…
…
…
Upon the polished stone steps of the Xenokuni City Governor's Palace, Sergeant Altare Regis stands in attention beside Lieutenant Ollie Kureiji and the rest of the hand-picked negotiating team representing the Elysian delegation.
His and Ollie's boots, slick with grease and caked with soot, sharply contrast the well-polished, unblemished boots of Bae and the rest of her handpicked officers. Shinri's well-worn riding boots, with their rusted spurs, however, stand out from everyone else's with stark distinction.
Battle-scarred or no, snow falls upon those boots and their wearers all the same. The sun sinks in the West too, bathing the mixed delegation in frosty orange light.
Despite the cold, beads of sweat form on Altare's brow.
Standing in attention in the snow has become second nature to Altare ever since he joined the PCAPs. His body remembers the pain and the hardship that he had to go through to earn his chance to fight for his freedom and for the safety of his sister back home. His thick, leather tanker's jacket and the dusty white, hand-knit scarf around his neck keep the biting winds and the frostbite at bay too.
What Altare is not prepared for, however, is the presence of the ECN News Crew covering the entire event.
In the corner of Altare's eye, he could see the ECN news anchor, Bettel Gavis, speaking to the camera through a wired microphone. His boots, of course, are spotless and clean.
Though strong gusts of wind blow through the courtyard of the Governor's Mansion, Altare could hear Bettel giving his wild, scripted accounts of the Battle of Xenokuni City.
Bettel piles on superlative after sensationalist superlative as he speaks.
"As you can see, dear viewers, we are here on the steps of the Xenokuni City Governor's Palace which is - once again - in its rightful Elysian hands."
"For five years, the royal blue Pavolian flag flew from the flagpoles of the palace, but the emerald green Starfall Banner of Elysium flies triumphant here once more!"
"Truly, this is a miracle granted to us by the Holy Mother Kanata. Her divine favor has delivered Xenokuni City, the largest Elysian city to fall to Pavolian hands, back to Her patient and pious sons and daughters. Our faith has, indeed, saved us and spared the Xenokunian people from their plight under the Imperial jackboot."
"But Elysium did not make Holy Mother Kanata do all the work. Far from it! This triumph is, without a doubt, a sweeping strategic masterstroke of our Prime Minister, the Right Honorable Fauna Ceres whose leadership makes Pavolians from here all the way to the Blue Throne tremble with fear!"
"Her hand-picked field commander, Colonel Nerissa Ravencroft of the Elysian Army, executed the will of our beloved Prime Minister perfectly. Under Colonel Ravencroft's command, Elysian Regular Army Sherman tanks crushed Pavolian defenses and forced them into submission. Today, we will bear witness to the culmination of that victory - surely, a harbinger of more victories to come!"
"This has been Bettel Gavis, reporting from the front for Elysian Commonwealth News."
The cameraman, Flayon X Machina, swishes his hand through the air. Then, he stops the camera.
Bettel heaves a sigh of relief and his breath fogs up before him. His face of fervent patriotism fades away in a heartbeat and a frown forms on his lips.
He notices Altare watching him, but pays him no heed. Instead, he walks over to Flayon and asks for his next script.
'How in the world can he lie through his teeth like that!?' Altare fumes but holds his tongue.
His stomach churns from Bettel's carefully curated melange of truths, exaggerations, inconsistencies and lies.
Neither Prime Minister Ceres nor Colonel Ravencroft has set foot on the Pavolian-dominated continent, for one.
The PCAPs, the Correctional Infantry and the Xenokunian Resistance, the ones who paid the steepest price in blood, remain unacknowledged.
The shadow of the fearsome 101st Tank Division of Zeta Vestila continues to loom over the horizon.
Then, Shinri pipes up behind Altare.
"Mother Kanata would weep bitter tears if she saw what happened here today. That newsman paints her as a Goddess of War, but that cannot be further from the truth. The ECN is here to film fallacious Elysian propaganda, it seems."
Altare stays silent, but he agrees with Shinri wholeheartedly.
As Altare thinks this, the ECN's willing actress prepares to take center stage.
The defeated Kolonel Moona Hoshinova of the Pavolian Garrison.
While Altare ponders ECN's aims, a trumpet blasts from the balcony of the Governor's Palace.
Bettel ends his harangue and has his cameraman, Flayon X Machina, turn towards the grand double doors of the Palace.
Then, right on cue, the double doors open and Kolonel Moona Hoshinova marches out with her cadre of ranking officers. Her boots are the cleanest, most polished on the courtyard and shimmer off of the setting sun. She wears a grand Pavolian dress uniform with puffed pauldrons, golden braids and a peaked cap bearing embroideries of the Imperial peafowl seal.
From where Altare stands, he sees Moona posing like the portrait of Empress Reine Pavolia herself that he saw in the Manor House.
A grim thought threads through Altare's mind.
'Is she going to burn too?'
Decked out in militaristic imperial regalia, Kolonel Hoshinova takes a prominent position on the porch. She stands up straight and keeps her head raised, ensuring that she is the center of every frame of the camera lens.
Beyond the wrought iron gates of the Palace, Xenokunians shout and jeer in protest to her presence. Elysian Military Police cordon off the gates and hold the line from the furious crowd.
Harsh insults and curses are cried out in Xenokunian.
Insults and curses that Altare wishes he didn't understand.
Despite the vociferous hecklers, Moona approaches a podium with a multitude of microphones set up on the porch. She clears her throat and prepares to address the viewers, the delegation and the crowd in Pavolian.
Simultaneously, one of Moona's officers parrots Moona's words in Xenokunian on a separate microphone. Flayon X Machina, meanwhile, does the same for ECN in Elysian.
Moona's voice echoes through the courtyard from speakers. Altare is one of the few in the delegation who understands her Pavolian speech immediately.
"People of Xenokuni City - and delegates of Elysium and the Xenokunian people. I bid you welcome to the Governor's Palace. Please accept my hospitality as we discuss the terms of my Garrison's surrender. May our discussions prove to be fruitful, judicious and honorable for us and our three nations."
"Hmm…" Shinri hums with intrigue. A small smile forms on his lips, "To be recognized by someone like her… the world truly has gone upside down."
Both Flayon and the Pavolian officer interpreting for Moona hesitate to translate Moona's words, but they eventually do. Only then do Bae, Calli and the rest of her officers react.
"Three nations…?" Lt. Colonel Baelz Hakos furrows her brow and grumbles beneath her breath, "Elysium doesn't recognize the sovereignty of the Xenokunian Nation. What's your play here, Hoshinova?"
"These talks with Hoshinova ain't gonna be as straightforward as we thought, huh?" Captain Mori adds, brushing the snow off of her ten gallon hat.
"Of course it won't be." Ollie chimes in, completely unfazed, "Moona Hoshinova was a close friend of Zeta Vestia. These talks will be anything but straightforward." She turns to Altare and warns, "This is a different kind of battle we're marching into, Sergeant Regis, but it's a battle nonetheless. Stay on your toes."
"Yes ma'am." Altare assures her, "I'll watch your back."
…
Altare and the Elysian-Xenokunian delegation are shown into the lavish foyer of the Governor's Palace where a banquet has been prepared for them.
Cured Pavolian meats, cheeses and other delicacies are spread out on handsome charcuterie boards. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, vegetable medleys and a myriad of finger foods are served in heated metal buffet trays. Clear-broth chicken soup steams from cauldrons.
Near the heart of the foyer a Pavolian military band plays popular Elysian fanfares. Sommeliers also make their rounds, offering wines, spirits and cigarettes wholesale to the guests.
Bettel Gavis, Flayon X Machina and the ECN crew take the sights and the sounds of it all wholeheartedly. They savor the pomp and the circumstance and gobble it all up, stuffing their faces before they set up their cameras for the next round of their newsreel.
If Altare didn't know any better, he would have thought that he was at a reception in a fancy hotel in Metro Elysium. He would have thought that the war was already over, but that could not be further from the truth.
Looking at Moona Hoshinova, Altare could tell that she was putting on a show.
But to what end?
Altare could only wonder.
Moona shows her guests around and offers wordy but meaningless speeches full of platitudes and pleasantries while the cameras and microphones record her orchestrated spectacle.
The delegation is wined and dined, but nothing meaningful ever comes out of the table talk. Altare only eats a meager portion of the food served to him, his wine glass remains untouched and unfilled and his ashtray stays unsullied throughout the whole affair.
Once the entourages have had more than their fair share of food, drink and cigarettes, Moona rises up from her seat and makes a toast to Baelz Hakos and to Shinri Josuiji for a victory well-earned.
Bae and Shinri accept and raise their wine glasses.
Altare has his wine glass filled with a miniscule splash of wine and joins the toast with the smallest sip he could manage.
After that, Moona Hoshinova graciously excuses herself from the banquet hall.
Bae, likewise, excuses herself and glances at the rest of her delegation. This is their cue to follow suit.
Altare, Ollie, Calli and Shinri nod and follow Bae, leaving the ECN news crew and the rest of the dignitaries to continue their fancy feast.
Together, they follow Moona without a word to the Palace's library. The Kolonel steps inside and leaves the door open behind her. Altare and the delegation go inside as well.
Two new faces are waiting for them there. The first is Lt. Gawr Gura seated on an armchair with her walking cane in hand.
"You guys sure took your time. I was starting to think that this meeting wasn't gonna happen!" Gura speaks out loud, but she keeps a cheerful grin on her lips.
"We had to put on a show for the media and smile for the camera." Bae answers Gura, "You know how ravenous ECN can be when they have the first dibs on big scoops like this."
The second face, meanwhile, is a purple-haired holy man wearing the black habit of the Tri-Spirit church. He makes a solemn hand gesture to Moona, Bae and the delegation and introduces himself to them.
"Gemstones' blessings upon you all." The clergyman speaks graciously, "I am Friar Hakka of the Xenokunian Tri-Spirit church - arsobispo pro tempore of the Xenokuni City cathedral." He joins his hands together and bows, "May the Holy Mothers guide our discussions today - in the name of peace."
"A friar…?" Bae asks, surprised by his presence.
"Friar Hakka, mi hermano en esperanza, is here by my invitation." Shinri speaks up and explains, "The Tri-Spirit church has sheltered my people in the worst of the Pavolian crackdowns. If you want Xenokunian representation in these talks, Friar Hakka deserves a seat at the table."
Bae's face contorts. She turns to Moona with an inquisitive look.
"I have granted Mr. Josuiji's wish for the sake of harmony." Moona explains firmly, "Having a representative from the Tri-Spirit church will smoothen things out with the Xenokunian people."
Bae rubs her chin and considers her options. Then, Ollie comes over to her and endorses Moona's plan.
"Moona-simpai… I mean… Kolonel Hoshinova knows the people of Xenokuni City better than we do, ma'am. We can trust her judgment on this matter."
Bae heaves a sigh and answers, "Alright. If you insist."
With that, Altare closes the doors of the palace library behind him. There, behind closed doors, the real meeting behind the smoke and mirrors of the fanfare would finally take place.
…
Moona Hoshinova takes off her peaked cap and her lavishly regal coat adorned with Imperial regalia and sets them on a coat hanger. Underneath those garish, gaudy garb, Moona wore a simple royal blue Pavolian officer's uniform.
The Kolonel notices the eyes of her guests on her. She scoffs and remarks, "Surely, you didn't think I wear all those fancy clothes in my war room, do you?"
"We wouldn't have been surprised, Kolonel Hoshinova." Bae answers honestly, shaking her head, "The old commander of our brigade used to live for fashion - but she died in the most unfashionable manner: shot dead like a pig in cold blood. I've only seen pictures, but what happened there would make your blood crawl."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Moona offers her sympathies, "All the more reason for us to come up with a peaceful solution to this mess, yeah?"
Her tones and inflections are tender and her starry golden eyes are filled with sorrow. She clears her throat and turns back to her guests.
"We do not have to put up appearances in this room. So, we can discuss the situation freely. The real situation. The stuff that is not dolled up for the ECN newsreels." She gestures to the sofas and chairs by the hearth of a fireplace, "Please. Sit."
Altare and the delegation take their seats alongside Gura and Hakka.
Bae leans forward in her seat and faces Moona squarely.
"Alright. Here's the deal Colonel Hoshinova." Bae starts.
"Kolonel." Ollie corrects.
Bae furrows her brow but concedes to her right hand, "Kolonel Hoshinova."
"I'm listening." Moona nods. She sits across from Bae and looks her in the eye.
"Elysian High Command will accept nothing less than the full, unconditional surrender of all Pavolian forces under your control and the transfer of authority to the Elysian Armed Forces." Bae reveals flatly.
"I am prepared to accept that." Moona nods without hesitation, "Garrison troops have already surrendered en masse to advancing Elysian forces all throughout Xenokuni proper."
Bae turns to her delegation and asks, "Can we confirm this?"
Captain Mori nods and gives her report.
"My Company got called up to join the mop-up operations with the rest of the Elysian divisions in the area. I've only received preliminary reports, but we've faced minimal resistance. Some of my scouts have already reached the old Xenokunian borders with Pavolia roughly two hours ago."
Shinri folds his arms and frowns.
"My brothers and sisters have reported a different story to me. Some commanders of the Garrison have, indeed, surrendered themselves to local Xenokunian councils or Resistance cells, but the fighting in the hinterlands close to the Elysian exclave continues as we speak."
He turns towards Moona grimly and warns, "I cannot guarantee the safety of those who continue to take up arms against the Xenokunian people on rightful Xenokunian land. That is our reality."
"I am well aware, Mr. Josuiji." Moona replies, "There will be some holdouts, of course, but they have heard my plea and have chosen to go against it. Their fates are out of my hands."
"As long as you understand." Shinri nods.
Moona nods back.
"Now that you have said your terms, which I am willing to accept, I would like you to hear mine." Moona speaks again. She lays her hands on the table between her and Bae and continues, "Firstly, I would like all Pavolian Prisoners of War to be held in the Elysian exclave on the continent, not in Xenokunian prisons."
"That's a curious request." Bae leans back into her chair and crosses her legs, "Why should we do that?"
"Xenokuni City is calling for Pavolian blood. They will not be safe here." Moona explains, "Surely, you do not want a Xenokunian uprising on your hands while you continue to fight Pavolia."
Bae turns to Shinri for his opinion.
"You already know my thoughts on this matter, Miss Hakos." Shinri answers, "We do not want Pavolians on Xenokunian soil."
Bae heaves a sigh and concedes, "Alright. We'll accommodate your request as best as we can - but we will still have to process the POW's here in Xenokuni temporarily."
"That's fine." Moona accepts.
Shinri snorts, "I shall ask the councils and elders for patience, then. May the Holy Mothers compel them to see things your way."
Bae nods to Shinri. Then, she prods again,
"What else is on your mind, Kolonel Hoshinova?"
"My second request…" Moona starts but pauses thoughtfully, fidgeting where she sits. She faces Bae again and asks, "I would like you to release me and allow me to travel back to the Blue Throne - the Pavolian capital."
…
The entire room falls silent. Altare, Gura, Bae and Calli are shocked by the request. Shinri and Hakka, meanwhile, have shadows forming over their brows and their eyes light with anger.
Bae blinks and contorts her face.
"Sorry… I'm not sure if I misheard you, but are you seriously asking us to let you go?" Bae hisses with disdain.
"That is my second request, yes." Moona does not flinch.
Hakka breaks his silence, clicks his tongue and gives a fiery sermon.
"Preposterous! That will never sit well with the Xenokunian people, Miss Hoshinova. Do you realize just how many of our people perished in this battle? How about during the entire Pavolian occupation?" He shakes his head and brings out his prayer beads. He clutches his beads furiously and growls like a firebrand orator, "The Holy Mothers preach of forgiveness, but they do not condone miscarriages of justice!"
Bae and Calli nod, giving their tacit approval. Shinri, meanwhile, joins his hands together and concurs.
"It is as Hakka says, Miss Hoshinova. Incarceration with the Elysians is already a merciful proposition in our eyes. Outright freedom for you, however, would be a slap in our faces. Take one step outside the walls of the Governor's Palace as a free woman and you will not survive for very long."
A long pause hangs over the palace library. The hearth fire crackles as Moona stands off against Shinri and Hakka. The portrait of Empress Reine Pavolia watches it all, stern but wordless.
"I have not yet revealed why I want to be set free." Moona interjects, "My aims will benefit Elysium, as well as Xenokuni. I want to end this war as much as you do."
"And setting you free would do that!?" Hakka shuts her down immediately.
Ollie fidgets where she sits, but the war of words makes her uneasy. She stands up from her seat and urges the Xenokunians, "Please. Let Moona explain herself."
Moona, Bae and the rest of the delegation all turn to Ollie. Shinri and Bae, in particular, cast their shadows over her.
Ollie gulps and pleads, "Listen to her before you pass judgment at least." She lays her hand over her heart and insists, "I was in a similar situation as her years ago. I took my chance and have served Elysium faithfully ever since, haven't I? So please - let Moona have her chance too!"
Shinri's glare grows frigid, but Ollie stands tall and meets his gaze.
The Resistance leader snorts and sits back down, giving no further protest. Bae folds her arms and sits down too.
"Very well, Kolonel Hoshinova." Bae concedes, "Why do you want us to set you free?"
"Do I have permission to explain in full?" Moona probes.
"By all means." Bae sighs.
Moona sits on her chair and looks into the hearth fire. Her golden eyes shimmer somberly in the flames.
"Ever since Ollie defected to Elysium, I struggled to understand why she would do so. In recent years, though, as the commander of the Garrison here, I've come to witness the ugly truth for myself." Moona speaks wholeheartedly. She turns her eyes to Ollie, then to Shinri then to Bae, "There is a greater danger to Pavolia than Elysian tanks and troops - or the zealots of Xenokuni. Her name is Zeta Vestia."
Her revelation, however, does not stir her guests in the slightest.
Gura leans forward and taps her walking cane on the marble floor.
"We've known about the danger that Zeta Vestia poses, Miss Hoshinova." Gura interjects, "She's a threat on the battlefield and a master of deception - but how is she a threat to Pavolia exactly?"
Moona clears her throat and explains,
"Zeta's influence in the Imperial Court has been growing significantly ever since she took the reins of the 101st Tank Division. She has won many victories for the Blue Throne and it has earned her the ear of our Empress Reine Pavolia herself. Now, Zeta wields more power in Pavolia than any other person. Just about every aspect of the Pavolian war effort is in her hands - and she has been abusing that power."
"In what ways?" Gura tests.
"Allow me to show you." Moona answers.
Moona reaches into her pocket and brings out a paper envelope with a broken blue seal. She passes that envelope over the table to Gura.
Gura takes the envelope and studies it in the light.
"This looks like a genuine letter envelope from the Imperial Court of Pavolia." Gura reveals, scratching the embossed paper with her fingernail. She taps on the blue wax next and adds, "It has the Empress' seal too. Those are one-of-a-kind."
"The envelope and the seal are genuine, but look inside." Moona advises, "Show it to Ollie too."
Ollie comes over to Gura's side and reads the letter. It's the order for Moona and the Garrison to stand and fight in Xenokuni City.
"It's a forgery." Ollie declares grimly, "A really damn good forgery."
"Hold on…" Bae gasps, "So what you're saying is…"
"Zeta Vestia is overstepping the authority given to her by Empress Reine. Most of her actions, especially the atrocities she has unleashed upon the Xenokunian people, are unsanctioned by the Imperial Court. And lately, she has been impersonating the Empress to get her way."
Whispers erupt in the palace library. The letter is passed around. Altare gets his turn to look at the letter too.
'Zeta was leaving Kolonel Moona to die so that her division could retreat and regroup…' Altare assesses as he reads, 'How cruel can she be?'
Altare finally passes the letter back to Moona, who pockets it. The Kolonel turns to the delegation and reveals her true goal.
"I intend to travel to the Blue Throne and show Empress Reine the evidence of Zeta's treachery. From there, I will convince the Empress that it is high time for Pavolia to sue for a ceasefire to deal with Zeta - or to end this pointless war altogether."
"Lofty goals, Miss Hoshinova." Hakka counters, "How sure are you that your heretical Empress will listen to you?"
Moona stands up from her seat and faces Hakka confidently.
"Reine will listen to me because I am a dear old friend of hers - one of the few real friends she has in the Imperial Court."
"Can we really trust your word?" Bae asks with great skepticism.
"You can!" Ollie endorses Moona fully, "Listen. Pavolia, too, has grown tired of the war. Even if the Empress decides not to listen to her, Moona's mere presence in the Blue Throne can spur the Pavolian people to act. They'd force the Empress' hand one way or another!"
"That's one speculation on top of another!" Bae argues back, "This is war, Lieutenant Kureiji. We don't make plans built on such flimsy premises!"
"But…!" Ollie protests.
"No buts, Lieutenant." Bae snaps.
Once again, the room falls silent.
Bae, Calli, Gura, Shinri and Hakka scrutinize Moona's plan among themselves while Ollie and Altare look on. Ollie lowers her head and muses to Altare.
"They're gonna send her to the wolves…" Ollie shudders.
"Is there anything we can do?" Altare asks?
Ollie shakes her head and croaks, "I… don't know."
Altare furrows his brow and starts racking his brain.
The deliberations conclude. Bae and her delegation face Moona squarely with their judgment.
"Kolonel Moona Hoshinova. Elysian High Command sees you as a propaganda piece. They won't let a clear and tangible sign that Elysium is actually winning the war go scot free."
"We have no way to prove that you'll follow through on your promise either." Gura concurs.
"Likewise, Xenokuni cannot accept such a plan." Shinri adds, shaking his head, "We will have a riot on our hands in this city."
"Even if we draw from our reserves and from the Resistance, we won't have the manpower to deal with that sort of thing." Calli chimes in.
"So, we've concluded that you must make your peace with the Holy Mothers now, Kolonel." Hakka concludes.
Moona purses her lips. Her calm expression degrades to bleak sadness and despair. She pounds her chest and laments.
"Ever since I got installed as the Garrison commander, I've done everything in my power to safeguard the Xenokunian people in my jurisdiction." Moona tries to argue, "I've sacrificed so much… I've butted heads with Zeta. I stood firm even as one of my dearest friends turned into a power-hungry monster before my eyes. Does that count for nothing!?"
"There are some people, myself included, who appreciate the light handed treatment you have given us." Hakka frowns and shakes his head, "But Xenokuni will not see you as Moona Hoshinova but as a symbol of Imperial Pavolia meant to be toppled, dragged through the mud… and slain. Only Elysian shackles will protect you."
Ollie looks on to her old commanding officer with compassionate eyes, but she doesn't know what to say. She turns to Altare, urging him to say something - anything.
Altare sees her gaze and rubs his chin. Then, his green eyes light up and shimmer in the flames.
"What if we act unofficially?" Altare proposes, building his plan as he goes, "We could… maybe… uh, maybe we could smuggle Kolonel Hoshinova out of Xenokunian lands."
Murmurs break out amongst the delegation too, but Moona is impressed. Bae, on the other hand, blinks. She is shocked by what she has heard.
"Son. You do realize that what you're proposing amounts to treason." Bae warns.
"That won't be the first time I've been charged so." Altare chuckles. He holds onto his hand-knit scarf fondly and adds, "I'm PCAPs. A prisoner-soldier. The reason that I'm here - in the frontlines - is because the country said I committed treason. Another count doesn't scare me."
"Sergeant Regis…" Ollie's jaw drops.
Altare grins and continues.
"I will take full responsibility of the operation as the Commander of the tank Tempest." Altare pounds his chest proudly, "I won't ask for authorization. I'll do it in the dead of night too. All I need is my tank, my crew and a second vehicle."
The ravenous coalition of Bae's delegation whispers among themselves again. This time, their voices are not as united as before.
"That's absurd, Sergeant Regis." Bae tries to dismiss it, but her tone isn't decisive.
Hakka and Shinri keep quiet this time and listen intently.
Calli, on the other hand, is the first to break rank from Bae.
"We captured a lot of Pavie half-tracks during the battle." Calli reveals, "You could have the Kolonel hide out in one of those."
"That would work, Captain Mori." Altare nods graciously.
Gura smiles and follows suit.
"I could radio ahead and make sure the checkpoints out of the city are unmanned when you pass through. The Brigade and the rest of the Army won't even know it happened!" Gura winks, "How about midnight tomorrow night, Sergeant Regis? Sounds good?"
"Tomorrow midnight is perfect." Altare nods again.
Kolonel Moona sinks in her chair, amazed by how quickly her fortunes turned. She faces Ollie and remarks, "I can see why you chose him to accompany you here."
Ollie smiles pleasantly, "I learned how to find good people because of everything you taught me, Moona-simpai."
The tense air in the palace library lifts, but Bae persists in her opposition.
"This smuggling operation of yours sounds like a whole ton of problems waiting to happen." Bae warns.
"But we'll make it work." Ollie insists.
"And if it doesn't?" Bae tests.
"Then, pin the blame on me." Ollie finally offers, "If this blows up in our faces, arrest me. Have me court-martialed. Execute me live on television."
"Kureji…" Bae mutters.
Ollie looks Bae in the eyes and says, "You've always wanted to do that to me, ever since I got placed under your command. Right?"
Bae grumbles and covers her face. She does not deny this.
Still, everyone in the room, especially Ollie, waits for her decision.
The Lieutenant Colonel raises her head and faces Ollie with a sour frown.
"I will NOT be giving my approval for this operation." Bae declares.
"But…!" Ollie tries to interject.
"I won't approve it - because this conversation never happened." Bae shifts her tone in a heartbeat, "I have absolutely no idea about what you crazy people are talking about. Expect no support - but no interference from me."
Ollie's gem-like eyes shine.
"Captain…!" Ollie squeals.
"It's Lieutenant Colonel now." Bae promptly corrects her.
Ollie stands upright and salutes Bae, "Of course, Lieutenant Colonel."
Gura and Calli chuckle in their seats. Shinri and Hakka, meanwhile, just relish in the silence.
Bae turns to Altare and points to him, "This is your idea. Don't make a mess of it."
Altare salutes Bae.
"Ma'am, yes ma'am. We won't let you down."
Moona smiles and rises up from her seat. She crosses the aisle towards Altare and offers her hand to him.
"Tomorrow, I will be in your care, Sergeant Regis."
Altare shakes her hand firmly.
Moona lets go of Altare's hand. Then, she retrieves her Imperial regalia coat and her adorned peaked cap from the coat rack. She puts on her clothes and faces her guests cheerfully.
"Our true business here is concluded, then." Moona declares, fixing her cap over her head of purple hair, "It's time to go back onto the stage."
…
Later that evening, after the closed-door meeting concludes, Friar Hakka excuses himself from the negotiating delegation. Before he leaves, though, he recites a solemn prayer to bless the negotiations while the ECN cameras roll.
Afterwards, as Hakka prepares to leave once more, Shinri halts him at the foyer.
"Are you sure you have to go, Hakka?" Shinri asks, "This is a historic moment for Xenokuni. I would love to have you watching over me as I sign the treaty on behalf of our people."
"I do have to go, mi hermano en esperanza." Hakka answers. He lays his hand on Shinri's shoulder, "The Holy Mothers are watching over you."
"Hermano…" Shinri frowns.
"My flock in the cathedral needs me. The field hospital there will not run itself. We will be listening to the treaty signing over the radio." Hakka reassures him.
Shinri sighs. Hakka turns around to take his leave, but Shinri catches him in a tight embrace.
"Adios, hermano." Shinri speaks softly.
Hakka returns the embrace and pats Shinri's back. Shinri finally lets go of the friar and the two men go their separate ways.
As Hakka walks out of the Governor's Palace, however, he glances at Shinri one last time and sighs, "The Holy Mothers already favor you more than they do I, hermano. Someone like me… doesn't deserve the kindness you give me."
With that in mind, Hakka walks out of the palace and finds his horse buggy waiting for him in the driveway. He steps inside and rides the buggy all the way to the Xenokuni City Tri-Spirit Cathedral.
He steps out of the buggy but he does not follow the chauffeur inside. Instead, he stays out in the snow under the moonlight. He sees the statues of the three Holy Mothers looking down to him with their compassionate faces.
Their bronze gazes pierce his soul. Chills run up his spine and he shivers, but not from the cold.
Hakka finds a stone bench by the statues and sits down. He takes out his prayer beads and starts to meditate.
But then, he hears boots crunching through the snow.
The friar lifts up his head and sees a tall, blonde woman in a trench coat. Her bright red eyes glance at him for a moment, but she brings out a newspaper and pretends to read. The prayer beads slip from Hakka's hands.
"Señora Kovalskia…" Hakka stammers. His breaths become short and labored.
"Buenas noches, padre." The lady, Miss Kovalskia, speaks excellent Xenokunian. Her Pavolian accent is light.
"B-buenas… buenas noches." Hakka hesitates to speak.
Kovalskia lowers her newspaper and leans over to pick up Hakka's prayer beads from the snowy ground. She then turns to Hakka and speaks in Elysian.
"You dropped these, sir." She says.
"T-thank you." Hakka opens up his hands, but Kovalskia does not return the beads.
Kovalska looks Hakka in the eye, making him shudder where he sits. She proceeds to wrap the prayer beads around Hakka's hands, binding them tightly.
"Ack…!" Hakka grunts in pain.
"Remember your mission, Friar Hakka Banzoin." Kovalskia says, smiling while she binds the friar's hands.
Hakka winces in pain and croaks, "F-front right pocket… I wrote everything in a notebook."
Kovalskia loosens the binds on Hakka's hands. She reaches into the friar's front right pocket and takes out the notebook.
Hakka untangles his prayer beads and rubs his hands, feeling the trenches that Kovalskia had dug into them. Kovalskia, meanwhile, glances through the notebook in the moonlight.
"Looks like your worst nightmares have come true." Kovalskia closes the notebook and slips it back into Hakka's coat, "You understand what that means, right?"
Hakka pauses and lowers his head.
"I do." He answers meekly, "I will see this through to the end."
"Good." Kovalska stands up from the bench and walks away. She looks up to the statues of the Holy Mothers and muses, "How far away will you stray from your scriptures, padre. I look forward to finding out."
Before Hakka could talk back, he heard more boots coming over. The friar freezes in place, but sweat drips down his brow.
A familiar shadow then looms over him.
"Padre?" It asks.
Hakka looks up and sees his faithful disciple, Fenix, watching him with concern.
"Hija…" Hakka starts. He cranes his head to where Kovalskia stood, but the tall blond had already disappeared into the night.
"¿Qué necesitas, padre?" Fenix asks, "¿Hay un problema?"
Hakka shakes his head.
"No… no hay problema, hija." The friar looks up to the Holy Mothers and sighs, "I'm just… tired."
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TEMPEST
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