Mandat de l'impératrice des Cieux - Imperial Princess Troubleshooter Space Opera Quest

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Loyalty
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    • Sandakan
    Twenty Years Ago


    You crack open the soda can and hand it to Masa, opening your own can. Lord, you're certain this conversation will require beer at the least, but your mum's rules are very particular: no drinking until after dinner. You'll have to make do with cold soda.

    Well, like the Lord ordered: Honor thy father and thy mother.

    You take a sip, eyeing your best friend, and gesture at him. "Something's on your mind, Masa. Spill it."

    "I've been thinking, Johnny. Back then, we didn't have any power. We couldn't do anything. Hypothetically-"

    "Hypothetically, of course."

    "-hypothetically, since we've never had this conversation before-"

    "-we have never hypothetically discussed this hypothetical in the hypothetical past, yes."

    "-hypothetically, we've got friends, we've made connections. Hypothetically, if we were to do something… we'd have a chance to do this, Johnny."

    "Realistically, we have a hypothetical ghost of a hypothetical chance, Masa. We're warship captains, not squadron leaders, not fleet commanders. We don't have enough power to try anything. Even if we had all of 1st Fleet on our side, there's still the IRG and the rest of the loyalists. It'd be a pyrrhic victory at best. Hypothetically, best case scenario, we might carve out a small fief for ourselves, but that will never last. As corrupt and complacent as it is, the Throne will never tolerate a blatant challenge to its power. Hypothetically."

    "If upstarts like us could get away with seceding, it would give the Great Houses ideas," agrees Masa, and you give him a look.

    "See, this one you know also. Don't need me to be teaching you."

    "Hyung, what if winning wasn't the point? What if the fight itself was the entire point?"

    "If you'd asked me ten years ago, I'd have said yes. Five years ago, qualified yes. Today?" You sigh tiredly. "No. We've both got too much to lose."

    "Johnny, we're sitting in your dad's glorified doghouse. I'm okay with losing this."

    You snort and toss Masa a one-fingered salute, which he returns. "You know what I'm talking about, Masa. You have a kid. Not just any kid, the Heir Presumptive some more. She could do by living what we can't do by dying in a blaze of spite. Yes, I still think your mother's a piece of shit, and your sister's little better. Ten years ago I'd die for the chance to spit in that hag's eye, but I won't if it means Yui dies. Look me in the eye and tell me you're willing to throw away your daughter at a futile shot at revenge."

    The Prince of Akasha bristles at your words, and gathers himself to retort at you… and then he sighs, deflating, leaving you with Yui's Dad. "I hate them, Hyung. I hate them and I want to hurt them. But… but not if it means losing my daughter."

    "My brother," you say, clapping Masa on the back. "That's right. We're not dying to spite those bitches, we're living to protect Yui. Do we hate that hag and that bitch, sure. But we swore our oaths to the office of the Empress. We can be loyal to an office, and to our oaths, and to our brothers. And you never know: maybe our future Empress is in my mom's kitchen right now, prepping the reunion dinner." You tap your chest, pointing to your heart. "So let's bury all that hypothetical talk, all those thoughts. Let's go as far as we can go, do as much as we can do, and keep your daughter safe."

    "And while my royal sister's wish is our command, we'll just have to disappoint her by surviving Pattani, and every shithole she sends us to."

    "I'm so proud of you," you say, wiping away a pretend tear. "You've grown so well and become a fine young man, my work here is done. Oh, my baby, leng chai ah, I'm so proud of how I've raised you."

    Masa makes a shuddering noise, halfway between a sob and a laugh, and shakes his head. "Hyung, what happened to that firebrand I met, the guy who thought the Empire was rotten and needed to be burned out by the roots?"

    "He picked up a brother, a sister-in-law, and a niece, and grew old before his time taking care of them," you snark, though your tired tone and fond smile robs your words of a lot of their bite. "What happened to that clueless playboy I met?"

    "He picked up a wife, a daughter, and a brother, and learned to live for other people," says Masa fondly. He pauses thoughtfully, but whatever he would say is interrupted by your mum yelling to you: "Boys! Dinner time!"

    "Mum, we're having a heart to heart talk about stuff!" you yell back to the house.

    "You've had enough time to talk! Come inside now, we're tossing the yee sang!"

    You sigh and shake your head. "Coming!"

    Masa snickers. "Good grief, Johnny. You're how old and your mom still treats you like you're twelve?"

    "Excuse me, you also behave like you're twelve when you're with my mom. You ain't got room to talk, boyo."

    You both step out of the shed-doghouse, and head inside. This time next week, you and Masa will be in Pattani, doing your best to avoid dying in service to an Empress you disdain. But that's later. Next week is for disappointing Her Majesty.

    Tonight is for your family.
     
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    • Studying and Investigation Review
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    • [X] Crisis Management


    Social Decorum: 2/20 Unskilled     (+1)
    Political Etiquette: 5/20 Unskilled (+1)
    Constitutional Law: 2/20 Unskilled (+1)
    Crisis Management: 4/20 Unskilled (+4)
    Governance: 1/20 Unskilled (+1)


    - 女王之天命 -​

    Deciding which aspect of Ahri's education to focus on is a difficult question, because all five aspects are valid choices. True, when reigning as Empress, Ahri will be a leader, and at the highest tiers, a leader's personal expertise becomes less crucial: their job is to leverage subject matter experts, not to be experts themselves. It would also be hypocritical to demand of Ahri something you yourself can't achieve. But even so, you want her to at least have a working knowledge of her required skills.

    You decide that for the next three months, she's going to focus on Crisis Management as her priority. At least, within the short term, she'll have two subjects in which she's made tangible progress. Once she's finished studying, and once you get a better feel for what Ahri needs to prioritise, you'll work up a more thorough semester schedule for her.

    Ahri is markedly less than enthused about your decision.

    "But why, onee-sama?" she protests. "Isn't that why I have you?" I'd rather study something else is her unspoken statement.

    "Because, Ahri, you still need to achieve a minimum level of competence in all these five aspects of rulership," you reply, gently but firmly. "Yes, as a leader, your personal skill is less relevant than your ability to manage your staff. But you need to know enough."

    "Do I really, Onee-sama? Can't I just study etiquette and leave the rest to my staff?"

    "I'm reminded of something Fleet Admiral Bao Ling wrote: once an Admiral wears stars, she must abandon her previous branch affiliation, becoming all things to all foxes."

    "...I don't understand."

    You sigh. You've been doing a lot of that, lately. "My point, Ahri, is that as Empress, while you are managing and leveraging your staff, you still need to know enough to know when to delegate, when to step in, and how to assess the results your staff bring you. This is non-negotiable. After this quarter, we'll assess your performance and then reevaluate the direction of your studies, but right now, this is what you need to do."

    "I don't like it," she says petulantly, and your lips curl.

    "As Grandma Naomi told me, life is full of things you don't like that you have to do. You just have to get it done and over with, and then it's done."

    "It's not fun," she sighs petulantly.

    "It's not," you agree. "If service was fun, it wouldn't be service. We sacrifice our desires on the altar of service."

    Reluctantly, Ahri nods.


    - 女王之天命 -​


    "And here you were, afraid she was too obedient!" laughs Princess Natasha.

    "I'm actually a little relieved," you tell your mother, snuggling against her fluffy tails, wrapped in her loving embrace. "Goddess, Mummy, I don't know how you managed it."

    "I'm still making it up as I go along, Sayang. Parenting never really ends. Besides, any advice I give you wouldn't really work. You're easy mode, sayang."

    You blush, embarrassed yet pleased. "I don't think so-"

    "Listen to your mummy, sayang," she says, pinching your cheeks.


    - 女王之天命 -​


    " Walau( Your dad) eh do I even look like someone who can give you childrearing and education advice? Hello, childless bachelor here. Ah girl you siao( crazy) ah? Si mi lan jiao( cock) I'm a college dropout who went Navy because kenot( cannot) find job, what la you this. Eh you don't sohai( idiot) please, can or not?"

    "Uncle Johnny, you're the third parental figure in my life and you have your Masters."

    "Don't talk cock( talk nonsense) lah wei-"

    You bring up his convocation photo and wave it in his face. For good measure, you pull up that old video and wave your phone at him some more: Uncle Johnny, twenty five years younger, reading to you.

    "This is Spot. Spot is a dog. See Spot. See Spot run. Run, run, run."

    Your uncle opens his mouth to continue shitposting-

    And then he sighs and rolls his shoulders. "Alright, alright, I'll cut the shitposting. Her Majesty asked if I would make breakfast with her a regular thing. I'm thinking of saying yes."

    You give Uncle Johnny a raised eyebrow. He shrugs. "What can I say? I'm a loyal naval officer. The Empress commands and we obey."

    You give him a look. "I remember I had to work harder to persuade you the first time."

    "I'll admit to being flattered by her request. Me, asked for personally by the Empress. You don't get that every day." His sardonic grin softens. "Besides, I told you I'd help, ah girl," he replies, sipping his tea. "Between your dad, your mum and me, I think we did a good job with you - more so your mum and dad, of course - so if there's anything I can do to help the Empress, I'll do it. My one stipulation is that we mix things up a bit, don't have me always coming to the palace. Take her to your house for the weekend sometimes - it's less eyebrow-raising for me to visit my goddaughter's house than it is for Sir Yonatan to visit Her Majesty's palace. Something like that."

    "Why not your house, Uncle?" you ask, knowing full well what he's going to say.

    "Yui, please," he shakes his head chidingly. "I have enough rifles to outfit a squad. You have absolutely zero guns. It's so much easier on all of us if we go to your house. I don't want to have to pack up my guns and keep them away." He grins cheekily. "Besides, your house means you're the host, which means you have to layan me."

    "I'm holding a cup of hot tea, my hand might suddenly spasm," you warn him.

    "Please don't. For your sake. Ri-Sumeragi will not be happy that you spilled her tea."

    "...it is good tea," you allow. As a flag officer, you can appreciate very well an adjutant who makes an excellent brew. As a former adjutant, you feel a stab of professional jealousy at how her tea's so much better than yours.

    "You're still my favorite adjutant," Uncle Johnny says, gently patting your shoulder.

    "Thank you."


    - 女王之天命 -​


    You close your eyes, and when you open them, three months have passed you by. You're shocked at how fast the year went by.

    Ahri has gotten down to studying, and she's put in the work. You can see improvement, not just from her studies, but also from her sessions with Uncle Johnny. Your godfather is firm but caring, kind yet no nonsense. His protestations aside, he's good for her. What you'd hoped for is coming to pass: he's helping to draw her out of her shell, being a male role model in her life (and, perhaps, another pseudo-parental figure to accompany you). She's still Unskilled, but at least she's making progress. But at the rate she's going...you're not sure she'll be ready in time. You make a mental note to revise her study plans, you want to be sure she's as prepared as you can make her-

    -but you have to table that for now, because Daniel is back from Fenghuang space, investigating SA-Caledfwlch.


    - 女王之天命 -​


    Daniel's report isn't as promising as you'd hoped. He gives you the highlights: the team has spent the last three months getting situated, observing SA-Caledfwlch leadership, slowly trying to develop HUMINT sources amongst the dock workers, surreptitiously mapping out facility spaces. Operating underground, trying to stay under the radar, limits the actions that the team has been able to take.

    "In the end, all I can say for sure, Your Highness, is that the yards are busy. Workers are spending money in the bars and buying new vehicles, overtime is being freely granted, and the general mood of the workforce that we've sampled is tired but positive. We know that there's a lot of work going on in the yards, but we don't know where that work is coming from. We're still working on developing HUMINT sources, as well as other intelligence gathering methods."

    "It doesn't seem like much to show for three months of work," you muse disappointedly, and Daniel nods.

    "I'm afraid so, and I apologize, ma'am. The past three months were, essentially, foundational work. The silver lining is that's all done, we can start crawling forward through the maze."

    "Interesting analogy. Which brings us to the next point: you suggested that we revisit the investigation when you returned. I want to hear your recommendation."

    "I believe we should continue the investigation, ma'am. It's a marathon, not a sprint. The question remains for how much longer do you want to continue running the investigation, and who should be running it. Time is our greatest enemy. I believe we'll need another three months at least, more likely six. At the very worst case, we may be looking at any time between twelve to thirty six months."

    "I presume you're not in favor of going back to investigate?"

    "As an intelligence specialist, my natural inclination is to see through the investigation," he agrees. "But I'm your Equerry, ma'am. My place is here, running your staff, and developing your personal intelligence team. I need to be here to support you. I will follow your orders, but I don't like leaving the investigation out of my hands, or on leaving you hanging."

    "If you were to pull out now, would the investigation stall out?"

    "I'd say it's a fifty-fifty chance, ma'am. Major Yamashiro and her team are still there and assisting with the investigation. I'm not sure whether IRG command will continue to sideline a Tier One team for an indefinite period of time."

    "Tier One?" you say, raising an eyebrow. Daniel nods.

    "I'm convinced of it, ma'am. They don't make a big deal of it, but the way her team operates, the way her shooters behave and carry themselves… they're not just special forces, they're a cut above."

    "Interesting. I wasn't expecting the IRG to send a Tier One asset. I think we can be confident Major Ueda is capable of running the investigation," you say, to which Daniel nods. "How bad would it be if we left her in charge of the investigation?"

    Daniel pauses, carefully choosing his words. "I'm not concerned with Major Ueda's competence. My concern is that she won't have the same… purpose, behind her investigation. And ultimately, leaving the investigation in her hands means that we will be beholden to the Imperial Royal Guard. We'll only get what information the IRG deigns to share with us."

    "A valid point, but in the worst case, we can rely on Her Majesty for assistance if the IRG proves intransigent," you muse. "This investigation is, afterall, proceeding on verbal orders of the Empress. I don't think we will get too much resistance from the IRG - they'll also want to look good in front of Her Majesty. But I'll have a word with our IRG liaison, Major Nakahara. And if need be, with the Commanding General."

    Daniel nods, noncommittally. "In that case, Your Highness, as I see it, there are several options to consider. The first is for me to return to continue to run the investigation. You can have full confidence that things will progress, but I'll be away from your side, and unable to support you.

    "Another option is to accept the reality that we have to leave the investigation in Major Ueda's hands. She's capable, no doubt, but it does mean that whatever intelligence we receive will be, at the very least, slanted by the IRG's focuses and biases, and there's a chance they could miss things; her team's not Fleet, ma'am, not like we are.

    "I personally believe that now is the best time to expand our investigation team. Rather than expending all of our strength on a single task, we could expend a third of our strength on a task. Once the team has been expanded, we could then have more flexibility in acting." He hesitates, then shakes his head. "As I see it, these are the options you have, ma'am."

    "There's something else you're not telling me, Daniel," you say calmly. "I'd like to hear it."

    "It's nothing, ma'am. At least, I can't be sure it's something."

    "Nevertheless, Captain, I'd like to hear it.

    Daniel purses his lips, and withdraws a sealed ziploc bag from his briefcase, handing it to you. "This was sent to my house, addressed to me."

    You pick up the bag: inside it is a handwritten letter on a sheet of A4 paper. It's short and to the point:

    To Captain Daniel O'Farrel,

    The ancestors say that one should never serve two mistresses, but there are those who fail to heed that wisdom. Consider this a demonstration of my bonafides. I'll not spoon-feed you, but I'll point you to the river. It's your choice if you want to drink before the river runs dry.

    Once you've established my information is good, follow my instructions. Let's do business.

    Your mistress will appreciate what I have to offer.

    Stuck to the bottom of the letter are two post-it notes: one with instructions for a dead drop to contact the sender (and that gives you a raised eyebrow: analog methodology in a digital world), and one with a string of letters and numbers: a Navy serial number. You feel your blood run cold at that realisation.

    "It's handwritten, no signature, no return address, no obvious identifying marks on the paper. The envelope has all the correct postal stamps, but I haven't been able to verify that this letter was actually sent via the postal service." Daniel frowns. "I still don't know what to make of it."

    "What does this letter sound like, to your ears?"

    "They're implying that someone in the Navy is selling secrets and this lead is time-sensitive," says Daniel reluctantly. "I'm not sure this anonymous lead is worth following, ma'am. It could simply be an elaborate prank. Or, more sinisterly, it could be an attempt to discredit us by baiting us into investigating an innocent naval officer."

    "Or they could be telling the truth."

    "Or that. To be able to verify for sure, I would need to investigate…"

    "And if someone's trying to bait us, you'll be walking right into their trap."

    "I'm afraid so, ma'am. It's why I haven't investigated the dead drop yet."

    A dilemma, to be sure. So many things to do, but only one thing that you can do at this time. Choosing one means sacrificing - or at least postponing - the others. Resuming the investigation removes Daniel from you for the duration. Expanding the investigation team sacrifices being able to act now for being able to do more in the future. Investigating this anonymous lead is time-sensitive, but it could be a trap.


    Where will you utilise Daniel?

    [ ] Resume the SA-Caledfwlch Investigation
    [ ] Expand your investigation team
    [ ] Investigate the anonymous lead


    - 女王之天命 -​
     
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    • (NSFW) Resist & Escape
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    • You're starting to reconsider the life choices that have led you to this point. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but here you are: Naked. Handcuffed to a chair. Futilely trying to free yourself with a lockpick. A captive in your own house, lorded over by the fox that shares your bed and tilts you every second. Regret, regret, regret.

    Then Amagi Ri-Sumeragi walks into view and your regrets vanish.

    Her entire existence is tilt, but she's taken things to a new level. She strides forward confidently, powerfully, like an empress, wearing only a crimson haori trimmed with black and gold, the symbol of her position as a member of Great House Sumeragi. The silk haori is clasped by a gold brooch resting in the valley between her breasts, barely covering her, and your eyes track down to her favorite pair of black lace panties, brazenly on display. Your mouth runs dry as she brushes her cheek and traces the shape of her neck and breasts, circling her nipple. She leans against you, giving you a wonderful view of her cleavage, a view you can never tire of.

    "Well now, Johnny," she smirks, "I hope you've had time to come to the correct answer to my question."

    You almost surrender then and there, but barely manage to regain the presence of mind to resist. "No, Maggie. I'm not telling you what I got you for Christmas."

    "I have ways to make you talk, Darling," she laughs, eyeing your cock. "Your only hope is to free yourself before it's too late."

    "Okay look Maggie, first, Christmas is months away, and second, interrogating me for your present is not going to work. All you need to know is you have a present and I will give it to you on Christmas D-ayyyeeei!"

    It's happened so many times before, but you're still embarrassed at how you squeak every time she touches you.

    "You can't resist me, Darling," she purrs, caressing your leg. Her hand trails up to your back, and you shiver as she draws close, her lips inches away, her hand tracing patterns on your back. "You'll tell me what my present is. Or stay here in torment."

    "No," you say determinedly, working the lockpick. "I'm freeing myself." Maggie laughs and draws back, daintily resting her knee against your cock.

    "Tick-tock, you're on the clock," your tormentor tells you. Her husky, sexy voice sends shivers up and down your spine. Despite yourself, you can feel yourself hardening, at the sound of her voice, at the scent of her hair.

    "There's no reason to make this hard on yourself," she smiles, caressing your brow. You stifle a start and an involuntary moan as her beautiful fingers touch you, running through your hair. "Tell me what I want to know, and I'll release you."

    "We both know that's a lie," you gasp, straining against your handcuffs. "I may be naked, handcuffed to this chair, but I still have my pride! The Imperial Navy does not give in to bullying!"

    "Even this?" she asks, and the inhumanly beautiful fox turns, bends over, and brushes her tails against you, touching your knees, your thighs, your sides, your chest, your cheeks, your face, filling your nose with her scent. You shoot forward, trying to bury your face in that tantalising fluffness, jerking the chair forward-

    -and you feel that little piece of metal slip past your fingers. Damnit, Johnny.

    "Ah, shit. Timeout, Maggie," you say, wincing at the bitter taste of defeat in your mouth. The shifting tails stiffen, then sway in resigned annoyance.

    "You dropped the pick again, didn't you?"

    "I dropped the lockpick again," you admit defeatedly, and Maggie sighs and stands up. She turns around, and you sigh regretfully as her gloriously beautiful tails depart from view.

    "Really, Darling. Bad enough you've been struggling at this for far too long, how are you ever going to free yourself if you get captured?"

    "Maggie, please, I'm the Third Star Lord. Who's going to kidnap me on the capital? If I'm going to get kidnapped, it's gonna happen when I'm on an inspection tour on the frontier, which means they got past my detail. Anybody who can take out my detail and snatch me... Basically, anybody who can do that? There's no way I'm escaping from them on my own."

    "Hm."

    "Oh come on," you complain. "That was a really good point, you gotta give me that."

    "I have a counter-argument for you, Darling. I'm not going to let you out of your cuffs. That's all on you. Take responsibility for your situation."

    "I have a meeting with Hood at 1000 tomorrow."

    "Excellent, that gives you a little under twelve hours to free yourself." She smirks smugly at you and turns around, sashaying away. You call out to her.

    "Maggie please, as my adjutant you have a duty and responsibility to get me to my meetings on time."

    Her tails twitch in the way that tells you she's laughing at you. She turns, looking over her shoulder, hand on her hip, giving you a tantalising glimpse of leg through her silk haori's slit. "Johnny. Fulfilling that duty merely requires that I deliver you to the First Star Lord in presentable condition. So long as I do that, I can leave you all night long, while I am lying. In. Bed. Naked." Her smug look takes a sultry edge. "Imagine it, Johnny. You. Me. In bed. Naked. Together. You hold the key to your release."

    It's not the first time you've slept in a chair. You've done it before, you can do it again. You spent your entire life being sexually repressed and riding out blue balls; you've done it before, you can do it again. You can resist this fox's spell on you, you truly can...

    ...But you don't want to, and you know this is a battle you've lost, so you sigh and contritely say, "Forgive me, my lady, but I beg your favor to loan me another lockpick, that I might prove myself worthy of offering my devotion to you."

    "Excellent answer, peasant," she declares haughtily, but you can see her tails and know she's still laughing at you. Her hand trails up from her hip, tracing her curves, ending at the gold brooch nestled between her breasts, the only thing that's barely keeping her haori secured. She removes the brooch and plants her knee between your legs, brushing against your manhood, as she leans forward, unheeding of how her haori falls open, displaying her charms to you. Her fingers touch your arm, trailing a path down to your hands, gently depositing her brooch in your fingers. Her lips brush against your cheek, and you inhale sharply as she whispers in your ear: "Try again, darling."

    You try again, using the point of the brooch, working it into the handcuffs-

    And you nearly drop the brooch when she kisses you, on the opposite cheek; again, to your brow; again, to your throat; again, to your shoulder; again, on your lips. She sits in your lap, rubbing against you, making you well aware of how she's wearing only a tiny sexy pair of lace panties under her Great House Sumeragi haori.

    "You can do it, Johnny," she urges you. "Fight through the distraction and pick your cuffs. Resist. Escape."

    "Maggie this isn-"

    She captures your lips, her tongue snaking in, and you counterattack, your tongue meeting hers, duelling in your linked mouths. It's a sensory riot: her taste, her feel, her scent, the way she presses against you, your sensitive cock hardening as it brushes against her legs, her hands clinging to your back; it's too much, far too much, and you can barely focus enough to keep working at your cuffs, resisting the urge to just drown yourself in her wave.

    Lord have mercy.

    Your fingers slip and you emit a frustrated cry as you feel the brooch slipping through your fingers-

    -and her fingers close over yours, catching the brooch, dropping in your fingers. "Try again, darling," she whispers, seductive and encouraging and demanding, and you groan and try again, fumbling away at your cuffs. "Remember what I taught you," Maggie purrs, as she trails a finger up and down your chest, drawing circles over your pubic mound, and you jerk and squirm from the stimulation. You can feel pressure growing in your back, feel caterpillars running up and down your spine, the sensations so strong it's almost painful-

    "You can do it, darling," she whispers, stroking your head. She caresses your back and the pressure subsides, the caterpillars slowing at her touch. She kisses you and you kiss her back in a light-headed haze-

    You feel, not hear, the brooch slipping out, falling from your fingers, hitting the floor, and you snarl in frustration. Maggie strokes your head and kisses your chin. "Try again," she encourages you, planting kisses on the way to your ear. "Keep trying, darling." She draws herself down, sliding against your body. Her breath is hot against your cock as she reaches for the floor, picking up her brooch. Her hand is soft as it envelopes your cock, and you feel an irrational spike of fear as her mouth opens wide-

    And she licks her lips and affectionately, fondly, lovingly kisses your cock, your mons, your navel, swirling her tongue around your nipples, kissing her way back up to your lips. "Try again, darling," she says, smiling beatifically at you, as she turns around. She leans back against you, her glorious wonderful tails brushing against you.

    You most certainly do not squeak like a little boy as her divine softness engulfs you.

    "Johnny," she purrs. "If you can escape before I make you cum, you can use my tails to get off."

    "That's sacrilegious. Degenerate. D-dep-praved," you stammer hoarsely, even as your cock gets painfully harder.

    "That wasn't a no, Darling. You're my degenerate. Own it. Don't repress yourself. Performance deserves a reward. Perform."

    You're the third in command of the Imperial Navy, you are most certainly not whimpering in dismayed excitement.

    Lord have mercy.

    Maggie stands up, and you breathe a sigh of relief and close your eyes, feeling the handcuffs, testing the lock, working the brooch-

    And pleasant warmth engulfs your cock and you groan and open your eyes. You look down into Maggie's smug royal blue eyes, as she expertly tenderly fellates you. "Maggie," you groan desperately. "Maggie."

    She releases your cock, licks her lips, and parts her haori. She engulfs your cock with her breasts, smiles smugly at you, and licks her nipple, and you nearly cum then and there.

    "Don't give up now, Johnny," she purrs. "Your reward is on the line. I'm betting on you."

    Those words make you irrationally happy. You redouble your efforts, picking at the lock, testing, pushing, desperately trying to free yourself. Maggie kicks things into high gear. You squirm and groan and focus through the haze of pleasure, driven to a frenzy physically and mentally-

    And your world turns upside down, it's like you're falling off a cliff, your head spinning, falling down and down and down into that pillowy softness, giving yourself completely into heretical rapture-

    Your mind goes blank, you see stars. Time ceases to have any meaning for you. It takes you a while to realise you're the source of those panting breaths you hear, and you groan as Maggie's breasts coax the last drops of your load out. You've made a mess on her chest, a depraved abstract painting; she tsks and shakes her head, smirking. Smugly, she coats a finger with your cum and draws your initials above her breast, and you swallow as you feel yourself reacting to that sight. She pops that finger into her mouth, sucking it off erotically, and she sighs dramatically.

    "Johnny. Whatever shall I do with you, darling?"

    In one brief moment of exhausted clarity, you find the center, and press in. With a click, your handcuffs pop open, and you tiredly groan in relief. Maggie just shakes her head, dramatically disapproving.

    "Well, that was a slight improvement. But still, not good enough. Discounting your false starts, you're still taking too long, Darling. Unsat. Failed to meet standard."

    You lift your trembling hands, bringing them to your lap, your fingers stiff and numb. Maggie reaches out one beautiful hand, and you sigh happily as you intertwine your fingers. You inhale and exhale, taking deep breaths, calming your racing heartbeat. Unsat? Failed to meet standard? If it's so easy, you do it yourself!

    "And so I shall," she declares, and you sigh, realising you said that aloud again.

    She's kneeling on the floor, disheveled, her chest painted with your cum, her haori undone and barely hanging on- but despite that submissive posture, despite the worshipful look in her eyes, you don't feel in control at all. And then Amagi Ri-Sumeragi smirks and stands and immediately seizes the upper hand from you. It's amazing, the way she always keeps you on the back foot, lording it over you in your own home. You're a Fleet Admiral, the Third Star Lord, surely you rate this vixen fawning over you?

    "That would be boring, Johnny," she purrs, staring down at you. She's physically shorter than you, but her presence fills the room as she draws herself to her full height, spreading her tails behind her. She shrugs languidly and the haori flows down her back. You rise, your mouth dry, stepping aside as she sits on that chair as if it were the Imperial Throne. She crosses her legs, and you're struck by her poise: she is naked save for a tiny pair of panties, wearing your cum on her chest, your initials painted above her breast, and yet she is confident, poised, powerful. An empress - no, a goddess seated on her throne, awaiting the devotion of her worshiper.

    "Clean me," the fox-goddess commands, pointing at the abandoned haori. You pick it up, and wipe her inhumanly beautiful body, ruining the ultra-expensive silk with your fluids. Half of you is horrified at the decadent wastefulness - that haori's worth as much as a luxury SUV! The rest of you feels savage glee at twisting a symbol of Great House Sumeragi into a common cleaning rag.

    Maggie's eyes flutter closed, and she permits herself a sigh of pleasure as you clean her body, as the silk glides across her breasts, as you thoroughly wipe her down. You withdraw all objections to costs.

    Her royal blue eyes open, locking onto you, and she gives you a meaningful look and raises her hands. You move to stand behind her, leaning past her tails, drinking in the beautiful sight of her bare back, cuffing her hands. You stand in front of her and swallow. Her beauty is inhuman. Divine. She sits there, exposed to you, without a care in the world, while you just want to shrivel up into a ball and hide your loathsome body from the world.

    She smirks and thirstily, smugly, licks her lips, and you marvel at how her divine perfection could ever long for your mortal ugliness.

    "We'll start the clock from the first lick."

    "As you wish, Amagi-sama." You kneel before her and reach for her hips. She parts her legs, and you slide her panties down, discarding the scrap of tilting cloth at her feet. You inhale deeply, drinking in her scent, and crawl forward. You kiss your way up from her ankles, worshipping her legs, traveling from her calves to her thighs to her mos. You rest your cheek against her belly, and your wife makes a soft, unidentifiable sound. "My brooch," she commands, and you mimic her earlier action, trailing a path down her arms to her hands, gently depositing the brooch in her fingers. You draw back and look into the goddess' eyes. Neither of you need words. As one, you move together. You can see her hands shifting as she works the lock. She spreads her legs wider and leans back, and you descend to her lips like a man drinking from a hose. Her scent fills your mind, and you struggle on light-headedly, the only thought in your mind being to pleasure the beautiful fox who shares your home. You lick, suckle, kiss. You devour her pussy, tonguing her clit, your hands traveling up and down her body, stimulating her erogenous zones. She moans lustily and squirms. You are a bee, drinking of her flower's sweet nectar, driving her to-

    A hand caresses your head, running through your hair, and you look up.

    With a supremely self-satisfied look on her face, Maggie calmly displays the unlocked handcuffs to you. You kneel there, looking up dumbly at her. All you can do is sigh long-sufferingly.

    Maggie doesn't say a word; she doesn't need to. She just looks you in the eye, drops her brooch by your knee, and cuffs herself. She slides forward, kneeling before you, legs spread, wearing only a smug, indulgent smile, licking her lips lasciviously.

    "My lord," she purrs. "I am your spoils. Enjoy me as depravedly as you wish. I am completely at your mercy. Use me."

    You sigh. You know what she's doing, she's throwing you a bone. She's taking pity on you. It stings your pride, to be sure, but you won't refuse what she's offering. Still…

    You spy the lockpick lying on the floor and lean past Maggie, picking it up, enjoying how she twists her body to rub her breasts along your arm. You palm the lockpick, hiding it under your tongue, and reposition before her, meeting her expectant gaze. When you kiss her, it's like you're melting against her, your tongues fervently caressing each other, drinking of each other. Your mind is filled with no thoughts but of her and you kiss her desperately, passionately, longingly. You're panting when you release the kiss, and to your gratification you see Maggie's face is as flushed as yours, her tails wagging in excitement. Naked, kneeling, hands behind her back, brazenly displaying her inhuman beauty to you, Maggie is such a sight that your mouth is dry with desire, and it takes you a few moments before you can swallow and try to speak… which is when you realise that you swallowed the lockpick. You stifle your sigh, and lean forward to pick up Maggie's brooch-

    "Darling?"

    "Yes, Maggie?"

    "Did you swallow the lockpick?"

    "...I don't know what you're talking about."

    "Johnny."

    You meet Maggie's eyes, sighing. "We both know the answer to that."

    She doesn't laugh, not out loud, but her tails are shaking in that way that tells you she's howling at the moon. You just sigh and shake your head ruefully. You kiss Maggie again, maneuvering both yourselves to a standing position. Carefully, reverently, you guide your wife to the chair, seating her. She gives you a quizzical look.

    "I'm at your mercy, my lord," she reminds you." "For you to indulge yourself with, to depravedly enjoy."

    "I know," you tell her, and you press the brooch into her hands, angling the point into the handcuff lock. As understanding blossoms on her pleased face, you give her a small nod.

    You kneel between her legs and you worship your goddess, wholly focused on offering her your devotion, all thoughts driven out of your head, save one:

    Oh shit, what am I getting her for Christmas?
     
  • View discussion
    • Recruitment Planning
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    • [X] Expand your investigation team


    You consider your three options, to have Daniel personally resume the SA-Caledfwlch investigation, expand your investigation team, or to investigate the anonymous lead. All of these are worthwhile choices, but you can only pick one option, and you have to act judiciously.

    You reject resuming the SA-Caledfwlch investigation; while you'd much prefer to have Daniel running that assignment as his loyalty to you is unquestionable, he's right; you need him here and he's been away from you for too long. You'll just have to roll the dice on Major Yamashiro and her team. You might not fully like it, but you'll just have to deal with it. That's life.

    Choosing between expanding the investigation team and investigating the anonymous lead is less straightforward. Both options have compelling reasons behind them. The anonymous lead is implied to be time-sensitive… but that could also be maskirovka to entice you into a trap. In terms of sensitivity, in critical importance, the lead is so much more critical than expanding your investigation team, but if you don't spend the time to expand your team now, when will you get the time to do it? The middle of the next crisis would be the worst time to do that.

    You sigh, and then sit up, your decision made. "Daniel," you command. "I want you to focus on expanding the investigation team. I still think that the lead is something worth following up on, but we can't be running from one fire to the next. There will never be a perfect time; we don't get to put the Empire in refit and then use that time for training up. Let's move forward with expanding our team. And while we're at it, I want to recruit two investigation team leaders, so that in the worst case, we can have three active investigations ongoing."

    "Yes, ma'am," nods Daniel. "I've already made some preliminary enquiries to that effect. I'll assemble dossiers for you, with my choices." He hesitates, considering. "There's something to consider, Your Highness. How long do you want me to spend on recruiting efforts?"

    "Not too long, but long enough," you say. "We need to be quick about this, but at the same time, I want to get things right on the first shot."

    "Get it right the first time, every time," muses Daniel, quoting one of Fleet Admiral Chew's favorite maxims. "I already have a pool of promising candidates. I'll proceed to vetting them and then approaching them and making the pitch. I'll work with Kitakami on the hiring packages, then present you the budget and paperwork for your review next week while I vet the candidates."

    "A solid plan, Daniel. Let's get it done."


    - 女王之天命 -​

    You spend the next week reviewing Ahri's work, and thinking about her study plans for the next months. Following Uncle Johnny's suggestion, you bring Ahri to your house for a long weekend, a chance to get out of the palace and stretch her legs: a reward for being obedient and doing her work. An opportunity for her to relax and rest, to spend the day by the pool and take a break from being Empress Meigyoku, where she can just be Ahri, visiting her cousin Yui.

    As promised, Uncle Johnny comes to visit. Your black and red three-piece draws a raised eyebrow from him. "Huh. I had even odds you'd be wearing a Navy swimsuit."

    "Mummy persuaded me, and Ahri likes it," you shrug.

    "Likes it so much she got a matching swimsuit," he muses. "That's a message, isn't it? Usually women can't abide wearing the same dress as another woman."

    "It's a social dominance thing, and if you're wearing the same dress as your rival, you're liable to be mistaken for her."

    "Hence wearing a different dress every time. Or bikini." He purses his lips. "Her ribs aren't as prominent as before."

    "She's eating a bit better now. It's a slow process."

    "Ame-no-Mihashira wasn't built in a day," he agrees. "Alright, I'll go setup and start prep."

    "Didn't you bring a swimsuit? Spend some time in the pool, I know you love swimming."

    "Yui, please," scoffs your godfather. "Nobody wants to see me in a swimsuit. I myself don't want to see me in a swimsuit. You carry on and have fun, and I'll call you when it's time to start cooking."

    You spend the rest of the day in the pool, only coming out with Ahri when Uncle Johnny calls you to cook early dinner, putting on a poolside barbeque. He's right that he isn't the most skilled or accomplished chef, he's certainly not at the caliber of the staff at Huangshan Palace… and yet there is a satisfying homey comfort in his food, as he cooks for you and Ahri. Peanut butter honey toast, grilled sausages, grilled tomato and bacon rolls, meat and vegetable skewers, garlic butter enoki mushrooms wrapped in foil, butter rice with a dollop of soya sauce, steaks… it's nothing fancy or earth shattering. You've all had better food.

    But it tastes wonderful, because it's being made by someone who loves you. You can tell Ahri feels the same way, quietly sniffling as she takes a bite. Uncle Johnny pretends not to notice as you hold her hand and she dabs at her eyes with a napkin.

    You'll let yourself cry later. When she doesn't need you to be strong for her anymore.

    Ahri definitely enjoyed this small staycation, and Uncle Johnny's acquired taste has grown on her, as you knew it would. You can see her relaxing in his presence, hanging off his every word as he teaches her how to cook, as he shares stories of his younger years with Daddy, his patience as he guides her through failed attempts, encouraging her to do better.

    His startled, surprised look of pleasure when Ahri accidentally calls him "Uncle Johnny", is a moment you'll treasure forever.


    - 女王之天命 -​


    The weekend ends, alas, and you have to return to work. Ahri resumes her studies, and Daniel presents you with his planning.

    "I have a preliminary list of candidates of varying specialities. On paper, they all look good, and I'm reasonably confident in them. What I need a decision on is how long to spend on the vetting process, Your Highness.

    "A thorough vetting of all candidates would take at least three months, no later than six in total at most. This would let me thoroughly investigate all candidates and be sure that I've identified all red flags, if any. I would also be able to generate additional candidates for the pool within that timeframe.

    "Alternatively, I could spend four to six weeks on expedited vetting of the candidates. The advantage is that we could get the teams up and running sooner, but I might not catch any red flags." He purses his lips thoughtfully. "The shorter vetting period also means that anonymous lead's trail might not yet have gone cold, should you still wish for me to investigate that."

    "What about mixing the duration and thoroughness of effort?" you ask Daniel. "I want you to be thorough, but we can't afford to spend too much time paralysed on this one task."

    "If I'm being thorough with a short vetting period, I'll have a smaller pool of vetted candidates for you, ma'am. The more time I have, the more I can do." Daniel makes a face. "Another potential option might be to reach out to the IRG for assistance with vetting the candidate pool. It would allow the work to progress faster, and more people can do things than just my own self. There's a good chance I can finish in time to investigate the anonymous lead, but you would obviously owe the IRG a favor, and it would give them a glimpse into what we're trying to do."

    "Or we could reach out to friends within the Navy," you muse. "We do have contacts outside of 13th Fleet."

    "We do, ma'am, but again…" Daniel spreads his hands, making a weighing scale motion. "Asking assistance from outside parties, even within the Navy, introduces another variable into this mix. We would still owe them a favor, and they too would get a glimpse into our activities. I'm sorry to belabor this point ma'am, but I would be remiss if I did not bring it to your attention. Ultimately, the decision is yours, Your Highness."

    "That's fair, Daniel, and your diligence is appreciated."


    How long will Daniel spend to vet the candidates?

    [ ] Short duration
    [ ] Long Duration

    How thorough should Daniel be?

    [ ] Expedited Vetting
    [ ] Thorough Vetting

    Will you reach out for third party assistance, at the cost of an unspecified favor? (Will turn Long Duration into Short)

    [ ] Request IRG assistance
    [ ] Request Navy assistance
    [ ] Do not request assistance


    - 女王之天命 -​
     
    Last edited:
  • View discussion
    • Thoughts on vote Combinations
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    • As a general breakdown of the options:

    Duration: Short gives you the chance to Investigate the Anonymous Lead from the last ep that was passed over, at the cost of shorter time to vet, Long gives you more time. Not also that because Daniel is doing things solo, in the worst case Long will take up to six months where he's tied down, so yanno, priorities... you're basically balancing between time to do work and needign to be ready for any crisis.

    Thoroughness: Expedited is a shallow dive, Thorough is a deep dive into the candidate's background. Depending on your chosen timeframe, this will limit how large your vetted candidate pool is, because Daniel can only do so much in so little time.

    Assistance: IRG or Navy assistance allows you to expand the candidate pool because you can vet more people, and complete vetting a shorter time frame (i.e. get extra in same time, or get same in less time), at the cost of an unspecified favor. Solo YOLO means you keep everything in-house; on one hand nobody has their nose in your business, otoh there's only so much daniel can do by himself. Large Candidate Pool, No Surprises, On Time: pick 2 out of three. That's basically what this vote is about.

    Welcome to the senior leadership life.
     
    Last edited:
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    • Vote closed
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Whiskey Golf on Jan 1, 2021 at 8:42 PM, finished with 30 posts and 18 votes.
    Click to expand...
     
  • View discussion
    • The A2 (K-Foxdrama AU)
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    • So it turns out watching Kdrama and going under general anesthetic and surgery and painkillers lead to weird dreams that lead to weird sidestory that I can't get out of my head till I actually write it. With a hand that's still a little stiff and sore from when they stuck a hugeass needle in it for the IV. <.<


    * * * * *





    You come to slowly, hazily, your head heavy, slowly taking stock of your surroundings. The muted beeping of the medical monitors fills your ears.

    The sheets may be as exquisite as the ones in your home, the room may be as tastefully furnished as a five star hotel, but it's unmistakably a hospital room.

    Your memories slowly return to you; your car being hacked and going out of control, your desperate attempts to regain control, your protection detail running the hackers off the road and transporting you to the hospital. There are perks to owning a private security contractor.

    You sigh. It's not like you didn't expect things like this when you got married, but it's still tiresome. You're Amagi Ri-Sumeragi, Chairwoman of RSS: you'll find the bitches who tried to assassinate you, and you'll deal with them. By the Goddess you'll deal with them. But first...

    You can feel dull painful pressure from both your hands; one with an IV drip, and the other, squashed under your husband's head. Your lips curl in a sneer. You're both in private, there are no cameras. There's no reason for Assemblyman Yonatan Chew to continue his act of the doting, caring husband.

    Slowly, you ease your hand out from under his head. You bring it to your nose and sniff disgustedly. That man drooled all over your hand. Who the hell does he think he is? He only touches you on your sufferance, you both were very clear on that!

    Still, he didn't have to be here. That's to his merit.

    You stroke his head and disgustedly lick your hand clean of his disgusting saliva, and gently, tenderly, ease your hand back under his head.

    ...it's nice that he's here with you, right now. You could almost believe that he really does care for you. You don't believe it, of course: this is a marriage of convenience, you are both allies only as long as it takes to achieve your goals. He needs the Presidency to fulfil his ambition; you need the Presidency to fulfil your revenge. There is nothing between you, save for momentary weakness.

    Still. It's nice, having him here.

    Sleep retakes you, that last thought lingering in your mind.


    - 女王之天命 -​


    She's beautiful when she's asleep.

    Not that she's never beautiful, of course. Amagi Ri-Sumeragi is the most beautiful woman you've ever known. But, how do you say this… when she's awake, her beauty has a sharp edge. She's a blade that is both beautiful and deadly, that could cut the moonlight. Asleep, she looks calm, peaceful. You could almost imagine that she's just a normal loving wife, instead of being the Chairwoman of a private security firm, a woman with blackmail, leverage, and a private army acting at her behest. A woman who's done terrible things for your ambition, for the sake of her revenge. A woman who certainly has earned the enemies who make an assassination attempt on her.

    You wonder, sometimes, what life would have been like, in a different world. A world without your ambition, a world without her revenge. A world where you're not Assemblyman Chew and she isn't Chairwoman Ri-Sumeragi. A world where you're both just Johnny and Maggie.

    With a ruthless shake of your head, you drive those thoughts away. You don't have the time or energy to waste on pointless what-ifs. Someone tried to assassinate your wife, which means that they're coming after you. An attack on her is an attack on you, removing your strongest backer and assets.

    Your marriage might be a shame for the cameras, but it serves your purposes: you have her backing and money as you climb the political ladder, she gets legitimacy and good PR from being an honest Assemblyman's wife, and your image as a loving couple doting on each other is the best PR you could have ever gotten. You know her. Once she gets out of that hospital bed, there will be a reckoning.

    You press your lips to her beautiful hand, and continue watching her face. Slowly, her eyes flutter open. Her relaxed peaceful look melts away as she shakes off the fog of sleep, fixing you with a steely gaze. "Stop staring at me with that creepy look in your eyes," she demands.

    You just smile and continue staring at her. This might be a marriage of convenience, you feel nothing for each other except for momentary lapses into lust, but it's fun to tease her. "Good morning to you too, Maggie," you say. She's very proud of her name, of being Amagi Ri-Sumeragi, which is why you just love tweaking her nose, twisting the noble name of Amagi into the utterly plebian Maggie.

    She sighs and rolls her eyes, evidently not in the mood to argue with you this morning. She twists her hand and you intertwine your fingers with her, and she gives you a look. "We're alone, Johnny. You don't have to put up the act here."

    "What was it you said? We have to make it convincing? This is practice," you smile, rubbing your thumb over her knuckles. "I remember you complaining that if I didn't practice I would forget how to act."

    She sniffs at you, and you stifle an internal chuckle, choosing to compliment her sincerely. "For a woman who nearly died last night, you look wonderful."

    "I always look wonderful. The same can't be said of you, Darling."

    "I'm method acting, Dear. The best way to act the doting husband, so concerned for his wife that he spent the night beside her bed, is to actually spend the night beside your bed."

    "There's a reason it's called acting, Johnny," she sniffs at you again. Her expression turns sly. "You know, you won't have me in this position ever again. Trapped in bed, completely at your mercy. You could do anything to me, and I wouldn't be able to stop you. I couldn't even call my detail: I'd lose my face, any respect I had, as they saw me being ravaged by you, helpless to stop your depravity. You could do anything."

    "Anything, you say?"

    "Anything."

    You purse your lips thoughtfully. It's not like either of you are strangers to sex with each other. You've occasionally indulged in each other, a purely physical yet limited relationship, beyond the very limited obligations in your marriage contract. Her idea - she didn't want sex to complicate things. On the other hand, it's not like you really have that sort of relationship.

    But there's a little voice in your head that wonders how it would be, after all this time, if your relationship was something more…

    You make your decision. You smile at her, debonair and dashing and hungry, and lower your lips.


    - 女王之天命 -​


    He's kissing your hand.

    You're completely at his mercy, and he chooses to just kiss your hand. Gently, tenderly, lovingly. It's a very convincing act.

    Not for the first time, you congratulate yourself on making the right choice. You could have had any man you wanted, but you chose him. You chose well.

    "Weakling," you tell him, but there's a tremor in your voice, and you can feel your heart racing. Damn this man. Still… "Since you're already there, you might as well carry on. Kiss me here."

    You work your hand free of his lips and draw your silk robe open. You can read him like an open book, see the desire in his eyes. Good. After all these years, it gratifies you that you can still excite him.

    You lay your hand on your belly and you feel a tingle of pleasure as he kisses your hand. "Higher," you demand, and he kisses your belly. "Higher," you order, and he moves up, kissing your breasts. "Higher."

    His lips touch your sternum, and you make a wordless sound of dissatisfaction. "Higher," you order. He hesitates, uncertainty in his eyes, and you wonder why- oh.

    He's never kissed you on your throat before.

    You've never let him kiss you there before.

    "Higher," you say again, but it comes out as a whisper. He looks you in the eye, searchingly, and then his mouth descends on your neck. With a sigh you arch your head back, baring your throat to him; his mouth closes over your throat, holding you in place, and you feel a flash of instinctual panic, the genetic heritage the Huxian evolved from, as you perform the instinctive gesture of submission encoded in all Huxian.

    And then he releases your throat, whispering in your ear, "You can take that back," and he kisses your forehead, gently, tenderly, lovingly.

    It's an act, all of it, everything you two do is an act and a lie. But you'll enjoy whatever you can of it.

    You reach up and draw his head down, and claim his lips with yours.

    There's a knock at the door, and with a frustrated growl you release him, ready to bite the head off the next person who enters the room-

    And your heart skips a beat as you see her.

    The young fox who enters the room has striking, beautiful features; a mirror for yours, but with Johnny's eyes. Her face is pale and there are bags under her red eyes, and she rushes forward to you and throws her arms around you, falling to her knees beside your bed, sobbing softly.

    "It's okay baby," you tell her, stroking her hair. "I'm alive, I'm alright, your father kept me company. I was hurt but I'm alive, I'm fine, it'll take more than that to kill me."

    Naomi Chew, your wonderful beautiful daughter, the only person you love in the world, looks up to you with a tearful visage, and you promise yourself that you will make them pay. Not for attacking you, not for attacking your husband, but for hurting your daughter.
     
  • View discussion
    • Approaching the Commanding General
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    • [X] Plan: (not) A Coup!
    -[X] Short duration
    -[X] Thorough Vetting
    -[X] Request IRG assistance


    You consider your options. In a perfect world, you'd want to spend as much time as you could on this, and have Daniel be as thorough as possible, but the reality doesn't allow for that. You remember what Chief Petty Officer Mahathir told you: "LT, you can have it good, cheap, or fast: pick two."

    "Daniel, let's not spend too much time on this," you say. "I want us to be quick and thorough. I realise that means that you'll have a smaller candidate pool to give me, but I can live with that. Perfect is the enemy of good enough."

    "Understood, ma'am. What about requesting assistance?"

    "I'll reach out to the IRG for assistance."

    "Are you sure that's wise, ma'am?"

    "Not completely, no," you reply, sighing. "I'm torn between trust in the institution and trust in people. As an institution, the IRG appears more stable than the Navy, but we have personal connections in the Navy, people who we are, at the very least, reasonably sure of."

    Daniel gives you a searching look, remaining silent.

    "My instincts say to trust our people. But at the same time, I think we need to make inroads with the IRG. If I don't start building relationships within the IRG, when will I have relationships within the IRG? Besides, we're Fleet, we see things from a Fleet perspective. Having an outside perspective to challenge our viewpoints and biases can only be helpful."

    "We'll owe them a favor," warns Daniel. "And they will be able to influence the candidate pool, and have a glimpse into our activities. I'm not completely comfortable with that, ma'am."

    "I understand. It's a bullet we'll have to bite," you say. "Thank you for your counsel, Daniel. I've made my decision. Now we need to see it through. I'll speak with Major Nakahara about IRG assistance."

    "By your command, Your Highness."


    - 女王之天命 -​


    "This is a little irregular, Your Highness," says Major Yui Nakahara. Your young IRG liaison officer looks discomfited by your request.

    "I believe you said that the IRG could provide me with assistance up to a RAGTF, within reason," you say mildly. Major Nakahara makes a valiant effort to maintain her poker face, but your request has surprised her, and you know she's trying to find the polite words to ask you "Why do you think we will help you form a power base? Do it yourself!"

    "I believe I would need to raise this with my superiors," she says, stalling diplomatically. "This matter is beyond my authority to give an immediate answer to Your Highness."

    "Of course," you agree graciously. "Act as you must, Major."

    Major Nakahara returns the next day with news: the Commanding General of the Imperial Royal Guard wishes to meet you.

    You go to her.


    - 女王之天命 -​


    The Commanding General does not cut a physically imposing figure. General Tarisa Manandal, Baroness Alkahest, is a slight, slender woman, shorter than you are, just barely taller than Ahri. But what she lacks in physical height, she makes up with an imposing gaze, radiating command authority. She stands as you enter her office, striding towards you, her steps precise, measured, smooth. This is indeed the woman who fought for the chance to enter the exosuit corps despite not meeting the height requirements, who raised the finance for her personal power armor suit, customised to fit her slight frame. She's fought her way up the ladder by being competent, by being better than her peers, by navigating the internal politics of the IRG. Like Fleet Admiral Chew, she's not a woman to be trifled with.

    "Welcome, Your Highness. Thank you for seeing me."

    "The pleasure is mine, Commanding General."

    You exchange pleasantries for a few moment, before you're steered to the purpose of your visit. General Manandal cuts right to the point. "You've requested assistance from the Guard in expanding your private intelligence team, Your Highness. That is a little… unexpected, shall we say."

    "My liaison officer suggested that the IRG would provide me with assistance up to a RAGTF*," you say mildly. "Has that changed, General?"

    "I will speak frankly, Your Highness. It's one matter to be assisting Her Majesty's Vicereine on Her Majesty's business. It's another matter entirely to be assisting the Heir Presumptive in establishing her power base. The Guard protects Her Majesty the Empress. Against all foes, foreign, or domestic. Near or far, Your Highness."

    "I resigned my office as Imperial Vicereine," you say, stalling for time. Manandal gives you a flat, unamused look.

    "You are Vicereine, Your Highness. In thought and deed, if not word. If you want the Guard's assistance, I need to have your measure. Why should I help you?"


    How will you answer the Commanding General?

    [ ] Appeal to her patriotism. House Manandal has served the Empire for over a dozen generations; you joined the Navy out of the same duty that drives your father and uncle. Use this common ground to gain her goodwill; it might be compelling enough to preclude the need to trade favors.
    [ ] Appeal to her personally. She's a serving military officer, like you: she swore the same oaths to obey your Empress and defend Her against all enemies. You're acting for Her Majesty's sake, surely that means you both want the same things: you're both on the same side. You're dealing with her woman to woman, your favor will likely be of the same nature.
    [ ] Appeal to her pragmatism. She rose to lead the IRG without being beholden to any one faction, purely focused on doing the duty her Empress expects of her. It's in the IRG's interest to assist you: they'll get a close eye on your activities and access to the intelligence you develop. The IRG's professional favor to your team will be repaid in kind.
    [ ] Write In? A different approach may yield a different result.



    * A Royal Aerospace Ground Task Force is one of the IRG's crown jewel formations, comprising a heavy naval task force of warships, mated with assault transports and dropships. This allows a RAGTF enough firepower to force entry to an opposed system and secure orbital superiority to deliver a reinforced combined arms battalion planetside, deploying light infantry, mechanised infantry, tanks, power armor troopers, gunships and aerospace fighters to an AO.
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Whiskey Golf on Jan 16, 2021 at 10:51 AM, finished with 8 posts and 3 votes.
    • [X] Appeal to her pragmatism. She rose to lead the IRG without being beholden to any one faction, purely focused on doing the duty her Empress expects of her. It's in the IRG's interest to assist you: they'll get a close eye on your activities and access to the intelligence you develop.
      [X] Appeal to her patriotism. House Manandal has served the Empire for over a dozen generations; you joined the Navy out of the same duty that drives your father and uncle. Use this common ground to gain her goodwill; it might be compelling enough to preclude the need to trade favors.
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