‘Some Weeks’ After the Thrall Project Failure,

  Admiral Luitpold’s Private ‘Club’ room.

  Only three people entered the basement of Admiral Luitpold's mansion today; Eugen held back the urge to shift uneasily in his chair. Across from him, Hummingbird failed entirely not to look nervous, "We got trounced, utterly humiliated!" the man shrieked.

  "Keep the hysterics to yourself, man. It was a pilot run. Besides, the fault lies entirely with the Magi programme," Eugen snapped back.

  "Will that matter?! Everyone knows this is Luitpold's pet project, and they'll trace it back to us. We'll be ruined!"

  "Silence, you bumbling fool," Luitpold said somberly from his place at the end of the table, his deep-set eyes looking more sinister than ever to Eugen.

  Hummingbird turned like a robot, his disbelief evident in every twitch, "What did you call me?"

  "The only issue here is opposition from either of you two. It's become clear to me that trusting any outside help is a great risk. Next time TSU-s will act alone and without external faults like this Thrall creature. Tell me, Hummingbird, are you an external fault? Will you use your position to oppose me? Are your feet already cold from the shallow end, man?!"

  Hummingbird slammed a fist on the table, shakily getting to his chubby legs as the chair fell away behind him, "How dare you! How very dare you– Ah... you, I, no..."

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  Following his fallen chair, Hummingbird toppled backwards as blood spread from the bullet in his heart, staining his pristine old-navel uniform.

  Eugen stayed very, very still.

  "Well, general?” Luitpold coed, his eyes turning to him, “Hummingbird was always a spare part. His influence is undeeded in the grand scheme. What of you Eugen, are you needed?"

  The man in question shallowed, eyes fixed on the smoking pistol in Luitpold's hand.

  Admiral Luitpold had found him years ago, a general simply lobbying for better training; demanding that, like the neglected space navy which had led to Abhiale's uprising in the first place, TSU's armies were insufficient. They had almost lost control of the whole planet during the invasion. He had simply wanted more funding and better training for his troops.

  Over time, Luitpold had made an ally of him, even helped him gain funding, taught him how to use his position better to demand reform. But Eugen was a bright man; he'd known he was always a tool, and now the price of that mentorship and alliance was here for him and no doubt all the other pawns in Luitpold’s scheme.

  "I'm with you, Admiral. TSU-s will rise."

  That day, an uproar spread across planet Bhaile - though overshadowed outside the planet by Rememberence’s ongoing guerilla war - those on Bhaile were appalled at the news that a sympathetic terrorist group was in their very midst. Support for TSU-s, on a day when it should have plummeted, instead skyrocketed as the thought of war on the planet itself spurred action.

  Luitpold had used no less than a pistol known to be popular amongst gangs and militant groups and of Abhialein manufacturer no less. His hands gloved, a trusted team ready to move Hummingbird's body to where the authorities were to find it just outside their door.

  It was, Eugen realised, the purpose Luitpold had always had in mind for Hummingbird.

  That was the day TSU-s was truly born, the rest is a story for another time.