Who needs sleep anyway? (Sosa&Valsert 24th GT)

[Guest]

Cyren looked to the commander and then to Valsert. Valsert's casualness totally caught cyren off guard. She wasn't sure as to how to approach but not wanting to stand in the doorway she entered. She hadn't had the formal training of a guard and wasn't sure if she should be saluting and remaining at attention or sitting in one of the chairs that Valsert offered her. Feeling that this was a situation that wasn't of the norm she moved to a chair and waited for the commander to seat herself first.

"It is wonderful to see that you made it back to give your report Valsert. Or should I say Sergeant Forell. I am very sorry if I am breaking rules with my manner but I was thrus.....uhh.. am new at this and I mean no disrespect towards you commander or you Sergeant."

"Let's see you want a report of the events that followed your own right? Right, ok...let me see if I can put them in the right words."

Cyren tried to put the events in her mind together in human but found it difficult so she looked to the commander and started to tell her in their language. While the events spewed from her like a fast moving river a small man started to examine her wounds and tend to them.

Upon finishing Cyren felt unbelievably lighter and things seemed clearer in her mind now that she relived it again. There was one part though that seemed to remain heavy and this was her loss of Ulder. This would take more than a report to lift the weight of his loss and having left his remains as she did.

[Grant]

The silence in the air stretched out. No one seemed willing to speak, but Hector didn't notice. His mind was occupied, busy with the perplexing task of understand just how such a feat could be accomplished...and how best it could be countered. He was no fool at politics, and in the almost unbearable silence following Cyren's report, he had already considered and dismissed several dozen plans before he decided on one and only one sure response.

But that wasn't what took Hector Anzilo the most time. He had his response in mind at once, but he didn't want to deliver it too bluntly. To speak poorly of the deceased Captain would have been shockingly bad form, and to do so before his Commander and two of his soldiers would have demoralized them all. The truth of the matter was that they had been trapped, and now that the trap was closed there was no way out. The Purple Guard would be held fully accountable for inciting a riot or possibly worse...for insurrection or rebellion, if the prosecution were very crafty. Hector wanted the Captain here, so he could express his extreme displeasure at such a tactic...no doubt Silk had awaited just such a moment to crush Sosa and her precious command...but that didn't help, and that certainly wouldn't salvage the situation. Or turn it to advantage, thought Hector, clearly finished with his evaluation and suddenly thirsty.

Sipping at the wine, he glanced over at the two soldiers and then back at Sosa. "You're ruined. There will be charges levelled against the Purple Guard tomorrow, and in that hearing, you'll be given the choice to either submit to the Tribunal's law or perhaps disband the Purple Guard or perhaps sacrifice your own life..." this to Sosa "...to protect the organization. Blaming the City Guard won't get you anywhere. In fact, it'll only make you look bad in front of the Lord Advocate. Of Course the City Guard were there...they would have been in great trouble if they were not...and of course they couldn't stop the rioters. They live in the fucking Outer Ring! The City Guard are as much a part of the same people that rose up in arms as the rioters themselves. Hell, they should be KISSED for bothering to file out in the first place!"

Hector drained his glass and placed it on the desk beside him before he continued. "And the charges will stick, too. Oh, you can fight them..." his words were delivered to all three guardsmen "...but you'll fail, and the Advocacy will rule against you. And then they'll come to me and possibly the Major Domos, ending the Purple Guard. And Lord Azarin and I will be forced to support the Lord Advocate's position or the Advisory Council of the Empire will be in a state of outrage. We are not above the law...not even when the Caesar is alive."

"So at tomorrow's trial, you will lay down. Whoever levels these charges against you will be more than equipped to see that they stick, and instead of being under fire and under public scrutiny, I advise you disband. At least publicly." Hector turned to consider Valsert closely then. "...but that's only publicly. There are a hundred ways to combat the Tyrant...and legally is simply not the best way to do it. No, after the preliminary, you must gather up everything you can from these barracks. Grab every weapon, every suit of armor, every document, every spare tabard, grab up everything...and move it out of the Citadel and into hiding."

Hector waved negligently with his hand. "You're not going to beat him this time, Sosa. But you can rob him of what he hopes to gain and make his victory a hollow one. Retire the purple, but keep in contact with your people and move them to where they can't be so easily seen...or attacked. The only weakness the Purple Guard had was that they all wore Purple, so they were easy to spot. If they don't wear Purple anymore...well...they won't be so easy to spot..."

[valsert]

“And where would we go Sir? The people have already shown that they would rather kill us then see us exist. Once they know of the disbandment, the gangs will be looking for a chance to divide us and remove our souls from our bodies! Yet if we leave the city, then the next Caesar will be unable to call upon us…and thus loose a weapon who’s design is his very safety.

There is nowhere on this island that can offer a haven to keep the documents and people safe from the corruption that has caused this ruin. Oracle Isl. Can not support so many, although the Priests would surely try to help those who walk in the light.

And what of the coming war? Rumors abound, speaking of such… The City guard, as we have seen, is not prepared for it, nor is Adolin’s idea for our replacement ready for any action. No matter where it is that is best…I do not believe the Purple Guard has enough ships to passage 906 Guards and the mounts and equipment.

I do not discount your words Sir, but an army without a home? We might as well go battle the Onests on Pan’s Island….shall we liberate that land in the name of Illuminatus?”

[Grant]

"Don't think so small," responded Hector at once. "After tomorrow, you won't be an army without a home...there won't be an army anymore. The quicker you realize that, the better. And that fate is exactly what your enemy wants. He'll want you depressed, despondent, and most likely gone from the island. And maybe some of the Purple Guardsmen will leave...maybe even to Pan's Isle..." Hector almost smiled. It was ideal, of course...the Purple Guard disbanded to fade away...at least as far as the Empire believed.

"Sergeant, what you need to focus on now is making them believe that your opponent has won. SHOW him the Purple Guard are no more...retire the colors, surrender the tabards...but do NOT go far. Hide what supplies can be gathered in..." Hector paused for a moment. Casting a quick, lopsided grin towards Sosa, he continued. "Hide what supplies you can gather in the Imperal Trade Guild compound. The Baron Marcada is a loyal supporter of Duke Erwin, and he can be trusted. Inform all the outgoing Purple Guard to check in with the Guild frequently for news and information. That way, the guardsmen will still be in contact long after the Guard has been disbanded. Now you'll all just have to trust your own methods to live in the city without the guard. I don't think you'll have any trouble. The gangsters in the Outer Ring only responded to Purple. They never cared or recognized anyone wearing it."

"Now can you handle that?" asked the Chancellor evenly, his look darting around to include Sosa, Valsert, and Cyren. "I have no doubt many of the Purples will leave the island...but if enough of them stay, then they'll be in far better shape to help strike back at our opponent if they're not so visible. As for the Whites that will replace the Purples in the Citadel, I wouldn't be too worried about them. Frankly, there's nothing in the Citadel to protect anymore."

[Sosa]

Cyrens report left Sosa speechless, hopeless and helpless. Ulder was dead...so many killed...the fate of the Purple Guard sealed.

She hung her head and bit her lip, determined not to cry in public.

Then of course, Hector was right, she was a relic, a fossil, something not adapted for modern times. The Purple Guard had played its role, and now they were useless, the word tasted bitter, but it was true..

"He is right, of course" she said, praying her voice would not break. "We need to take our loss and salvage what is left. And let's face it: There is no Caesar anymore, so we have nothing left to do"

Then she looked at the true heroes of the Guard, and remembered their ordeals.
Let not one of them have died for nothing, let their names shine and let their deeds be remembered with pride

"But we will go down with pride, and with honesty and with everything the Purple Guard stands for."
She looked at Hector, her chin up, her skin pale, but a defiant fire in her eyes.

"We need someone to take the blame? Someone to buy us time? I will take full responsibility for everything, as long as it will save the Guards from being blamed. Let them have their scapegoat!
I am useless here, the only thing left to do for me is buy them time."

She laughed, bitter, icecold a laugh which would haunt their nightmares

"And, as they will state: as Commander, I am responsible for everything done by every guardsman. It is the least and last thing I can do"

She grabbed her wine, gulped it down and threw the glass to the floor.
The she stood, lost for words, or action....lost....

[Grant]

Hector almost reached out for her. That would have been...hahaha!...that would have been sheer madness, a show of support that she might have needed but would undoubtedly have scorned outright. She was a very proud woman, and no doubt Silk knew precisely what he was doing by striking her here. There wasn't a lot he could do to make the pain more bearable, but he could at least give her the end she wanted.

"If the guard must be disbanded, then we'll do it properly, Commander," offered Hector at last. "Samheen 26th, at the start of Tradetide. I'll drag everyone out of their Embassies and offices to line up and watch the assembly. And we'll pay attention to them. Some of them will weep...some will not..." Hector glanced over at Valsert and Cyren, his hand finding it's way to Sosa's shoulder anyway, a perfectly thoughtless gesture from a man that was often considered to be completely without a heart of any kind "...pay attention to which ones. It'll help me immensely. It's the responsibility of the Major Domos to arrange the garrison of the Citadel, and most likely he'll be the one running the ceremony...but it'll be my task to arrange the participants. And remember, all of you..." Hector's dark eyes flashed with steel. "Just because you don't have a tabard anymore doesn't mean the fight is over. Keep the guards in communication...set up some kind of central location...and we'll see what can be done later."

This might even work out better, thought Hector, chewing absently upon his lip. Their numbers will become unknown, their actions unseen, and they might just open a few doors like this. I'll have to see what I can arrange... "I'll send word to Furst Erwin immediately, and he'll be sure the Imperial Trade Guild is equipped to hide whatever you take there, Sergeant, Private. I also advise you find more mundane lodgings in the city...and also keep no records. Nothing written save a pay log...and I will try to arrange funds diverted to the Guild for dispense to the...ah...unnamed organization that I'll fabricate to cover your expense."

[valsert]

Scores of thoughts and ideas passed thru Valserts mind as Sosa and Hector spoke. The schemes and plans emerged at once, most quickly discarded as the blocks of truth and reality tore at the peaces of strategy…breaking them into pieces to fit into the firm foundation of a plan. Other pieces discarded as quickly as they surfaced. Man power, finances, locations and actions were tweaked in his subconscious to erect the structure to which the rest of the ideas would be anchored. All plans for becoming the most powerful gang the city had ever seen…..A gang for justice, for the light….A gang whose by design will rekindle the spirit of Illuminatus in the city.

One other plan remained fixed in his head, refusing to be discarded despite its numerous flaws. If only he could convince the commander to focus all blame upon himself in place of her.

Val almost spoke of this plan aloud. Almost demanded his commander to make it work, beg her to strike him down in public for insurrection. Yet the truth of her words and voice silenced his own.

Staring down at the broken glass upon the floor, with its thousand pieces scattered from its original form….yet still it is of the same material. Clusters of shards lay grouped together here and there, providing him with the last blocks of his plans and finally removing the idea of replacing the commander as scape goat.

“There are between 900 and 1000 Purple Guardsmen currently upon our known roster. Few of these warriors will accept this disgrace without a fight. Yet our numbers must be scattered.

Units of 50 could be readily located in a given area….ready to unite and act. Our Diplomatic units should move to infiltrate what prospects possible, each embassy and council.

The Battalion of information will become our runners and informants. Keeping each of our units up to date.

There is one issue, which is causing me to question our abilities however.”

Val paused to pick up the assassins dagger once more.

“Commander, how many Guards are in battalion X?”

[Grant]

Another knock at the door interrupted Valsert's question. Already the Sergeant's arms were feeling much, much better, as was his battered form...a lingering result of Sosa's benediction. He was perfectly aware when the new knock came at the door, a knock that held in it a sense of urgency and alarm.

THOCK THOCK THOCK THOCK!

Hector was not prepared for the sudden sound, instantly launched from his silent reverie with the sudden intrusion of sound that overcame them. From beyond the door, the sound of a private trainee...the traditional firewatch patrol for the later marks of the day...could be heard calling out. "Commander! Sergeant! An Imperial summons has arrived..." declared the young voice, clearly excited and surprised.

[Sosa]

"Well, I wonder what that will be!" Sosa said with a sarcastic grin.

She scanned the room quickly, motioned to Valsert to hide the dagger and called "Enter!"

As the guard entered the room, she calmly answered Valsert's question.
"That is a very good question sergeant, we will have to look into this as soon as possible"

[valsert]

Valsert tucked the dagger safely in his belt where he had first produced it, and sat back at ease as they waited for the private to enter with the summons they all knew was coming.

He knew it was not his place to question his commander’s knowledge and tactics…except perhaps in battle. Then again they were in a war of sorts, one of words instead of swords, but likely with the same deadly results.

“Perhaps, my Commander, ‘soon as possible’ could be tonight rather then waiting?”

Without missing a beat, Val turned his head to lock eyes with the Trainee.

“What news is so urgent for you to interrupt the commander’s obvious perfect night of rest private? Stand at attention soldier, and give your report.”

It was not fair to the young trainee as harsh as he did, he was after all only following orders, but he was a sergeant now and commands were expected. He could remember vividly the training, the harsh words of superiors criticizing every action he made. That was what brought respect from the newer recruits…it was what built them into what he himself was now. And if all went well tomorrow, he hoped this recruit would find him self wearing purple and looking back at the memories of his training.

[Grant]

The private trainee couldn't have been more than fifteen yahren, still at least a yahren away from even his private's commission...but like so many of the trainees, he had been accepted based on his morality and his intelligence, a young man chosen because he had the tact to know what must be said and the sense to know when he should say nothing at all. "An order from the Major Domos. The Citadel Fortress is being evacuated, Commander, Sergeant..." the trainee saluted all four, clearly not expecting Cyren or Hector to be present. "The evacuation includes the Purple Guard. Something is...loose in the Citadel, and the Lord of the Fortress has ordered one squad of Purple Guard to assist the Imperial Thaumaturgist to track the creature. He has requested Private Valsert specifically..." the trainee had not yet heard that Valsert had been promoted.

"There's...more, Commander," murmured the trainee, his glance shifting from Sosa to Valsert to Cyren and then back to Sosa. "The...gates are being watched by the Whites...the Major Domos' new guard unit..."

[Sosa]

Unmoved, as was expected of her, she nodded calmly to the kid.
"Thank you, trainee. you are excused, orders will follow shortly. until I issue them, nobody is to leave the barracks. Is that clear? "

When the trainee left, she turned to Hector.
Unfortunately, he was the only one with answers at the moment. she hated to have to depend on the gruffy old men, though she was sure deep inside (very deep) he did have his good points.
"So, they have already moved? What is this about. Why do they need Valsert? Is this a trap?"

[valsert]

Forgive me for my interruption Hector, Commander. Perhaps some details will provide motive. I have only spoken to this Andolin fellow once. He and Silk demanded me to abandon my post while investigating the death of the former Major Domo. Other then this, I have had little contact with him…none of any remembrance.”

Val began to grin slightly as he recanted the tale. Leaving many of the details out, he continued to speak of the encounter and the bad impression it surly left.

“However, it is not my personal feelings which lead me to question this ‘Order’ of Andolin. As far as I have been instructed, the Major Domo holds no command over the Purple Guard unless a squad is working within his jurisdiction. He has his own force to call upon to track whatever evil he has allowed into ‘his’ fortress. If they are ready to guard the gates, then they should be ready to do the rest of his work.

It seems to me that in this hour, we see not only the end of the Purple Guard, but also we see others demanding out help. Frankly it is not our problem to remove his, and I would rather not see any corpses in Purple tabards on the night before we are disbanded. Let him deal with his problem with the tools he will be forced to use tomorrow and forever.

Val thought for a flicker before continuing.

“I also believe that we should ignore his orders to evacuate. If Andolin’s ‘problem’ does find its way from the fortress, we should be prepared to stop it from leaving the grounds and entering the city. If ever a time exists to rally the full force of our numbers, I suppose this would be it Ma’am”

Valsert knew that this evacuation could provide the guard a chance to relocate its stores and equipment. Yet leaving the city under the protection of the white seemed a bad choice. He held little hope that the new imperial guard could fight off a angry stick much less what ever produced such orders they had heard.

“Ma’am? What sort of ‘beast’ could instill such fear to order the entire grounds emptied and how could it have gotten into the place unnoticed?”

[Grant]

"Oh, it's a trap, Commander. And the Sergeant has just told us why," Hector turned his eyes on Valsert. "It might have been wiser to keep your head down instead of making yourself noticed, but...I never was good at that myself, so it's no bother to me. Still, ignoring an order from the Major Domos is only adding fuel to the fire. The goal is to come off being the victim, not to be spiteful. The Secretary hasn't won any friends by putting the Purple Guard in such a position, so don't aide his cause by being anything but selfless now, when it matters most."

Hector rose up, placing his empty glass on the desk. "And this is the part of the conversation where I think I'm not entirely needed, Commander, Sergeant. I do indeed suggest you evacuate the Palace, and use the evacuation as a fine medium to begin gathering equipment to the Imperial Trade Guild warehouse. That way you can move with some...anonymity, and you can do so under the Major Domos' orders. And Sergeant...try not to be overly bitter or reproachful when you go to the Palace, if indeed you will. Remember that you want the city to see you defeated, not defiant. This is not the time to be petty or contrary, as that won't save the Guard anymore than it'll stop the coming charges against them. Instead, do your jobs...follow orders...and walk quietly into history. If you do it well enough, then your enemy won't notice when history...catches up to him."

Hector moved to the door, casting a glance back at Sosa. He seemed as if he wanted to say more...wanted to offer perhaps more guidance...but with a glance to Valsert, he remained quiet and instead slipped clear of the chamber, returning to his own to sleep for perhaps only one night in the barracks. Indeed, that would be Hector's policy. Play nice, watch them work, and when they were growing comfortable...then they could pull the rug out from under the Secretary's feet. And this...Major Domos...he would have to be managed as well. But that would have to wait for another day.

[Sosa]

Sosa returned Hectors stare. Oh, well, she knew where to find him when they returned helping to clean out the Citadel.

She motioned to Valsert and Cyren to stay put, and opened the door:
"Two privates, report here immediately!" she yelled, with a voice surprisingly strong for such a small woman.

She was all business now, all pain and anger not forgotten, but safely put away for later use. First they had a job to do.

As the privates arrived, she ordered them to start moving all goods, except the uniforms, to the Dort embassy. She scribbled a short note, to be delivered to Erwins secretary.


Then she turned to Cyren and Valsert.
"So, we know this is a trap, and I will sure not much good will come from this night.
By tomorrow, the Purple Guard will be no longer, so I am not going to give anyone any orders any more. I myself have no mind to do much in the Citadel. We are doomed already, so what worse can it do if we just leave.
But maybe there are innocents who need to be helped, and we can help evacuate quickly, and then leave, let them do the tracking... What do you say?"



She was fed up with being a hero, and helping the innocent, and go off chasing monsters. Suddenly she was very tired, and just.... had enough.

When will it stop? when will I have done enough? I do not need thanks, or gratitude. All I need now is peace.
I must be getting old. I AM getting old. I have done my share. Now I want some peace and quiet and..let's face it, someone to share it with.

Then she sighed, and reached for her sword. Another monster on its way...

[Grant]

Stomping away, Hector heard Sosa call out for additional soldiers before he slipped into his own room nearby, his mind clouded and broken up by his failure. He had failed her....he had failed to protect her from the one strike against which she had no defense. Tomorrow she would be crucified, and her Purple Guards would be ruined with her. Fuck them! Fuck them all... he thought, pushing his door closed and turning to consider his chamber...his recently rearranged chamber...with dismay and impotent rage. He wanted to throw things...he wanted to strike out...he wanted to fight back. But there was nothing...nothing in his hands, nothing he could do.

And what was worse, he wanted to help her. She took to his safety personally, and she came to him to build a little hope for the future. Oh, they had yelled...or at least he had yelled at her...and she was so very patient and temperamental with him. No running...no rage...just cool. She had poise and guts, even in the face of his random screaming. Hahahaha! And I yelled at her...perhaps too much. Why did I do that? he pondered, staring at his closed door for a flicker. I don't yell at Erwin that much. And I never yelled at Anochrim so much, either. And now she'll be without position, without place...

Wait a moment. I have a promise from her...

Reaching out towards his door quickly, Hector moved to return to Sosa's chamber....but then he stopped. It won't do. She's Commanding now...I'll have to speak to her later, he thought, unwilling to appear...human in front of the Purple Guard. After all, no one else considered Hector Anzilo human...and that suited the Lord Chancellor of the Empire just fine.

Until now.<hr>Two privates were swift to respond to Sosa's call, slipping in discreetly and joining them in the room. The Private trainee withdrew, his message delivered, but he loitered in the hall in case he might be needed.

[Sosa]

Waiting for Cyren and Valsert to make up their mind, Sosa scanned the room.

She had spent some happy and interesting moments here. And by tomorrow, it would all be gone, some way or another.
She did not like changes, mabe it was her Adhiel heritage, or just a quirk, it did not matter, change had caught up quickly and there was nothing to be done about it.

She took a large sack, and started to fill it with a few personal items she wanted to take with her, souvenirs from her travels, memories to her few real friends and a neat stack of paper.

Then she put on her armour once again. She picked up Justice and run her thumb along its edge, just a habit, it was always sharp and well cared for.

Walking to the door, she turned to Cyren and Valsert. "I will be ready to leave in a short while, in case you want to come. If not, they will just have to do with me, I am sure they will be quite happy with the catch..."


Then she walked over to Hectors room and knocked. She felt sorry: she had promised to protect the Chancellor, but instead she needed his help, and in the end, they would probably both end up dead.
Without waiting for an answer, she opened the door: no time for pleasantries.

Silently she held out the bag to him.
"I am so sorry, about everything... And I need one more favour of you. Could you keep this? there are a few personal items in there, and all my administration. Maybe there is something you can use.
all the other stuff you can just give to Erwin, he knows what to do with it."

She shrugged, calm and composed, though still pale. "I am probably not coming back, you know. They will never let me go. But I cannot let anyone go into this mess if I am not ready to go myself"

[valsert]

Valsert stood as Sosa spoke again to them. Then bowed with elegance and respect to mirror his feelings of trust and loyalty to the commander.

"Ma'am, I am now and alwase your loyal soldier...lead me to victory or loss, no matter the outcome, the Spirit of the Purple Guard will live past this day."

He hoped his words were clear so that the commander would understand his acceptance to her directions even beyond the gates of the city, and that he would followe her to the lions den the next day.

[Grant]

It took some time for Sosa to apply her armor, a few flickers with Valsert and the two privates, Valsert expressing his support while the two privates exchanged questioning glances...they weren't entirely certain what was afoot...but they appeared to prepare themselves for the worst anyway. Stepping away from them, Sosa moved down the hall to the second door near her own, a door that would lead in to Hector Anzilo's chamber. Knocking upon it first, she strode in purposefully, catching Hector largely naked and writing a letter of his own.

He was seated at his recently-moved desk, a hastily-carved quill in his deft, swift hand and his spare, short form bare to the waist. His bones could be readily seen beneath his pale skin, and his spare, sheer muscles could be seen working beneath, muscles that were at once healthy and swift but certainly not overlarge or powerful. He hadn't had the time to respond to her knock...he didn't have much time as it was...he turned his head to one side to gaze back at her, for the little desk faced away from the door, and she saw his little, round spectacles perched upon the end of his nose, spectacles that only gave him a more hawkish, predatory appearance.

He hadn't written anything on his page just yet when she entered. He rose up quickly and met her, taking her bag with soundless acceptance and never once moving to examine it's contents. "So you're going? I wish you wouldn't, but I understand. You have to go. And with any luck, maybe they'll choke on their catch?" he offered, his voice hollow and his words terse.

"Now let me tell you this. You need to do this...I understand that...but you did promise me your help...or more specifically, your protection. That was the same moment I promised to deliver Silk to you for justice. So you've got to survive and come back, Sosa, or you'll break your vow to me. Now you were good enough to give me a place to hide and be safe tonight. Maybe I can do the same for us tomorrow night? I have a lot of very close, trustworthy contacts, Sosa, and I'll use them now that we need them most. I can't do this without you, and whether you wear a tabard or not, I need you to stop him."

[Sosa]

Sosa nodded at Valsert, grateful and understanding.
Although a normal person would take any excuse to flee the Citadel with a monster on the loose, it came natural to the little Adhiel to go and face the danger, it was their job. And as long as Valsert was well aware of the risks he took, she was happy to have him at her side while facing a demon.


In Hectors room she listened quietly, a bit embarrassed at her intrusion, though half-naked men were not a rare sight in the training grounds.
His words reassured her, it felt good he understood, and it felt even better to be needed. Maybe she was used to being needed, maybe it made her think less of her own needs, but it felt good...

She grinned at Hector.
"I am sorry, I have to go, I could never let Valsert go on his own. And I am sorry to leave you, in spite of my promise"
And she was sorry, the conflicting loyalties pulling on her, the promise she made to Hector, and the ones she made to the Guards, her God, the people of the Citadel.
"You are safe here tonight, if only tonight. My soldiers can and will protect you here.
By tomorrow I hope to be back, and I will do anything I can to keep you and the empire safe! I have some unfinished business here with master Silk too and I will keep you to your promise: I probably need a safehouse.."

She grinned "And as you said: I am probably too stiff to eat, who would want to chew on an old, scarred warrior?"


She turned, loosening her sword in the scabbard on her back, flexing her shoulders, ready for yet another battle.

[Grant]

And then she was turning to leave, probably to die. Hector didn't trust his luck, and by virtue of his experience, he had no reason to believe in good fortune anyway. His was a world of calculated risks and careful tactics, of weighing his options carefully and committing only when and where he knew he could win. Many considered Hector Anzilo to be a rather dangerous gambler when it came to the fate of the Empire, but in truth Hector never considered his decisions to be gambles at all. Risks. Tactical decisions. Choosing the least among evils.

But he wasn't too pleased to see Sosa returning to the Citadel. She had to do it...all the Purple Guard would be expected to do it...and they would battle whatever creature haunted it and most likely defeat it after astonishing casualty and loss. It was logical and it was sensible...and yet it tore at his breast like a knife. If she dies, I'll blame myself. And then I'll give up and to hell with Erwin and his damned Empire.

Just as he would have in her own chambers, Hector reached out for Sosa then, thoughtlessly placing a hand upon her shoulder before she had quit his chamber. Even as his hand rested upon the stern plates of her armor, he knew precisely why this particular Tactical Decision was hurting him. And yet now that he had called her attention to him, he had no idea how to express his regard. Tell her you care for her. Tell her you can't go on without her. Tell her ANYTHING.

"I...you...if you...ah..." Hector licked his lips. Nice try. "Ah...come back to me, Sosa. I'll set things up for you...and your soldiers...but you need to stay alive. I need you." That'll have to do. Dammit, dammit, dammit...<hr>The faces of the two privates with Valsert said it all. They were ready for anything...they believed they were ready for anything...and yet the rumor in the air spoke of something horrible just within the Palace. Something horrifying, as if hell itself had spat up one of it's own to do battle with the remaining Purple Guardsmen. It had not been a good day to wear the purple tabard, and while they had accepted the challenge willingly, they could not deny the bitter sting of fear that crept over them. Something was coming...something was about to happen...and they would be in the middle of it.

They were about to go into the Palace...even while everyone else was evacuated out of it.

It seemed this day was not over yet. Not by a long chalk.<hr>
(OOC: Those mustering to enter the Citadel and confront...It...may join this thread and do that hero-type thing! Good luck!)

[valsert]

Valsert looked at the faces of the privets. This day had been more work for them then any training they may have endured...that was a sure fact. That fact made his next orders all the more importaint, atleast for his own spirit.

"You two. Report to Sargent Piper and brief him on the situation. I want the entire Purple Guard roused and ready for the evacuation."

These men had seen enuf for the day... Let them stay clear of this fight...

"Commander" Val said as Sosa made her way back towards them. "I am ready when you are Ma'am"

[Sosa]

OOC: let's go and kill some demon !

[Grant]

~Fin! I think we're all set here! See you both in the new thread...it's here, in case you need...and you MAY join it regardless of it's timestamp.

Good luck, heros!

-G

[Grey Wolf]

Skilled by a reluctant recruit.