Post by DrMedic on Dec 31, 2020 21:11:14 GMT -5
As soon as Marina was gone, Director Bullen called the officers under his command into a briefing room, murmurs spreading about the crowd as to why they were being summoned so late in the evening.
"Gentlemen, thank you all for coming on such short notice. We've been given an assignment straight from the top, it'll put all our skills to the test, so I need each and every on of you to be your absolute best."
The instant Bullen mentioned who the orders had come from, the room grew deathly silent. 'The top' only had one meaning in the IIB, and everyone knew that when the Imperator and Imperatrix handed down orders, it was never without an extreme sense of urgency. Each of the men and women in the room listened intently to each and every last one of Director Bullen's words, gleaning every bit of useful information they possibly could.
"Our target is Miss Amelie Lang, an ambassador from the Kingdom of Franerre. Her last known whereabouts are Whitecliff Palace, where she was engaged in a meeting with Her Majesty not forty-five minutes ago. During this meeting, she let slip that Franerre had a network of spies within Eleria, however, the amount of spies they have is unknown. What can be said for certain is that they know of our military might, especially that of our air force. Her Majesty has made it exceptionally clear that we are to root out and apprehend as many of these spies as we can prior to her next meeting with Miss Lang. We have been authorized to use all we have at our disposal to bring these interlopers into custody, where they can be interrogated. In addition, a loose plan has been developed to aid us in securing the Imperium. Harris, you and your men will be tasked with tracking Miss Lang and all her contacts. Anyone she meets with, anywhere she goes, every tiny scrap of information you can get. I want to know everything about what she's doing in our country. If she so much as takes off a shoe to get a rock out of it, I want to know when it happened, where it happened, and who was involved. Cook, start building profiles on her and those she came with. The rest of you, fan out across the city and let's get the bastards, we'll make sure they think twice about crossing Eleria next time around. If you find one, bring them to the bureau for interrogation, Her Majesty has specifically requested we hold them." He gave a salute to the officers, each of them returning it in sync. "You have your missions, see them done."
With that, groups of men and women fanned out across the city, conducting a thorough search for the spies within Iomairt. Not searching for long, they managed to dig one out, seemingly a novice with a falsified military ID and patches for a discontinued unit. Several armed bureau escorted him to a cell in the basement and notifying the Director before heading back out to the streets to continue their search, whilst Bullen called the Imperatrix and prepared an interrogation chamber for the captured spy. As soon as it was ready, he began his interrogation of the man, hoping to get something out of him before Marina showed.
"Would you mind telling me your name?"
"Marcus Finch, 103rd Infantry, you've got my ID, don't you?"
"Sure I have your ID, but I'm serving and this doesn't look like any Elerian ID I've ever seen. So how about you tell me your name then?"
"I did, Marcus Finch, 103rd. I served faithfully, then came home and didn't reenlist, bloody awful time that was, and it isn't my fault I wasn't given a new ID either."
"Except that the Marcus Finch I have in the records for the 103rd was relieved of duty, killed in action during the summer offensive of 1938 fighting for the Imperial Elerian Army on the side of Emperor Laurence V. You don't look very dead to me, in fact, I'd say you're quite lively." Director Bullen said, letting out a sigh as he flipped through the small folder he'd been given.
The spy closed his eyes for a second, thinking deep on what he should do next, eventually settling on letting his interrogator have a little victory, in hopes he'd ease up. "Henri Coteau, but that's all the information I can give you."
"Thank you very much Henri, I appreciate your honesty, I'd recommend you tell me exactly who you are, why you're here, and the details of your mission before the Imperatrix turns up. She'd mentioned wanting to handle matters personally, and she's a lot less kind than me when she's upset."
"What's she gonna do huh? Slap me upside the head and tell me I've been a very naughty boy? What a joke..."
"Speaking from experience, no, not even in the slightest. Unless you like having the scar of a signet ring punched into your chest, I'd sincerely advise you start talking, and quick."
"You can kindly go fuck yourself. You think I'm scared of some bitch Queen who sits in an ivory tower and sends lackeys to do the dirty work? Please, I've been more afraid of chickens I've slaughtered than that crowned whore." Henri snapped, spitting in Bullen's face.
Director Bullen shook his head, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping off the spy's saliva, "Alright then, your funeral. We'll make sure Franerre informs your next of kin," he said, picking up his things and closing the door behind him, heading up to his office and informing the Imperatrix of his findings once she arrived.
Having heard what the spy had said of her, Marina smiled to herself as she descended the steps to the basement, walking down to the interrogation room where her guest awaited her arrival. It had been far too long since she'd had to discipline someone, and even then the last time she did it she was only allowed to shout at them. Now though, she could do effectively whatever she wanted, and while she didn't exactly take pleasure in breaking people down, she very much enjoyed bringing her enemies to kneel. With a deep breath, she straightened her face and entered the room, first moving the table aside so it wouldn't come between her and Henri.
"Good evening Mister Coteau, I trust Director Bullen has treated you well?"
"Yes, quite a hospitable fellow you've got there, a shame he's not still around to pay a visit."
"Indeed, I've got plenty of things better to deal with than some Franch low-life who thought he could sneak by with such clearly dated information, but instead I'm stuck here dealing with you. So, I'll make this simple, no word games, no tricks, that's how we handle things in the navy. Are you going to tell me what I want to know willingly?" She said, removing her white gloves.
"What, you gonna slap me with that thing if I don't tell you?"
"You'll find out, but know that I heard what you said about me, and I don't think it was very kind of you to say such things. I don't know what they teach you in Franerre, but those aren't things you should say about a lady."
"Whatever."
"Last chance..."
"Get on with-!" His retort was cut off by a sharp jab beneath his ribcage, the Imperatrix's uncovered fist catching him below the sternum as she struck his diaphragm. Her punch threw the chair he sat on off-balance, knocking it over as the back of his head struck the stone floor behind him, leaving him stunned as the wind was knocked out of him. While he lay on the ground and gasped for air, Marina shouted upstairs to the Director.
"Bullen! Bring me a sledgehammer and get ready to drag this worm back into his pen!"
Henri was gasping for air, hardly able to make sense of the words coming out of her mouth. Almost as soon as she'd called for it, Bullen rushed down the staircase, hammer in hand, passing it off to the Imperatrix. She heaved it up to her shoulder, ready to smash the man's legs to pieces when he cried out, "Alright! Damn you witch! I'll talk!"
One of the spies had been dealt with, and fortunately enough he'd given them a list of names, likely some fake in an attempt to throw off the trail, but there had to be some truth to at least one or two of them. Armed with new information, Director Bullen distributed it to his men whilst Imperatrix Marina returned to the palace to get some rest for the night, knowing full well she'd likely have plenty of work ahead of her the next day.
"Gentlemen, thank you all for coming on such short notice. We've been given an assignment straight from the top, it'll put all our skills to the test, so I need each and every on of you to be your absolute best."
The instant Bullen mentioned who the orders had come from, the room grew deathly silent. 'The top' only had one meaning in the IIB, and everyone knew that when the Imperator and Imperatrix handed down orders, it was never without an extreme sense of urgency. Each of the men and women in the room listened intently to each and every last one of Director Bullen's words, gleaning every bit of useful information they possibly could.
"Our target is Miss Amelie Lang, an ambassador from the Kingdom of Franerre. Her last known whereabouts are Whitecliff Palace, where she was engaged in a meeting with Her Majesty not forty-five minutes ago. During this meeting, she let slip that Franerre had a network of spies within Eleria, however, the amount of spies they have is unknown. What can be said for certain is that they know of our military might, especially that of our air force. Her Majesty has made it exceptionally clear that we are to root out and apprehend as many of these spies as we can prior to her next meeting with Miss Lang. We have been authorized to use all we have at our disposal to bring these interlopers into custody, where they can be interrogated. In addition, a loose plan has been developed to aid us in securing the Imperium. Harris, you and your men will be tasked with tracking Miss Lang and all her contacts. Anyone she meets with, anywhere she goes, every tiny scrap of information you can get. I want to know everything about what she's doing in our country. If she so much as takes off a shoe to get a rock out of it, I want to know when it happened, where it happened, and who was involved. Cook, start building profiles on her and those she came with. The rest of you, fan out across the city and let's get the bastards, we'll make sure they think twice about crossing Eleria next time around. If you find one, bring them to the bureau for interrogation, Her Majesty has specifically requested we hold them." He gave a salute to the officers, each of them returning it in sync. "You have your missions, see them done."
With that, groups of men and women fanned out across the city, conducting a thorough search for the spies within Iomairt. Not searching for long, they managed to dig one out, seemingly a novice with a falsified military ID and patches for a discontinued unit. Several armed bureau escorted him to a cell in the basement and notifying the Director before heading back out to the streets to continue their search, whilst Bullen called the Imperatrix and prepared an interrogation chamber for the captured spy. As soon as it was ready, he began his interrogation of the man, hoping to get something out of him before Marina showed.
"Would you mind telling me your name?"
"Marcus Finch, 103rd Infantry, you've got my ID, don't you?"
"Sure I have your ID, but I'm serving and this doesn't look like any Elerian ID I've ever seen. So how about you tell me your name then?"
"I did, Marcus Finch, 103rd. I served faithfully, then came home and didn't reenlist, bloody awful time that was, and it isn't my fault I wasn't given a new ID either."
"Except that the Marcus Finch I have in the records for the 103rd was relieved of duty, killed in action during the summer offensive of 1938 fighting for the Imperial Elerian Army on the side of Emperor Laurence V. You don't look very dead to me, in fact, I'd say you're quite lively." Director Bullen said, letting out a sigh as he flipped through the small folder he'd been given.
The spy closed his eyes for a second, thinking deep on what he should do next, eventually settling on letting his interrogator have a little victory, in hopes he'd ease up. "Henri Coteau, but that's all the information I can give you."
"Thank you very much Henri, I appreciate your honesty, I'd recommend you tell me exactly who you are, why you're here, and the details of your mission before the Imperatrix turns up. She'd mentioned wanting to handle matters personally, and she's a lot less kind than me when she's upset."
"What's she gonna do huh? Slap me upside the head and tell me I've been a very naughty boy? What a joke..."
"Speaking from experience, no, not even in the slightest. Unless you like having the scar of a signet ring punched into your chest, I'd sincerely advise you start talking, and quick."
"You can kindly go fuck yourself. You think I'm scared of some bitch Queen who sits in an ivory tower and sends lackeys to do the dirty work? Please, I've been more afraid of chickens I've slaughtered than that crowned whore." Henri snapped, spitting in Bullen's face.
Director Bullen shook his head, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping off the spy's saliva, "Alright then, your funeral. We'll make sure Franerre informs your next of kin," he said, picking up his things and closing the door behind him, heading up to his office and informing the Imperatrix of his findings once she arrived.
Having heard what the spy had said of her, Marina smiled to herself as she descended the steps to the basement, walking down to the interrogation room where her guest awaited her arrival. It had been far too long since she'd had to discipline someone, and even then the last time she did it she was only allowed to shout at them. Now though, she could do effectively whatever she wanted, and while she didn't exactly take pleasure in breaking people down, she very much enjoyed bringing her enemies to kneel. With a deep breath, she straightened her face and entered the room, first moving the table aside so it wouldn't come between her and Henri.
"Good evening Mister Coteau, I trust Director Bullen has treated you well?"
"Yes, quite a hospitable fellow you've got there, a shame he's not still around to pay a visit."
"Indeed, I've got plenty of things better to deal with than some Franch low-life who thought he could sneak by with such clearly dated information, but instead I'm stuck here dealing with you. So, I'll make this simple, no word games, no tricks, that's how we handle things in the navy. Are you going to tell me what I want to know willingly?" She said, removing her white gloves.
"What, you gonna slap me with that thing if I don't tell you?"
"You'll find out, but know that I heard what you said about me, and I don't think it was very kind of you to say such things. I don't know what they teach you in Franerre, but those aren't things you should say about a lady."
"Whatever."
"Last chance..."
"Get on with-!" His retort was cut off by a sharp jab beneath his ribcage, the Imperatrix's uncovered fist catching him below the sternum as she struck his diaphragm. Her punch threw the chair he sat on off-balance, knocking it over as the back of his head struck the stone floor behind him, leaving him stunned as the wind was knocked out of him. While he lay on the ground and gasped for air, Marina shouted upstairs to the Director.
"Bullen! Bring me a sledgehammer and get ready to drag this worm back into his pen!"
Henri was gasping for air, hardly able to make sense of the words coming out of her mouth. Almost as soon as she'd called for it, Bullen rushed down the staircase, hammer in hand, passing it off to the Imperatrix. She heaved it up to her shoulder, ready to smash the man's legs to pieces when he cried out, "Alright! Damn you witch! I'll talk!"
One of the spies had been dealt with, and fortunately enough he'd given them a list of names, likely some fake in an attempt to throw off the trail, but there had to be some truth to at least one or two of them. Armed with new information, Director Bullen distributed it to his men whilst Imperatrix Marina returned to the palace to get some rest for the night, knowing full well she'd likely have plenty of work ahead of her the next day.
