Sargon - Hisn-ul-Zahra City Plate - Police Station - Early evening
Polka looked concerned as her eyes darted from Jericho to Ash Girl, and back to Jericho, "If Victoria and Leithanien want to fight over this weapon, then wouldn't the pragmatic thing to do be to keep our noses out if it?" She was glad they didn't bring Baltasar along. "What happened to Nur is...regrettable, but opposing either nation could endanger not only Rhodes Island but this city."
"You do have a point, but I don't think we can avoid this. In fact, I think the old hag already knows. Minimalist, you have that picture your friend sent you?" Jericho held out his hand to the Durin. Minimalist looked confused, but pulls out the photo and hands it to the older Aegirian. Jericho holds it out for the group to see. The photograph seemed to show the inside of a massive, artificial cavern. A large, imposing, obsidian octahedron was suspended from the ceiling of the cave via enormous chains. Catwalks, scaffolds, and military equipment seemed to surround the object. "This was the last thing he sent you? What do you think this geometric object could be? It's large and mysterious, it's somewhere in Sargon, and some military power is investigating it. Stitch, I think your friend has been captured by Leithaniens for snooping."
Minimalist swallowed heavily but said nothing. A closed off and thorny individual, he rarely displayed friendliness or empathy, but concern for his friend's wellbeing was written all over his face.
"Dr. Kal'tsit definitely wants us to get involved in this," Jericho continued, "As the managers of Hisn-ul-Zahra's infected orphanage, we owe it to this city to bring Nur home. As Rhodes island operators, we owe it to Minimalist to save Catch. And from the sound of it, all three nations are operating in secrecy, so if we do go up against them, at the very least, they cannot openly implicate us without revealing their own undercover dealings." He turned to Polka, "But I've never been much of a dictator. If we do this, we do this together."
Polka looked conflicted, as if wrestling with some specter of the past. "No, you're both right. This is bigger than our clinic, bigger than this city."
At that moment, the Lady Ameera and her sentinel emerged from the observation room. "I've come to my decision, I hope Rhodes Island will be in agreement. When I founded this city, I wanted to be different from the other Lords Ameer who jockey for position with the Golden City while selling their dignity in exchange for foreign favors, who capitulate to the encroachment of colonial forces and sacrifice their citizens for modern luxuries." She shook her head, "Dr. Irving believes me to be naive for allowing a 'paramilitary corporation' to run a clinic, but my partnership with Rhodes island was fully intentional. I know what your pharmaceutical company is capable of. The diplomatic position that I wish Hisn-ul-Zahra to maintain, welcoming to the outside without succumbing to influence, is not easy without some force to back it up. To stand up to the might of Victoria, Columbia, and Leithanien is not possible, even if the whole of Sargon were to unite, let alone our young, isolated city. But I will not allow one of Hisn-ul-Zahra's children to be kidnapped, infected or not, nor will I allow Sargon's history to be defiled. So I would like to implore Rhodes Island to please save the child and prevent these foreign powers from resurrecting one of Sargon's most ancient sins."
"Then we are in accord," Jericho answered on behalf of the group, "This is not something we can turn a blind eye to. Of course, we will do our best to ensure that your fine city does not fall within the enemy's crosshairs."
Zainab nodded solemnly, then turned to Aisha, "You will go with them."
"My Ameera! What about the city?" Aisha protested.
"You trained your deputy personally, did you not? Then I will trust the safety of the city to him. But you I trust to aid our allies in this sensitive external matter."
"I... I understand," Aisha saluted, then turned to the group, "Please prepare what you need. I'll get the Victorians ready. Contact me when you wish to plan out the mission."
"Of course," Jericho didn't argue, "Your local expertise will be most appreciated."
The Rhodes Islanders headed back to the clinic office and began preparing equipment and supplies. As a catastrophe messenger, Earthspirit had a sizable van, though given the number of operators if they included Aisha and the two Victorians, they might need two vehicles. The Rhodes Island branch had a transport they could use, but Aisha likely had her own.
Polka looked concerned as her eyes darted from Jericho to Ash Girl, and back to Jericho, "If Victoria and Leithanien want to fight over this weapon, then wouldn't the pragmatic thing to do be to keep our noses out if it?" She was glad they didn't bring Baltasar along. "What happened to Nur is...regrettable, but opposing either nation could endanger not only Rhodes Island but this city."
"You do have a point, but I don't think we can avoid this. In fact, I think the old hag already knows. Minimalist, you have that picture your friend sent you?" Jericho held out his hand to the Durin. Minimalist looked confused, but pulls out the photo and hands it to the older Aegirian. Jericho holds it out for the group to see. The photograph seemed to show the inside of a massive, artificial cavern. A large, imposing, obsidian octahedron was suspended from the ceiling of the cave via enormous chains. Catwalks, scaffolds, and military equipment seemed to surround the object. "This was the last thing he sent you? What do you think this geometric object could be? It's large and mysterious, it's somewhere in Sargon, and some military power is investigating it. Stitch, I think your friend has been captured by Leithaniens for snooping."
Minimalist swallowed heavily but said nothing. A closed off and thorny individual, he rarely displayed friendliness or empathy, but concern for his friend's wellbeing was written all over his face.
"Dr. Kal'tsit definitely wants us to get involved in this," Jericho continued, "As the managers of Hisn-ul-Zahra's infected orphanage, we owe it to this city to bring Nur home. As Rhodes island operators, we owe it to Minimalist to save Catch. And from the sound of it, all three nations are operating in secrecy, so if we do go up against them, at the very least, they cannot openly implicate us without revealing their own undercover dealings." He turned to Polka, "But I've never been much of a dictator. If we do this, we do this together."
Polka looked conflicted, as if wrestling with some specter of the past. "No, you're both right. This is bigger than our clinic, bigger than this city."
At that moment, the Lady Ameera and her sentinel emerged from the observation room. "I've come to my decision, I hope Rhodes Island will be in agreement. When I founded this city, I wanted to be different from the other Lords Ameer who jockey for position with the Golden City while selling their dignity in exchange for foreign favors, who capitulate to the encroachment of colonial forces and sacrifice their citizens for modern luxuries." She shook her head, "Dr. Irving believes me to be naive for allowing a 'paramilitary corporation' to run a clinic, but my partnership with Rhodes island was fully intentional. I know what your pharmaceutical company is capable of. The diplomatic position that I wish Hisn-ul-Zahra to maintain, welcoming to the outside without succumbing to influence, is not easy without some force to back it up. To stand up to the might of Victoria, Columbia, and Leithanien is not possible, even if the whole of Sargon were to unite, let alone our young, isolated city. But I will not allow one of Hisn-ul-Zahra's children to be kidnapped, infected or not, nor will I allow Sargon's history to be defiled. So I would like to implore Rhodes Island to please save the child and prevent these foreign powers from resurrecting one of Sargon's most ancient sins."
"Then we are in accord," Jericho answered on behalf of the group, "This is not something we can turn a blind eye to. Of course, we will do our best to ensure that your fine city does not fall within the enemy's crosshairs."
Zainab nodded solemnly, then turned to Aisha, "You will go with them."
"My Ameera! What about the city?" Aisha protested.
"You trained your deputy personally, did you not? Then I will trust the safety of the city to him. But you I trust to aid our allies in this sensitive external matter."
"I... I understand," Aisha saluted, then turned to the group, "Please prepare what you need. I'll get the Victorians ready. Contact me when you wish to plan out the mission."
"Of course," Jericho didn't argue, "Your local expertise will be most appreciated."
The Rhodes Islanders headed back to the clinic office and began preparing equipment and supplies. As a catastrophe messenger, Earthspirit had a sizable van, though given the number of operators if they included Aisha and the two Victorians, they might need two vehicles. The Rhodes Island branch had a transport they could use, but Aisha likely had her own.