"So you mean to imply that this 'Frost' is related to Drake Direshard somehow?" Stella spoke these words knowing well how dangerous they were. If this truly was a child of that demon… Appearsto be twenty years of age, Stella read off of the file. Eternity's name. Could it really be true?
"I don't mean to engage in conjecture at all," James promised. "I just think we should be prepared for the possibility. And, uhm… Don't mention this to Belle, please."
"I wouldn't. She'd have us both demoted for not figuring this out sooner," Stella sighed. Yup. She'd fallen into a deep hole with this one. Despite her words, Stella inwardly considered the situation. Belle's reaction to the situation would be lighter now than it would be later if they let this 'Frost' run amok. If Stella went in secret, maybe she could shift the blame onto Mr. Havas who'd dragged her into this fiasco.
"You're thinking of throwing me under the bus," James said. He leaned back in his chair and laughed to himself. "Sure. I don't blame you. I might do the same in your position. But you should know that Belle doesn't take kindly to us mistreating each other. If she were to find out that you were… I dunno… Pointing weapons at your inferiors. We might have a problem."
Mutually loaded guns, huh? "Message received," Stella groaned. She suddenly felt the urge for a drink and stood up to retrieve it. Turning her back to James, she dug through a cabinet at the back of her office and poured herself a glass of whiskey before turning back to the conversation. She did not offer James a glass, but he waited patiently nonetheless.
"What's your purpose here exactly?" She asked him. "I know they're dangerous. I've just ordered all of our Voidhunters to guard the archives."
James unbuttoned the bottom of his shirt and relaxed further. "You're the most danger-aware person on this entire floor Stella. No. My purpose is beyond that." He swiped hair from his face and looked her dead in the eyes. "This place is built on layers of secrets."
Secrets, Stella thought. A buzzword. It felt like music to her ears, and yet in an environment like this… A secret was deadlier than anything else. "Go on," she said. The whiskey gave her confidence. James was also – likely intentionally – blocking the door, based on his body language. She had no escape other than the window. That was a fall she'd rather not make.
"You've been here two years. The third Commander on this station. Even so, you've been spared the responsibilities that myself and Nerial endure." At this point, James stood up and walked to the door. He switched the lock and then spun and leaned against the door. "Mr. Nerial was of the opinion that we should not involve you. I, however, have been in this position for almost ten long years. It gets tiring."
Commander Nerial was a kind old man. Stella often questioned how in the hell he ended up in a job like this one, ordering the deaths and salvation of many. Perhaps at a certain point the indifference circled back around to kindness.
"Please enlighten me already," Stella beckoned.
"As a Commander, we can't rise above our current station. It's the highest standard rank in the Realmguard. As such, our job extends to the underground. To the things the standard rank-and-file don't know about. Reports we write ourselves and deliver only to Belleram Medeara herself." He stepped up to the desk again. "Our front-facing job is administrative activity. Back-facing, though? We eat the shit that no one else wants to. We make it disappear. Do you understand?"
"Loud and clear." Stella wasn't exactly surprised to hear it. It was impossible to not catch wind of this kind of thing around the halls. Something terrible would happen and then never hit the news at all. For example, the massive tussle in the underground that was chalked up to an earthquake and 'Void interference', which tended to be a buzzword for some secret happenings. She didn't voice any of this knowledge, of course. Instead, she silently eyed the remaining file under James' arm.
"You want to see it?" He asked. "Whitehall, there's no going back."
"My life is for the Realmguard," Stella replied. "If there's shit to be eaten, you put it on a plate for me."
James grinned. "I understand what Belle saw in you. I admit I was skeptical about promoting you, but I think we're going to get along fine." He placed the file on the table. "These are the problems we're dealing with right now. They're your problems now."
Stella greedily grabbed the file.
"Belleram's current 'business trip' isn't the result of a distortion at all. We've been engaged in a massive cover-up regarding Northworld for the better part of two months," James explained as she read.
"So then–?"
"The door closures. The missing journalists. All of it. If this leaks to the general public, the loss of morale will only empower the Liberation Front more than they already are." James wandered over to Stella's cabinet, playing coy. "I know you didn't offer, but would you mind if I pour myself a glass?"
Stella was busy reading the file. "I don't mind, really."
"You're not so bad, Stel," he said happily, pouring one out.
"Don't call me that," she snapped, but quickly reeled back "Sorry. That name is just–"
"No no, I understand I was out of line. I apologize," he said sincerely. "This whiskey though. Dragonsfold, Yitran continent. Expensive stuff there, but even more expensive due to import fees, no?" He took a sip of it and nodded heavily in approval
"It's the preferred drink down on the standard infantry deck for celebration. I grew a taste for it down there," Stella explained.
"Mm." James rounded leaned against the table behind her and stared longingly into the city below. "How was your time in the infantry?"
"Short, thanks to so-called distinguished service."
"I see. Around here, 'distinguished service' is just not being a total nitwit," he laughed.
"And killing who they tell you to kill without asking questions." Stella paused. Their faces flashed across her vision. Explosions rang in her ears. She took a sip of the whiskey. "I'm good at that," she added.
"I see," said James nervously.
"You weren't in the infantry?" Stella wondered. Even as she spoke, she analyzed the file still.
"Never. I was a bit of a nepotism baby. Took the place of my predecessor, my Father, Jonas Havas." He bit his lip a little. "May his soul rest with eternity now. Anyways, I started as a captain immediately, and was promoted to this position once they'd verified me. They were in a bit of a rush after his vacancy and had a lack of other candidates, you see…"
"Mhm." It irked Stella a little that she had to go through so much to earn a role that others did nothing for. Even so, she could see it from his point of view. "It couldn't have been easy for you. Infantry primes you for a role like this one. You were thrown to the wolves."
"Nerial was regretful, but he needed the assistance nonetheless. My very first assignment was a political assassination. My first kill." He spoke as if he remembered it fondly. "Slippery slope, I'll tell you. At first you remember their faces, and then it's just…"
"Nothing. All the same. The screams. The pleas," Stella said. "Same with your allies. Eventually I stopped bothering to remember their names. In and out like a revolving door." It had been a year since her time in the infantry, so she wasn't as traumatized about it now. She spoke in a casual way, like discussing the weather.
"I'm sorry," James realized, "I'm being insensitive."
"No. It's your own experience. There's nothing wrong with it," Stella said. For what it was worth, she meant those words.
"Thanks." He turned around. "You done?"
"Sure. But not without questions." Stella closed the file and spun her chair to hand it to him.
He took it graciously. "No doubt."
"Drake Direshard already has a kid?" She asked. "Not only that, but she's been fighting the Realmguard for two whole months and managed to build an army of such a size? It can't all be true, can it?" She didn't know what was more unbelievable. The fact that the Realmguard was fighting this war in the first place, or the fact that they'd managed to cover up a planetary war for two whole months.
"'Fraid it is. They've been giving the Realmguard a rough time planetside." He swished the whiskey around in the cup and drank more of it down. "The supposed daughter is the inheritor of the Worldeye."
Stella didn't believe a word of it. "The Worldeye is just an urban legend. Don't be ridiculous. Something that powerful couldn't possibly exist–"
James hit her with a powerful deadpan stare.
"You're kidding…"
"I wish I was, kid." He drank down the rest of the whiskey and set the glass down. "Let's look at it glass half-full though. If the Worldeye was passed on, then that definitely means Drake Direshard is dead. I'll take an inexperienced user over that guy any day."
So Drake Direshard really did have the Worldeye? Not only that, but he really is dead. The circumstances surrounding his death are too hazy for me to believe that. Stella made a complicated expression
"I've said too much, surely," James admitted. "This is enough for today, but you do have a job to do."
Stella frowned. "And that is?"
"Your previous assignment was to hold down the fort, your new one is to find this 'Frost' and have him dead before the Headmaster returns. Higher priority as a target than even Lex Aitsuko. If I haven't made it clear enough – given the situation on Northworld – I'm sure the last thing Belle wants right now is to discover the existence of another bastard child."
"I understand," Stella said immediately. "Frost will be dealt with."
"I'm leaving this in your hands, Stella." He put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Prove that you can do the dirty work. For now, Nerial and I will continue handling the rest. This will be a test of sorts."
"You can count on me sir. I swear it."
"I know," he replied. "Now… Good day!" He unlocked the door and slipped out with all the grace of the snake that he was.
Stella watched him go. Brief thoughts passed her mind of how exactly she would track down this 'Frost'. She dismissed them all immediately. Stella's gut was always right. She'd made the preparations. If Frost was with Lex Aitsuko, then there wasn't a doubt in her mind.
The prey was coming. She just had to wait for it.