2022-07-14: Bereft of web
- Log: Bereft of web
- Cast: Sophia Mayhew Castellan, Yuliana Dispersal
- Where: REA Military Base, Khanka
- Date: 2022-07-14
- Summary: Sophia goes to address the rot in Khanka. Yuliana is expecting her. What she doesn't expect is to be placed between a rock and a hard place, as Sophia threatens to endanger both the REA's interests and those of Celestial Being. Sophia gets a surprise of her own, considering the void of Yuliana.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Some time ago, Sophia and Mitsuba Greyvalley had a brief discussion on what to do about the state of the world, where G-Hound's profound authorities might best be put to use. They had...an idea.
Relatedly, Captain Sophia Mayhew Castellan of the G-Hound ship Hyperion has arrived in the offices of a certain base toward the coast of Khanka, flanked by a conspicuous number of her own crew. Sophia has very generously peacebonded, but not discarded, the custom rifle she wears slung across her back, under her black captain's coat; a tradition of Britannia, apparently.
A meeting has followed with the base commander, in his office. The tale end of that meeting is now occurring:
"I expect your full cooperation, Commander," the cold-blooded redhead says. "G-Hound is quite concerned about these." You can practically hear the way her eyes narrow. "Indiscretions."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
Postings in Khanka say something about where one's career is headed -- or, rather, not headed -- but they're competitive, all the same, because the bribes which pass hands in this region outstrip the earning potential of much of the REA. In this place, more than most others, the commonalities between the REA's ranks and the criminal underworld are exposed: there's territory, here, and certain expectations about who gets what consideration.
Captain Yuliana Dispersal, of course, has a shining career ahead of her, and as such is not posted in Khanka. (Her personal posting is Sri Lankan, a position which has much to do with putting internal pressure on the nominally Democratic government of the island.) She enjoys popping in, of course -- it's a wonderful area, a good place to make friends.
Today, though, she's been directed to visit, on account of... another visitor.
Yuliana leans against the wall, and with obscured movements, as if she's just brushing her hand back, presses a little bell against it -- a bell leading up to an earpiece all obscured by the bangs swept over one side of her face. It's rather an old-school listening device, but her lieutenant, Parminder Chaudhri, is capable of telling her about all sorts of fun little toys like this. He was an intelligence agent before they scooped him up for the Nega Force, after all.
A shade tinnily, through the wall: "Of course, Captain. I won't stand for any impropriety under my watch. Do tell us if there's anything we can do for you. Will there be anything else?"
Yuliana cracks a smirk with a hint of too many teeth, hearing Commander Park say something so ludicrous. Most of the ranking officers of the REA are aware of just how many improprieties he personally oversees -- even if, of course, it's all strictly off the record.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
How much of this is a setup? Castellan is a relatively fresh commander. Maybe she's just kicking bushes, hoping to find lizards to crush for her fledgling career. But, they say she's a very perceptive--
No matter. Those cold eyes scan across Commander Park briefly, and then nod. "That is all, Commander. I do appreciate your time." ...no smile whatsoever.
And then Sophia turns and leads her small entourage out the door. She's accompanied by a dark skinned woman, broader than the captain with muscle; and a Britannian man, pale and blond. The two are clearly keeping their eyes on the surroundings. Just in case something 'unfortunate' is preparing to happen.
The man's eyes scan across Yuliana, and hold for a long few moments. He doesn't seem to have spotted the listening device, at least.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
He wouldn't have.
When Sophia adjourns the conversation, Yuliana's long fingers fold upwards, to tuck the bell of the device into the inner hem of her sleeve. The wire travels up underneath her plains-clothes dark suit, rather than being exposed to the air; when Yuliana lifts a hand to coincidentally brush her bangs from her face, she looses the earpiece from her ear, and lets it fall into the inner folds of the shawl wrapped generously over her shoulders.
Today's shawl is a colourful pink and lilac affair, counterpointing the business of her pressed clothes. It hides many secrets, of course -- foremost, her neck.
As far as anyone can see, she was just leaning against the wall, waiting for them to be done.
Very... very innocent.
Yuliana, too, is dark and muscular -- though she's biracial, so her skin isn't quite as dark as her father's. (He's part of the armed forces, too. ... you wouldn't find him by looking for another Dispersal.) Perhaps that's why she's a green-eyed monster, meeting that Britannian man's eyes, with a sly, too-casual smile.
"Ah...!" Yuliana exclaims, pushing off the wall, with movements too fluid for the military. "Kapten Castellan, I presume," she looks past that man, to the woman he's accompanying. "What a pleasure!" To Sophia, she smiles, entirely gracious. "Captain Yuliana Dispersal," she introduces herself, hand to her heart, before she extends it out to shake hers. (She extends her right hand; the wire is concealed in the sleeve of her left. This is not a coincidence.) "You've come a long way, no? I hope you'll accept my assistance."
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Most innocent indeed.
The three of them attend to Yuliana immediately as she makes her presence known. Sophia glances to each of her associates, seeking a nod, before extending her hand to Yuliana. If nothing else they are all acutely aware of how dangerous it is to be here. She accepts that handshake, though her own face remains frosty. That's just who she is, perhaps. "Captain Sophia Mayhew Castellan. G-Hound," because even being in G-Hound is a mark of distinction, of course. "These are my associates, Lieutenants Desmond Siege and Major Almace Laurent."
That's apparently the man in the woman, in that order. They tip their heads.
"It sounds like you have, as well, Captain," Sophia says, when she is presumably not vaporized by the handshake.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
Yuliana is warm enough for the both of them. Her hand is warm, just the same -- and while her handshake is firm, it's hardly threatening. "G-Hound -- of course," she nods, to the Major and the Lieutenant in turn, as she straightens up. "Delightful!"
A word is a word; with her smiling, casual manner, it's difficult to say this one weighs any more than any other. That her enthusiasm matches step with a certain witch is certainly a coincidence.
Certainly.
"My, my, you have a sharp ear," she compliments Sophia, in turn. "In any case, you're correct -- I'm an REA officer, but I'm not stationed here." She graciously volunteers information about herself; a gesture of trust, openness, willingness to cooperate. That the information she gives them can be accessed with relative ease within the Federation is surely coincidental. (It isn't.)
"But if the rest of the Federation has come here, there must be a good reason, mm? Walk with me," she invites them, with a casual gesture, as she leads them away from the commander's office on a casual stroll through the facility. Mostly offices, around here -- a good few empty, given the people involved are out taking care of business. Or... 'business'.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Sophia isn't quite sharp enough to spot such connections as that. ...immediately.
"A habit from the battlefield," Sophia says, casually. "It pays well, to get all the information one can."
The group has for the moment stopped to interact. The Major is apparently mostly here to be muscle and discourage anyone who might have ideas of 'accidentally' driving a forklift at them. Desmond observes with the keen eyes of someone who gathers information for a living. And Sophia stands at the center, with a silent charismatic gravity that binds them. She says, "Indeed so," and nods her companions to come with her and with Yuliana. There's a curiosity to her, a different kind of searching than Desmond's analytical look. Like she's not sure what she's looking for yet, but knows she'll see it the second it's there.
Desmond, offhandedly, continuing from Sophia's thought, muses, "In this age of Minovsky warfare, a key principal is that one must rely chiefly on their own senses. Sensors, drones...these things may be deceived."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
"Information is so important," Yuliana agrees, too lightly.
As if she didn't come here having already played the first two rounds of the game.
She recognises the roles of frightener and spycraft immediately -- her team has its own dynamics, of course, though they're somewhat different than this. (Yuliana does her own intimidation.) She recognises the curiosity of a young Captain, too, and does suppose Sophia is eager to prove herself.
And Minovsky's Woman, a psychic black hole, smiles to Desmond. "Oh, I agree," she says, still light. "One must always rely on their eyes and their ears. When a matter is important, reports from afar simply won't do."
She pauses, lightly, by one of those empty offices. "So," she says, with a sly smile, "what pressing matter must you confirm with your own eyes today, mm? Perhaps I can help," she offers, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
But which game? Whose board will they be playing on, at the end?
Sophia has already marked Yuliana as a person she can't take as a friend in confidence - nobody on this base is. Anyone who did want to rat out the commander would, one, probably be someone Sophia would hate just as much; and two, wouldn't do it within seconds of leaving the commander's office.
So, the question, then, is what is actually happening? Sophia releases a single breath of a chuckle, as Yuliana presses.
But she can't answer, of course, that what she has come to see is something that only her own eyes can.
"Reactions," Sophia says, brazenly giving away her intent. Her eyes glide to Yuliana. "By coming in person, I show with my own body and the safety of my crew that I mean every word of my intentions. This will be no squabble between proxies. And so the question is, who will respond?"
She holds her gaze on Yuliana. Then quirks her lip into the faintest of smiles. "And how. And why." ...She looks away, as if that were not a fully intentional jab. "I trust," she says, "the REA is as concerned as I am with the recent spate of...accidents. That business with the kidnapping ring operating out of a base in this region is no good at all, I'm sure you agree."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
"Hmm..?" Yuliana smiles, gaze lidding, as Sophia questions who'll respond. She's entirely confident, for someone who responded so quickly to her presence.
She holds her gaze, and looks, for all the world, to be genuinely engaged, interest piqued, fascinated.
If she felt otherwise -- who could tell?
Yuliana reaches up, to brush her bangs along her cheek; there's an old war-scar, under there, and perhaps that's why she wears her hair over one side of her face. It serves as a way to break their gaze, for a moment, after Sophia looks away. Entirely polite, by the rules of the game. (Of many games.)
"Oh, certainly so," she assures Sophia, smoothly, as if kidnapping were something she didn't even need to blink before condemning. "Unfortunately, a certain amount of criminal activity is expected in any Federation holding -- particularly given those of us with larger territories, mm?" A subtle verbal gesture towards Britannia; perhaps it means nothing. "Even so, were we not concerned about unpleasant elements within our lands, I would surely not be standing here."
It isn't entirely a lie, even if the unpleasant elements in question are standing in front of her. A little conversational sleight of hand. Quite friendly, quite normal.
She rests her fingers, delicately, against her cheek, as her head cants to one side. "Oh, but I do hope you don't expect violence from a friendly visit like this," she smiles, to Sophia, amicable. "Your safety here is assured... there's no need to stand on such theatre," her gaze, a shade mysterious, falls on the people beside Sophia as she says it.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
A high-stakes game. They both know they're playing one. But the objective of this one is to figure out what the rules of the real game are going to be.
Sophia waves her hand, a bit disinterested. "I'm not so foolish to expect every boot to be on its line," she says. "A few bent rules is an exercise of the freedom the Federation ought to be protecting."
There is a near palpable cool from her as she looks back, eyes cutting across the empty room toward Yuliana. "But there is a sharp difference between laundering dirty video discs and laundering human lives. The fact that the latter seems to be plaguing this region is why G-Hound has decided to extend...a helping hand."
'An expression of its authority.'
Yuliana pokes at the facade. Sophia doesn't even chuckle, this time, her eyes staying on her. "I expect to provoke people with something to lose," she says, simply, as if this fully answers the claim that violence is unlikely. "Besides, the captain of a G-Hound vessel must always be prepared."
"Though we do appreciate your assurances," Desmond chimes in, with a mysterious smile of his own. "It's wonderful to know our safety has the REA's direct attention."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
Allowances, allowances, -- Yuliana nods, just so, as Sophia makes hers. "You're very kind," she says, of that helping hand, and the fact that she manages to land the line without it sounding disingenuous certainly says something.
Green as jealousy, Yuliana's eyes meet Sophia's, without turning away. She is willing to make eye contact -- utterly unfazed by it. It is a form of intimacy she invites, entirely gracious. Neither does she stare, though; when Desmond speaks up, Yuliana looks to him, smiling still. "Of course, Lieutenant Siege," she assures him, grace entire. "We're all doing our jobs here, mm?"
She gestures them into one of those empty offices -- this one happens to have been abandoned for some time, which means it doesn't have many documents of note strewn about, but it certainly looks like she turned into the next empty room they came across.
That she invites them into a place out of view, three to one, is... certainly a statement.
But how could Yuliana be in danger, here in the seat of her power?
No, surely she's the one pressing on the danger Sophia expresses, with a sly look about the room to make sure no one's sitting at a desk unawares. A hand on one of those desks, she turns to Sophia, treating the situation remarkably more seriously out of the hall. "Who do you expect trouble from? As I said, I'm not a Khanka officer. If you think someone is going to go under the chain of command with this... well, I won't deny we have problems we need to solve."
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Sophia glances to her team...and obliges Yuliana, the group of three stepping inside. This is not a person they'd bomb, at least.
It IS dangerous, but this entire scheme is, every step she takes here is. Yuliana jabbing them at expecting violence, but who wouldn't? If she had sent some disposable ensign, would he have even made the gates?
Yuliana asks her a conspirator's question, but Sophia plays with it with a shrug. "Oh, we don't have that kind of information," she says, obligingly. "That's what the inspectors will be for." She steps forward from Damien and Almace, considering the room. "It's possible it goes all the way up to Park...likely, even. That's fine, if so."
She considers, then murmurs, "The real question will be if Celestial Being steps in."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
Oh, not wearing this face, certainly. There's no reason to bomb Yuliana at all!
Now, any other actions Sophia may have taken on the field... well, Yuliana wouldn't know, would she? She's very, very innocent.
The ensign would have surely survived. Turned this way and that and all the way about, of course, and potentially corrupted before he could escape, but blatantly assassinating another Federation officer just doing his job is...
Well, don't be so crass.
If it were really so important, it would have been an accident!
Yuliana, who has that information, gives Sophia a sympathetic expression. "Ah, of course," she allows, softly, glancing away, as if she's treading lightly around the Captain not being told everything. The backbeat to the gesture is confident, given the way Sophia steps forward.
That gentleness -- becomes sharply intent, for a moment, the way Yuliana's gaze flicks back Sophia, with a light raise of her brows and pressure on her lips. It might have been the way she's shifting gears to a more thoughtful look, because she certainly transitions to that sort of consideration, an eyeblink later. "Celestial Being?" Yuliana wonders, sotto voce, as if the two of them are sharing a secret.
"Do you really suppose they'd involve themselves in something like this..? Their declarations have all been about waging war on war, or some nonsense like that... it hardly seems like the sort of profile which would get involved in crime." She wonders, as if this is a new concern Sophia has introduced, with all the worry it demands.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Is she in the dark, or does she just not not have it yet...is it a deception...
Well, Sophia and Desmond are both not acting like they've had their legs cut out from under them. So there's that, to go off of.
But the seed Sophia drops blooms quite promptly. She waves her gloved hand. "Their first action was to open fire on an otherwise peaceful weapons demonstration," she notes. "And our intelligence indicates there is likely more than one ideology at play behind the scenes. More than one strategy." She paces a bit away, but stays clear of the window, finding a shelf to lean against. "And, more than that, the processing of human lives into mostly faulty 'perfect' soldiers is a known endpoint of human trafficking programs, particularly those that pass into military hands. In light of that, it's certainly conceivable. Besides..."
She smiles, thinly. "I'm involved. And I have recently been tasked to attend to the matter of Celestial Being directly. Knowing their occasionally prescient intelligence network...I have reason to believe they may begin to hound my steps."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
Yuliana frowns, as Sophia explains Celestial Being's actions to her; she leans against the desk she's against, in turn, mirroring Sophia's own movements. She certainly... looks, troubled, by the brand new information she's getting here.
(Is it a deception? Oh, of course, but the best lies all have a shred of truth to them.)
"I see... so your investigation isn't really into us at all, is it?" Yuliana confirms, arms folding loosely over her chest. "Given that, I can hardly blame you for being quiet about it." Her lip jerks up for a moment, despite herself, before she frowns again.
It's not her fault. It's just -- it's really funny that Sophia has positioned Yuliana as the canary in the coalmine here. For. Reasons. Listen, the important thing is that this is the worst possible situation to burst out laughing about it.
"Hmph... I don't like to think that they're operating here." Again: shred of truth. It makes the lies so much spicier. "Everyone knows Khanka is a complicated country, but..." She lets herself sound a little lost about it, a little on the backfoot; someone disturbed by the facts, someone who didn't know.
It's a fun game, isn't it?
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Well. It's convenient for her to think that, perhaps. Sophia's eyes cut briefly to the window, before she says, "We stand to gather much information. If all we catch is a few crooked soldiers, that's a job accomplished. If we find a larger operation, so much the better. If we lure out Celestial Being..." She motions, palm up. "Then they won't know we're ready for them when the snare closes. Regardless, a fine result."
Sophia does indeed have no idea just who she's playing with now - but she hasn't revealed the final card, the secret play that changes the game. She doesn't intend to, either. Gathering information by any means. This too is warfare.
"They've deployed directly into a secure base more than once. Those particles of theirs block them from all conventional tracking, even moreso than Minovsky waste does. For now, we have no choice but to treat them as if they can appear anywhere."
She doesn't smile. But her eyes narrow and focus, and she stresses, "For now. Every showing they make reveals more about them..."
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
"A snare, huh..." Yuliana's head inclines, and her echo certainly sounds impressed -- expression gentling, a hint of a smile. If her fingers tighten just a little in the process, maybe she's just tensing up in anticipation of catching something so big.
Maybe.
Her gaze lids, amusement crossing into her face again when Sophia goes on, stressing what she does. "You know, they call me Minovsky's Woman -- both because I keep people guessing in a fight, and because employing Minovsky interference is a fine way to make them guess," she supplies, helpfully, and that's certainly one reason why she's known by such a name. "So I like to think I know a thing or two about obsfucation on the battlefield."
It is very funny for her just to tell her straight-up like this. Luckily, Yuliana's wearing a smile, so a little more amusement isn't out of the way.
"And so... perhaps I can offer you some assistance," she invites, unfolding her arms to reach to Sophia with an open palm.
If every showing they make is revealing, then why bother revealing herself at all? No, this will do nicely. Even if Sophia doesn't reveal this to anyone else...
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Sophia does know that, in fact, and she glances to Desmond for a moment as well as if to confirm. It is, after all, part of his role here, to know things. He nods, fractionally. It's more complicated than that, but...not for this conversation.
She's right so far, at least, but......a tension in her eyes, considering Yuliana's offer and words.
Well. Hm. Sophia glances to that outstretched palm, then her eyes glide up to the offering woman. "You have an idea?" she finally says, cool and considering. She forces herself to remain square and confident. Yuliana's being the very model of an informant - which is why she must not be deceived.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
Yuliana catches that glance, between them... how interesting.
"That's right," she purrs, pushing off of the desk -- wandering, in a way which doesn't look purposeful, to Sophia's side of the room, Sophia's side of the window. She stops at the other end of the filing cabinet, lifting her right hand to rest on its edge, the other coming to rest at her hip.
"Because they'll be expecting you to make them move, you know. I'm certain they know that taking actions helps triangulate ensnare them just as much as we do," inclusively, effortlessly, and without lingering for a moment on the way two terms crowd around each other in her speech, as if Yuliana forgot to choose which concept to express. "Which means that what you need to do is lean into your cover story. Make them think they won't be seen moving, when they do."
It was really very nice of the Institute to give her years of therapy around feigning stability for the masses. It means Yuliana can smile with confidence, even though this does, frankly, make her a little sick to her stomach.
Oh, she can justify it. She can tell herself she's pruning the fat from her people so that they'll be even more effective. But Yuliana isn't blind. She's aware of who she's prioritising, in this round of speed chess.
(Yuliana is still terrible at chess, for the record.)
"I've been making my own enquiries as to the rot of Khanka," also true, in a certain fashion, "so I can point you to the more... questionable leads you may have otherwise missed. Given I head a special operations unit, I have the authority to move independently like this. It's for the good of the Republic just the same, after all." Yuliana gives her a justification for her betrayal, and -- well, she doesn't have to lie about believing that.
She might have to lie about the way her smile falters for a moment after she says it, though.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Sophia watches. Just watches. She presents an unflappable front, but just how unflappable is she?
Yuliana stops before finding the edge of that space. So Sophia lets her speak further. Yes. This all tracks so far...
The Captain of the Hyperion listens, listens carefully. Her face betrays so little. Rather than a lack of passion, it is an abundance of it; a knowledge that she must master the roiling flame inside her or it will spill out of her mouth and consume everything.
Cold eyes cut to Yuliana's new offer. "I see," she says. "Interesting...Yes, that would be most appreciated, Captain," she says. "As you say, your access and position grants you greater insight to what I'm pursuing than I."
Just a minute change to the angle of her eye turns it into a meaningful, scanning look. "And what would the Republic desire of me for this assistance?"
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
"An understanding of who the enemy is, of course," Yuliana answers, smoothly, gaze lidding under the sleekness of her smile. "I would hate for you to hold the impression that we here in the REA are base criminals. Of course, there may be rogue officers behaving badly -- as there are in any force -- but let's not lay any undue accusations in haste, mm?"
Or, in plainer words: her investigation has limits, and if she wants to score points on their turf, she'll need to mind her manners.
She's balancing the scales. Minding everyone's needs. It would be simpler, certainly, if she cared nothing for Celestial Being -- easier to sell out some terrorists to save their hide. But she's been playing the game for quite some time. Yuliana is confident she can find a route through this complication which will leave all her institutions stronger.
And if she's acting outside her remit -- well, it's not public knowledge, but the Nega Force is a black operations unit. A little overreach of power can go obscured for an awfully long time...
"I'm sure we can find success together," Yuliana assures Sophia, lowering her hand from the cabinet to gesture to her, open-palmed. As if they're a team. As if they're working together.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Sophia considers this all. Yes, of course...
If she wants to score points.
She regards Yuliana for several long seconds. Desmond tenses, like he's expecting something to happen.....
All he actually gets is Sophia standing upright, firm eyes ahead. "Of course," she says. "I appreciate your understanding, Captain."
And then she moves toward the door, adding, "Desmond will be in touch," before stepping out the door.
<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Dispersal has posed.
"Naturally," Yuliana agrees, smiling to Sophia. Her eyes slide to Desmond, with that same sly smile, and wriggles her fingers to him in a playful little wave. "I'll look forward to it. Do take care."
It's only once they leave that the smile leaves her face, replaced with something much more sharp -- much more calculating.
Pitting her interests against each other like this...
... of course, she can't forgive Captain Castellan for that.
She leaves; she finds some proper privacy. Yuliana... has some calls to make.
<Pose Tracker> Sophia Mayhew Castellan has posed.
Mere moments later, stepping swiftly down the corridor and with nobody to see, Sophia's eye illuminates with the icon of the devil's boon for a moment. Then again, and again, recalibrating her power to seek and seek and seek.
It's not until they're in their car, an hour and several more farcical conversations later, that Desmond turns from the copilot seat to regard Sophia in the back. "Well?"
"She's not Celestial Being," she says. "Or Black Knights. ...or anything else."
Desmond hums. "A dangerous woman," he muses, taking the meaning instantly. "It takes a frightening mind to forge no bond to your own nation."
Sophia settles back, and her eye illuminates one more time. This time, she sees something else. She purses her lips, staring at a world only she can see.
"Yuliana Dispersal..." she murmurs.
"How can you be in no web but my own...?"