Vaukt in the wind, the supposed traitorous team hunting them down…yes…all was going according to plan so far. But Zim's dropping off the grid forced him to reconfigure. Jakri effectively found itself in a holding pattern given the immediate loss of a number of Special Operations teams and the lack of any leadership to command what was left. No intelligence, no forward assets, Grimm was forced to advance slowly to prevent any losses like at Vylat.
He found himself headed back to the Tallest Miyuki. He needed to see Xilch, see how the progress was going on her pursuit of the truth…and then not to mention bring him into her plans. He needed a new replacement for Zim. The leaders above him needed to be roped out of the way and he had the perfect means of doing so if he could convince her.
Grimm walked into her impromptu office. Only a week into the campaign and progress took an immediate nose dive in the absence of Zha and Vaukt. It was certain to draw the attention of the tallest. Jakri was already going terribly but with casualties remaining close to where they were before, things could be worse. Stalled progress was better than regression after all.
The Supreme Commander took a seat in front of Xilch's desk, removing his cap and placing it on her desk with a long, drawn out sigh.
"These lizards are tougher than they look."
At her terminal tying away on a report, she gave pause at Grimm's unannounced arrival. Almost autonomously by nature, she locked the door after his entrance, permitting them a moment's reprieve of privacy.
His weariness and words had the High Marshal save her work before standing to round her desk, seeking to console the Supreme Commander.
"Don't be too hard on yourself," She encouraged, slipping into his lap well-practiced with a palm to his chest. "A multi-faceted campaign resting solely on one man's shoulders is a lot to contend with. The good news is I finished making my rounds in notifying the immediate field command staff of the changes. Your reports and replacements should be coming any day now."
Teasingly, she ducked in for a kiss, smirking.
"What would you ever do without me?"
"I'd probably have been shot by someone I considered a friend." Grimm said with a dour sense as he pulled the High Marshal close to him. "I suppose long service together way back doesn't count for anything these days."
"Don't be so melodramatic." She lightly spoke in his arms. "The Warmaster is under a great deal of stress to perform, just as you are…we can't rely on nepotism, now can we? Actions speak louder than words and you, pet, are nothing but action. One of your more endearing qualities."
"I do appreciate that sentiment." He planted a kiss on her cheek. "But, I must admit that getting to the bottom of this has me concerned. It makes me ask questions. How far the rot goes in the Empire. Are we being assailed from all angles from within? Who can we trust? I know I can trust you."
"I would like to think so," Xilch mused coyly seated in his lap. "Otherwise this would be rather awkward. As for how extensive this cancerous rot goes…I do not know. Deep enough and severe enough that potentially an entire branch of the glorious Empire has been compromised. More concerning is it is the one responsible for toppling the governments of other species."
A pause of silence as he ran his hand along her side.
"I'm not making insinuations but purely a thought exercise. What would you do, my dear, if Burgg was found to be against the Standard as well as the Tallest themselves?"
The High Marshal's brow arched inquisitively at Grimm's presented notions. A brief moment's consideration followed as an idle digit toyed with the stack of ribbons and pins adorning the Supreme Commander's chest.
"I would say that is unprecedented and a grave concern to say the least." She concluded, tipping her chin up to better look at him beneath the brim of her cap. "Though I am curious what spurred this. This is the first I can recall a Chief of Staff being implicated in such matters…so there is a first time for everything, I suppose. The closest allegory we have had was the quick succession of Tallest Spork following Tallest Miyuki's untimely demise…and then Tallest Red and Tallest Purple's joint leadership being of equal height after Tallest Spork's death. Why distract yourself with such asinine nonsense while trying to conquer a world, Grimmy?"
"I don't know, something just…bugs me. It's been gnawing at me lately ever since Vaukt's apparent treachery is coming to light. What if this is all part of a bigger conspiracy? What if Red, Purple, and Burgg have been conspiring all along? You know, make their way to the top by becoming the top in a very literal sense. Any sane ruler would have removed Zim from the equation immediately as a traitor, right? But instead Zim gets banished to Foodcourtia and then later given an Invader assignment. Who would do that besides guilty people paying off their own pet?"
Genuinely curious now that her attention was grasped, Xilch reoriented herself to straddle Grimm's lap, facing him properly with a leg to either side.
"Allow me to answer your question with another question…what do the Tallest gain conspiring against themselves in your little thought experiment? Burgg is and always has been a man of the field. His specialty is high military strategy, not day-to-day affairs of an ever-expanding empire."
She paused, palms to either side of his chest as her head title and gaze shifted.
"As far as Zim is concerned, I believe he is kept around as a cruel joke. Desperately as I would like to personally push his off button, the Tallest require entertainment and Zim is their court jester. At least he cannot cause direct harm now."
"No, no, I mean against Miyuki and Spork. Zim killed them both in rapid succession and look who benefitted from it at the end of the day." Grimm mused. "Think about it, the three of them being the tallest ones would then take the leadership positions. It's a perfect conspiracy."
Xilch's brow furrowed in mild confusion as she looked to him studiously.
"...yes, that is how the hierarchy of succession in the Empire works. Always has." She spoke with a small laugh at how blatantly obvious the topic was. "...surely you don't believe Tallest Red and Purple orchestrated that, do you?"
"Maybe not Purple but he's easily manipulated. Red was always the brains between the two of them. I have known those two a long time, practically attached at the hip. Red kept Purple alive. Burgg was chummy with Red. Why wouldn't those two put something together to do something? Look how quickly Burgg was going to cast aside the Imperial Standard had it not been for your presence in that meeting." Grimm continued, casting doubts on their leaders in a subtle manner.
"Not to mention that beast. Zim was put in charge of guarding it, alone, not to mention having uninhibited access to the mech pool. It all seems suspicious. Once is an accident, two is beyond coincidental, especially in such short succession."
"To be fair, Burgg was not entirely unjustified after your actions at Vylat." She mused, playfully tapping the space between his eyes with a gloved digit. "I…saved your life on a technicality, hence the Warmaster's frustrations. Fortunate for you, hmm?"
Grimm took her hand and kissed it. "Why I'm grateful to you for that but I suppose the concern has been eating at me. Perhaps spending more time around you has made me also consider things from your angle and possible conspiracies, hm?"
Xilch smiled at his affections, sighing with bemusement. "Considering a change of station, are we? Internal Affairs is always recruiting the finest examples of Imperial prowess the Irken race has to offer, after all. Then you could work directly beneath me and I control your station. A posting to IIA Headquarters on Devastis to be close by would be delightful, would it not?"
"My concerns are if these concerns bugging me are correct and we're both being played for useful idiots." His hand moved back to gently squeeze her waist. "Tell me, if I am right, if those above us are violating the Standard themselves…there would be a different sort of shift in leadership. One that has me above you. Consider…Warmaster of Internal Affairs Xilch. I trust you, immensely, my sweet. But only if this is true. Besides, as a taller man would I not suddenly be the one above you?"
The High Marshal's amusement quickly deflated at Grimm's proclamations. This wasn't idle speech or even an ill-timed joke. No, he was quite serious in his insinuations. So much so she gave pause, grasping the Supreme Commander's wrists to remove his hands from her waist.
"...Just what exactly are you implying?" She more sternly spoke with mild concern.
"I'm saying that this investigation of yours may very well go directly to the top. I mean…the Tallests' own unit? What if they're involved in defying the Imperial Standard themselves?"
"...stop and think about what you are saying for a moment, Grimm…what do the Tallest gain in violating the Imperial Standard? They are already at the apex of authority with an empire at their beck-and-call. I am unsure if I should be confused or concerned at this point with you."
"Just…consider it, the possibility. It's been concerning me but if it doesn't concern you perhaps I can push it out of my mind."
His persistence, equally annoying as it was chilling, motivated her to quickly vacate his lap and stand before him. A complex expression of uncertainty and anger struggled to stay composed.
"...perhaps you're right…perhaps Vaukt isn't the only one with wild aspirations."
Grimm sighed and shook his head. "It's too disturbing to think of the more I linger on the possibility. Do you still have some of that wine, my dear? I'd rather just enjoy some comfort with a woman I hold in such high esteem."
The sudden change of topic did not escape her attention. A stern glare and pointed finger at the seated Supreme Commander followed. Anything to mask the odd sensation of discomfort welling up inside her chest at the notion.
"Too disturbing? You believe it too disturbing? Perhaps you aren't as clever as you think you are…Vaukt isn't a problem…he's competition…to you."
"What, competition for me? I'm the one who demoted him, he can't touch me. He's not even tall enough, you've seen him. Inches below me, same with Zha."
Xilch's glare hardened with burning fury. Zero attempt or effort to deflect or defend… It took every ounce of restraint within her vessel to not draw her sidearm on him then and there.
"...you're the conspiring one, aren't you? Seek to claim the throne for yourself? Eliminate the competition? Kill your way to the top? Is that what is going on? Is it?!"
"You know, maybe I am. Think about it. The Empire needs smarter leadership. Red and Purple are utter imbeciles. Burgg is a vainglorious warlord obsessed with his own ego. Vaukt is an absolute subversive and Zha's following him like she's a smeet sucking on a bottle. What if the Empire had greater, better, smarter leadership, devoted to the cause, our Empire expanding and taking the universe, in our capable hands. I love the very thought of it and it is so very close to fruition."
He paused to take one of her hands. "Xilch, I care for you deeply as I'm sure you do for me, is it not your job to protect the Empire from people like that? You're a warning label, a beacon, a shining example of the finest the Empire has. Consider, if you join me, if I'm right and my hunches prove correct about what those three have been up to. Think about the possibility of you by my side as my Warmaster. Internal Affairs will still be all yours. There will be nothing I will hide for you. IIA shall pry into all areas of the Armada. You will know all, no orders will be issued without the consent of Internal Affairs. A new era, a strong era, our era. Tallest Grimm and Warmaster Xilch…together."
The coldest of chills traversed her spine as Grimm did not shirk. He did not seek a defensive out or another awkward change of subject. Her accusations were outright confirmed…boasted of…and challenged. Her suspicions…true? A political power play by none other than the Supreme Commander himself…and she had inadvertently been aiding him in his conquest to the top.
Once over the initial shock of her fears realized, the High Marshal snatched her hand from Grimm's, taking a step back.
"You cannot do this. This is treason." She glowered, equal measures hurt and angry. "You're insane, listen to yourself!"
"Am I insane or am I right? You've seen Red and Purple. They leisurely float about, fools running this ship as emperors with no clothes. Burgg will only commit to campaigns to fuel his own ego and cult of personality within the Armada, much like Vaukt has been doing within his own branch. I will reign it all in. I will lead the Empire to greatness. Is it treason to save the Empire and bring it to the right direction? There are subversives and fools with daggers at our backs as there are with swords coming at us. We must fight both. Without us doing something the Empire will die and we will be traitors!"
He stepped forward, aggressive and impassioned toward her.
"The fact you haven't drawn your weapon and shot me yet means some part of you agrees with me and you're afraid to admit it!" He concluded, verbally countering right back at her.
"Tallest Red, Tallest Purple, and Warmaster Burgg have done nothing to violate the Imperial Standard!" She fell back on, shaking her head as she struggled to find solace in the moment. "I…don't disagree that much is left wanting but the Control Brains dictated who holds authority. That is not for either of us to decide!"
Xilch turned away from him, eyes closed as she struggled to maintain composure. It felt as if she'd been stabbed in the heart and the knife twisted. Her guard let down for the man plotting his way to the top and in direct violation of all she was sworn to protect and uphold.
"But you do agree with me. Help me. What if I'm right? What if I'm right about them? What if they're stifling all of this? There's evidence of it, I'm sure there is. Investigate, find it. Help me help you help the Empire. We'll see the full glory of the Empire rise as all will bow before the Irken Empire under wise leadership instead of that of fools."
She did not immediately answer, nor face him. Rumination. Consideration. By assignment and station, she should have shot him then and there, filed a report, and be done with it…but all he spoke of was valid. Concerns backed by evidence and observation of her own two eyes. The current regime consisted of fatally incompetent idiots failing their way to the top by fortune alone.
"...what assurance is there it won't be more of the same?" She challenged finally, turning to speak proper. "Since Miyuki's death, it has been a downward spiral from bad to worse. What makes you so certain you could do better? That I could do better? Is your absolution blinded by pride?"
"No, I'm certain we can. Ever since I've had you come into my life, everything's improved greatly. Please, Xilch, I'm begging you, come down this path with me, glory will follow."
"You are literally promising me the universe." She dryly commented, shaking her head before taking a hesitant step forward to Grimm. "...were it anyone else I would find it improbable to believe."
Her icy gaze closed momentarily with a deep breath. Eyes opening once again, she looked back into Grimm's own, deeply.
"...what shall your Warmaster do for you, My Tallest?"
"First…let us have some wine and enjoy each other's company…then we shall find out how deep this rot in the Empire goes, excise it, and bring all glory to the Empire." Grimm embraced her and delivered a deep, passionate kiss. Their fates sealed together as they embarked down this path. Victory or death, it would ring true for both sides.