[jaunt] [mid-week 4] Update from the Empire

[capital_asset]

[Raidou's mental "voice" has the somewhat clipped tone of someone who is deeply unthrilled by their current circumstances but is doing their level best to Make The Best Of This, Damn It.]

I'm not entirely caught up at the moment, but I did spend a few Arcana skills to try to get more of a sense of what Hacet is doing - besides doing his best to either force Princess Alta to accept his more violent tactics or force her out; my overlay has been more or less watching that happen firsthand - and I've found out a few things.

One, he's known from the beginning that the princess's Consort was kidnapped, not killed. He's just been pretending otherwise, presumably to keep people riled enough to suit whatever his ultimate goal is. My Insight unfortunately didn't go far enough to tell me that.

Two, stopping him would require tricking him into overcommitting, then catching him in the act and recording proof. Though that likely risks violence from his allies, if not Hacet himself, who is currently in quarantine. I'm not sure who we still have up here who can help with that, and it's probably only a matter of time until my overlay lands in quarantine as well.

On another note, would anyone be able to help me firm up some items? I need to do some ritual magic, and while I can make the ingredients well enough in Liminal Space, I can't firm them up to take them back out.

Comments

[brokers]

Presumably killing him will also stop him, and will keep him from causing further trouble once we are no longer here to interfere.

[capital_asset]

It would stop him, but wouldn't necessarily stop any plans he has in place. And from what my overlay has observed of him, he's the sort that's not above using his own death to further his aims, if only by riling his supporters.

[brokers]

If he has plans that account for his death, it is only reasonable to assume he also has contingencies in place for exposure. And those same supporters are unlikely to respond to facts unless they are personally inconvenienced by them.

[capital_asset]

Point taken.

[That is something he'll need to factor into the spell he's devising.]

The fact that he's in quarantine might complicate things as well.

[brokers]

On multiple levels. Any plan to expose him will likely necessitate allowing him to expose others to the virus, and knowing that he has it may well make him more volatile. Someone who believes they have nothing to lose may commit atrocities just to be certain they bring their enemies down with them.

[capital_asset]

So any attempt to draw him out will have to be very carefully planned.

[brokers]

Something which the Travelers are notably poor at managing.

[capital_asset]

...Yes.

I might be able to use ritual magic to help with at least some of this, but again, it will have to be very carefully applied.

[brokers]

How do you believe your magic will help?

[ninjayeehaw]

I'm back topside now, 's a matter a' fact. Can't say Dusty-- or, Kosmas, rather [perhaps the name might be familiar, if Aura knows any of the spies from years prior] - can't say my fella trusts Hacet far as he can swing him in a sack, 'specially not when Her Highness don't neither.

[capital_asset]

He'd be in agreement with Aura on that.

[If that name sounds familiar.]

He'll be glad to see Kosmas though, I think.

[ninjayeehaw]

Kosmas's got more'n a few folks t'go apologisin' to fer being declared dead the past couple years. Glad t'hear at least one person ain't gonna mind terribly. Hacet ain't gonna be one 'f 'em, that's fer sure, I'm the one what's been sendin' him bad info all this time.

[capital_asset]

Did he really have much of a choice, though?

[desperate_times_right]

Oh lovely, okay. Welcome back, by the way.

Gil’s overlay didn’t come back from that last battle so I think it’s just Bismuth, Hajime and me investigating up here. And now you. I can help you with the item thing, and if you need to shape public opinion around here I can drop a few hints to the more well-connected pilots, but I don’t know how much the General would trust any of us when it comes to the actual plan. Mantoids are infamously apolitical and Bismuth and I are both mechanics.

[capital_asset]

And my overlay is known to be a close ally of the princess.

[desperate_times_right]

That might work to our advantage if he thinks he can use you to undermine her.

[capital_asset]

He's also known to have little love for Hacet in general.

[desperate_times_right]

Ah, no good, then. Hacet’s shit-talked the princess to me a bit, but I don’t know if I could get him to take it further than that.