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So I have some questions and Quark has helped me list them in order of importance, so it shouldn't take too long," Mark began.

"Do we have time before Walaria gets here?" In the wake of the interview with the goblin, many people had split up in many different directions. Kandon was out there doing The Most in terms of organizing troops for Gate Day, while Sally and Isoko were with Eliot and various other people, from the Builder's Guild with Rylan Drakemore, and the Terraforming Team with Emory Napp, to the Collective with Sir Galen Greene-Shield, were all working together to fortify the city. Even the command center was getting in on it.

They had all come together like that before every Gate Day, because there were final checks to make every month, on the 15th, but this month's checks were a lot bigger than before. Aurora was usually involved in those meetings in a 'make sure no one butts heads too hard' sort of way. This time General Aurora Valen, Spymaster Yoro, Sentinel Walter, and even Ambassador Iliandra Snowstepper were in one of the big meeting rooms, and Mark was joining them. Not by invitation, though.

Mark had sort of barged in here even while Aurora had been telling him to stay away. Analysts Quentin and Deedee were to the sides. They were not here in a talking role, but in an information-calling role, if needed. There was already lots of information on the screens all around the big room, but Yoro had pressed a button and flicked all the screens away, though he had done so a second after Mark had seen them. Mark would look at those screens later, thanks to Quark's recordings.

The doors were still open behind Mark. Aurora could push him back outside and calmly tell him to wait until the meeting was done. She didn't seem to be doing that. Right now she was just kinda pissed. Mark had kindly told her he was coming in, anyway. Aurora decided to take it all in stride and said, "Sure, Mark. We got about half an hour before the Second Princess shows and it seems I will not be allowed my anger at all today, so sure! Let 'em rip!"

The Ambassador of Aluatha stood, saying, "I believe I have assignments I need to—"" We never get to talk," Mark said, interrupting the ambassador in a very rude sort of way.

"So I'd love it if you would at least hear my questions out, Ambassador Snowstepper. I promise I'll make them quick." Walter snorted and leaned back in his chair, putting his big arms behind his head and waiting for whatever Mark was going to say, hoping it was something suitably angry against Aluatha. Mark imagined he would be happy with whatever he had to say. Yoro sighed and looked down, not wanting to be here. He remained where he was. Aurora frowned at Mark. It was a very directed frown.

Ambassador Iliandra Snowstepper lightly glared at Mark, saying, "You presume a great deal, Mister Careed." She sat down.

"Get on with it."" Thank you," Mark said.

"Please put the questions we talked about on the boards, Quark. I'll read them out. Question 1: Are we going to Total War with the goblins? Want me to suit up some elemental kaiju to go to town on Goblinhome?" The four of them had various reactions. Mark ignored those reactions for now." Question 2: Do we know who tried to assassinate me? For reference, I count 5 attempts today. #1 tram (corruption ooze???), #2 Teleport + #3 Goblin ambush (counting those as separate attempts since it's at least 2 parties involved there and only one party was green), #4 with the snipers (backup human-based plan), #5 with Grax's attempt at grabbing me and Goofy (that one is probably all goblin-based)." Question 3: Are we going to honor this information exchange with Goofy? What the fuck happened to him when I Union'd with Purity/Corruption? I would like to honor the agreement, for now, and if (when?) he turns evil then I will be killing him and working with Reeni/Rekaro to perma-kill him." Question 4: Why did the goblins say that I was a trade to First Prince Doomo?" Mark kept most of his anger out of his voice.

"What sort of trade?" And that's the major questions for today! I know that no one likes multi-parters, and I'm probably really… really fucking mad and not thinking straight. But there we go." Mark remained standing, but he reached back and closed the doors as he asked them all, "Any takers, for any parts of any of the questions at all? Where can we start?" Ambassador Snowstepper countered with a question of her own, that was more of a statement, "Tell me how you managed to turn off the goblins, first."

Mark's opinion of the ambassador plummeted." Oh please," Mark said, sitting down at the table.

"Going right for my big trick? And then Aluatha gets up to assassination attempt #6? Please, Iliandra. You could at least try telling me why the fuck Aluatha wants me dead, and then we'd be on better footing to talk with each other." Iliandra turned completely professional and soft-spoken as she said, "There is no even footing between individuals and Empire. Don't expect to get anywhere with that line of questioning. For your own sake, you should drop all of these talks of Doomo.

The First Prince would never sell out a major asset to the goblins at all, if you are, indeed, a major asset." She asked, "So are you a major asset, Mark? Or are you working for the goblins now, bringing one of their kind in here in preparation for an upcoming Gate Day massacre?" Mark was stunned to disbelief.

"Oh my gods. Wow. Is that the line you want to take with this, Iliandra?"" You're looking for an excuse to walk away," Iliandra said, "So I'm giving you one. Walk. Break contract and suffer the penalties financial, social, and all the rest. Or, answer my question."

"… Huh," Mark said, eyeing Iliandra. She seemed sincere. She was an ambassador, though. And somehow, Mark had tripped over from 'angry' to 'I see'. Maybe some sort of 'acceptance of what was to happen', too. Mark said, "So Doomo did try to kill me. Or set me up with the goblins. Probably a multi-prong thing there, right? If one plan failed then the others went into effect. I understand why he's scared now. I can turn him off, too. Especially if he tries to put me into an adamantium farm again?

Do I have that fear correct?" Iliandra calmly asked, "Are you threatening First Prince Doomo?"" Did he try to kill me?" Silence. Aurora was quiet. She hated every part of this. Yoro didn't want to be here. Iliandra stared, not answering. Not reacting. Her vector was perfectly focused. She was an ambassador, so of course her vector was immaculate, only showing what she wanted shown, which was 'nothing'.

But Walter shimmered with an absolutely radiant vector and a tiny grin on his face, as he said, "First Prince Doomo tried to trade you in exchange for Goblinhome packing up and leaving for D'Australia." He added, "Failing that, there were the assassination attempts. Not sure where the corruption ooze came from, but I bet it came from Xerkona directly. Not sure how that's connected, though! I'd love to find out." He asked, "Want to come to Okuana, kid?"

Mark breathed out, relaxing in the wake of firm knowledge that something was rotten in Aluatha. Everyone else had various reactions of 'oh gods, this is really happening now' to 'quiet rage'. … What sort of conversation had Mark actually barged into? Were they already discussing this before he got here? Oh shit. Maybe they were. That would explain why Aurora didn't want him to come in here. … Were they all complicit in his assassination attempts? Mark looked at them, deep as he could.

He didn't want to believe that they were complicit… and they didn't seem like they were. They were all mostly furious. Aurora looked to be in physical pain, but it was all emotional pain. Yoro was quietly furious, impotent, and furious at being impotent. Iliandra looked at Walter and said, "Aluatha rescinds your invitation into our lands, Sentinel Walter." With a golden voice, Walter told Iliandra, "The Church of Drakarok is coming for the Traitor of Humanity, First Prince Doomo Aluatha.

We're stripping him of his place in the hierarchy of the world, and if you protect him we will murder you, too—"" Everyone stand the FUCK down," Aurora said, standing—" Execute Walter," Iliandra said.

"That's a direct order, Aurora."" Fucking NO," Aurora said, glaring at Iliandra.

"The fuck is this, Iliandra?"" Mark has promised death against the Empire, and now you're standing with him, Aurora?" Iliandra stood calmly, saying, "Perhaps you aren't suitable as the general of this settlement project." Mark said, "I don't think that's Iliandra." It was a wild fucking guess. So off-the-wall that it made no sense. But they were stepping into insanity, so why not go full-bore into the depths? Yoro shook his head.

Aurora snapped her eyes to Iliandra, wanting to believe that this wasn't really happening, that maybe Iliandra was a changeling, but also, that she hoped Iliandra was not a changeling at all. They had been friends, or at least something like friends, and now they were at deep odds with each other, and Aurora hated every part of this. Iliandra had no compunctions at all about what needed to be done. She narrowed her eyes, just a fraction, and looked at Mark as she said, "The boy is cracked.

He cannot be allowed his freedom. Take him into custody—" Mark spoke to the others in the room, "I don't think an ambassador should act like that unless she's trying to start a war, and ambassadors should try to stop war above all else, right? Also, why are you so confident about Doomo, Walter? I have no idea what's going on here, except that I wish Walaria was here right now." Iliandra was quiet. She stared at Mark.

Walter answered, "I was there at the Half Table when Doomo talked with the goblins to try and prevent Total War. He implied that he would give you and Aurora over to them if they would move Goblinhome to D'Australia. They wanted Eliot, too. Doomo strongly denied the option of giving up Eliot, but he was open to trading you and Aurora. I never saw the conversations after that Half Table talk, but I see the actions unfolding here. They're trying to get rid of Aurora and you and the goblins, all at the same time.

Two superpowers traded away to end the goblin threat —which was an old Crime Against Humanity from Okuana; of that there is no doubt— would be a major win for Aluatha." And so, in the offering of souls to Enemies of Humanity, I name Doomo as a Traitor of Humanity, and offer amnesty to you, Mark. And your friends, and whoever wants to come. I was going to offer it to Aurora too, in private, but that one is a bit stickier." He looked to Iliandra, adding, "And that's still Iliandra. No doubt about that.

She's just being pressured in ways that she should not be pressured, and so she caved. She might not be Chosen by a god, but she was picked by Empire, and there is no way she was changeling'd. Her words, these actions are fully, completely Empire Aluatha's designs, right here and now." Aurora was stunned, but only because she truly hoped that Walter was lying, but she knew he wasn't. Mark was not stunned. He expected something like this. Maybe not as far as Walter was apparently willing to go. But yeah.

'Something' big was happening here, and now. And apparently Iliandra was still Iliandra. Not a changeling. A pity. Killing them all would have been easier than this muddy mess. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. Yoro sighed. He stood.

"I quit the Empire. Let's stay here in the settlement and fight them all." Walter instantly said, "Okuana will be the settlement's patron!" Aurora let out a primal, quiet, exhausted sound. The world vibrated around her, the table cracked and the lights flickered as light raged around her like the moving of a great monster, just beyond sight. And then she reeled it in, as much as she could." This is… is intolerable, Iliandra," Aurora quietly intoned, her voice full of suppressed rage.

"Did Doomo really… did he really?" She didn't want to finish the question. She didn't need to. Iliandra stood, which caused Mark and Yoro to stand, too, and now everyone was standing. Iliandra simply said, "Bow or be beheaded, Aurora." Mark scoffed.

"And don't mind that one leads directly to the other—" Maybe Mark would have said something else, maybe other people would have talked, but a small vector resolved in the hallway beyond the room, beyond the closed doors. Those doors softly opened, and Walaria stepped into the room. Bright red hair, bright red eyes. Pale skin. A lot shorter than Mark. Still an adult.

She looked 19 instead of her real age, which is how she had looked since the last time Mark had seen her, when she de-aged herself to be closer in age to Mark, for some reason. Mark still wasn't sure why she had done that. She was a force of nature. A fragment of reality-reinforcement, like someone had shored up the walls with incredibly dense spellworks, her vector soft, yet everywhere. This person was absolutely not an impostor at all. Mark still wasn't sure about Iliandra. Iliandra bowed.

Mark did not bow, and neither did Yoro, Aurora, and especially not Walter. Walaria simply said, "No one is rebelling today. I have had talks with my brother. He is backing off, and he should be sending you new orders, Ambassador Iliandra, whose boss is ultimately my brother. She is an ambassador after all, and Doomo is in charge of the political wing of the Empire." Walaria said that last part probably for Mark's benefit, since he was the only one surprised at that revelation. Walaria looked to Walter.

"Sentinel Walter, please rescind your ultimatum against my brother." Walter rhetorically asked, "Did he sell out Mark to some goblins?"" Yes, and he and I have had some words over it. He has stopped his assassins." Walaria said to Aurora, "He did not include you in the deal at all." She said to Mark, "You are safe from Aluatha, now." Mark glared.

"Even IF I forgave him, that doesn't excuse the people murdered at that outpost. The goblins killed those people because of Doomo's plans." Walaria replied, "Had Doomo's plan worked, we would be in a world where the goblins were gone from Aluatha's gates, all for the price of one anchor and a handful of soldiers. His plan did not work because he did not involve me, and yet, if he would have involved me, I would have told him 'no'. And so, we're here, in the shit.

I know you're already trying very hard, Mark, but try a bit harder to not let it annoy you into making rash, life-altering decisions in anger."" Anger is a terrible way to live a life, sure," Mark said, "But it also prevents one from being hurt by the same people over and over again." Mark looked directly into the depths of Walaria's kaiju-like eyes, and asked, "How many times can a solider's boss fuck them over before the boss gets a well-deserved shiv in back?

Will those soldiers' families even be compensated for the loss of life? Or will their deaths be shoved under a rug somewhere, marked down under the lie 'killed in enemy action'?" Iliandra was mortified. How dare Mark ask these questions of Empire? Mark wanted to stab her, too. Aurora was still furious, but her fury was giving over toward mortification, too, and then a sudden tiredness. Yoro was just tired. Walter hmm'd, and stood strong. Judgmental.

Walaria seemed almost offended, but not for any reason that Mark found normal. She said, "Of course the families will be compensated." Mark harped on the point, "Will the families ever know that their loved ones died to further corrupt ideals from a corrupt madman of a prince?"" No, they will not." Mark shook his head.

"They weren't safe. Their empire didn't care about them. Their empire doesn't care about me. How can you even claim I am safe now? That's a fucking lie. Why am I even here? Do I have a reason to be here, Walaria?"" Stay, and you deescalate. Leave, and you escalate." Walaria added, "And this Empire does care about you. You are an asset and you will remain one, if you choose to remain one."" Am I truly safe from you and yours, Walaria, if I choose to remain an asset?""

As much as anyone can be, but if you think you're ever truly safe anywhere then you have not been paying attention." Mark took a breath, then considered his previous thought about 'real enemies', and if the Empire was out to get him, or not. It turned out that at least one big name in the Empire was trying to 'get him', but less in an evil sort of way, and more in a soldier sort of way. Trading 1 life for countless lives. Did Mark hate Doomo for that? Well… yeah.

But it was less of a hate than Mark expected it to be. To spend soldiers' lives in the course of an ever-war? To end the war? … A part of Mark thought about willingly walking to the goblins, to get them to leave these lands forever. But then the rest of him was scoffing. Doomo expected goblins to actually adhere to such an agreement? An agreement that would put the goblins far from the humans they liked to prey upon?

Goblins were very, very stupid unless they got lucky in birth, or they were born from someone with some brains, meaning humans. Their preferred 'lacuna' was human, every single time. Goblins were obligate horrors. It really didn't matter if they were people. Even Goofy was an obligate horror. So expecting goblins to keep their word? Laughable. Mark asked Walaria, "What was Aluatha's plan when the goblins broke the agreement?" Walaria's eyes glittered red, only vaguely.

Her tone was serious as she said, "Then the Grand Witches get involved and we force the issue and they would be leaving these lands one way or another." Mark wondered if that would even work. He would ask Reeni. He moved on. Mark asked, "So we're going to Total War with Goblinhome and wiping them out, right?" Walaria asked, "So you would spend millions of lives instead of a few?" Mark had an idea.

"One person like me is worth a million, so why don't I just go myself and get some bigtime support— Me and Goofy. And whoever else wants to go. Eliot will film it, of course, and maybe Reeni or some other witches will help seal away and perma-kill the resurrecting goblins, and we'll rip Goblinhome away from this world, forever." By the end, Mark stood tall, serious. Aurora looked on with something like a small hope in her heart, but that hope was wrapped in hopelessness.

Yoro was pretty sure that the assassinations would continue, and they would get worse. Iliandra stayed out of it. Mark had no idea what she was really thinking. Walaria simply eyed Mark, her vector deep and elsewhere. Mark had no idea what she was thinking, either. She was certainly judging, though. Evaluating. Sentinel Walter said, "You can't trust them, Mark." Mark asked Walter, "Would Drakarok actually go after Doomo for the 'crime' of sending soldiers into a war to die for gains?

Because that's what he would tell the world. I can already see that happening." Walter said, "It would be your word and recordings of those crimes against his. You would have to stand tall for Retribution. Probably taller than ever before. If you don't then Drakarok cannot help as much as he wants to help."" Make no mistake, Walter," Mark said, "I'm speaking about the crime. But if I get what I want then I won't name names, directly." Walter frowned a little.

Second Princess Walaria asked, "What do you want, Mark?"" Everything," Mark added, "And I'll start with the truth of goblins." Walaria made a decision she had probably already made, long before this juncture, here. She said, "Forswear vengeance on Doomo, and that you will remain a soldier in good standing of Aluatha."" I won't physically hurt him, but if you expect me to treat him like he did nothing, then that ain't happening.""

What I expect is simple," Walaria began, her voice stronger, her vector focusing, but her demeanor was the same solid princess as always, "I expect you to be slightly more deferential, and for you to keep your hatred away from Doomo. Your reaction to 'murder whoever tried to assassinate you' is why there was a void rifle aimed at your head, should the goblins not take you. My brother made no effort to truly hide what he was planning. He went for boldness and he failed, and now we are here.

What I expect is for you to be a soldier. Gripe and complain about your superiors, even to their faces if you can get away with it, but treason is met with execution." Mark asked, "Do you know who did the tram assassination? I think that's the only one that isn't fully explained, yet." Every single person in that room wanted Mark to just shut up and walk away.

Mark almost talked about how Walaria had started off talking about how 'Mark was safe now' and then went on to say 'If you think you're safe, you're not paying attention.' But he doubted he would get to say that, now." I'm looking into it," Walaria answered.

"You're dismissed, soldier." Mark decided… To bow. Mark bowed, quickly, perhaps rudely, and then he left. The doors to the conference room shut behind him and Mark could still feel the vectors of everyone in there, but he was moving on. Not from the settlement; no. That would be an escalation. Mark did not want to escalate anything right now beyond what needed to be escalated.

Right now, he was still an asset, like Walaria had said, even though she had been less direct about Mark's safety the more he asked the question. Right now, things were 'okay'. The assassins were uncovered and neutralized… theoretically. Or at least 1 of them was… theoretically. The tram assassination now looked like something a lot different, maybe.

Maybe some sort of way to force Mark and the settlement and even Walaria into a higher state of alert, to get a bunch of things about the teleport test changed at the last second? Seemed likely. Highly likely. But it was also a real attempt on his life. The corruption ooze, a historically Xerkonan way to kill people who needed killing, was very real… Which meant… what? All Mark really knew was that he needed an exit strategy. Mark headed left, toward a window.

The window was not meant to open, but Mark opened it anyway, glass shattering, and then he went outside into the open air. He flew toward Inquisitor's Hall, not really knowing why. Quark beeped with a property destruction message and fine. Mark signed off on payment. It was a rather mundane thing that he did all the time, but right now it felt dirty. Mark hovered high in the sky, and held there.

He calmed himself down, breathing in the Good, breathing out the Bad, and then he asked, "Where are my team, Lola, and Rekaro, Quark?" Quark overlaid Mark's sight with dots in his vision and arrows to the sides of his vision, where people were behind him, or to the sides. Eliot, Sally, and Isoko were together, in the War District, at Eliot's manufacturing plant. Lola and Rekaro were together at Mage Society, maybe in Rekaro's office. Mark went toward Mage Society.