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| "out" to The Hegemony of Aligned Systems » | ||
The Core Worlds is a part of 
New Hadden.
5 Characters Here
Matthias Rueger [15]
Ilsa Reinhardt [14] Belkan who works for the Landwachter and side-by-side with Matthias Rueger.
Savana [8]
Samhain [0] The seventh Shadow. An overdressed shadow with a sense of ire and humour.
Start Character Here »
"Mine already are." He admitted. "Four little girls, infiltrating already. Sweet little things." He said, pleased. "Your public school systems are very strict. I admit that one of the original five died." He didn't seem bothered. "Killed two with that one, but oh well. I can always have more."
Redwing smirked, "If their father is any precedent, they're likely each an indignant little bitch. I shouldn't be worried, they'll likely be shot within the week." She mused, finding it odd that they could get into the Hegemony. Their census system would catch up with them soon enough. "Given, like every animal, you place little value on them."
"Shot? Not likely, considering they are all older and graduate soon. They've been registered sense birth...or the children who they took over for have been." He shrugged. "The Erutin nation was weak. Grew weak. Colonization is our culture, and that Empress Wing was seduced by your former monarch...a sad fact. Beta, dispose."
Redwing put on a mocking frown for a moment, "Oh? A shame that we wont have the privilege of taking their lives. I'll leave that to your people as we sweep away the corpse of that pathetic tribe. Hopefully, if they're so good, they wont fall. I know your people have no stomach for honest fights, maybe their Scatterran education might give them something of an advantage." His words caused her to flush again, the insinuation that Kampf would try such a thing... The very gall of it amazed her.
This was entirely too much fun, and the weak point was entirely too much fun to poke at. If he didn't watch it. "Gamma, secure." He had to be patient, that was for sure.
His smugness finally pushed her a hint too far, and she stood again, her chair moving rather violently from the force of her ascent, and her voice ringing through the room. "Damn your Gamma to the Wyrm." With a flurry, her right hand struck for the hilt of her saber, brandishing it in a literal flash as the blade, with a flip of a switch, was embraced with cackling, purple energy, the bolts swirling around the alloy blade as it, in less than a moment came to point at her foe.
She wasn't about to take a chance, however. With the momentum of the sling still going strong, she hit the discharge on the hilt with her thumb, forcing an overloaded bolt of the lightning to fly towards the Director. Given a moment or two more, Redwing would be over her desk, falling back on her days as a field officer, bringing herself closer to her target.
She wasn't about to take a chance, however. With the momentum of the sling still going strong, she hit the discharge on the hilt with her thumb, forcing an overloaded bolt of the lightning to fly towards the Director. Given a moment or two more, Redwing would be over her desk, falling back on her days as a field officer, bringing herself closer to her target.
And that was what he had been waiting for! His cue to leave! He left, the shot splashing over his armor and scorching it badly as he did so. Always pleasant dealing with the Belkans. The buttons were damned obvious to push, and it was absolutely delicious.
Again they refused to face her! Again! She seethed, her target having disappeared before her eyes, and she slashed at the empty air, the electrical currents of the blade humming through the air as she did such. She sat, for a moment, her blade extended, as she turned the current off, breathing deeply as she did. There were a few moments of silence before the scream rang out in the office, the sound reverberating rather easily and the saber fell to the floor, clattering with the crystalline surface. She stumbled back to her desk in a rage, slamming her fists on its top as she screamed once again, her legs buckling as she soon hung by the arms from the piece of furniture, though this time it devolved, almost unnoticeably, into sobs. She asked, mentally, why it was that life was so cruel to her, to force her to watch such horrendous things come to pass and be tortured with their being every day.
Redwing didn't move from her position initially, not even realizing that another had entered the office, continuing with her weeping, which was growing steadily more quiet since she began, though the tears were flowing more freely. He was dead, the man who she had adored all of her life, who she had loved, and still loved, with her heart and soul, gone, without even so much as a farewell to her. She didn't even know, her, as head of his bodyguard, that he was off in Home, to be lured to his death by pagans...
Thirty years of waiting. Thirty years wasted.
It was only when she approached her flank that Liese noticed her presence, and offered her a brief glance, not wanting to show her the disheveled mess she had become. Her eyes were bloodshot, her cheeks glistening with tears born of her inadequacy, her proud form often straight and haughty now with shoulders slouching and head hanging. With a broken voice, she replied, her eyes buried in the sleeve of her tunic, "... perhaps I do, Hope... Perhaps I do." She waited a few moments before speaking again, thinking aloud, not caring whether the individual present was a nemesis of hers, "... No one else knows."
Thirty years of waiting. Thirty years wasted.
It was only when she approached her flank that Liese noticed her presence, and offered her a brief glance, not wanting to show her the disheveled mess she had become. Her eyes were bloodshot, her cheeks glistening with tears born of her inadequacy, her proud form often straight and haughty now with shoulders slouching and head hanging. With a broken voice, she replied, her eyes buried in the sleeve of her tunic, "... perhaps I do, Hope... Perhaps I do." She waited a few moments before speaking again, thinking aloud, not caring whether the individual present was a nemesis of hers, "... No one else knows."
Redwing smiled to her, forgetting for those few minutes the animosity that existed between the two, accepting her offer and drying her eyes as best she could, taking the cream once she had finished the prior task. She eventually rose to her feet again, her voice still wavering with emotion as she stumbled to go pick up her saber from where she had thrown it down, "I... I'm not terribly familiar with the houses of the Erutin Empire, but..." She paused as she stooped to retrieve her weapon, sliding it into the scabbard with a clink, "... you are of House Anona, yes?" She asked rather rhetorically, striding back to Hope once she had her weapon stowed, speaking under her breath, "Thank you, Hope. I won't forget this."
Redwing shrugged as she looked to her desk, "I'm sorry about the floggings, it's just policy..." She was being honest. Redwing could be cruel at times, inhuman even, but this was one of the rare moments where she actually was normal, her emotion bringing out some human side of her left buried for years, since before her time in the service. "Thank you, Hope... It means a lot." She was still speaking of earlier, perhaps what she had done rung more true with her than initially believed, though her thoughts were cut short as the door was finally opened, her guards frantic. With a raised palm Liese kept them at bay, and ordered them to lower their weapons. There was no need for such a thing now.
Redwing nodded, resuming her rather proud stature that she possessed before the visit of the Director, and after commending Hope for her kind words, commanded her guards, "Everything's quite fine, lieutenant. I do appreciate your vigilance. Dismissed." Such was easy enough as they began to file out of the office, though now they stood by the door, ready should their regent require them. "House Anona shall be formed, Hope. It'll be little trouble." She spoke after they had left, happy to be over whoever it was that claimed to be 'the Director'.
Redwing glanced to Hope's arm, surprise blooming inside of her to see that she had actually been marked by the Hegemony. Odd, she never pictured Hope to be one to go along with it, she was always so rebellious, so vehement in her opposition to Redwing, "I'm glad you've joined." She didn't know how to say it without sounding rather odd, so she kept it simple, though the note of Hope's children made Liese avert her eyes. "I... don't plan on it."
Curious, bitter rivals being more similar than Redwing could have guessed... were it not for her efforts, things might've proved rather embarrassing when the guards arrived, and she was thankful for that, at the least. Redwing, oddly enough, felt pity for Hope, pity and empathy. Hope had experienced the same thing as her, save for one issue, one vital thing the pain of which she doubted Hope understood.
Liese's love was far from mutual.
She thanked Hope again before the matter of the report was brought up, Redwing switching easily to business, "Yes, we are most grateful for such. It will prove to be quite a boon." She looked now towards Hope, trying to keep thoughts of Kampf from her mind. The Erutin rogue's shifting to his image, and subsequent claims, had upset her quite a deal.
It made her cringe, mentally, because he would be cruel enough to do such a thing.
Liese's love was far from mutual.
She thanked Hope again before the matter of the report was brought up, Redwing switching easily to business, "Yes, we are most grateful for such. It will prove to be quite a boon." She looked now towards Hope, trying to keep thoughts of Kampf from her mind. The Erutin rogue's shifting to his image, and subsequent claims, had upset her quite a deal.
It made her cringe, mentally, because he would be cruel enough to do such a thing.
Liese took it in stride, looking them over with an idle eye as Hope related their details to her, Redwing herself somewhat curious in this project. It could prove to be quite useful in regards to more open foes. "Excellent, I'm sure that you wont mind if we wait on acquiring any of it?" She didn't want to take something that wasn't entirely finished and run with it. At least not yet, as they had bigger worries at hand.
As long as it was possible, that was what they were looking for. If they could make it possible, if they could get it to work on the convicts, they would start taking volunteers. Just to think, a whole corps of the LW turned into these things, the capability for destruction would be... astronomical. "How long would you estimate before we can get this functioning effectively?" The quicker the better. Imagine, undermining a society from within.
The idea rather excited Redwing. Either they proceed and utterly crush the Aschen with their military might, or they infiltrate them, mimic their people, destroy things from within.
The idea rather excited Redwing. Either they proceed and utterly crush the Aschen with their military might, or they infiltrate them, mimic their people, destroy things from within.
The Emperor of the only civilized corner of the Cluster enjoyed the kiss of the sun on his brow as he looked about from the rear of his vehicle, the top of it having been put down so that their lord could enjoy the pleasant day that had made itself known. So sublime was the faint heat of the star, combined with the refreshing breeze, that he was inclined to remove his peaked cap, as it now sat in the leather seat beside him. Oh! how sometimes he forgot what resources he had at his disposal, paying such a luxury as leather seats so little mind. He still operated in his mind as if things were still the 21st century... if only it were those easy days again! Then there was only the Coalition to challenge them, instead of such hideous monstrosities that haunted the Cluster and his holy empire, though he hoped, if things went according to his plan(as they most usually did) that such a circumstance wouldn't continue for much longer.
And as if leather seats weren't enough, it was a car driven by internal combustion, in the old style as his father had enjoyed. Thoughts of that man dampened Kampf's bright disposition for but a moment as he mentally shuddered, having to turn his eyes to the vast blue sky again to inject better images into his mind, most certainly the Landwächter ships, visible from the ground, did just that to brighten his mood. Hopefully lady Sieglinde wouldn't mind such a trip, as they had agreed that they should meet again on this day, though he hadn't exactly proposed where.
The vehicle, even at its lax pace, made it soon to the Redwing estate, and stepping out on his own, left the vehicle to his LW valet, who waited diligently with it. Checking over his uniform to make sure that all was sharp, he began to stride towards the residence, silently wishing that he wouldn't run into Liese today. She always did tend to favor the office, so he hoped that, perhaps, he might prove fortunate in such an endeavor.
And as if leather seats weren't enough, it was a car driven by internal combustion, in the old style as his father had enjoyed. Thoughts of that man dampened Kampf's bright disposition for but a moment as he mentally shuddered, having to turn his eyes to the vast blue sky again to inject better images into his mind, most certainly the Landwächter ships, visible from the ground, did just that to brighten his mood. Hopefully lady Sieglinde wouldn't mind such a trip, as they had agreed that they should meet again on this day, though he hadn't exactly proposed where.
The vehicle, even at its lax pace, made it soon to the Redwing estate, and stepping out on his own, left the vehicle to his LW valet, who waited diligently with it. Checking over his uniform to make sure that all was sharp, he began to stride towards the residence, silently wishing that he wouldn't run into Liese today. She always did tend to favor the office, so he hoped that, perhaps, he might prove fortunate in such an endeavor.
There was no need to knock on the door as it seemed that the servants already knew of his arrival, no doubt thanks both to surveillance of some kind(no doubt thanks to the ever-paranoid commandant) and likely just the overbearing noise that his vehicle had made just getting up to the curb. The door was opened before him, and with a slight bow of his head greeted the servants, whose own bows proved much deeper than his own. With a tender gaze did he impart on them a warm smile as they offered to take his hat, which he freely gave, and thanked them for such a service. He had little time, though, as soon he was bid to come to a sitting room -- unexpected, but not unwelcome. Perhaps her ladyship wasn't prepared yet, and such was understandable. He was early, if only to avoid the piercing and ever-present eyes of her elder sister.
Moving quietly about the generous halls of the place, he admired their abode with silent respect, following behind the middle-aged woman who soon lead him to a rather pleasant place; a room on the first floor, obviously made for entertaining in the afternoon, with a hint of sunlight piercing through the window, almost obscuring the emerald leaves of the tree outside. Taking a seat upon the insistence of the servant, he didn't bother to cross his legs, rather he leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees, eager and curious to see just what it was he was summoned to this room for.
Moving quietly about the generous halls of the place, he admired their abode with silent respect, following behind the middle-aged woman who soon lead him to a rather pleasant place; a room on the first floor, obviously made for entertaining in the afternoon, with a hint of sunlight piercing through the window, almost obscuring the emerald leaves of the tree outside. Taking a seat upon the insistence of the servant, he didn't bother to cross his legs, rather he leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees, eager and curious to see just what it was he was summoned to this room for.
With a glance did Josef look to the door, happy to see that the object of his affection was here, as he presumed that she would be before long, and, not removing his gaze from her, apologized, a smile still present on his face. "Sieglinde, the pleasure is mine, and I would apologize..." At this he did remove his gaze from hers, looking to the floor from the corner of his eye for a moment as he thought on how best to word it, "... my agenda cleared rather quickly, and... if you will excuse me, I couldn't keep myself from your presence any longer." He sighed at this, pleased that she was present now, and with another look to the room at large, turned back to her. His face bore a hint of a sort of innocent curiosity, as he figured that would be best for the situation at hand, as he asked, "Might I ask, why the summons here?"
Kampf's look turned a degree more severe, tinged now with a look divided between hurt and irritability, and as one could tell from his voice, that the latter was pleasant, though not overbearing, "Troubles? I must inquire as to their nature, if they are so grave to deny me the courtship of so wondrous a woman." He, of course, wasn't truly in-the-know for matters regarding the nobility, largely unconcerned with things and had his vast network of Landwächter agents inform him only when matters rose regarding more treasonous or heretical thoughts. Rumors such as these weren't often so high profile. "Such a thought pains me deeply, Sieglinde."
With time his expression softened, somewhat, as he listened to her explanation, though he still harbored, as the undertones of his voice betrayed, some annoyance with the thought that others would dare make such a claim. Not only that Sieglinde would resort to utilizing magic to ensnare him, but to suggest that he was susceptible? That was heresy in and of itself. He moved from his seat closer to her, and offering his hand, he spoke, quietly at first, though it did gain some strength as he went, "... there is nothing to forgive, and such is why I offer you my support." He sighed as he looked to her, and the sight of this beautiful creature reduced to such a miserable state warranted a pang in his heart, "I would rather have no other, Linde."
Lightly was his other hand placed atop hers, his eyes still looking to her own as he kept a straight face, believing that a smile, no matter how pleasant, was warranted in this. Gently his thumb stroked her hand as he tried his best to explain his position, "Quite, Linde, and I would ask that, if only in this matter..." He paused, thinking of the words, "... if it at all possible, to think of me as a man first. I can feel as any other, and love is no foreign feeling to me, at least not in your company." He did speak the truth on earlier occasions, that even in the presence of so fetching a woman as her elder sister, Linde was easily one of the more beautiful women he had ever met, and so well-bred and graceful... a true Scatterran lady.
She blushed at those words and looked down, embarrassed. Could she leave this man, whom loved her, if he did love her. "Josef." she murmured, unable to think of what to say. And the stroking of his thumb was all too distracting for the lady. "I find it difficult to stand firm in the face of your feelings." She admitted. Oh Liese! She was so sorry, but she simply could't fight it. She had tried.
"Very well. I shall try to ignore their whispers. I can always hope nothing comes of it but spite, and spite is merely a part of life." Especially a noble's life.
"Very well. I shall try to ignore their whispers. I can always hope nothing comes of it but spite, and spite is merely a part of life." Especially a noble's life.
"... were it in any other matter, lady Sieglinde, I would beg your forgiveness, and I am tempted to now, but I am told to do otherwise." He smiled to her, sorry somewhat that he caused her so much embarrassment. His mind pondered whether she had ever received such displays of affection, or been the benefactor of any young man's admiration... and now, to receive such from, of all people, the Kaiser of the Hegemony? It was something of a jump, he admitted to himself. "Linde, do tell me if they dare speak ill of you again. I believe they might have forgotten who commands the Verhör." He spoke, of course, of one of the 'civilian' branches of the Landwächter, the Hegemony's notorious inquisition. Linde, and by extension her family, had nothing to fear, so long as Kampf was smitten with their youngest daughter.
She smiled at him, at the generous offer and moved to lay her head on his shoulder, only to hear a throat clear. Oh! chaperons. They could be oh so frustrating. Linde sighed as she instead gently squeezed his hand. "You are so generous in your protection of my reputation, Josef." She said and smiled. "Now. I will not ask again to break away from you, not for such a silly reason. I suppose I let it get to me. I forgot, for a moment that is is the Kaiser who courts me, not a mere lord." She admitted.
A silly thing to forget!
A silly thing to forget!