nice we got her trained up?" he muses to his men, before turning his head back to face her but keeping his shoulders squared to the valley opposite which she had moments ago struggled. "Good and proper." He strides to Naiya quickly and places a hand on her near shoulder, diffusing the salute and guiding her away from the chortling squad behind him.

She chokes down her gut reaction, though her jaw tightens and her eyes brighten for the briefest of moments. Naiya keeps her expression impassive - its what's expected, and damned if she were going to let this challenge trip her up. The shoulder his hand rests on is tight all the same, and her posture rigid, though perhaps that can be shrugged off as maintaining bearing. Perhaps.

"Resistance is stiffer than we anticipated," starts the Angsiyan, getting right down to business, his wording deliberate. A short distance away from his men he stops and finally squares to her. "I need you to help Lieutenant Sikora set up camp. It's quiet enough around here that I can spare a platoon from the combat reserve to help you and the others get things in order here while we go back out on patrol. I have scouts that should be reporting back to you within the hour, so once you've finished up with the provisions I need you to take their report and Lieutenant Falck will take it to me."

"Understood, Angsiyan. Will there be anything else?" She does her level best to keep the edge from her voice, the unspoken 'anything else I can amuse you with' quite nicely hidden.

"Yes, actually," he answers evenly, taking a half-step backwards and turning partway back to his men, as if addressing both. "The Colonel has spoken highly of your reports and observations." He continues, raising his voice slightly and starting a swift turn of his head starting with his men but swinging back to Naiya. "He says that they are very orderly; and quite punctual and descriptive. If he is correct in his advice--" he pauses to flash her a frank look with both eyebrows slightly raised-- "and he usually is, you could help me free up a man who's frankly wasted on that sort of thing. Well enough as he is in both war and its administration, he is nonetheless one of the few within my guard who can run my office from these desolate locations. If you can process and dispatch information near enough to Lieutenant Treto's capacity, I can use him to command a combat platoon which is where I would prefer him to be."

It takes her a moment to register exactly what's just happened, one brow starting to arch up questioningly before she stops herself. Straightening further, if that's possible, she offers a second salute and then nods firmly. "Sir, yes sir!"

"We're back out on patrol here soon," Konrad announces as he slings his weapon over his shoulder and gestures for the men to rise and move out. "I'll be back as near to 1500 as I can manage. Tell Treto to get his platoon together and that they are to detach from the reserve immediately to join me in the field. First Lieutenant Falck will accompany you and reiterate my orders in the unlikely event that Treto is skeptical. I told him I would do this if I were able, and it seems that I am." Konrad drops a hand on Naiya's shoulder before turning away. "Tell him I want him out here by 0745."

"On your orders, Angsiyan," Naiya replies, forcing down the smile that threatens to find its way onto her face. Planned ahead or not, it was an accomplishment in her eyes, and the fact he'd teased, and then turned around and rewarded her efforts in front of the same men who'd just earlier been laughing at her, made up for the earlier offense. An entirely Ardan way of going about things as she was beginning to learn, however damned frustrating she found it at times.

Dropping the salute now that its clear the briefing is over, and orders expected to be followed up on promptly, she gets to it. 'On the bounce', as Zio Timo might say, which makes her wonder idly what he'd have to say about all of this. Not much good, perhaps, all things considered, but still. She had a job to do, and not a lot of time to do it if she were to keep up with the new duties, and more importantly, excell at them. It was expected, after all - if not by them, by herself.

The first challenge was getting down the icy climb without slipping and ruining whatever positive image had been instilled or earned. She gingerly began with that, biting back the curses that instinctively sprang to mind at any slip.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Naiya's new job in the Vzj'Nakai's D-Company was a little less glamorous than Konrad first made it seem. Vzj'Nakai resided outside of the military's normal chain of command--all reported directly to the Angsiyan and functioned on paper as his private guard. As such, Naiya frequently had a lot of information to handle at once. They weren't all required to file reports every day, but they had been on site for 24 hours now and it seemed the men had a lot to say.

Most were health and morale reports. Naiya's job was to route priority messages to Konrad (the text of which she couldn't actually read, a fact brought to her attention by the Angsiyan after she forwarded him a bogus 'Priority Report' composed supposedly by Falck) and process the remainder for his digestion upon return. Some messages came from further out, like from other forts or even Daturias, but those were easy to notice and weren't generally very long. So far, Konrad had only reported back twice, and Naiya couldn't honestly tell whether he was excessively quick at catching up or just ignoring most reports. Konrad was hard to read as a commander. Things had seemed simpler back in Daturias, but it was hard to ignore a slight change in demeanor both on the field and in last night's situation meeting.

What little action Naiya could notice at all seemed to be taking place on the other side of the valley. The camp's own guns buzzed and the mortars thumped with some regularity, and the company's dozen-plus Wolverine dropships maneuvered above and in front of them. There had been flashes and booms in the night, but so far the company had yet to report any casualties. The men seemed almost as if they were enjoying themselves, but not to a creepy or psychotic degree. 'Like a hunting trip, only they sometimes manage to shoot back,' was how more than a few described the excursion. The men (up to and including the Angsiyan) returned from their patrols with loud voices and jostles, heaving happily like energetic dogs after a good run.

It was part and parcel of this concept of 'being Ardan' she'd been studying, from what she could tell. They had a different way about them, a different way of looking at things than what she'd grown up with. And gruffness or brusqueness aside, she was finding it really wasn't such a bad way after all. Naiya found herself smiling now and then as she saw or heard the returns, the good-natured ribbing and boasting that went on between the men. In her extended time here, she'd managed to pick up more of the language, at this point smugly confident that her limited knowledge outweighed the rest of her family's in that regard, making the trips through the camp, or the conversations overheard in passing now and then more interesting.

She may have her limitations, but she didn't feel like a complete outsider, something that had gradually grown on her, and came as a bit of a surprise once she actually thought about it. Save for the little things. Like not having her own login to the system. She was still operating under Treto's, and hadn't found the right time to ask about it. Perhaps that was another test. Perhaps not. All the same, she put it firmly in her mind to address at the next possible opportunity. The next set of reports, most likely.

As for the work itself, she applied herself with a stubborn dedication. If a mistake was made and pointed out, it didn't happen again. She made sure of it. Proving herself was a challenge she'd tasked herself to since she was very young, mostly to the one person she'd never be able to prove anything to. It was practically second-nature to continue with the same dogged persistence and drive in this altogether different situation. She didn't look for pats on the back or reassurances - that wasn't their way in any case. Whether he acknowledged it or not, she knew Konrad was watching, as were the others. And more to point, proving she could handle things to herself had become rather gratifying.

So it was she finds herself in a more or less quiet corner of the mess tent, taking a brief opportunity to scarf down a meal while working on the last batch of reports on a portable unit. Whatever it was, it tasted good, it was hot, and it was filling, which right now was all she had time to pay attention to. Dom would be disappointed, she was certain, but then Dom had the luxury of time to truly appreciate a dish. She didn't. Not if she were going to get these sorted on time.

Lieutenant Falck opens the tent on the far side from where she's seated and calls out: "Lieutenant D'Aquisto! Finish that up and come out here when you're done. You'll want to see this, it's really cool."

Mannagia ... With a quick last few mouthfuls, she finished what she could, closed up her portable and tucked it under her arm. With her free hand, she cleared up her tray, dropping it off at the appropriate spot, then hurried to the doorway. Never enough bloody time.

When she makes her way out of the tent, Falck is standing there, peering through his binoculars towards the battlefield below. The wind was a little loud so the 1st Lieutenant had to raise his voice a bit to be heard clearly. "We're about to call in the main strike from Starke," he announces with a gesture to the opposite mountain when it sounds like she's close. "We've got the shunt in place and they'll FFE here in a minute. I don't think they had you guys doing any exercises this big on the wall; this one'll be using every gun in the facility."

Naiya runs a quick tally in her head of just how many guns that is, and her brows creep up at the realization of just how big a strike this was going to be. "How the he--ah, why the big push?" she asks curiously, squinting at the general direction.

"Because we got 'em and because we can," he answers with a grin, lowering his binoculars. "Konrad will be in shortly after it's over, so you can just hand what you have done so far to him and he'll take care of it after tonight's early meeting. We might even pack up and head back tonight, I don't think he's decided yet."

At least it isn't due to surprising resistance, she figures with some relief. "I've about got it wrapped in any case," she replies, shifting her coat a bit, still peering out across the way in expectation. "Guess we'll see, neh?"

"Okay, watch," he announces, pointing toward the other mountain. "Right there," he leans in to point at an angle more favorable to her vantage. "In like... ten seconds."

She instinctively leaned in, one hand on her knee, braced slightly in her stance. Mentally, she makes the count, surprised at the slight adrenaline rush the waiting triggered.

When the allotted time passes, the shunts come on. They were placed on the mountainside a few hundred yards below the Vzj'Nakai camp, as they often resulted in avalanches even when the devices work. Colonel Lanziego had aimed his guns to hit as close to the shunts as possible, so the activated gravitic fields would bounce incoming fire into a valley otherwise unreachable via static defenses. As the artillery hits the shunt, it flashes a certain color, denoting its caliber. In no time at all they bounce right off the shunts and sail across the valley, striking a certain line on the other mountain.

The first salvo flashes orange when it hits the shunt, but doesn't appear to do much exploding on the other side. Instead the ground is simply pulverized, and a sheet of snow begins to tumble down over a new scar in the mountainside. The second and third salvos--blue and green off the shunt--cover a little more ground and comes down like rain over an area about 700m long and 35m high, causing small explosions. This continues for about fifteen seconds until the fourth is queued--flashing yellow off the shunt. Clearly they were rounds of a heavier caliber, as each individual shell bounced from the shunt produced a thud which the other rounds lacked.

These were the ones that really lit up the sky. It fires across a line and back again three times, sending huge amounts of pulverized earth up into the valley. By now anything that had once resembled snow or water was clearly gone, replaced now with smoke and flames. The firing stops, but Falck holds up his hand and then uses it to point back out before Naiya can ask if it's over. "One more. Give it a few."

Apparently, the line they had fired on was the mouth of a new tunnel built by the Uruks. Konrad's company had spent the last day scouting its location and killing its forward guards, but now the host was making itself visible, streaming out of the now widely exposed mountain egress. After only a minute or so, it seemed impossible to count them. Falck, however, doesn't appear to be visibly alarmed. "Watch."

The certainty of being buried alive, or the slim chance of fighting one's way free to perhaps fight another day? Not much of a choice, given the firepower that the Ardans had at their disposal. In spite of the massive numbers pouring out from the depths, and the momentary shiver at how easily their camp could be overrun with a force that size, Naiya simply shakes her head. The poor bastards were doomed. A couple of the big gravships could be seen now that the surprise attack had been launched. And to think, this was what, a battalion's worth of artillery being utilzed? The hell would a larger attack look like?

Thoughts went briefly to other things she'd learned growing up, unable to stop herself from comparing what tactics and defenses she knew of her allies, seeing ways each side might have gotten at each other. The Scolopendran Caves immediately sprang to mind, though she was certain they were better engineered than any Orc tunnels. Watching this gave a whole new spin on things she'd known - a whole different perspective. She continued to watch the scene unfold with undisguised interest, gripping her portable tightly.

When a good number of them are out of the tunnel and on their way down the hill, the final salvo is fired from Fort Starke. Yellow, orange, and red shells strike the shunts and fill the sky with new booms and rumbles. The red shells appear to strike the tunnel mouth, burning anything dry (like a previously sheltered army) in the area. Before long, a wide strip was almost entirely ablaze. The other rounds seemed to focus on the descending remnants as they attempt to barrel down the mountain. There seem to be a few thousand of them, but it's still a fraction of what had made it out of the tunnel while it was still possible. Now its exit was sealed shut, and everything around it on the mountainside was in flames. As the rocks continue to crumble away, a distinct cylindrical scar around the exit can be discerned.

"Cool, huh?"

Well ... impressive. More than. Mind-blowingly catastrophic, more like. Cataclysmic on a localized scale, even. Naiya lets out a low whistle, straightening up, wrinkling her nose at the smells that even from here began to work their way up on the winds created by the literal hell the Ardans had unleashed on the area below. Without thinking, she murmurs a mild curse she'd picked up in Dunnish, scanning the scene slowly.

"You boys don't do anything by half, do you?" she says, glancing over at Falck, both brows raised.

"Not with Uruks we don't," Falck assures the Principessa with a laugh. He turns back towards the tent and gestures for Naiya to follow. "Picking up on some Dunnish, then?" he inquires.

"A bit, though probably not all of it the sort my mother might approve of," she admits, grinning just a little as she heads off behind him. She takes another look back over her shoulder, shaking her head again as she turns back.

Suddenly, the Wolverine-class dropships--freshly withdrawn from the strike across the valley--begin to circle above the tents and land a short distance away. They're already disembarking by the time Naiya and Falck reach the tent. The Lieutenant waves to someone as he holds the flap open for Naiya, and then follows her inside. "Looks like there isn't much mop-up," notes Falck. "Platoons two, three, and five are back already, which means the Angsiyan will want to break camp tonight and head back to Starke."

"After watching the hell you boys unleashed, I wouldn't think there would be much left, no," she answers after ducking inside with a quick word of thanks. "Any idea what we'll be getting up to next? Or are we looking at back to the fort and more maintenance work?"

"First it'll be back to camp for debriefing. We've found some stuff worth going over with the officers at Starke, and I imagine Konrad wants to head back there in order to get it done ASAP. Depending on how fast we can pull up camp, he might even do it tonight." Falck effortlessly commands the attention of a nearby junior officer and gestures for him to begin breaking camp. "It seems they're catching on to a few things and we need to stay ahead of them."

Naiya nods and flips open her portable to wrap up the last few bits she'd been working on before being called outside. As fast as Falck was suggesting they'd be moving, she'd need to be on the bounce - and damned if she was going to start off having her end of things unfinished by the time the Angsiyan arrived, whether he wanted to see them or not. "Gonna be a hell of a night in that case," she observes, rapidly typing, sitting out of the way, the portable balanced on her knees.

"I'll keep Lieutenant Orlik out of your hair," asserts Falck, turning to face the main entrance as the men start coming in. "Get done what you can and be ready to move soon. This tent will probably be down in ten."

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

She wasn’t getting the whole story, not by a long shot. And especially not from the one person she truly wanted to hear it from. Naiya’s now written updates had been vague on several points, in part she figured, due to operating via Ardan systems, and in part, she was certain, to at least try to keep her mother from worrying. An exercise in futility, that.

Yes, she admitted it was harder than she’d expected. Yes, it was both physically and mentally demanding. But she insisted she was doing just fine. Excelling, even. Running the camp office so to speak, now? That was all fine and well, and no doubt a compliment to her abilities at multitasking and the like, but the fact that she was so near to any action displeased Nathicana on a level that she had a hard time putting to words.

And Konrad was encouraging it, damn his hide. Nadia at least seemed to commiserate with her on the situation, being none too pleased with how things had panned out, or the choices made, not that it made much difference. Of course if she pulled her out now, she’d sacrifice all the progress she’d made with her daughter over a number of issues that had come up. And with Devon’s retirement looming close on the horizon, and all the additional complications that would come with that, she was hesitant to do anything that might jeopardize her relationship with Naiya.

It was a weakness. And she knew it. The right thing, in her mind, would have been to haul the girl home with her, get her head on straight, and set about making her own arrangements, much as she was loathe to let go. Naiya had been involved in things for a good long while. She knew how things functioned in the Dominion, had shown herself competent at dealing with the nobles, seemed to have a decent working relationship with the Ministry as it stood, and even had good suggestions for the replacements of those who were also looking at retirement. She’d been introduced to their allies, had been involved in diplomatic issues with them on certain levels … she wasn’t sure if the girl was ready, but she felt if nothing else, that she had the competency to handle it, and the sense of responsibility that would help make it all come together.

For a good deal of her life she’d insisted that emotions and ties were a detriment. And then things had changed. And her along with them. Devon still didn’t understand a good deal of it, and he probably never would. The years hadn’t affected him in the way they had her, and she knew her ‘mistakes’ that way frustrated him to no end sometimes. Things had always been complex between them, but with the children, and now everything that had happened since, she was hard-pressed to keep things relatively stable, in spite of the calm façade she so often assumed. It was odd that the time in Arda had been, to a large extent, a welcome reprieve from a good deal of it all.

Oh, there would be questions, and likely arguments, unless he chose to take his other stance of stubborn disapproving silence on the matter. But perhaps this was an opportunity for a different sort of reprieve. There hadn’t been sufficient time between them for far too long, between things on Machiavelli, his intense work with Marcus and his preparations in that direction, her own absence and the matters that had occupied her time and energy. Stepping in wasn’t a viable option concerning Naiya. No doubt she would come out ahead for all of it. There was no way Konrad would put her at actual risk, surely. Perhaps she was overreacting. And maybe she should just make the best of the situation rather than sit and fuss as she had been. She wasn’t getting anything done here that couldn’t be handled by the Ministry. She wanted to see how things were progressing on the Kaeneian front without seeming to interfere. And she wanted to see him, perhaps more than anything just then.

Writing up a warm message of love, encouragement, and praise for her daughter’s efforts, with renewed reminders to be careful, not to take any risks, not to try and prove herself in any silly ways trying to live up to some crazy Ardan ideal she didn’t even understand, Nathicana was already making mental plans of her own. And when she was finished, she notified Gianni to make the appropriate preparations.

She would be going to Treznor on an unofficial visit, keeping it quiet and unassuming, and as soon as the arrangements could be made. Her reminders to Konrad to keep her daughter safe, and not risk her unnecessarily trying to prove whatever it was he was attempting to prove, would be sent en route, worded as directly and succinctly as possible.

[Melkor Unchained]

The Angsiyii was quick to capitalize on the many political benefits to enjoy as a result of Naiya's service. While she still (mostly secretly) disapproved of the Principessa's decision, she nonetheless seized upon those aspects most valuable to her cause.

As a Roark empress ruling just above a Talicid dominated Military Court, things could occasionally prove difficult. The two families had a notorious and longstanding rivalry, the wounds of which--even with an Althalon on the throne--still festered. The Military Court was the second most powerful institution in Ardan politics behind the Throne itself, having over the course of its long existence seen the chancellary broken and the Albeius reduced from a ruling senate to a mostly ceremonial advisory assembly.

The Court was comprised of five top generals from each kingdom, thus totaling twenty-five men. Three of Dunland's five members were Talicids, giving them control of Dunland's vote. Even Nadia--in spite of her excessive popularity in Dunland--occasionally struggled with them. Angsiyan and Angsiyii were of course the formal titles of any monarch of unified Arda, but as yet the Angsiyii had never ruled alongside her husband as such. Nadia technically held a rank alongside Konrad's, but it had never been exercised and many loudly disgruntled military men (mostly in the Court) had dismissed it as "ceremonial."

Now, however, the Angsiyii's political gains were too much for even the Court to withstand. Naiya seemed to be performing well--and since Nadia had been the architect of Arda's return to international politics, Naiya's success bolstered her prestige within the court. For once she didn't mind that Konrad was away, since it allowed her to move more quickly. Soon enough, she calculated, the court would be as much hers as it was his.

************
"Welcome to Fort Starke, Angsiyii."

"Astigar Lanziego, always a pleasure. Here, I brought you some melons."

The Guardis Colonel laughs as he takes them, inspecting the basket briefly before depositing it on his desk. "Thanks. How long will you be with us?"

"Two or three days, I think," answers Nadia tentatively. "I'll probably be out of your hair by the time they're done installing the new targeting computers. That should give me more than enough time to visit with Naiya and my husband before I need to be back in Daturias."

"They're on their way back from an extended patrol," reports Lanziego. "I just spoke to Lieutenant Falck a few minutes ago. They should be here in the next twenty or twenty-five minutes. I'll have Major Mazlum take you to your quarters."

"No need, I already took care of that. He came out to the tarmac as we were disembarking. He and Eli probably have everything squared away by now. Does Konrad know I'm coming?"

"I should think not, but I can't say for sure," answers Lanziego with a shrug. "I didn't tell him at any rate and Brigadier Sull and I should be the only people on base who even know you contacted us."

"Well I hope he doesn't," Nadia shoots back with a grin. "I'm hoping to surprise them."

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Naiya, meanwhile, knew nothing of visits, or political maneuvering on the part of Nadia. She’d been too busy finishing her reports on time, attending the debriefing, then assisting in the tearing down of camp for the trip back. She had plenty to think about without worrying about the behind the scenes machinations of the various houses for now.

Falck was close at hand for the most part. His presence had become a bit of a comfort, in an odd way. He had the sort of personality that was easy enough to like and get along with comparatively. A good number of the men here did, if one got right down to it, once you got used to the differences between Ardan and Dominion approaches to things. Adapt and live … she’d been taught that all her life, and she’d put it to good use here.

The principessa wasn’t certain just how long this assignment was to last. Konrad had been a little less clear on that than she’d hoped, and she sensed in some ways that her time was slowly running out. Her mother’s tone in the latest exchanges, for one thing. The knowledge that things were proceeding apace with alliance issues. Her brother’s ascension to the throne couldn’t be much further off, given the responsibilities she was hearing from their mother that he’d been taking on.

Things were going to change. Irreversibly, for better or for worse, they were going to change. And she would have to be ready for it. She felt her experiences here had already helped her in many ways, and not simply for the military regimen. And she hoped that the thing that had driven her primarily would eventually come to pass – even in all her work here, she hadn’t forgotten that. Nor, did she believe, had Konrad. All she could do was hope.

Odd dreams persisted. That feeling of incompleteness remained, of things left unfinished. A drive to move forward, to close the circle she’d unknowingly opened back in Arnesk. She’d written to her father as well, when she was able. Updating him as to her accomplishments, concerns, and frustrations, sharing her experiences, though more carefully than she had with her mother. She still hadn’t had nearly enough time with him. A part of her realized she never would, realistically. She was still getting to know him, and her letters were a continuation of that effort.

Sometimes she was equally frustrated with his more laid-back and hands-off approach to parenting, though she understood his reasons why, or at least thought she did. And other times, she appreciated the freedom it afforded her, the confidence he seemed to place in her ability to make her own choices – something her mother continually struggled with, in spite of her reassurances that she did indeed have faith in the young woman.

Whatever the case, it was an exhausted Naiya who finally boarded the transport, taking advantage of the short jump to get as much rest as she could, in spite of the less than comfortable arrangements. She was asleep before she knew it, her head slumped forward with her chin on her chest, oblivious to the general jostling of the craft in its flight, and only waking at a vigorous shake of one shoulder by the soldier sitting next to her as they made their landing.

[Melkor Unchained]

"Up and at 'em, lazybones," Sergeant Omar Talavi instructs as he pokes at Naiya's knee with the butt of his rifle. "We're back."

Talavi was essentially Falck's Mobile Infantry counterpart. Naiya was no longer attached to Konrad's Vzj'Nakai company, but instead had been observing and managing Guardis Imperica patrols in Arda's extreme north. The distance back to Starke wasn't quite long enough to warrant an orbital return, so the flight back in atmosphere lasted for about eighty minutes.

"Erf," she muttered less than intelligently, blinking rapidly as she set herself in motion, almost before she was entirely awake. It was instinctive at this point.

The hatch opens and men begin to shuffle out of the dropship, conversing quietly in various languages. A few linger to gather various equipment, supervised by Talavi. He hands a satchel to Naiya and slings a backpack over one shoulder before heading for the hatch.

"Third Lieutenant!" barks a familiar voice before she hits the hatch. A look around the tarmac can't find it's source. "Front and center! The Angsiyan is gone, so your vacation is over!" It sounds like Colonel Lanziego.

Next to her, Talavi stops and looks around briefly before turning to Naiya with a raised brow. "That doesn't sound good."

"No, it doesn't," she said, quickly stifling a yawn. She accepted the satchel with a grimace and with a colorful curse under her breath, she beats feet out the hatch and down the ramp, wondering what in hell she's done this time.

Always something, I swear ... now where ...

She'd gauged the general direction of the order, and makes for that point, looking around quickly to try and pinpoint the Colonel. His tone hadn't left much room for messing around. None, in fact. "Get your gold-bricking ass over here! Double-time that shit, soldier!" comes the voice again as she approaches. "Them toilet pipes ain't gonna fix themselves and I left you a doozy! I'm pretty sure the shit I just took is eating through my toilet bowl, so make with the clean-clean!"

Are you kidding me? Her incredulity is clear on her face as she rounds the corner, though she wisely keeps the choice running commentary going through her mind to herself. Especially considering some of the more colorful metaphors she's been able to add to her vocabulary, mostly dealing with the Colonel's parentage, preferences, and various relatives at this point.

She rounds the corner at near full-tilt, her jaw clenched and a determined scowl held firmly in place. As she rounds the corner a Pax junior officer rises swiftly from a crouching position, points a camera at her, and fires. Another man--a senior officer, a Captain, by the look of him , slaps his thigh and doubles over laughing at her expression--Lanziego's voice had been imitated.

Skidding to a halt, her expression, as expected, was priceless. For all of the brief seconds it took for her to realize she'd been pranked, and well. Something inside her just snapped. The pressure to perform. The constant challenge she felt she had to live up to. The derision, good-natured or not. The overall lack of sleep, and the physical demands. It all came to a head, right there and then, her eyes flaring with an unfamilar light - at least to her compatriots.

Naiya drew herself up, not bothering to suppress the aura of presence as she'd learned early on to do. And with surprising control, she looked around at each one of the men involved, fists clenching and unclenching at her sides.

"I ... am going to ..." she began, her voice more rich and resonant than they'd ever heard. "I am going to ... take a goddamned shower. Bastards."

With several cleansing breaths, she settled down again, diminishing as it were to her usual determined yet mundane enough demeanor. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my quarters. Unless there are orders I need to see to immediately?"

"No," the captain answers between laughs, clapping her on the shoulder as she stalks past. "You can get some rest. You're off tomorrow."

"Thank god," she said, offering a wry smile, that eventually turned mischeivous. "Sorry about that. Just a bit ... testy. I'll get you, my dears. If there's anything we know in the Dominion, it's the idea of Vendetta. Sleep light, good friends ... sleep light."

No harm had been done. In fact, that they'd chosen to prank her like that spoke volumes. It would be in poor taste not to take it for what it was - well timed, and executed. And all in good fun. She was too tired at the moment to think up any return attempts, in spite of her teasing threat, the adrenaline of the moment quickly dwindling as she trudged off to find that shower she'd honestly been hoping for.

A few levels down and she'd reach the junior officer's dorms. Fort Starke's living space consisted of individual bunks linked to a commons area; there was enough room in any one of them for about twenty or twenty-five people to relax and socialize. Each had TV's, a small bar, a couple couches and tables. Officers shared washrooms that sat between each dormitory. Naiya's neighbor, fortunately, did not appear to be in.

She hadn't grown up with a particular taboo about flesh or the lack of it being shown. God only knew her mother, being who she was, certainly had never been shy about things, though in the interest of age-appropriateness, had limited her children's exposure to things when younger. Still, it was nice to have the place to herself, and she lost no time in getting out of the heavy winter uniform, and into the hot shower, crossing over to it in just her underthings, with a clean set to change into after.

The heat and humidity and soothing sound of the water was blissful, ad it had an immediately relaxing effect on her. By the time she was finished, she was yawning again. She didn't even finish drying out her hair completely before shuffling back and collapsing in her bunk, one arm dangling off the edge as she drifted off into a much needed sleep.

***

By the time she next awoke, she was feeling groggy from almost too much sleep, and her hair was a bit tangled on account of not having dried it the night before. A quick trip to the bathroom, some cold water to the face, and the rest of her morning ablutions sorted at least some of that. But what was chiefly needed was coffee, and hot. Pulling on her fatigues, she finished brushing out her hair, then braiding it neatly behind her. Socks and boots, and she was ready to head down to the commons in search of much-needed caffienation.

For a change, she didn't pay much attention to the other things going on in the room, intent on her goal, yawning broadly. She found the pot fairly full, and smelling divine right about then, and she poured herself a mug with a kind of satisfied relief. It was different from home, but then again most things were. What mattered was there was cream and sugar she used sparingly to taste, it was hot, and it tasted amazingly good. They didn't short their troops on quality, she'd noticed - another relief, given her acquired tastes for the finer things.

A few contented sips, and the morning finally seemed to be coming into focus. As was the rest of the room. And the people in it. One in particular that nearly made her fumble her coffee mug as she made her way back towards her bunk. The Angsiyii sits on a couch opposite the kitchen/bar, smiling easily with a standing attendant away a few steps at either side. "Good morning, Principessa. Did you sleep well?"

The expression Naiya had about that point was more akin to a deer in the headlights than anything else, and while her lips tried to form some coherent, polite answer, her mind was running with a steady internal monologue of curses and panic, wondering what on earth the woman was here for, and if indeed, as it seemed, she was there to talk to here, what sort of trouble she was in on account. Her smile offered the young woman no comfort whatsoever, reminding her more of a cat preparing to toy with its prey than a welcoming gesture. Overreacting? Possibly. But one thing mama had always taught her was there were only two kinds of paranoia - and damned if she were going to come up on the 'insufficient' side of that equation.

"I ah ... buongiorno, Angsiyii," she finally blurted, glancing down to make sure she hadn't inadvertently spilled in her surprise and momentary panic. "Yes, quite. Well, that is. The sleep. Day off, you see, after being out in the field. Slept in a little. I ... that is, can I help you? I've no idea where the Angsiyan is at the moment, but I'm certain we could find someone who knows."

"He'll turn up," Nadia asserts as she stands and begins walking with one fluid motion. Her aides stay where they are, but the Angsiyii walks towards Naiya with the same (deceptively?) adorable expression she had been wearing prior. "I don't mean to interrupt your morning routine, Principessa, as I know you're on leave today and tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Naiya repeated, as if she'd misheard. "I think you might be mistaken, with all due respect, Angsiyii. I was lucky to get today, and just planned on making sure I was caught up on everything, including sleep - which seems to have been taken care of."

Nadia's eyebrows instinctively hike up for a moment but return quickly to normal. She reaches up to fix a turned collar on Naiya's uniform. "Yes, tomorrow too," she answers simply, scanning the young woman's face. "I've sent one of my own men on in your place for Monday's patrol." She grins a bit more and bites her lip. "In the meantime, I've got a surprise for you whenever you're ready. I'll only be here until Wednesday or Thursday so be sure to pick it up before then. The sooner the better. Now, if you like."

"S...surprise?" Naiya blinked again, completely off her guard, and clearly unsure of how to proceed. "At your convenience, Angsiyii, of course. Though I assure you, youve no need to go out of your way for me. Really. I've been just fine, and I wouldn't want to be a problem ..."

"Nonsense, it's no bother at all," Nadia chirps. "Whenever you're ready. I can wait here or run some other errands."

Naiya finished off her coffee in a series of rapid swallows - something she'd picked up in her time with the Ardans, and never seeming to quite have enough time to really sit down and enjoy a meal, given her workload. She held up a finger as she did so, trying to indicate she'd be but a moment, rushed her mug over to the dish dropoff, and hot-footed it right back, giving Nadia a brief nod. "As you like, Angsiyii," she said simply, trying to get her bearings with the woman.

"Get dressed at least," offers Nadia with an easy laugh. "Fatigues won't do. You can dress in street clothes if you'd like. If you're ready now, I can wait here."

"Understood," Naiya replied, once again 'on the bounce', as Zio Timo might say, and hustling to her dorm to get out her dress uniform. Street clothes were all fine and well, but walking around with the nation's co-leader, in this venue, simply didn't seem to lend itself. She wasn't sure if it were another test or not, but she wasn't willing to take the chance either way. Thankful she'd had the forethought to braid her hair up nice and neat, she made sure she was in regs before hurrying back, so as not to keep the woman waiting.

Oh thank god these are already polished, she couldn't help but think, glancing down at her boots as she got back to the Angsiyii and her small retinue. She'd tag me on that for sure.

Nadia wears an expression of pleasant surprise, but doesn't comment on Naiya's choice of apparel. Generally, Ardan officers wore their dress uniforms pretty much all the time while on active duty. Every citizen had to serve however briefly, but the career officers were almost a class unto themsleves and often identified themselves in public by wearing 'the coat.' For her part, Nadia had yet to be seen in anything else by Naiya, and the Angsiyii took immediate notice that Naiya had picked up on this habit among serving officers. "Excellent. Come, let's get you some breakfast."

"Thank you, Angsiyii," Naiya said, her bearing already more crisp and professional, now that she was in uniform. Again, it came as simple habit now, without even really thinking about it. She walked alongside the blonde woman, her eyes on the path ahead, save for brief fleeting glances cast towards the indominable Ardan monarch. She was itching to know what it was she was being taken to see, good or bad. But she forced herself to keep her cool, trying to carry on as if this were nothing out of the ordinary. If not for her nervousness about Nadia, the situation with her son, and the decided coolness in her attitude on the point, she might have just about pulled it off.

"It's not far," Nadia promises as they exit the commons room. "Konrad and I keep our offices pretty close to the men in most bases." Her aides close the doors behind them and she leads the party down a corridor and to a lift. Turning back around to face them as the orders are punched in and the door is closed, she looks to Naiya. "I hear you're thriving up here. Are you enjoying your work?"

"It's been ... more difficult than I'd envisioned," Naiya admitted, not about to get cocky about the good things that had come of her efforts, not with this woman. "But I think its been worth it, or will be by the end of things, thank you, ma'am."

"I had a feeling it would be," answers the Angsiyii dryly as the lift comes to a quick stop and the doors open back up. "You've been rather busy, even for our standards. Konrad has you serving a sort of condesnsed tour, which no one has ever done before."

"If its been difficult, I've only myself to blame. You did offer me a choice, as I remember," Naiya said, daring a little smile. "I hope I haven't disappointed all the same."

"Oh, quite the contrary," shoots back Nadia with a laugh as they file out. "You've been quite the hit, and I daresay that's helping things work out for everybody. I had no conception that you'd be so good with staff work."

"Mama has made sure we understood a plethora of things that could be important to our future positions," the younger woman says, smiling a bit more warmly at Nadia's response. "Sometimes though, one doesn't know what one can accomplish until one is challenged. I'm glad I haven't managed to mess things up at least. Mama was concerned."

"Your mother surprises me," Nadia confesses. "She's a strong woman but I had taken her children to be her greatest weakness. As a mother to many, I could understand instinctively how that might be the case. Perhaps this led me to pre-judge you, but Nathicana struck me as the kind of woman who might be prone to dote on or coddle your brother and you. I didn't think you were ready for anything like this." The Angsiyii shrugs and looks sidelong to Naiya. "Sure you're not MI, but I've done this before and it's not fun," she concludes frankly.

Naiya shrugs slightly, unsure of exactly what to say to all of that. "She's always wanted us to be strong, while at the same time I think, wanting to keep us safe. I think its been a difficult balance for her, to be honest. And harder still to let go as we've grown up. Between Marcus moving to the Empire with his father, and me here, admittedly pushing against her wishes though she finally relented, I think it's been pretty rough on her. In some ways, maybe harder than all this has been on me."

"And yes ... yes it can really suck," she concluded, grinning wryly to take some of the seriousness away from her previous observations.

"Do you like melons?" asks Nadia suddenly as they reach a certain door on the left side of the hallway. She nods to her aides and they stroll off. "I've got these kantabashi melons from Xingu that I've been pushing on everyone lately. They're really good when they're chilled. Here, you'll see."

Naiya arches a brow slightly, and nods. "I don't think I'm familiar with the sort, though. Anything like frozen grapes?"

"A little, but not quite so cold," she answers, stepping into the room and turning on the lights. "I think you'll like it." She walks across to her desk, behind which sits a small refrigerator. While she prepares a small dish, Naiya turns to close the door but someone is now standing in the doorway.

All other considerations are momentarily forgotten as the identity clicks, and she jumps up to throw her hands around the neck of the tall young man standing there, a girlish little whoop of excitement the first sound to pass her lips. "Edward! Oh my god, when did you get here! I've missed you ... you would not believe - or yeah, I suppose you would - but still. And your m--"

And that's when it suddenly strikes her that his mother, who prior to now had not seemed terribly pleased about her dalliance with the Angsiyii's one and only son, was right behind her, and couldn't possibly have missed her rather enthusiastic greeting. Her eyes went wide with sudden panic, and in her immediate worry, she held on just that much tighter.

"Crap ..."

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

The Angsiyii slowly pours herself a cup of tea and takes a sip, her eyes flickering back up to Naiya and Edward as she sets it down. "Don't worry, this isn't a bust. In fact, I think you will like what I have to say." She gestures to the seats opposite her desk. "Sit."

Naiya gives Edward a quick nervous look before disentangling herself, turning with as much dignity as she can muster and going over to sit down on the edge of one of the seats, forcing down the embarrassment and worry over what Nadia is going to say in spite of her reassurance. Edward winks quickly with the eye his mother can't see, but takes his seat next to her wordlessly.

"Tea?" Nadia chirps once they've taken their seats. "It's really good."

"Please," Naiya replies smoothly. "Thank you."

Having taken some or other subtle look from her son, Nadia readies a pair of cups for the both of them. "First things first, Naiya, your condensed tour is approaching its end," she announces as she works. "Konrad says he plans to take you back under his command when he returns, which should be when your leave is over or soon after. I am here on unrelated business; Edward and I should be gone by the end of the week."

Nadia pushes the teacups towards them. "From here, Konrad will take you on a final series of patrols, farther north than you've been so far. We're not sure exactly where yet, that's partly what he's up there trying to figure out."

Naiya nods in understanding, quietly accepting her tea, and sipping delicately while trying to get a read on the woman. End of the week. That offered some time, at least. Perhaps. Depending. She didn't dare look over at Edward just yet, not with Nadia sitting right there. But the news that the tour was almost done came as both a relief, and somewhat of a disappointment - the latter of which came as a bit of a surprise to her.

"Second," the older woman takes another deliberate pause to blow on her tea and take a sip. "Your mother informs me that she's discussed this relationship with you," she eventually continues, indicating Edward. "What did she say?"

“She … reminded me of the complications inherent in any sort of a relationship between the heirs of our respective nations,” Naiya begins uncomfortably, again not looking over at Edward. “She said she doesn’t want me to get hurt, wanted me to remember my duties and the bigger picture, whatever else might be going on.”

"Did she make any..." Nadia pauses. "Requests or impositions? About visitation or contact with Edward?"

"I asked her to trust me," Naiya says, repressing a sigh. Here it all was, and there was going to be no dodging it with the woman. "Mama has her plate rather full at the moment, and the truth of the matter is, I think having me out of the public eye for now may be an advantage. She certainly doesn't like it though. Not me being here, and ... not further fraternization with Edward. Were it not for that necessity, which she hasn't chosen to explain, I doubt she'd have been this lenient. That, and there are other things she likely needs to take care of that are best done without me around to ... complicate matters. I think that's all I should say on that."

"Fair enough," the Angsiyii offers amicably before affording herself another sip to gather her thoughts. She suspected Naiya's condition was the result of the imminent power transfer in Treznor--Nathi's preference that Naiya be away suggested that the Imperatrice would be spending a lot of time in Devonton; or at the very least that her time would be monopolized by Marcus and/or Devon, the latter of which Nadia knew had no love lost for the Principessa and considered her succession to be a mistake.

"My only condition for now is that there be no child." She sets down her teacup rather pointedly, now addressing the both of them. "I cannot stress this enough, a child would throw our planned succession into chaos. Ours is a new monarchy, which means now more than ever we can't afford any doubt to our succession--which a prince from your union would surely generate."

Naiya blinks, unsure if she's heard correctly. "Wait, what?" she says before thinking things through, glancing over at Edward, who has been damnably quiet the entire time - too quiet, in her mind, something that if she has the chance later, she intends on addressing, at length.

"Well granted," she stutters incredulously. "I mean ... Gods, Nadia--er, Angsiyii. You think I'm anxious to get knocked up before I even assume the throne? And you, sitting there cool as ice, letting me take the heat." She smacks Edward in the arm, glaring at him momentarily, then looking back to the woman sitting across from them.

"No, I don't, but I have five daughters of my own and I know all too well how easily mistakes can happen," shoots back the Angsiyii sharply before Naiya can continue. "That said, he seems to make you happy and you deserve that comfort. I'll trust the two of you to your devices for now, but I'd be a fool to not make the appropriate reinforcements beforehand."

The young woman looks like she's about to say something in return, then thinks better of it, considering again what Nadia had just said. Deserved that comfort? What exactly did she mean by that? "If I might ask, Angsiyii," she began, her tone more respectful even though her expression was wary. "What 'reinforcements' do you mean?"

"Only that the both of you realize and respect the practical and political limitations of your relationship, nothing more," Nadia answers. "Also that we take the appropriate steps to keep the military happy about all of this, since you are now fairly prominent parts of it." She opens her mouth to continue, but is stopped short as a LED starts blinking on a console on her desk. "One moment, please," she says as she scans over the message. "I have to take this." The Angsiyii produces an earpiece and hooks it in as she punches up the message on her comm device.

His mother's attention now diverted, Edward leans in. "Relax, Naiya, she's trying to help us," he assures her with a half grin. "I know it might not seem it to you, but you'll see soon enough."

Naiya looks over at him dubiously, scowling slightly. "Bloody Ardans," she murmurs, finally sitting back a bit in her chair, crossing her arms and waiting for Nadia to explain.

The Angsiyii speaks animatedly in Haradrim for a few moments, but cuts it short. "Edward, dear," she starts after terminating the call, "I need you to run down to G210 and give these reports to Lieutenant Halik." She opens a desk drawer and produces a folder. "Their system is apparently down, so they need a hard copy."

"Alright," Edward says simply as he stands, taking the folder as it is pushed to him. With a wry grin he turns and plants a kiss on Naiya's head just above the ear on his way out. "It'll be fine, trust me," he whispers quickly even though he's pretty sure his mother can hear.

The look Naiya shoots him in return is one that clearly begs, or is that threatens in some ways, that he not leave her there on her own. She watches him leave, then turns back to face Nadia, calm again by the time she's settled back in, bracing internally for whatever is to come.

Fine, he says. Easy for him to say. He got to sit there without being in the hot seat, and now the son of a bitch is free and clear. A few choice curses in Dunnish flash through her mind, reminding her that Nadia quite pointedly was using something entirely different. She didn't leave anything out, that woman. No wonder her mother liked her.

"Now, where were we?" Nadia starts as her mind rewinds to before the call. She finishes her tea and begins pouring another cup. "Oh right, I remember now," she asserts. Setting the decanter aside, she leans in a bit and clasps her hands on her desk. "As I mentioned, Edward and yourself will be at base here together for at least the next few days," Nadia reiterates. "Naturally, this situation calls for a delicate touch.

"When Konrad and I were named Angsiyan and Angsiyii, I demanded and obviously received a military rank. As such, this required careful wording of fraternization regulations lest Konrad and I lose our conjugal rights. I needed the rank and resources to better establish my office, and Konrad is, well..." Nadia pauses to sip her tea, "a very passionate man."

"In essence, the two of you are free to enjoy yourselves however you see fit as long as your only contact is off duty or in panel* with your commanding officer."

Now Naiya's brows go up for several reasons. One, that the Angsiyii is sharing such personal information so casually, though Edward's absence seems a bit more reasonable on account. Second, that they're basically being given carte blanche - within reason - to do as they like. Almost with her blessing, it seems. Which really throws the young woman for a loop. She quite tactfully does not draw a parallel between father and son in any regard just then, though the thought does tempt a smile that she quite carefully represses.

"I think I understand my duties well enough to ensure there are no problems," she calmly reassures Nadia. "And I very much doubt you have to explain it twice to Edward, considering how seriously he takes his own responsibilities."

"He's a fine young man, I'm sure you'll agree," the Angsiyii answers with a quiet laugh. "And we don't have to explain it twice but we did for good measure," she adds with a wink. She pauses now a little longer than usual, tapping the edge of her teacup for a few seconds. "I really don't want to ask you this, but there's something you should know; when you kiss him, does he... taste different? Than a normal man?"

"I ah ..." Naiya clears her throat, taking a moment to sample her tea, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I really don't feel comfortable discussing this sort of thing, if you understand, Angsiyii. I mean, il dio you're his mother and ... aiyah."

"It's not like that. If anything seems different it's because of alchemic cell therapy. He's got it, I've got it, Konrad has it--virtually the whole royal family at this point has been outfitted. Among other things, it allows us to control unconscious or otherwise unchangeable bodily functions. We can make our blood clot more easily, we can control the production of chemicals in our brains, regenerate more quickly, control metabolism and digestion, and so on.

"There's more to it than that, as I'm sure you'll discover as your relationship continues. But the long and short of it is that as a result of this treatment he will not have a child with you or anyone else unless he wants to. I mentioned it when we sat down in case you had a notion to want one, but now that we're past that I think this is important information for you to have." The Angsiyii scans Naiya's expression intently. "Do you understand?"

Naiya is still a bit flustered, but is clearly paying attention to what the older woman is saying, by the end peering rather intently at her over the cup of tea balanced delicately between her fingertips. "I'd say that's a good thing to know, yes," she says carefully, taking another slow sip, but keeping her eyes on Nadia. "Not that I hadn't insisted on precautions as is, mind."

"Excellent," the Angsiyii responds brightly, suddenly straightening up and smiling again. "Unless you have any questions, I think we understand each other. In the meantime, I believe you have a couple days' leave to enjoy. I can't give Edward the day off today, but I gave him tomorrow. You should be able to see him then."

The surprise second day fell into place, and in spite of her discomfort and relative confusion on some points, Naiya found herself feeling quite grateful for the consideration. And the clarification, however much discussing those sorts of things made her squirm. "Should I ah ... leave you to your work, then, Angsiyii? Though I would like to thank you, odd as this discussion has been."

"Indeed," Nadia answers with a chuckle, reaching for her teacup but not drinking from it just yet. "If it's any consolation it wasn't particularly easy for me either," she confesses before she sips. "But you needed to know. Enjoy your leave, Principessa."

Naiya stands, and offers the Angsiyii a proper salute, and a respectful bow after setting her own cup aside. "That I will," she says simply, heading back the way they'd come, her mind abuzz with various possibilities ... and several plots and plans for the morrow.


* "In panel" is one of Arda's military jargon-phrases for any sort of military meeting; briefings, debriefings, situation meetings and the like.

[Melkor Unchained]

"Is she still in there?" Captain Suraj Choban asks, closing the control room door behind him with his heel.

"Yep." Choban's Far Haradrim countryman and partner Iqbal Rai answers simply as he leans back in his office chair. The Angsiyii is visible on one of the screens, apparently testing the new command deck that had just been installed. The first of a new series of fleet command prototypes, the command deck allowed an admiral to send orders to fleet frigates and capships in real time via a 3d interface.

Choban adnvances to the wall of flatscreen monitors on the far side of the small room and hands Rai a cup of tea. "Looks like she's enjoying herself."

Rai shrugs. "You know how she gets about these things. Remember when the new portcomps came out? We could barely pry the thing from her fingers." Choban and Rai functioned on paper as the Roark Empress' technical adjutants, advising and assisting with mostly military prototype technology. The Angsiyii always seemed to have a strong affinity for gadgets and gizmos, and often buried her nose in manuals and technical documents when she thought no one was looking. As they were essentially stewards of her hobby, Rai and Choban had the luxury of dealing with the Angsiyii mostly only when she was in a good mood.

Choban, with a growing anxiousness, fears this may soon cease being the case. "I got the latest reports from Camp Iksan," he announces. "I've got to go give them to her."

The other Haradrim lifts his eyebrows and turns halfway around in his chair. "Doesn't sound like good news."

"Nope."


*****

The command deck was a technically complex but simple looking apparatus, appearing as little more than a 3'x 5' platform with metal railing on three sides and a projection box on the front. When activated, however, menus hovered or were brushed aside by the user, who also had access to a full, real-time 3d rendering of the fleets or detachment under his command. Even damage could be assessed from the platform, both externally and internally.

Nadia was loving it. She had been standing at the thing for about thirty minutes, but hadn't gotten around to issuing any actual orders yet. The 7th Fleet was on standby outside the Oort cloud, ready to test the FTL comms from Fort Starke, but the Angsiyii was still poring over reports and schematics on a side 'screen,' either dismissing or magnifying them with her hands while chattering with one of the developers. Although his Dunnish wasn't the best, Choban could tell by her body language and tone that her excessive enthusiasm for such devices was barely concealed.

Despite the distractions, it doesn't take very long for Choban to be noticed and waved over by the Angsiyii. "Hello, Suraj. What have you got for me?" she asks absently, punching up a frigate and zooming in.

"We just heard from Camp Iksan, Angsiyii."

"Oh?"

"Nothing. All MI patrols have reported back, but Drago company is still unaccounted for and Bracken company is asking for orders.* The 533rd reports that they expect to arrive there by 1900."

The Angsiyii sighs and frowns. She knew it was unlikely that Camp Iksan would hear from Konrad before she did; considering the length of his absense she calculated he would likely show up some distance away from the camp and contact her personally first. Signs were increasingly pointing to either comms failure or the destruction of Drago Company. Muttering a Dunnish curse to herself, Nadia pulls the command deck sensors off her fingers and passes them gingerly to the stout developer with whom she had previously been conversing. She moves quickly, but takes a few seconds to gather her thoughts before responding. "Thank you, Captain. I'll take care of this myself," she asserts, pulling her overcoat off a chair and donning it in one fluid motion as she passes. "Tell Edward and Brigadier Sul that I want to see them."

* Drago and Braken companies are units of Vzj'Nakai commandos, and Konrad is currently attached to the former. They're asking for orders because they operate outside the normal chain of command and report directly to the Angsiyan himself. As he is presently missing, they are now taking their orders from Nadia.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

The first day of her leave, Naiya had done all she could to make it last as long as possible, knowing that in spite of the opportunity given, there was no way Nadia was going to allow more than absolutely necessary. Not after the discussion they’d had. In between the lines there had been a clear message that Naiya felt she’d understood clearly. Opportunities, yes. A quiet approval, to a point. But step out of line and prove that these considerations had been unwarranted and she would soon regret it.

The following days proved that the ‘off duty’ contact was going to be more of a challenge than she’d anticipated.

She was on leave, but he was not. And his mother kept him busy, without a doubt. All the same, Naiya found she had a hard time sleeping in, or even relaxing as much as one might hope to. She felt twitchy. Nervous, even. And it wasn’t mostly due to Nadia or the effort of being patient, or working around schedules for a brief rendezvous. Something felt off. Out of balance. And Naiya couldn’t find any explanation for it.

She tried reading as she used to enjoy, but she couldn’t stay settled long enough to get into it all. She even checked out the theatre, but found the sitting idly, especially after so many weeks of near constant activity, didn’t lend itself well on top of the unease she couldn’t shake. She finally took to hitting the gym, preferably sparring with the punching bag, or hitting the treadmill to wear herself down enough to sleep at night, or to take the edge of her growing frustration.

And then of course, there were the dreams.

Time had gone on, but the need she’d felt that first night, seeming so long ago, hadn’t diminished. In fact, it had grown. But her duties had kept her so busy, and so mentally worn down for so long that the effect had been somewhat dulled. Having so much free time on her hands had brought that all crashing down, and she was once again reminded, strongly, of the importance of getting what had gotten her into this situation to begin with – her need to look through the master stone. Something, she hoped, would not be too far off, given Nadia’s reassurance that her tour was coming to an end.

Not only that, but as the two days turned into more, and there was no sign of Konrad and his detachment, Naiya began to worry further. Granted, it was explained off as him being gone longer than planned, and her having additional time on account of waiting on some decisions on his end, but …

It didn’t feel right. None of it did, and by mid-day, she had decided that waiting patiently for answers simply wasn’t going to be good enough. So when news of the meeting came around, she resolved to sort it out one way or another by the end of it. Or directly after, as opportunity allowed.

[Melkor Unchained]

"Hello Naiya," offers the Angsiyii in greeting as Naiya steps into her office. "Have a seat, I'll be with you in a minute," she commands, gesturing to the long couches sitting opposite each other a few steps from her desk, which are currently occupied by three important-looking and unfamiliar men. Two are clad in the familiar charcoal-grey Guardis Imperica uniforms while the third wears navy--a color Naiya hadn't seen much of owing to her lack of interaction with senior fleet officers.

"Thank you, Angsiyii," Naiya says politely, taking in the three men at a glance, noting the similarities and differences, and then sharply offering them a proper salute, before starting to take a seat near the officer sitting on the left couch, as she'd been instructed. Nadia seemed ... harried. Understandable under the circumstances, but no less capable. She didn't recognize the officers, but one seemed to be watching her more closely than the others. And another seemed somewhat anxious. No doubt concerned as well, she thought offhand. The officer from the fleet seemed to show a bit of tiredness around the eyes, but was otherwise well enough it seemed. With all that was going on, where was Edward?

Nadia rubs her temple and affords herself a sigh. She knew Naiya couldn't stay in a position of prominence for very long in Arda without meeting a Talicid, but she had hoped the Princepessa's first would be someone other than James, the aging but sharp looking Guardis Imperica Knight-Marshal next to which Naiya had just sat. James was the Talicid patriarch and Nadia's chief political rival in Dunland and Rhûn, holding an important seat on the Military Court as one of the Guardis Imperica's top commanders.

James inclines his bearded chin downward ever so slightly to acknowledge Naiya's salute. "So this is the famous Naiya," he booms, inflecting upward when he says her name, giving the phrase the character of being not quite a question and not quite a declaration. He lifts himself off the couch: tall and broad-shouldered, he looks good for an older man. His dark eyes glint as he smiles and extends a hand. "We've all heard quite a bit about you. I am James Talicid, and these are my brother Knight-Marshals Bruno Zwygart and Roland Petrik," he declares, indicating each Marshal in turn with a glance.

Ah, clarity achieved. Naiya bows her head just enough to return the greeting, taking his hand with a firm clasp and a determined shake, her eyes not leaving his. "An honor to meet you, Knight-Marshal," she replies, then offers the same greeting to the others in turn, as he'd initiated it. "And you both as well. One hopes whatever has been heard has at least been good."

The other two Marshals lean forward and shake Naiya's hand in sequence. Once finished, Petrik leans back into the couch but Zwygart stays hunched forward slightly. James opens his mouth to reply, but is cut off by the Angsiyii, who rises suddenly from her desk and strides toward the group. "Unfortunately, it's not. Or more accurately, we haven't heard anything. Konrad is still missing and it is beginning to affect the political situation." Nadia arrives at the couches, but remains standing as she continues. "State newspapers have blacked this out so far of course, but the private press will obviously find out sooner or later." She had her suspicions that the Talicids were planning to leak news of Konrad's situation, but she avoids voicing them.

The Angsiyii passes a folder to Petrik, which the fleet Marshal opens and begins to read. "My instinct is to order your return to Daturias, but you will probably finish out your tour in Arnesk or Illykami." Nadia compulsively smooths the front of her uniform jacket down and takes a seat between Petrik and Zwygart. "I strongly suspect that his disappearance has something to do with your presence here at the Northwatch. If Morgoth has a new lieutenant in Angband or Utumno as my husband believes, it seems very likely that you will also become a target. Considering what is at stake, we cannot afford to take that chance."

The young woman was used to Nadia's blunt demeanor, but the news that accompanied this particular revelation hit as hard as it was likely intended. New lieutenant? Here, so close? And her own presence, as well as that of the Angsiyii, and the heir apparent ... well none of it added up to anything good. Wanting to prove oneself was one thing--putting oneself in harms way deliberately, or remaining a detriment to the overall stability of the nation, in this case, would be ridiculously stupid.

She didn't have as much of a problem envisioning things she hadn't seen, not since she'd experienced more, and certainly not since she'd had that look into the palantir. Add to that the things her mother refused to speak about, those things she could read only so much of in her, things that had been long burried deep, and her next words weren't a struggle to voice at all.

"Whatever you think best, Angsiyii. Just tell me what you want me to do."

"The volume and character of this season's attacks are different than anything we've seen since the war," explains Nadia, reaching up to brush aside an errant hair. "They're deploying tactics and weaponry that we didn't know they had, and their usual difficulty fielding and supplying large armies doesn't seem to be present anymore. We've seen several in just the last few weeks but still haven't found their vanguard."

"Indeed. Even if there's no tangible security threat to your person, we can't guarantee your safety to the Dominion if a serious attack should materialize," adds Zwygart. "It has been our intention to keep you out of combat, as you've no doubt noticed."

"I haven't decided where to send you from there, but I'll be transferring you and elements of your unit back to Daturias," declares the Angsiyii. "You'll probably do some light guard duty there for a few days while I assemble your orders."

Naiya turned her eyes to Zwygart as he spoke, nodding in understanding. After seeing some of what the real troops got into, even at a distance, she didn't regret the decision really. And in doing so, she did what had become habit with her over the years as she'd grown up, and learned that at times, she could pick up more from the conversation than was readily apparent. With most people who had trained minds, or increased mental defenses, there was nothing - something she'd become used to here, especially with the officers. This time, it was different.

So even while she answered Nadia, her mind remained focused on him, and the odd weakness she'd detected in what would usually be a stone wall. "Understood, Angsiyii. Is ... is there anything I can help with in the meantime? Without being underfoot, at least."

The Angsiyii pauses for a moment to consider the question, and the three Knight-Marshals exchange a few glances before she answers. "There is, actually. Knight-Marshal Zwygart here and my son will be inspecting the 33rd tomorrow. You should join them."

James raises a brow at that. "Are you sure that's wise, Angsiyii? How will the men react? She's not of Ardan birth and is only a Third Lieutenant." He looks to Naiya and cracks a grin. "No offense to the young lady."

Nadia blinks quickly and shakes her head. "True, but I want to remind the men that we have allies; that Arda is no longer alone and intends to stay that way. It will boost morale."

Curious. Naiya thought she could understand the basics at least of what Nadia was hoping to accomplish. And it did seem to make sense, in spite of the Talicid's hesitancy. Perhaps, given the nature of the two families, it was to be expected. Any benefit Nadia could gain lessened their own hold on things, after all. And his tone, admittedly, put her back up. 'Only,' indeed. Only worked her ass off to get to where she was to begin with, damn his arrogant hide. But still, that wasn't what had her concerned. That twitchy feeling she'd been getting over the past several days hadn't gone away. And the oddly open surface thoughts of the man she was now slated to accompany on this inspection wasn't helping it.

Naiya straightened a bit, her chin tilting up in a subtle mirror of her mother's more imperious manner. "I won't disappoint," she stated clearly, intending to reassure Nadia, if such were needed, and to give answer to the Talicid Knight-Marshal's doubts as well. Still, her eyes slid momentarily towards Zwygart. Had that been a surge she'd felt at Nadia's suggestion? And why?

Nadia looks alternately to Zwygart and Petrik, who nod approvingly at the idea: gatherings of Marshals were nearly always odd-numbered for a reason, and it's clear that both Petrik and Zwygart are her men and not James'. For all his clout, the Talicid Knight-Marshal had been caught off guard and he knew it, electing to abstain from any further criticism for the moment.

"We'll leave at 0800 tomorrow," declares Zwygart. "I'll send my adjutant over to help you settle your affairs tonight."

Naiya's eyes tighten slightly. There is something about the phrase that just doesn't sit right with her, whatever the real intent might be. "Yes, sir. I'll be sure to have my things in order," Naiya asserts, nodding sharply. She looks back and forth between Zwygart and the Angsiyii, her brows coming together ever so slightly. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something wasn't right. She couldn't guarantee it wasn't just her nerves from the past two days acting up, but damned if she could dismiss it out of hand either.

"Good," answers the Angsiyii firmly. "I'll see you when you get back, at which we'll prepare for your return to Daturias. Dismissed."

[Melkor Unchained]

The cold and swirling snow was just about the last thing on Nadia's mind as the dropship thuds onto the tarmac in front of her. The Angsiyii had dismissed her guard--the only others in eyeshot were the ground crew, elements of which scurried back and forth in front around her once the craft was down. Eyes pinched, she watches the main hatch impatiently, even though only a few seconds pass before it opens. She starts walking towards the opening, scanning the disembarking soldeirs as they come into view.

The preceding ten days had been the longest period through which Nadia had not seen her husband--much less known of his whereabouts--since the Revolution. Once she spots him, she breaks out into a run; most of the disembarking Vzj'Nakai deftly step aside, but she has to push her way past a few once the crowd got a little thicker on the exit ramp.

Konrad, if not for a moment to prepare himself, would probably have been knocked off of his feet by the Angsiyii, who flings herself at him with all the speed and force she can manage. He grabs her by the jacket in midair, using her momentum to whirl around where he slams her on the ramp behind him, subsequently coming down on all fours on top of her. As they share a long and enthusiastic kiss, a cheer erupts amongst the flight crew and the Vzj'Nakai guardsmen, the latter banging their weapons against the nearest suitable solid object or edifice.

The Angsiyan was back.

*******

"I really wish you'd consider retiring," Nadia implores, after a brief silence but still catching her breath. "From the field, anyway."

Konrad can't help but snicker to himself. Generally his wife was more subtle than this; making her case as she did virtually immediately after making love was something he knew she only did when she couldn't help herself. "I know." He pauses a moment to heave a sigh. "I will once I think Edward is ready to take my place out there."

"But doesn't this exact situation argue against such a policy? Why do you need to be doing any fighting? Or him, for that matter?"

"I know it's dangerous, but the benefits still outweigh the risks. It is important to me that the men--both at court and in the trenches--see what their leadership is willing to do to keep this country safe. It may be a relic of the Revolution, but it's an important one; at least for now. Besides," the Angsiyan continues with a wry grin, "I have every confidence that this country is in good hands even without me."

Nadia fidgets. She couldn't deny that Konrad enjoyed shocking popularity among the ranks, and was even prepared to acknowledge the benefits thereof. But the last ten days--being away from him and not knowing whether he was alive or dead--was an experience she was not keen on repeating. "I can't stand it," she confesses quietly.

"Mmm..." Konrad leans over and kisses his wife on the cheek. "I suppose," he starts, kissing his way down her neck, "that's a nuisance of your station. But if it makes you feel any better, I'm cutting this tour short. D-company and I took out more than plenty of those orc bastards ourselves. No one will think ill now of a return to Daturias to shore up our next push."

"What about Morgoth's supposed new lieutenant?" inquires Nadia, somewhat skeptical of his promise. "You found him too, then?"

"No," Konrad is forced to admit as he sinks back into his pillow. "Nor do I now suspect it was his van we were against down there. All the more cause for my return to Daturias."

Nadia turns to face her husband and squints. "You mean to draw him out, don't you? How many do you think you killed?"

"We never got a good look at the main army, but if it was his van, it was a large one. I'd put the count somewhere in the seventy-five hundred range. If I had to guess, about five to ten percent of the main force."

The Angsiyii sighs and draws up the comforter around her. "Daturias then."

Konrad smiles. "Daturias then."

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Naiya was quick about getting her things in order, wanting to have time to get off a message to the Angsiyii before she left. There had been no indication she could see that the woman had picked up on her subtle concerns, and there had been absolutely no opportunity to speak more in depth with the others there at the meeting, especially the Talicid Knight-Marshal ... and Zwygart.

Something about the man just hadn't set well with her. And given the ordered, guarded norm she'd come to expect from the officers here, she couldn't just dismiss it out of hand. If it turned out to be nothing, fine and well. But if there were something wrong, added to all the other unsettled impressions she'd had of late, given what could be at stake?

With what time she had left to herself, she quickly typed up a message for Nadia.

Angsiyii,

With all due respect and not wanting to step out of line, I felt I needed to advise you of some odd things I've noticed of late. Perhaps it's nothing, and it's just been having too much spare time after having been so busy. But then again, perhaps not.

There's just something wrong. I can't put my finger on it, I can't rightly explain it. But something isn't right. It's out of balance. Or changed, and not in a good way. With the Angsiyan delayed as he has been, that impression has gotten stronger. I'm not sure if it's related, but I can't manage to dismiss it out of hand either.

Add to that in our meeting today, one of your officers was giving off odd vibes. Again, I'm not sure how to exactly explain it, but there's a certain mindset and well, wall I've been accustomed to sensing, so to speak, with your trained people. Zwygart was 'off', for lack of a better term. Distracted, perhaps. All too open by comparison. Putting it all together, I've just got a bad feeling about it, and him. I wish I had something more concrete, but all I have for now is my gut instinct, and these 'impressions' I've gotten of late.

And I know this is going to sound bad, given I haven't officially completed my agreed-on term, and it will look on the surface as though I'm attempting to use a bad situation as leverage, but I assure you this isn't the case. Please believe me, Angsiyii. I think I'm running out of time. The sooner I'm allowed to view the Master Stone, the better. I can't help but think it's all connected somehow. I just wish I knew exactly why.

At least please don't keep your focus to distant threats, when there may be some closer than any of us would like. I can't make any definite accusations - that would be irresponsible. But something is wrong all the same. And I don't think the only concerns here are missing vanguards and enemy movements. I really hope I'm wrong, but if not, I at least want you to be aware of the possibilities. If you haven't sussed them out already, which I wouldn't doubt, all things considered.

With respect,

--Naiya D'Aquisto, Third Lieutenant

The young woman bit her lip. The note was far more rambling than she would have preferred, but currently, she couldn't for the life of her figure out how better to try and explain. Perhaps it was a waste of time. Nadia kept a firm grip on things even in the best of times. Her position was hard-won, and no one would take an inch of it from her without a fight - that much was clear. By the same token, she was only a third lieutenant here and now, and even her position of heir apparent wasn't enough to grant her state secrets in Arda, or be privy to all the happenings behind the scenes.

Perhaps it was just idle hands and an idle mind for too long after being so busy and so focused.

Perhaps.

There was someone else she needed to talk to, in much the same tone, for much the same reasons.

Booting up another program, she waited for a response on the other end, and was eventually treated to a somewhat bleary-eyed vision of her mother, adjusting the settings on her end. She was wrapped in a silken robe, and from what could be seen in the background, she wasn't in Devras. She was with him ... with Devon. Naiya sighed quietly, and waited for her mother to respond.

"Is everything ok, bambi? You look worried."

"Hello, mama. I'm sorry to wake you. It must be early there."

"Only a little. You haven't been eating enough, have you? You're looking a bit thin through your face. Working you too hard? They haven't been mistreating you there, have they?"

"No, no, mama. It's fine, really. It's just ..." Naiya paused then, and on the other end of the connection, Nathi seemed to come fully awake, watching her daughter intently.

"What is it, Naiya?"

"Remember when I told you about those dreams?" the young woman began, gradually letting out what she felt she could without compromising the security and trust she'd been given concerning Ardan interests - and from what she knew at the time, the still-missing Angsiyan.

It was far later than she'd planned by the time they were finished talking, and it had taken a good deal of assurance to prevent her mother from hopping in her private shuttle and flying directly over to come pick her up, airspace clearances be damned. Naiya fell into her bed tiredly, her mind still racing from the worries, and the possibilities the next day might bring. Hopefully, she'd have a chance to talk to Edward directly before they left. Hopefully, Nadia would get her message. Hopefully, everything really was going to be ok, as she'd assured her mother. And if not ... hopefully she would be prepared for whatever came.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

There was never enough time, it seemed. Rushing from this point to the other, making sure all the ordered properly and routed to where they were supposed to go, verifying repair schedules, and checking the various artillery stations. One thing she had noticed already about Arda was that she liked to keep her military bureaucrats up and about: Naiya and others her rank were given a lot of responsibilities and among her more time-consuming ones was the in-person verification of completed repairs. Naiya is halfway back to her office from one of these when the buzz on her remote sounds, so she ducks aside in the commons to see what it was that requires her attention before getting back.

It was Pascalli, checking in on her again. They'd been little pleased with the arrangements. She had clearance to work with the military; her bodyguards on the other hand, did not. If not for the agreements reached between her mother and the Ardan leadership, it wouldn't be happening at all, she knew. And that had been a close thing as it was. As it stood, the requests for updates came at varying times, with regular frequency - more often than she'd like, or had time to really deal with. It was another burden she had to put up with in order to get what she wanted. So with a sigh of resignation, she quickly begins typing.

Not a minute into composing her reply, a passing Guardis Imperica 3rd Lieutenant distinguishes himself from the crowd by approaching Naiya not quite shouting, but speaking with a clearly elevated voice: "What the hell is this? What is this shit?"

The young woman glances up coolly, noting he was one of the rarer varieties of the many sorts of people who populated the continent. He reminded her more of the Asiastic races with his dark hair and eyes showing a strong epicanthic fold. Xingu, that was it. But she wasn't doing anything wrong that she could think of, considering her schedule for the day.

"Can I help you?" she replies, closing the lid to her portcomp and turning slightly towards him.

With a whistle and a gesture over his shoulder to the small group to which he had earlier been attached, the Lieutenant summons a bored looking Easterling Sergeant. "I am Third Lieutenant Paneru Sube, with the quartermaster's office. You can help me by following me back to my office." Without waiting for a reply he turns to the Sergeant he had just summoned. "Sergeant, fetch Lieutenant Hester and have him meet me in my office as soon as he is able." The soldier salutes and plods off after a quick glance to Naiya.

"This device you're carrying, let me see it," Sube exhorts, extending his hand.

For someone throwing his weight around, he seemed ... off, somehow. Not so much unstable, as lacking the steady focus and rock-solid wall of self control and mental barriers she was used to in the officers she was surrounded with. But his arrogant, demanding attitude washes that from her mind as she stands, deliberately tucking her portcomp firmly under her arm, and drawing herself up to stand nearly nose to nose with the man, though she stands slightly shorter than he.

"I don't recall you being anywhere in my chain of command, Third Lieutenant." Here she glances idly at her own mark of rank, then back to him pointedly. "Perhaps we should ask if Lieutenant Hester has the time to explain just when I became answerable to you without having been made aware."

"I'm simply executing my vocational prerogative ma'am. Other thirds defer to you when you're conducting your own affairs." The hand remains extended. "I have every right to examine objects or equipment that may be contraband. At even a cursory glance I can tell I've not been briefed on that device."

"I fail to see why you should have been," she replies, not budging an inch. "I wouldn't be foolish enough to go waltzing about with something that could be considered 'contraband', especially given the scrutiny I'm under with my unique presence here. What professional courtesy others choose to afford one another is a matter of choice. As I said, perhaps we should request that Lieutenant Hester sort the matter out. I'm certain his answer should be satisfactory enough for the both of us."

"Regardless, I don't recognize the device and if I don't recognize the device it hasn't been tagged and noted in our logs. Especially seeing as it appears to be some form of communication equipment, I believe my office has more than enough authority to seize it. You could be a Knight-Marshal for all I care, that's not filed and I haven't been briefed."

"One wonders how the Knight-Marshal might take that," she answers wryly while doing the best to keep down her growing irritation. Clearly he was just out to make a point, to see if she'd trip up or some such problem. Or perhaps there was another agenda, but whatever the case, it all came down to pecking order and politics, and she'd been trained for that sort of thing since she was a child. All things considered, she wasn't about to let the pompous bastard walk all over her.

Naiya tugs on her uniform and draws in a quick breath to frame her response, her expression determined, but Hester's voice intervenes from behind just before she speaks. "What's this all about? I happened upon Sergeant Dei on my way back to my office, who tells me you have a contraband concern?"

First Lieutenant Tobias Hester was a man Naiya recognized, as Starke's quartermaster Naiya often had to come to his office in order to fill a requisition or report a malfunction with some or other component or hardware. Sube on the other hand had been hitherto unknown to her; Naiya suspected he either worked a later shift in the quartermaster's office or had some out-of-the-way job within the department.

Once his superior appears, Sube offers a salute. "This young woman appears to be using a device that has not been filed with equipment." He lowers his arm as Hester receives the salute. "She refuses to let me inspect it, and I sent Sergeant Dei to get you so we could either tag it or confiscate it."

Hester gives Sube a half-nod and turns to Naiya expectantly.

Naiya offers her own crisp salute before making a brief explanation. "Sir, I've had this portcomp with me through boot and before, and no one has ever made an issue of it prior to now."

"You've been here, what.. three weeks now?" asks Hester quickly. "Did they search your quarters in boot or since?"

"Yes sir."

"And they saw it, yes? I'm pretty sure we got a memo about it before you showed up." He turns to face Sube fully. "I'll double check, but I would guess the thing has been approved for her personal use and is exempt from the standard regulations. Captain Zellinger probably knows more about it than I do; he'd be the one with actual orders on what she is and isn't allowed to have. But if she's been searched since boot and they didn't take it, I don't see why or how we should."

Sube salutes again. "Sir."

Hester nods. "Go about your business, Lieutenant, I'll double-check her clearance with the Captain. Naiya, come with me and we'll get it sorted out on the way back to your office."

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

That had been months ago. And as Naiya crouches behind an overturned table, her heart pounding in her chest, she realizes there were reasons why, after all this time, it was cropping up now. She and the others had reacted quickly when the first shots rang out. Even now, her pistol was at the ready as she listened for clues and watched for further trouble from her limited vantage point. What stuck out in her mind was the gunmen that she could see had all been Xinguese, just like Sube.

She didn't have time to try and pick out those minds for further investigation, and she'd never tried with those she wasn't in immediate contact with in any case. But that oddness about him even back then? It had been the same with Zwygart before they came here. And now this ... it couldn't just be a coincidence. She'd known something was wrong, just not what.

It took only moments for all those thoughts to work their way through her mind as the crack of gunfire sounds here and there through the area, shouts and orders adding to the chaos. Most of the windows had been blown out since the beginning, and it was starting to get cold in the massive formal dining area that had just served dinner to Naiya and the officers of the 33rd Guardis Mountain Division.

Whether she knew it or not, Naiya always had a Vzj'Nakai watcher. Before Konrad's disappearance it had been Johan Falck, but his replacement for this event was never directly revealed to Naiya until he hauled her out of the way of the opening shots when the attack began. He hadn't had the time or inclination to identify himself, but she could tell by the way the man moved and acted that he was trained to intervene in situations like this: under the circumstances she could only take his word for it.

Naiya, her Vzj'Nakai, and five others had not been able to get out of the room during the shooting: the entrance behind them had been collapsed, and the only other viable exit was across the room opposite a wall of floor to ceiling windows through which their assailants fired from outside. "Dropship will touch down in 90 seconds," announces the mysterious Vzj'Nakai, clearly in control of the party despite the fact that no one knew his rank or how he knew what he did.

"I think we've softened them up a bit on this angle," offers one of the officers trapped with them behind the table. "But it might still be too dangerous to make a break for the courtyard."

"It is," retorts the Vzj'Nakai. "We're going to retreat to the bar and try to get out through there via the kitchen. I'm told the hallways are clear if we move right now with a small contingent," he continues almost absently, signaling with his hand to someone Naiya can't see. By now it was clear that this man was privy to operational information through unseen means, even the pair of Majors to Naiya's left now looked to him.

The royal guardsman quickly turns back to the party and points to Naiya first, and then subsequently to each selection: "You, you, and you, on me. Everybody else cover us and hold this position. Once we're through the hall, my teammates will come get you while our dropship engages their perimeter. Up and out, let's go." He doesn't shout or seem agitated: he speaks with authority but not loudly so, as much to conceal his words from the enemy as anything else. "You two, grab that table and follow when I can cover you from the bar. Naiya, you and I will take this other one and move out first."

This was one of the things that had helped keep her grounded in those first confusing moments - she wasn't alone. It didn't matter right then who he was. He was there to help, and he knew what he was about. Naiya nods in recognition of the dropship mention, listening closely to the man's instructions. It comes as second nature to her now, after all her training. When orders are given, they're given for a reason. Even if one may not understand the why of it at the time, one's life may very well depend on following them, promptly, without a lot of fuss. For some reason, she'd not seriously anticipated being in that position until now, not with how safe she'd been kept by comparison all these months.

Taking up her position, she waits for the signal to move, holding up her end of the table with a steady grip, focused on getting the hell out of the quickly cooling room. The bar was about thirty meters away, and the table the two of them were to drag alongside was heavy and cumbersome. Luckily, they provided good cover on account and the assailants on the other side were for now reduced to the occasional potshot to keep them honest.

Ten or so meters into the maneuver, one of the Majors who stayed behind whistles to Naiya and her protector, who stops and gestures for her to do the same. Not having been trained for combat, Naiya can't interpret the signals but her guard signals back and subsequently resumes dragging the table. "They're on to us," he announces quietly. "Movement outside, moving lateral to us. I'd bet they're going to assault the kitchen. We've got to pick it up."

She mutters a quick curse in Dunnish at the explanation. Being the weakest link in the equation only made her that much more determined not to be the cause of any injuries on her behalf.

"Ready," the young woman states, gritting her teeth and adjusting her grip, putting her weight into the effort as they hurry along as best can be managed. Anger at the situation boils just under the surface, and she uses that energy to keep going, keep focused rather than let it overtake her.

Who was behind all this? Why now? She was certain this, at least in part, was what had had her so stirred the days previous. How didn't matter at the moment. She was still sorting things out that way, and until she got to use that stone ... That line of thinking was shattered as sure as the small portion of wall behind her from a bullet coming all too close for comfort, scattering bits of debris down in her hair and eliciting another curse. She wanted to strike back, to pull on the power she felt waiting just below the surface. Power she knew she'd tapped before. But something stopped her. What if that was part of the purpose? What if lashing out like she wanted to put a target on her head of a more serious sort?

Adrenaline was running high, her breath was coming hard and fast as she took in their new surroundings. Amidst the explosions, gunshots, and screams that could be heard in the distance, and in some cases disturbingly close, Naiya picks up another sound, more ominous than the rest: the distinctive thunk of a grenade launcher.

"Incoming!" she yells, catching movement from the corner of her eye as another pair of grenades are fired over their simple barricade. Her guard, who had evidently heard the noise as well, produces a short spike from a belt satchel--about six inches long, it resembles a large machine gun round without a casing but Naiya doesn't get a very good look at it before her Vzj'Nakai thrusts it into the ground next to him with unnerving strength.

The first salvo lands mostly on the opposite side of their barricade, affording time for an alchemic reaction to take place: the spike, it seemed, had triggered a material reformation of the floor beneath and around them, gradually forming into a waist high wall behind. While this is happening, and seemingly oblivious to the continued fire, Naiya's guard rips the legs out of the table one at a time, allowing it to be propped against the newly-formed wall at an angle.

"Let's get moving."

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Elsewhere in the world, the evening had progressed in a more relative calm. But when an unexpected broadcast from the previously private Ardans became available, the news channels in the Dominion were all over it.

An unknown officer was shown speaking to a group of people when suddenly, gunshots rang out, and the camera went wild. Glimpses of decidedly chaotic footage of what seemed a grand banquet room filled with people, most of whom were in uniform, could be seen. It wasn't clear who the gunmen were, or what was going on, and already the crews had people attempting to make some sort of translation from the few words that could be heard.

There was less than a minute of the feed before it cut to a test signal, but it was enough to get people talking. Within minutes, speculation was running rampant concerning what might be going on in the empire that had relatively recently broke their silence to rejoin the international community. And what drew even more attention was the fact the heir to their own empire was supposed to be studying abroad there.

It wasn't until the broadcast had been looked at more closely that it became clear that this incident was more than just a review gone awry. Several names were mentioned by the reporter that were of immediate concern. Nadiya, the Angsiyii, her son, the Ardan heir, Edward, who was at one point seen fighting his way through the crowd for a brief moment, and as if that weren't enough, Naiya's name was later confirmed as well. No on camera glimpses were seen of either of the ladies, but all in all, it was more than enough to get the inner circle of the Ministries to come together for an emergency meeting.

"Still no luck in getting through to someone who can tell us more than 'the situation is under control, please stand by'?" Cesare Calabrese asked the group, all of whom looked more than a little harried.

"I don't think Nathicana herself could get a straight answer just yet. Whatever is going on, it has them hopping." Antonio Pellegrino was frowning deeply as he read over the reports they had available, all of which didn't have near enough information in them. The Minister of Central Intelligence glanced over at the Chancellor, shaking his head slightly. "We haven't had contact from Naiya, nor from the group left to keep tabs on her. Apparently they haven't been in as close contact as we might have wanted for a good deal of this time."

"Exactly what does that mean?" Cesare shot back, brows arched up in alarm.

"That the Imperatrice and her daughter have once more skirted around proper protocols for their own reasons, and in spite of better judgment, Pascalli and his team have allowed it. Something about 'what needed to be done'. We haven't had direct contact from them either since the broadcast. Communications in and out of Arda are currently 'difficult', shall we say."

Evangelista Ravanelli looked up from her datapad where she'd been re-watching the short broadcast. "Is there a reason we weren't informed sooner about the situation there? I thought she was attending classes. Surely there wouldn't be a problem with her keeping a guard."

Pellegrino glanced over at the Public Relations Minister, gesturing idly. "The ah, details of her education were deemed unnecessary to be made public knowledge," he admitted. "I'm still not sure how she managed to convince her mother, but our little Naiya has been training with the Ardan military. And by all accounts, she's been doing very well with it all."

Calabrese merely nodded. He hadn't particularly agreed with the decision, but he had been one of the few in the know about it. It wouldn't be his head on the platter if something went wrong - not this time. Treznor certainly wouldn't be put out, and he had voiced his concerns fully to Nathicana. At the same time, the girl's reasoning had been sound enough when offered. If she pulled it off, she'd likely be a better leader for it. Though why the Imperatrice wouldn't have just allowed her to train with Dominion troops escaped him. Unless perhaps she feared treason from within. Which given how quiet everything had been, and how popular Naiya seemed to be with the people overall, seemed a bit of a leap.

Amidst some of the grumbling and griping that went on next about who hadn't been told and why, Giancarlo Torino, Minister of Defense cleared his throat and got back to the point. "All that means is we'll have a leader in the future who understands how one of the more effective militaries in the world operates, and potentially, can offer insight into how we can integrate some of the better practices into our own. What's important now is where is she, is she in any danger, and how do we get her out if so?"

"Well we can't do much of anything until we can get some answers from the government. At the very least we need to get someone over there with enough political clout to get something accomplished, since her own team seems to be unable to keep with her," Evangelista said firmly. "Someone at least, who isn't in direct line should the worst happen."

"Until we know what's actually going on, I don't recommend alerting the Imperatrice. We don't even know if Naiya is actually in any danger. For all we know this was a random military function somewhere, and nothing whatsoever to do with us. Naiya's name could have been dropped in passing, considering her more or less staying with the royal family as a guest," Cesare began carefully.

"And the rumors we've heard about Naiya and Edward being closer than perhaps some might want?" Evangelista's question hung for a moment before Pellegrino answered.

"Confirmed, though they've been discreet about it. Evangelista, can you be ready if we can pull together a transport and get clearance? I agree, by the way, that we should not get Nathicana involved unless we have to. If something has happened, there is nothing she, or any of us can do about it. If this is a lot of fuss over nothing, there's nothing to be gained by getting her worked up into a frenzy, and a whole lot to be potentially lost."

The others agreed, some more vociferously than others, granted. "I can be ready in an hour," Evangelista confirmed, already gathering her things. "One way or another we absolutely have to confirm that Naiya is safe. And if things are going sideways in Arda, we need to get her out, immediately."

"In the meantime, someone get hold of Massetti. Make it clear he is not to let on, but he needs to be prepared if worst comes to worst. He'll be at ground zero. The least we can do is let him get prepared. If anyone can handle her, he and Treznor can if need be," Cesare added, one finger tapping quietly on the table as he ran through several scenarios in his mind.

"In the meantime, we spin this, and we spin it good. Suppress what reports we can, play the situation down. A weapons malfunction, perhaps. A bit of panic on account. It's short enough a clip we could make just about anything out of it. Get hold of Talia with Communications, and work through her offices where we're able. I highly doubt this is anything the Angsiyan would want to have happen, whatever it is. I don't want to deal with the potential negatives if people think the Ardans have done something to our one and only heir. We've worked too hard to get relations to where they are, and I don't need to remind you of the inherent risks we may be dealing with. Let's get to it."

"I'll try to get that transport and meeting arranged somehow," Antonio confirmed, glancing at Torino who nodded in agreement. Working through their contacts in the military wouldn't be amiss, all things considered.

Soon the small meeting room was cleared, save for Cesare Calabrese, who sat frowning at his datapad, a dozen different problems racing through his mind. He knew things about the situation the others didn't. And on pain of death, he'd sworn to keep them to himself unless the situation absolutely warranted otherwise. At least this time he didn't have two terrible people he'd be caught between.

Treznor would no doubt be thrilled if one more threat to what he saw as his bloodline were removed, though Nathicana would be devastated. From what he'd seen on his own, Calabrese had no issues with Naiya, nor any designs for her demise. She had the makings of a capable leader, one less grounded in past troubles than Nathicana, with less biases on account. Whether or not that potential would pay out, only time would tell. But for now, he was willing to take that chance - one he thought had a better shot at going somewhere positive than some of the other less savory options.

So long as current trends held. So long as the girl remained well, and in control of her faculties. So long as her experiences in Arda remained positive, and not, as a few select people feared, were the first steps down a long road of destruction.

It would be a long, sleepless night, he knew. At least he wouldn't have a frantic, enraged Imperatrice underfoot while they tried to work through it all. God only knew what he'd have to resort to if that happened.

[Melkor Unchained]

Suddenly, Fort Lannistar was as busy as she had been at midday. The assault which had started barely an hour ago had been repelled; and most of the sixty-ish men who had participated in the attack had already been slain or captured. Guards still roamed the grounds and nearby woods, but the Angsiyii's attention was directed elsewhere.

Fortunately, there weren't many other casualties; the assault had failed by any metric and both Edward and Naiya were extracted safely and moved back into the base proper from the Marshal's compound where the attack had occurred.

Still, Nadia knew the Imperatrice would be less than pleased, to say the least. The Ardan Empress had made a private bet with herself that Nathicana would demand Naiya's immediate return; a request that the Ardan government would hardly be in a position to deny under the circumstances. As a diplomatic VIP, Naiya had some stipulations in her contract that other officers did not, and the Angsiyii knew full well that Nathi would leverage any advantage she could find-- especially since as near as she could tell Nathi hadn't wanted her daughter to sign it in the first place.

The blonde woman mulled her options. A video conversation with her daughter, Nadia figured, would be Nathicana's first choice. Modern media being what it was, there was no way the Imperatrice hadn't heard of the attack by now, and a quick glance at the clock revealed it would be mid-morning in the Dominion: it's possible Nathi had woken to the news. The Dominion government had already attempted to contact Fort Lannistar at varying intervals over the last forty-five or so minutes, but had been told simply that the Angsiyii would contact them as soon as she was able.

Now that she was, she wasn't sure she wanted to. With a deep breath, she elects to accede to Nathi's imagined preference and hails Devras on a tightbeam video channel.

Nathicana had been pacing the length of her downtown office, waiting impatiently for further news. The entire complex had been on alert, and on edge given the temper the Imperatrice had been in upon given the news that her heir and only daughter had been involved in an attack, on Ardan soil. Her first words are sharp and to the point.

"Where is she?"

"Your daughter is being held in a security compound within Fort Lannistar. I have paged her, so she should be joining the conversation shortly," comes the Angsiyii's reply. "She is safe and unharmed, as I have seen for myself."

Nadia pauses briefly. "I have obviously ordered a full investigation and express my profound and pained apologies for this... tragic lapse of duty and vigilance on our part. I will forward to you everything we know, as we know it."

"A lapse of duty? My daughter is nearly killed and you call it a lapse of duty?" Nathicana snaps, her blue eyes managing to look aflame. She launches into a string of Italian epithets, gesturing emphatically before she faces the monitor full on again, reining herself in with a supreme effort.

"Shortly. Safe and unharmed, you say. What in hell happened, Nadia? It was a goddamned review for fuck sakes. How does something like this happen right under your noses?"

Nadia visibly exhales, but her expression remains composed. "I assure you, Imperatrice, that we will in time answer that question to our mutual satisfaction." Her glance flickers off camera briefly as she retrieves a document. "But in the meantime, a couple of important details: the attack occurred several hours following the review, during which time Naiya and Edward were only together briefly and only in the company of our highest-ranking officers.

"Obviously, whoever was behind this attack wanted to kill the both of our children--" Nadia allows a half beat to pass following the emphasis--"and waited for the best time to do so. Several of these men were close to Edward and/or Naiya at varying intervals during the inspection itself and obviously did nothing until later."

She shoots one last look down at the document, and then returns her gaze pointedly to the monitor. "Have you heard from Devon or attempted to contact him?"

Nathicana looks at Nadia sharply at that last, knowing full well what she's getting at. "We've kept it quiet, within the Ministry thus far," she replies, in a more controlled manner than before, letting the other points go for now to focus on the unspoken accusation. "None of my intel has had the slightest indication that he might have anything to do with it. In fact until recently, we'd been on a bit of a vacation together. He hasn't been plotting anything, Nadia. And if he were, I highly doubt he would have been able to infiltrate some of your best and brightest to do it. There's little enough love lost there."

"So it was organized, it was an inside job, and it was someone with an interest in destabilizing relations, and succession. I'd assumed you've already given thought to the opposing noble factions in Arda?"

"As yet almost nothing is ruled out," explains the Angsiyii, "but most or all of the attackers were Xinguese, and there is some minority dissent there to certain aspects of our rule.

"The most likely in my mind is that these men were Xinguese nationalists--people who believe that Xingu should be either a Kingdom alongside Dunland, Rhûn and the others, or even an entirely seperate nation. I doubt our nobility would be involved, as they are likely to know that arrests and executions are soon to follow, and most are entirely too fond of their heads. It may be a renegade, but I doubt any house would throw their entire weight behind such a drastic bid at this time. But, like I said, we're not ruling anything out nor are we inclined to any particular explanation as to yet other than it being an utter failure and lapse on our part."

In the background, shortly after the connection had been established, Naiya had been listening quietly to the audio. It wasn't that she wanted to eavesdrop - given the connection, Nadia was surely aware as soon as she had joined them. She had wanted to see how her mother handled things at first. How the two women interated. And where the focus was initially.

It doesn't come as a surprise that her mother is worried about her to the point of distraction. Nor that she vouches for Treznor - something this time, Naiya doesn't take issue with. It didn't feel right, for one thing. It even seems quite in character that she brushes aside some of the points in favor of forging ahead in trying to find answers.

The Imperatrice's next words however, prompt a response.

"I want her back, Nadia. I'll come get her myself. You can carry on whatever investigations you need to without her there. This escapade of hers is done."

"No, mother. I'm not finished," the young woman says, cueing up the video. She's had time to clean up, looking not much the worse for wear. A few abraisions and bruises, most of which aren't visible, her chin tilted up in that challenging way so like her mother's.

Nathicana's fierce facade wavers momentarily as she takes in her daughter at a glance, then hardens again stubbornly. The Angsiyii pushes her eyebrows together briefly and looks down to her desk, withdrawing momentarily from the conversation.

"Naiya, I'm not asking. It's too dangerous. Whatever it is you think you need to do is just going to have to wait. You're coming home, and that's final."

"There's something we're missing. I need to see this through, mama. You don't understand--"

"I understand you could have been killed, Naiya! This isn't some game. I've entertained this desire of yours to find some balance in your identity long enough. You've done well, and now it's time to come home and move on with things," her mother says firmly, one palm coming down hard on the desk for emphasis. "Nadia, make the arrangements. I'll be in flight within the hour."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," the Angsiyii replies firmly but regretfully. "We've affected a full airspace lockdown across the region as a basic precaution." Nadia had been dubious about the Principessa's military campaign as well, but it currently served her security and political interests to keep Naiya on Ardan soil. "Until we're convinced it's safe, we're not going to let anyone in or out, not even foreign heads of state. We simply cannot assume that there is no contingency plan to this attack. It is possible that whoever is behind this knows or suspects that Naiya's immediate extraction will be something on which you would insist.

"Right now, the only people allowed in the air over Arda are myself and my husband. I will take her personally back to Daturias as soon as the preliminary investigation here is concluded, and from there she will return to Devras."

At the words 'can't allow' Nathicana's eyes widen, and her chin tilts up imperiously. Clearly, being told 'no' is not something she has ever become accustomed to.

"And how long is that going to take?" she snaps back. "A rendezvous, at least. I'll send a whole damned fleet if I have to if that's what it takes to convince you of your safety. As if I'd do anything to put Naiya at risk. Tell me you'd ask for anything less were our positions reversed."

"It won't take long, Imperatrice, I promise," answers the Ardan monarch steadily, continuing her policy of answering the good questions and ignoring pretty much everything else the raven-haired woman said. "Not more than twenty-four to thirty-six hours, ballpark."

Naiya chooses to watch quietly for the moment, knowing there isn't much she can say that will change anything. Nadia has sovereign right on her side, and there is no way her mother is going to cause any unnecessary incidents over it, especially when no one is threatening to keep her indefinitely. For herself, she feels quite secure. The operatives who'd come to their rescue had been everything one might expect, regardless of the surprise and chaos at the time. Her mother has no such confirmations other than seeing she was in one piece and relatively calm, all things considered. Her dilemma is understandable, and she can see the conflict clearly on the older woman's face as she looks for any loopholes she can exploit to her benefit.

"I'll be fine, mother. I'll behave myself and not cause any trouble, or go looking for any. I promise."

Nathicana's eyes soften for a brief moment as she looks earnestly at her daughter. She looks as though she's about to say something when she is interrupted on her end, as Cesare Calabrese enters the office, his expression grim.

"My apologies Imperatrice, Angsiyii, Principessa. Whatever time table you've chosen to work with just got decidedly shorter. There was a broadcast earlier. We'd been working to trace and suppress it considering the nature, but it is out, and spreading like wildfire. Someone on site at the event earlier was filming, Angsiyii. It would seem the beginning of the incident was broadcast more or less live, and to multiple sources. Our estimates lost count. It was spread internationally. People are going to want answers."

"I thought you said--"

"That was when we thought we had a chance of keeping it under wraps, Imperatrice," Cesare replies smoothly. "There was no need to borrow more trouble and further concern you until we had a better idea of what we were dealing with."

"Wait, what?" asks Nadia. Her demeanor instantly changes; she leans into the camera a bit and wears an expression that reads on the fence between incredulity and annoyance. "Footage of this been broadcast in the Dominion already? Live?"

"Forty-seven seconds roughly is all we have," Cesare replies, sliding a datapad across the desk to Nathicana. "As to how, we're still trying to figure out that ourselves. The origin of the signal, so far as we can tell, was from Arda. In and of itself, a chance broadcast is all it looks like. One that just happens to cut in just as everything hits the fan. Interesting timing, that."

Nathicana is frowning mightily as she scans over the contents of the datapad, for now letting Calabrese make his explanations while she absorbs what little information they have.

"The short of it is this. The clip shows an officer we've yet to identify speaking with a group of people when shots are fired. Limited at first, suggesting a single shooter, but soon after all hell breaks loose, and your son can be seen fighting his way through the crowd. Names have been extrapolated - yours, your son's, Naiya's, that were immediately recognizable. Enough to get plenty of speculations flying, in spite of our efforts to put a lid on this. Too much, too fast, to too many. Without a centralized, controlled news system any more," the man finishes, trailing off meaningfully. Nathicana simply scowls more deeply in return, having had this argument more than once with the man over the years, and not enjoying having the silent 'I told you so' thrown in her face now.

"I asked how, not what--" begins the Angsiyii before stopping herself. She draws in another breath and thinks for a moment. "I'm still not clear on some details here. You say it was 'broadcast more or less live.' Did it actually interrupt broadcasts in progress, or was it simply made available to your media outlets who put it on the air immediately?"

Calabrese is familiar enough with the temperaments of both ladies to not draw attention to his previous admission, and simply nods and gets to the point. "It was quite simply a multi-channel hack that did interrupt the broadcasts. Unexpected, brief, and unexplained. We will be updating your people as to the 'how' as more information becomes available, Angsiyii. We haven't had enough time to figure out the logistics outside of the point of origin."

Nadia closes her eyes and allows a couple of seconds to pass in silence. She opens them slowly and, without looking down, terminates Naiya's feed as she opens her mouth to speak. "If that's the case, the complexion of this attack may have altered radically. We will have to look into it together, obviously, but I cannot think of very many entities within either country capable of something so sudden and drastic on all fronts. We had also suffered a massive telecom failure-slash-break-in at the time of the attack, which seems now to have been simultaneous in both our countries.

"For now, my government will work towards the short-term goal of arranging your daughter's safe return. Please consider activating military assets as you see fit--and if you already have, consider more. I or my husband will be in contact with you again shortly, Imperatrice, but now I must go."

Back on her end, Naiya starts cursing as soon as the connection is lost. Nathicana shoots the Angsiyii a sharp look, having not even been allowed a farewell with her daughter. Given the circumstances however, she chooses a more diplomatic response. The insinuation is not lost on her, nor Calabrese, from their expressions.

"Understood. Please make Naiya a priority, Nadia. You know how important she is to me, let alone what I wouldn't do to see her safe. My lines will be open, on all fronts. We'll update you on next contact. Cesare, the Ministry. Now," Nathi says, clearly ending the conversation, but allowing the Ardan Empress to close the connection as a courtesy, should she have any last remarks.

The blonde woman begins to rise from her desk, but pauses partway up. "Ask around, try to find out if this might have happened anywhere else," she suggests, now crouching in the frame over her seat. "No one on our end had any inkling how large the cyber-attack was, and as strange as it sounds I think it now bothers me worse than the shooting. In the coming days, I'll have my government release to you a report of the attack on our systems if you'll do the same."

Nodding sharply, Nathicana begins typing furiously. Given the nature of the incident, and the likely publicity, it won't take long to track down where other channels were interrupted. Of course she has friends and contacts who are more than capable of assisting in getting to the bottom of things, however unpleasant the answers may end up being. Waiting for the arrangements for Naiya to be made was going to be frustrating, to say the very least. And then there was Devon, and Nadia's continued suspicions there. It was going to be a very long day.

[Melkor Unchained]

Naiya curses as the connection is cut, slamming her hand down on the desk, and getting abruptly to her feet, knocking the chair over in the process. Launching into a frustrated diatribe in her own native language, she paced back and forth for a bit, gesturing in a typically Dominion fashion before turning on the man who had been standing quietly off to the side.

"Well?" she asks with some measure of expectation. "Now what, Kane? I sit here while you babysit further making sure I stay put until she decides when she'll either send me home, or let me finish what I came here to do?"

Without waiting for an answer, she turns away, brushing him off with one hand and angrily glancing at the monitor again. Another brief pause, then she faces the man again, this time with a good deal more control and poise than she had just displayed. "If you're a Vzj'Nakai, Sergeant Kane, you surely have the ear of your sovereigns. Tell them I want to speak with my father--the sooner, the better."

Sergeant Major Gregory Kane was the royal guardsman who had protected Naiya during and after the attack, and hadn't left her side since. An up-and-comer, Kane's orders had come down quickly and he had time for only the shortest of briefings only a few hours before.

"What good would my pleas do, Principessa?" he asks, a touch of amusement palpable in his tone. "You'll be able to tell them yourself soon enough. I would imagine the Empress is on her way down here as we speak."

"A good deal more than you're letting on, if I'm not mistaken," she says, unconvinced. "If nothing else, perhaps you could get word out ahead to my father? I doubt very much that's any breach of security, a simple request like that. After everything that's happened today, I think he has a right to know I'm ok if nothing else. And I wouldn't mind the peace of mind knowing he's near, as well."

"Naiya, think," Kane exhorts. "Your father is not here, and nary a zipcraft can take to the sky until my mistress says so. You may want to see your father and that makes well enough sense, but I wouldn't be so demanding with the Empress."

The young woman's brows crease with irritation as she looks over the officer. "No? But surely you could make arrangements for him to meet me in Daturius, where if I am not mistaken, I am to be delivered shortly." She starts to turn away, then looks back to him sharply. 'Empress' was not something she had ever heard Nadia addressed as, whether it was the equivalent of her mother's title in one of the several languages of the Ardan lands or not. It struck her as solidly as her previous premonitions and concerns - things were changing, and fast. And perhaps not for the better.

"How soon do you estimate? And have the rest of my communication privileges been revoked, or was that simply an ... oversight on the part of the Angsiyii?" she asks, purposefully using the title though not seeming to do other than she'd always done, out of proper respect.

"Alas, I'm afraid I do not know the Empress quite as well as some of my brother guard, but if I were a betting man I'd guess she wants to head back to Daturias as soon as she is physically able," Kane answers frankly. "How soon that will happen I can't say.

"But consider that your father has no special line to the Serechav: he may well wake to this news like almost everyone else in Arda. Surely he'll be notified, but it's not as if I can snap my fingers and have him hauled to Daturias tonight."

"I doubt you'd have to haul him," she murmurs, leaving off the more aggressive bearing and righting the chair again, so she could sit down. "Right then. I suppose now we wait."

Kane lets himself look Naiya over one more time in the moment it takes for the young woman to situate her chair. "He'll be wanting to see you too, I am sure," he remarks. "My point is that it's better to let that happen on its own than to make demands of the Empress, almost no matter how reasonable they may seem. She has always been cautious around--and probably suspicious of--your father."

Naiya nods thoughtfully at that. However much wasn't known in her usual circles, she'd learned a good deal about what had happened during those early days before she was born. She had good reason to be cautious, when you looked at it all from her likely point of view. He'd been seen as a leader during a time she had been quietly yet actively been making plans of her own. Him having returned could not have been seen with as much enthusiasm as some might have expected.

What had her more curious now was how much she'd gotten from the usually stone-faced and silent minders she'd had. She'd wondered about Kane when he'd first shown up in the chaos of the shooting earlier, calm, cool, seemingly untouchable as they'd fought their way out of the ambush. "Perhaps while we wait, you could tell me something about yourself to pass the time. And how you got the dubious pleasure of babysitting the latest problem for the throne."

Kane shrugs. "There's not much to say, my Lady. I don't remember life before the rebellion, I was born right around the time the real fighting broke out. My family declared for the Roarks, so here I am."

"Yes, here you are. Amazing timing, that," Naiya observes idly. "Are all Vzj'Nakai as skilled as you? Or did I just get lucky today?"

The Sergeant Major smirks at the Principessa and allows himself to lean against the wall. "I am sure you would have been in more than competent hands with any of my other brother guardsmen; I just happened to be in the right place at the right time--it's my job." He pauses for a beat or two in consideration. "I guess I am pretty good at it though. I can't lie to you--I am pretty much the best," he adds with a wink.

Naiya smiles quietly at that, letting it pass with a simple nod. "No doubt. You're by far the most personable, whatever other quality you and your brethren possess. Thank you, by the way. I'm not sure we would have made it out of there without you," she finishes, looking him in the eye. "Right place, right time. Appreciated either way."

"Just doing my job, Principessa, and I'd do it again without a second thought," Kane answers sincerely, maintaining his relaxed posture but tilting his chin downward in respect as he speaks.

"You're one of us, now, after all," he adds pensively as he raises his head back up and re-resatblishes eye contact. "And always will be."

Initially, the girl shrugs and smiles. She'd accepted the seriousness of service when she had made her agreement with Konrad, but it occurs to her between one breath and the next that there is something about the man's tone or bearing that suggests he means more than simply the ties of military service. Her brows arch up questioningly, looking at him in a different light.

"What do you--" Naiya starts, but before she can continue she's interrupted by the opening door. In one fluid motion, Kane heaves himself off the wall and takes a knee as Nadia appears in the newly-opened doorway.

"Let's get you out of here," Nadia offers sharply, as she bids Kane to rise with a gesture of her hand. "We'll call your mother again when we reach the capital."

"Understood, Angsiyii," Naiya replies immediately, getting to her feet and moving to retrieve her things.

"Don't call me that right now," shoots back the Ardan monarch as she turns back out into the hallway. "Let's just stick with 'Nadia' for tonight."