Post by StaolDerg on Jan 31, 2021 23:38:04 GMT -5
It was, with little other description, painfully late.
Kalpes rubbed his eyes, cupping a warm mug of tea. The map before him was decorated with ink and small ceramic figurines marking the holdings of Elenria in a sweeping mat of color that spanned the table- its size would’ve been easier to say that the table had been built specifically to fit the map.
He wasn’t alone, though he wished otherwise. The silhouettes of at least a dozen other Royalist leaders surrounded the table in his company, half-illuminated by gaslight. Heads watched the leader of the Royalists expectantly, some with indifference, some with thinly-veiled contempt.
He sighed with fatigue, glaring across the table at a crooked-horned inselni.
“So, allow me to get this straight- I come back from the Pelven cell to find that a messenger of all people has not only made a mistake of stumbling into a nation nowhere close to their travel route, but in fact, made a deal with said state without approval nor sanction by me? You bypassed the entire chain of command to holster our collective honor in the seat of a faraway office?”
“And brought here valuable, desperately needed equipment and officers,” a Crown General nearby interjected. “Without his decisive action, we would’ve lost multiple bases to attacks by the Greatferns and Terriorials. The only reason we held several vital points- the Yavno Caverns where the little industry we have is housed, for example- is solely because of new equipment and training that drove off Territorial assault-”
“-In exchange for what, a steel cord wrapped around our legs to be bound by and a suicidal motivation to our troops to fight the Terriotorials? Hikva specifically mentioned that he promised dedication to a government that would join the COG, which as far as I understand, is just a way to puppet us to foreign domination. If you light a field on fire to deny food to the levy of the taxman, you’ll still starve in the winter. We could’ve gotten guns still if he’d just told the fucking provisional government in Horizon instead of bouncing back home with a damn boatload of guns and contract for the century!”
Another officer rose in the back, point accusatorily at the Generalissimo, “I’m surprised you’re not congratulating him- how old is your wisdom, Haprin? Does this look like a situation where we can get away without having to pay a price? No one of our own people will join us because half of us are still fucking sworn to the old nobles that good Akel the Elder, heavens bless both her wise hearts, annulled in ’37! Don’t you think it’s time we left behind the past? We’ve lasted this long- if there’s anything that experience has taught, it’s that time doesn’t wait to throw us into the dirt if we stick to old traditions.”
The room burst into retorts and furious accusations traded as Kalpes exploded with a reply that was smothered by the voices of the others in the room taking sides. Some were on the verge of blows, Hikva himself being held at the collar by another officer.
“ENOUGH, SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!”
A grey-streaked Inselni had smoke literally firing out of his nostrils as he snorted in rage, glaring at the others until they sat down. Her claws dug into the table through the map, scarping as she let go, ;ooking about the room and straightening against the table.
“Unbelievable.” she muttered. “Most of you here are veteran officers- many of you are exceeding three, some four centuries. All of you high-ranked military officers. None of you have any excuse to act like children. Your ancestors are weeping at this sorry sight of a war council.”
Kalpes opened his mouth but held as she glared him back down in his seat.
“We cannot undo what is already done. The Greatferns press us with news that they seek Elerian assistance and TAKPOE with the arrival of Kumo reinforcements. We will make do with what we have. I am taking executive decision as Minister of War, Her Majesty Akel the Elder’s senior Crested of Blades. Draft a telegram to our sibling in Elenria Horizon- We may be estranged from the pains of what happened during the evacuations, but they are our closest allies. Go to them and ask to bring what forces they can find and muster them to our cause. Mercenaries are not my first option for war, but… we cannot afford to be luxurious in our decisions anymore. As much as I hate to admit it, we need to adapt by breaking tradition, if we are to survive. Honor demands our service to Elenria, so service we’ll give- no matter the cost.”
Kalpes rubbed his eyes, cupping a warm mug of tea. The map before him was decorated with ink and small ceramic figurines marking the holdings of Elenria in a sweeping mat of color that spanned the table- its size would’ve been easier to say that the table had been built specifically to fit the map.
He wasn’t alone, though he wished otherwise. The silhouettes of at least a dozen other Royalist leaders surrounded the table in his company, half-illuminated by gaslight. Heads watched the leader of the Royalists expectantly, some with indifference, some with thinly-veiled contempt.
He sighed with fatigue, glaring across the table at a crooked-horned inselni.
“So, allow me to get this straight- I come back from the Pelven cell to find that a messenger of all people has not only made a mistake of stumbling into a nation nowhere close to their travel route, but in fact, made a deal with said state without approval nor sanction by me? You bypassed the entire chain of command to holster our collective honor in the seat of a faraway office?”
“And brought here valuable, desperately needed equipment and officers,” a Crown General nearby interjected. “Without his decisive action, we would’ve lost multiple bases to attacks by the Greatferns and Terriorials. The only reason we held several vital points- the Yavno Caverns where the little industry we have is housed, for example- is solely because of new equipment and training that drove off Territorial assault-”
“-In exchange for what, a steel cord wrapped around our legs to be bound by and a suicidal motivation to our troops to fight the Terriotorials? Hikva specifically mentioned that he promised dedication to a government that would join the COG, which as far as I understand, is just a way to puppet us to foreign domination. If you light a field on fire to deny food to the levy of the taxman, you’ll still starve in the winter. We could’ve gotten guns still if he’d just told the fucking provisional government in Horizon instead of bouncing back home with a damn boatload of guns and contract for the century!”
Another officer rose in the back, point accusatorily at the Generalissimo, “I’m surprised you’re not congratulating him- how old is your wisdom, Haprin? Does this look like a situation where we can get away without having to pay a price? No one of our own people will join us because half of us are still fucking sworn to the old nobles that good Akel the Elder, heavens bless both her wise hearts, annulled in ’37! Don’t you think it’s time we left behind the past? We’ve lasted this long- if there’s anything that experience has taught, it’s that time doesn’t wait to throw us into the dirt if we stick to old traditions.”
The room burst into retorts and furious accusations traded as Kalpes exploded with a reply that was smothered by the voices of the others in the room taking sides. Some were on the verge of blows, Hikva himself being held at the collar by another officer.
“ENOUGH, SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!”
A grey-streaked Inselni had smoke literally firing out of his nostrils as he snorted in rage, glaring at the others until they sat down. Her claws dug into the table through the map, scarping as she let go, ;ooking about the room and straightening against the table.
“Unbelievable.” she muttered. “Most of you here are veteran officers- many of you are exceeding three, some four centuries. All of you high-ranked military officers. None of you have any excuse to act like children. Your ancestors are weeping at this sorry sight of a war council.”
Kalpes opened his mouth but held as she glared him back down in his seat.
“We cannot undo what is already done. The Greatferns press us with news that they seek Elerian assistance and TAKPOE with the arrival of Kumo reinforcements. We will make do with what we have. I am taking executive decision as Minister of War, Her Majesty Akel the Elder’s senior Crested of Blades. Draft a telegram to our sibling in Elenria Horizon- We may be estranged from the pains of what happened during the evacuations, but they are our closest allies. Go to them and ask to bring what forces they can find and muster them to our cause. Mercenaries are not my first option for war, but… we cannot afford to be luxurious in our decisions anymore. As much as I hate to admit it, we need to adapt by breaking tradition, if we are to survive. Honor demands our service to Elenria, so service we’ll give- no matter the cost.”