[h3]Capital Base, Liberty[/h3]

The Councillor had been about a hair’s breadth from dozing off, head bobbing and swaying like a blade of grass in the breeze, when the sound of her name brought her back to reality. She snapped to attention, squinted in the brightness of the fluorescent lights, then turned towards Riza with owlishly wide eyes. [color=#F75D59]“Oh. Hey. You must be…”[/color] Heather trailed off. Gave a long, lazy yawn. Glanced at her tablet. [color=#F75D59]“Agent Khan. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you, you know.

“I plan on seeing for myself if they’re true.”[/color]

For a moment, the sluggishness Heather carried with her seemed to fade. Her gaze locked onto Riza’s face with a sort of alarming focus, scrutinizing it carefully. Then she gave yet another yawn, and whatever spell had come across the Councillor was broken. She flicked her stylus idly across her tablet’s screen, absently searching. 

It didn’t take too long for the next Agent to arrive- stumbling her way in like a newborn foal. Heather did a well enough job of keeping the amusement off her face as she waved Beretta off, [color=#F75D59]“It’s fine. Nice shoes, by the way. Very classy.”[/color] She couldn’t quite repress the undignified chuckle at the next arrival, however. Unlike Agent Beretta, the man strutted his way in with a practiced swagger, fully decked out in proper Erubescian garb. 

Like Beretta, however, he seemed utterly flustered by her being there. 

To say Heather was quite pleased with her decision to stop by would have been the understatement of the year. 

[color=#F75D59]“At ease, Agent.”[/color] She stood, walking slow, steady circles around the man, taking every last inch of silk and sparkle. After a few silent rotations, she eventually spoke up again. [color=#F75D59]“You look absolutely ridiculous. Which means that in Erubesco, you’d be charming. Good job.”[/color] Heather nodded, satisfied, then returned to her seat. 

As Canvas strolled in, Heather’s eyes landed not on the man himself, but instead immediately honed in on the bottle in his grasp. The contents sloshed loosely about. 

She didn’t comment. She might have given the Supervisor a half-pointed, half-amused look, and might have slid her stylus in such a way to make the man think she had made a note, but she didn’t comment. 

[color=#F75D59]“Just decided to drop in. See how progress was going. I’m sure you know how much is weighing on this mission, Supervisor.”[/color] Heather paused. [color=#F75D59]“It’s a lot. A lot is weighing on this mission. If nobody knew.”[/color]

She stretched her legs out, letting the joints pop.

[color=#F75D59]“Just do whatever you’d do if I wasn’t here. Dance. Drink. Eat cake. I’m not going to report you for doing your jobs.”[/color]

[hr]

[h3]Erubesco Citadel[/h3]

[color=#FF4500]“Thank you very much, Commander Botrelle.”[/color] Madison returned Lulu’s smile with a brilliant one of his own, rising to give her hand a firm pump. There was a brimming light of enthusiasm in his face now that the panic of finding the meeting hall was over- like a schoolboy bouncing off the walls before the start of class. Straightening up, Madison sprung towards the very front of the room, taking care not to block the screen as he did so.

[color=#FF4500]“Hello, everyone.”[/color] He gave a slight wave, scanning the room for a response. [color=#FF4500]“It’s nice to meet you all. As Commander Botrelle said, my name is Madison Lovette, a research-oriented Knight Commander from the Caer Guinevere base. Some of you might be aware that the research department there is a bit, ah...lacking, unfortunately. So, it’s my job to fix that.”[/color] Madison beamed. 

[color=#FF4500]“I’ve been sent here to study various procedures that you all follow here at the Citadel. I’ll likely be visiting several of you in your respective departments- asking questions, taking notes on how everything is organized. I’ll do my best to stay out of your hair while I’m here.”[/color] He flipped open his folder, checking to see if there was anything that he might have missed, when one of the gathered facility spoke up. 

[color=#FF4500]“That’s quite alright,”[/color] Madison chirped. He listened intently, interest quickly captured- by the sound of it, this man worked in the same department as he. 

His smile soon faltered.

A look of shock fell upon his face.

[color=#FF4500]“I...I’m sorry, but, ah…”[/color] He swallowed. [color=#FF4500]“Did you just say- you’re experimenting on people- on [i]serfs[/i]- and their, ah…”[/color] Madison shifted. [color=#FF4500]“Their…their heads…they [i]burst[/i]?”[/color] He glanced around, drumming his fingers on the front of his folder. The man who had spoken was smiling placidly. [color=#FF4500]“He- I’m sorry. That was a joke, isn’t it? He isn’t-”[/color] The Commander gave a nervous laugh. [color=#FF4500]“I’m sorry. It must have been a joke.”[/color]

There was no possible way that such a thing was allowed, let alone [i]legal[/i]. It was ridiculous to have gotten worked up about it. While Libertians were the enemy, and while serfs were often convicts more often than not, they were still people. It was absurd to think that they would be faced with such treatment.