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[h1][b][color=f72f39]Alexander Kherol[/color][/b][/h1]
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[center][h3][b][color=f72f39]Private Quarter[/color][/b][/h3][/center]
What Nikolas had said to him weeks ago wandered in his head for long after everything had begun to settle down. Retirement with his family. What a peaceful fate for an honorable man. Probably the best, or the least bad, of what could happen after the horrible five-year war. Alexander himself did imagine himself one day to be like that, but knowing the state of the Ascendancy right now, stepping down from power is just like abandoning ship, but you do not actually leave the ship. On the one hand you have idiots in the Ascendancy High Command, all the way from the top, fidgeting with their own golden chicken nugget thinking how to make themselves look cool and powerful. On the other hand, you have private companies trying to exert control over the government because of this. That itself is another political sewage water to dig his hands into. And on the other other hand, you have terrorists and rebels - gullible fools attracted to lofty visionaries singing anthems of an egalitarian utopia. Unlike the government or the companies though, the rebels are mere worms in comparison. Easy to squash, and easy to use.

[i]Beep Beep Beep[/i]

[color=f72f39]"Who is that?"[/color] Alexander heard the doorbell to his room. 

[color=0b4cb5]"It's Carina."[/color] A female voice went through the intercom. [color=0b4cb5]"I brought some new report...and lunch. May I come in?"[/color]

[color=f72f39]"Sure."[/color] Alexander pressed the remote on his desk to open the door. Behind it was a woman Alexander entrusted in the helm of his newest weapon - [url = https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/0992ec30-d968-49da-bac1-41196853ce4b.jpg]Captain Carina Sansonetti[/url]. With her were a tablet held between her arm and torso, and two trays of spliced BBQ beef and mashed potatoes on both hands.

[color=0b4cb5]"Uh...should I?"[/color] After taking off her shoes, she noticed the pair of lion slippers on the shoe-rack nearby. 

[color=f72f39]"Oh, if you like to. Room's clean anyway."[/color]

[color=0b4cb5]"Alright thanks"[/color] She ignored the slippers anyway and proceeded into the room only with socks. [color=0b4cb5]"Is that yours?"[/color] Carina was curious though. It was her first time being in a private quarter of her superior and old-time officer academy friend, and that slippers looked a little off for the kind of guy he is.

[color=f72f39]"What? Oh that."[/color] The Grand Admiral chuckled a bit. [color=f72f39]"Yeah that's mine. It's a gift from someone I know, but I never use it. It looks kinda silly in my opinion."[/color]

Yeah, she could figure he would say that. 

[color=f72f39]"Wait..."[/color] Alexander looked at the tray Carina put before him. [color=f72f39]"This again? Haven't we had MRE for like a month now?"[/color]

[color=0b4cb5]"Yeah, but we're in a bit of a pinch in food supplies right now."[/color] Carina replied, also handing Alexander the tablet. [color=0b4cb5]"It appears it's not because of annual price increase. Agriculture produce price still continues to rise among the general market. So we'll have to deal with it for now."[/color]

[color=f72f39]"That's curious."[/color] Alexander said. [color=f72f39]"Do we know anything about what happened?"[/color]

[color=0b4cb5]"No clue. The media has been silent about it."[/color]

Prices are rising and the government is staying silent about it?

[color=f72f39]"Looks like we'll have to take matters into our own hands as well."[/color] He shrugged with a sigh. [color=f72f39]"After our current mission. For now, it's mashed potatoes for another month I guess."[/color]

Carina nodded with an amused smile, as she sat down next to another table (with his permission) to enjoy her own lunch, the same meal Alexander and the rest of the ship crew have. By enjoy, she meant tolerate. She'd want to get back to her favorite meal of lemon spiced chicken, but for everybody else, she'd be motivated to having to deal with endless mashed potatoes. If they're gonna suffer, it's equal sufferings. Even the Grand Admiral deals with the same crap a Private has to deal with.  

[color=f72f39]"Say Carina. Do you have any plans next month?"[/color] Alexander suddenly asked.

[color=0b4cb5]"Hmm...no. Just gonna be here like usual. What's up?"[/color] 

[color=f72f39]"Oh, I'm just saying I'm going to take a break after this two missions."[/color]

[color=0b4cb5]"Oh?"[/color] Carina was surprised. Alexander hadn't taken a single day of leave for like what...4 years? [color=0b4cb5]"For how long?"[/color]

Alexander turned down his mouth. [color=f72f39]"A month probably. I'm gonna have Faro or Kotaro over to run the fleet in the meantime."[/color]

Carina had worked with them before. They are capable men, so she had no problem being under either's command. And while there were still insurgencies to squelch, it wasn't as urgent as it used to be. Alexander did say afterward that the task of handling rebellious activities would temporarily be handed over to someone else, but didn't say who. [color=0b4cb5]"So where are you going specifically?"[/color] 

[color=f72f39]"Home."[/color] Alexander simply replied. If anything, this is the most predictable part about him.

Carina gave a laugh. [color=0b4cb5]"Well, tell them I say hi."[/color] 
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[center][h3][b][color=f72f39]The Rat's Trap[/color][/b][/h3][/center]
Time was not wasted as soon as his lunch was over. Alexander made his way not to the bridge but the meeting room, where a few ship Captains and Commanders were also filing in for what was probably too commonplace for a war-hardened army. They knew what was coming

[color=f72f39]"Thank you everyone for being timely as always."[/color] Alexander briefly thanked his subordinates before swiftly moving into the topic at hand. [color=f72f39]"Just today, we received another raid report by the contingent group Deilos, this time on the convoy belonging to the Gravia's Military Company."[/color]

By the aptly named Deilos, Alexander referred to the [i]remnants of the Ascendancy's army[/i] who managed to survive Proxima but refused to face the consequences for their actions. And by that, they were mostly from the 11th Fleet, previously under the command of Grand Admiral Berkeley - the man whose legacies are still being that painful gum ulcer on his tongue. After having pretty much all their fleet assets destroyed during the Rau've war, the Ascendancy's security was in a very poor state by the end of the war, with riots from both the xenophobic pro-Ascendancy and non-xenophobic anti-Ascendancy pretty much going kerbatzoes on each other, the defection of these cowards flew under many's radar. Even though there were much bigger threats to the Ascendancy's strength and security to be dealt with, like the Windsor's Autonomous Trading Fleet or the victim in question, the Gravia's Military Company, these guys are at least benign for now, while the Deilos were hungering terrorists to be crushed. 

Alexander knew the state of their fleet right now. It had been a long decline for them, with Alexander slowly picking off their ships one by one with every engagement. They had little means to rebuild their ships; little resources, low manpower, little infrastructure. Any damage caused on them would stick, so no need for a decisive and costly battle. The more choices a wounded animal is allowed to take, the more predictable it becomes. 

And here it is.

[color=0b4cb5]"The Gravias fended them off, but not without casualties for the convoy ships."[/color] Said Carina, who was sitting the closest to Alexander. Her glasses were on the table, her lime-colored eyes not glancing at the reports, having clearly been well-versed before she came into the room. [color=0b4cb5]"Funny thing is, no casualties for either side's military ships."[/color]

[color=fff257]"They're plunderers. That's what they do."[/color] Another voice echoed - the Commander of the heavy cruiser Seagal. [color=fff257]"It's just that we've only limited their attack pattern to resourceful areas, which can include anywhere in the Zenith outer rim."[/color] To which all attack reports originate there, just as expected.

[color=f72f39]"Really? I think that is the most interesting part of the report."[/color] Alexander replied, adopting a more casual tone for discussions. [color=f72f39]"Since they have their loot, without any casualties whatsoever, they are very likely to be emboldened by this and continue their attack."[/color] 

[color=0b4cb5]"Given they were under the influence of Berkeley, I am not surprised."[/color] Carina added. [color=0b4cb5]"So where do you think they'll attack next, Alexander?"[/color] 

[color=f72f39]"I am almost certain they will attack the Eden system, specifically the planet Maiden Reach."[/color] Alexander began. [color=f72f39]"Their fleet's targets seem randomly picked, but their vector's patterns are indicative of their behavior. Fightings that are too short and successful are followed up with a second or even third attack, either within hours or a few days following the first."[/color]

[color=f6989d]"That's actually true."[/color] Another ship Commander spoke up. [color=f6989d]"So by that logic, and their preferred choices so far, the next targets shall be Maiden Reach, Eden's Sanctuary of the Eden system, or the Agri-World of Plenty or of Prosperity."[/color]

[color=f72f39]"That's right."[/color] Alexander nodded. [color=f72f39]"Agri-Worlds aren't likely to be their concerns. They've already attacked another target for rations already recently. Eden's Sanctuary is a rainforest planet. It's more tourist site than actual resources. That leaves us with only Maiden Reach."[/color]

[color=fff257]"It's a chance for them to earn some quick credits. They might use it to compensate for their ship losses in the last few months. Hell they could even be cooperating with poachers as well if God knows."[/color] The Seagal commander spoke. [color=fff257]"It's still a fairly busy area, despite being Frontier-Worlds. I suggest a lockdown for the next few days there."[/color] 

[color=f72f39]"Yes Harald. The Seagal, along with the Bolt, Novak, Williams and Jordan will work with local ships to instigate a blockade around Southern Eden until further notice."[/color] The moment ship names were announced, everyone in the room began standing in attention. [color=f72f39]"The remaining ships stand ready at these designated locations with stealth up. I will personally take charge of this ambush. Is everything clear?"[/color]

[b]"Yes sir!"[/b]

The commanders and captains immediately dispersed. They already had their orders, and their military prowess was enough that they need not any more hand-holdings. And for the Deilos? He could only hope they value themselves high enough to shoot themselves, because they are to be burned alive for their crime.
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