TA419 - 24/02,

  Admiral Luitpold’s Private ‘Club’ room.

  General Johannes Eugen - of the ‘proud’ State’s Union army - ran his eye across the room, doing his best not to move his head much in the action. In front of him sat the somewhat flabby form of Vice-Admiral Hummingbird, and across, at the head of the table, Admiral Luitpold.

  On his left stood a dozen lesser officers, captains and majors, seldom any two from the same unit, most not even from the same division. Old fashioned navy, army, supply core, administration and the more modern space-based navy - all clustered in a dimly lit basement filled with cigar smoke.

  This illicit meeting, like the many before it, wasn't happening. It was in fact a gathering of Admiral Luitpold's 'friends' in the basement of his mansion, or so they were all sworn to say. This collection of varied officers was the fledgling faction ‘TSU-s’, people from across the different bodies of The States Union, all under one banner.

  Only a small number could attend these clandestine meetings in person, political support always abstained, and many of the space naval officers would struggle to leave their posts. Still, with Luitpold here, the meeting was legitimate; he was their leader.

  He had found those dissatisfied with the higher-up’s management of the post-war era, gathering influence and power. General Eugen knew well enough he was here because Luitpold intended the TSU-s organisation to be skilled in personal combat. They would make their occupation of Abhaile vastly more efficient through harsher measures and better-trained soldiers.

  Hummingbird across from him was more of an oddity; there were no plans involving territorial water-borne warships - nonetheless, Hummingbird held a fair amount of power within Bhaile's remaining navies and thus was more a useful connection rather then a resource.

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  "I dare say this 'Remembrance' mob has furthered our cause greatly!" the triple-chined vice-admiral blubbered. Eugen leaned back slightly to avoid the spittle.

  "Indeed," Luitpold said, his thin fingers stepped atop the table. His body was narrow, but his sharp, sunken eyes and cold gaze always held people's presence - the man simply emitted a sort of emptiness; he filled space despite his small size, demanding your full attention, lest he lash out at you like some sort of creature - for a sixty-year-old, Eugen found the man mildly terrifying.

  "We have been permitted to act, a trial run. It will not be connected to the TSU-s name but it will be treated as our pilot-run by much of the admiralty. As part of the deal, we will use a test product of Pearl Processings creation in our plan."

  "Someone else's junk hoisted onto us?" one of the standing officers scoffed.

  Eugen shot him a sharp look, his blond trim hair swaying as he turned, "All the better. If something goes wrong, they take our fall.”

  The younger officer shut up fast.

  Luitpold smiled a thin smile, "Exactly that general. My forces will provide the ships; Commodore Helge can't join us today for that very purpose."

  "Ha! Finally time to show them what for then!" Hummingbird spluttered. Eugen held back his disgust: The man had no real stake in this; his vessels couldn't leave water, and his men wouldn't be asked to fight; he was a hanger-on and nothing more.

  "What's the project we've been attached to giving us?" Eugen said, turning his attention back to the topic at hand.

  "An artificial Magi, something called 'Thrall'."