2024-05-28: Machinations
- Log: 2024-05-28: Machinations
- Cast: Kikka Kobayashi, Murasaki El-Amari
- Where: A diner in Magallanica
- OOC - IC Date: May 28, 0099
- Summary: On behalf of one princess to another, Murasaki brings news to Magallanica about Orb's state of affairs. Though Kikka can't promise much with their current resources, she agrees to keep an eye on the Seiran family's activities.
<Pose Tracker> Kikka Kobayashi has posed.
Since its beginning as a Colony Builder, accepting a steady influx of refugees that the Space Assembly League wouldn't take has given Magallanica a life of its own within the Earth Sphere. It's not dissimilar from the Orb Union in the way its inhabitants bring their own culture and food together - and the many restaurants, food stands, cafes, and diners characterize it.
Waiting in one such diner is Kikka Kobayashi, an ordinary college student, books neatly sprawled across one side of her table, and a coffee resting on the other. Likely studying for a final about One Year War literature to a close observer... but that isn't the only reason she's here.
The girl shakes her head, closing the book shut. "Funny. I don't think a single author has portrayed him the same way so far." She muses to herself, checking her phone for the time - her background image a selfie with a short brown-haired girl with green eyes around the same age.
It's just about time though, for a private meeting between two operatives in Terminal, one representing Magallanica and the other Orb. Kikka matches the description Murasaki would have been given - and the seat across from her is certainly unoccupied in the mostly-empty diner.
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
pose: The door to the diner opens, and Kikka watches as a woman around her age and of Murasaki's description enters, casually scanning the crowd before making her way over to the booth. She slides in across from Kikka, placing a motorcycle helmet beside her. The woman is of middle-eastern appearance, her black hair done up in a ponytail, wearing a sporty looking motorcycle jacket covered in various brand names which makes her easily able to blend in as just another motorcycle enthusiast.
"Interesting little spot for a first date." Murasaki smiles, her voice a bit more alto than Kikka might have been expecting. "Not exactly what I would have chosen but it's cute enough."
Murasaki looks over Kikka, sizing her up the way those who lived in their world of shadows and cloaks tended to do.
"Interesting reading material?"
<Pose Tracker> Kikka Kobayashi has posed.
It's far past the time the diner usually sees new customers, so when the little door jingle surrounding Murasaki's entrance chimes, it immediately catches Kikka's attention. After a quick check, Kikka assumes it must be the person she's waiting for and gives her a casual wave.
"Hmm..." Kikka considers, clicking off her phone. "If you're looking for date material, I'd actually suggest the cafe down the block." She glances out the window and back to Murasaki. "Kind of busy, but I had a good time there with my girlfriend last week." She explains, with some genuine enthusiasm - Leina is her first girlfriend after all.
She can tell she's being sized up though - that's often just the way it is with groups like Terminal. Always watchful eyes. Kikka really does seem ordinary on the outside - and it might be difficult to tell if that's just an act or not. "Kikka Kobayashi, by the way." She quickly introduces herself.
"You could say it's interesting." Kikka nods. "It's all material for college, honestly... but the One Year War is a particular interest of mine." She brushes off the books, discreetly placing them back into her messenger bag by the table. "...I don't mean to sound like some kind of military junkie when I say that, though." She adds, with a laugh.
"So... you're like the shadow of the Attha family, right?" She leads. "If we're meeting, then I don't think it's particularly good news for Orb... do you think NUNE is aiming to make some kind of move?"
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
Murasaki introduced herself after Kikka, and leaned back sighing with the mention of NUNE. "Shadow of sorts, yes. But the concern isn't NUNE making a move, it's...well it's some of the names within Orb that are the problem." She rests her arms on the table and leans closer to Kikka. "I don't know how up to date you are with Orb's political situation but...well it's not as stable as we'd like it to be. Ever since Chief Representative Uzumi's..." Murasaki pauses, the look on her face one of a woman who feels a lot of weight on her shoulders for what she's about to say next.
"...his assassination... the Attha family's been put on the backfoot in a serious way. It's not just his death in particular...but most of his strongest backers and supporters as well."
<Pose Tracker> Kikka Kobayashi has posed.
It isn't NUNE that's the problem... but inside Orb itself. Kikka nods, seriously. "Magallanica's facing a similar problem itself, what with the kind of Neo Zeon actors who want nothing more than to subvert Princess Mineva's intentions. That something like that's going on in Orb too is..." She picks up her cup and gestures with it. "Bad."
"I don't spend a lot of time in Orb, but a lot of people here do, and word gets around in this kind of circle." And the assassination of a major world leader like Lord Uzumi is going to get the eyes of the entire world. "Yeah.. it's a terrible loss for sure. And his successor is what, still a teenager?" Kikka tilts her head. "Bet it can't be easy for her."
"I'd have to think... whoever's responsible for the assassination must have covered their tracks pretty well." She says, careful not to point the blame at any one individual or group just yet. "So the best way we can intervene is by making sure Orb's government doesn't just simply collapse under its weight. Provide subtle support where we can."
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
"Lady Cagalli is a tough one..." Murasaki smiled, reminicing in her head. "Not many of Orb's current political upper crust have much experience in firing RPG's into the sides of ZAFT BuCUE's as she does. Lady Cagalli will be a good leader for Orb's future, but you're right, her youth is working against her. As far as I'm concerned, the Atthas are Orb, and my loyalty to Orb is absolute, but I'm as you said, a shadow."
Murasaki looked around the diner casually, looking for any faces she recognized for good or bad, as well as double checking the exits. As far away from Orb as she was, she knew that the rules of engagement out in space were becoming increasingly more loose, and it was for the most part just her on Magallanica.
"We have a very good idea of who was responsible, and while it wasn't so simple as some rogue Gaia Saber Team, it may as well have been, as untouchable as they currently are...How much do you know about the Seiran family?"
<Pose Tracker> Kikka Kobayashi has posed.
Kikka.. also can't help but smile when Murasaki describes the kind of tough person Cagalli is - it almost reminds her of the stunts people tell her she pulled off on the White Base, but she leaves that unsaid. "Have to imagine she must be just as tough at the negotiation table." Kikka takes a sip. Murasaki makes her alignment in Orb clear enough, and the blonde slowly nods.
A small but sizeable amount of people who frequent these diners are affiliated with Terminal or the Defense Forces in some way - but there's absolutely ordinary people here, too. Kikka at least, is pretty familiar with both the Earthnoid and Spacenoid ways of engagement - she doesn't really consider herself strictly either, so she subtly tries to match Murasaki's pace.
"The Seiran family..." Kikka repeats, scrounging up her knowledge about the Great Families of Orb. "Of course, an intelligence agency can't make a definitive statement without a mountain of evidence to substantiate it. But I can see how the Seiran family would have the most to gain from Lord Uzumi's death." Kikka rests her arms down on the table. "Wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on their movements, even if they are, as you say, untouchable."
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
Murasaki smiles at Kikka's picking up of what she was putting down. "The Seirans are making a number of moves to try and start slowly usurping Cagalli's power. They dont' really make an effort to actually hide their desire for Orb to align itself more closely to the Britannians..." She drums her fingers on the table a little bit, before closing her hand tightly into a fist, the personal nature of her displeasure with such an effort starting to bleed through. "...including a reassessment of Orb's policy towards Coordinators."
Murasaki calmed down a moment, before continuing. "The Seirans have recently started to expand their extra-planetary resource company, Seiran Heavy Extraction. And while they're appearing to play nice to avoid Benerit Group sanctions, we all know that enough favors and under the table money can let anyone do anything...like orchestrate a coup disguised as a political marriage, for instance."
Murasaki reaches into her jacket pocket and retrieves a small data discette, placing it on the table and sliding it towards Kikka. "Consider this a gift of goodwill from one Princess to another. You should find the evidence we've already gathered to be quite convincing. Of course, we'd appreciate it if anything you happen to pick up on any activities the Seirans are doing in space, outside the scope of mining asteroids, would find its way to us."
<Pose Tracker> Kikka Kobayashi has posed.
The Seirans are more interested in subverting Cagalli's power to align with Britannia, Murasaki explains... Kikka's brow furrows. "I see. That's... well, it's definitely not something we should take lightly." She adds, in regards to the Coordinator issue. "...Are you a Coordinator, Ms. El-Amari?" She adds, in less an accusatory tone and more out of curiosity, noting her subtle anger.
What Murasaki brings up next is something Kikka can generally act on a lot easier, though. "Seiran Heavy Extractions, you said? Yeah, I can see what I can dig up on them." Kikka agrees, jotting down a few notes in one of her books. She frowns; implications of a 'political marriage' aren't lost on her either. "Even beyond politics... I just don't think any girl should be forced into something like that."
A look of curiosity as Murasaki slides over the diskette. It's important for any intelligence agent to view these things with a hint of skepticism, but she did bring receipts. "Thanks, I'll give this a thorough review later." Kikka accepts it, slowly placing the diskette in her handbag. "I'm not sure they'd be foolish to conduct their work in Side 3... but we'll be sure keep an eye out." She answers, considering whether the Factory might encounter anything.
<Pose Tracker> Murasaki El-Amari has posed.
"I am." Murasaki says simply, in regards to her genetic status, avoiding a recount her entire tragic life's story. Maybe another time. With Kikka's acceptance of looking into things spacewise, Murasaki grabs her helmet and gets to her feet. "We'll be certain to send anything we find in Side 3's interests your way. Don't be a stranger." Murasaki winks at Kikka, and makes her way out the diner. Helmet back on her head, she slips on her gloves and hops onto her motorcycle. She speeds off to her next destination, making sure to mentally mark the cafe Kikka mentioned as she speeds past, into the evening.