The Narcissian Rebel Cells had agreed to meet in a dingy abandoned Manor, belonging to some long dead aristocrat. It was ramshackle and aught to have been condemned, and probably would have had Malum's regime been more interested in improving Narciss rather than using Thermobaric weaponry on rebels and hunting a certain disobedient Viscountess of Chalcrystis.
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The four leaders of four different subregional cells were present at the meeting. The first was an aristocrat, Baron Tiberius Niobite-Tantalite, who led the Luxequinox Liberation Army. The LLA had been a constant annoyance to the extremely pro-covenant High-Exarch Cultos of Luxequinox in its attacks on freight airships transporting prototypes, sabotaging of Minor research outposts, and uncoordinated bombing attacks on random buildings.
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The second cell leader was the former Captain-Commander Jaxon Fox of the Valerium Vindicators, who had become infamous for being the most aggressive rebels due to acts such as burning the Graina Matyra – the second time that has occurred, the first being in 47 YBP or 189 years ago during the Coalition War – and murdering the Stratocrat of Orlynshire, Sickle-upon-Bay, Corrnu Née, and Glänzeno for being a suspected Covenant Member or at least supporter.
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The third leader was Elera “The Engineer” Flynn, an expert in explosives and a former demolition specialist who led the newly formed Xyrolithian Insurgency, which had stolen over ten tonnes of coal, several carts of gemstones, and had destroyed a refinery for something used to make Thermobarric bombs, missiles, and shells called “Petroleumite.”
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The last cell leader was an old women who went by the name of August Brightstone and was the commander of the Chalcrystis Rebels, which was merely a minor nuisance in the cultural and entertainment subregion, but had the distinction of being the perpetrators of the successful extraction of the entire Regional Orchestra of the Earldom of Narciss – and all of their musical instruments – to the North of Empyrea in partnership with CATAE. It would seem musicians do not like cultists.
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All four of them sat in front of Viscountess Valerie to discuss plans, plots, ploys, and other words that begin with the letter “P” and refer to a set of intended actions, usually mutually related, through which one expects to achieve a goal; in order to put pressure on the Covenant of the Void's Narcissian Branch in addition to Earl Malum's regime.
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The old woman, the seventy something August Brightstone, must have been worried that she would drop dead of the common cold – or mould, considering the damp building she was in – as she dived into her suggestion before someone could even offer the gathering a pot of tea. “My...my little birds have put together a small plan to get back at that smug basta- I mean beautiful man in his Château. We want to infiltrate the Officer Academies in Gloucestershire or Worcester to spy on them, sabotage the crop of starry-eyed Ego Lieutenants, and cause a wee bit of damage.” The kindly, elderly woman was perhaps rather not as gentle as she might appear.
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Valerie saw a problem in that immediately: it was simply not worth the immense risk.
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“Too dangerous, and it is not worth the effort it work would take to pull off.” She said slowly.
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“Just an idea, Ms Ego...” She said gently, now back to playing the little old lady role again.
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The woman who called herself “The Engineer”, Elara Flynn, chipped in with, “We should launch a coordinated attack on major buildings in all five subregions of the Northeast to wrestle control away from Malum's High-Exarchs. The Worcester Administrative Building, the Cogitare Think Tank Headquarters, the Agriculturia Food Store, the Crystalia Mining Complex, and the Aurea Urbis Cultural Centre. We could capture the Exarchs on the second thought.” She said cconfidently.
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This proposal was shot down by the older gentleman, the Baron Tiberius Niobite-Tantalite – who came from the baronial branch of the ancient Narcissian noble house, the other remaining ones being Orlov and Rostov the House of Worce had become extinct in 4 YBP or 138 years ago with the death of its last remaining member, one Rector Charles Alexander Worce III – had something to say on the matter. He had a slow, deep voice that would have lended itself well to narrating documentaries on aeronautical design or something dull like the making of steel pans.
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“And stretch ourselves thinner than we already are? My late mother would have liked Thou, Miss Flynn, as she was always desperate to be slender. We must not attack all those places at once, and Malum would just replace the Exarchs if we managed to take them hostage.” He said
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“No. What we should do is off some important cultists like the High-Priest of the Void Aesop or perhaps a military target.” Niobite-Tantalite finished.
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Valerie hoped that her own suggestion would not be shot down like the rest had. But she was aware that she could gain the support of the Baron by incorporating his proposal. “We can definitely kill Aesop, I shalt do it myself if it comes to it. But we should hit my brother exactly where it hurts: the Grand Narcissian Fleet. There are three Firebrand-Class Heavy Cruisers under construction in a dockyard in Luxequinox: the GNA Cinder, Spark, and Ember. We can bomb these airships in their dry Docks before they even take to the skies. And it would be tens of thousands of Malum’s Egoni down the drain. It is win, win, win for us.”
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Everyone nodded, even the Barons big hulking Protectors – not the brightest bulbs in Empyrea, the Niobite-Tantalite's liked dumb muscle as it would happen. They were a family of diplomats, officers, and scholars after all, not warriors.
“It is settled then? We shall attack the three heavy cruisers on the start of the new cycle.” Valerie finished.
“Hear, hear.”
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Grand-General Rainer turned up at her door later that evening, Viscountess Valerie had not given him her temporary quarters and had moved recently- which is part of the reason that Malum was having such trouble catching her, she was hard to pin down due to always being on the move.
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She did, however, have a few tricks.
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Namely, she had a few older, and, re importantly, non-æther weapons.
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She had one near her chair, . Itwas a semi-automatic Rosin Mark V Rifle that dated back to 19 YBP.
The reason that she had wanted it was simple: it was a reliable gun that incorporated a short-stroke piston gas system that used steam to propel the bullet mainly. It was quiet and unlikely to fail her.
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The second weapon was an antique sabre in excellent condition for its age. It was a plain design that had belonged to a dishonourably discharged Ego Lieutenant who had lost a Court Marshal.
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She drew out the sabre atandointed it at Rainer.
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Something which the modern Grand-General found amusing.
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“Going to run me through, miss Valerie? A pity, I had information that may be critical for thou.” He simpered, clearly mocking her.
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Valerie Reine Ego sheathed the sword.
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“How did thou manage to find me?” She hissed at Rainer. Her emerald green irises – the classic eye colour of the descendants of Earl Ego – had been swallowed up by pupils that had dilated to monstrously large proportions.
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“Do not worry, thy location is secure. I am here to tell a calmer Valerie about the recent promotion of Mr. Blackwing to Lord Admiral, have thou seen her?” He said confidently.
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The tension leached out of Valerie after this.
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“Who?” She asked, matter of fact.
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“A cunning tactician and strategist. Thou would be unwise to underestimate a man of his calibre. He has immediately deployed airships –“
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As if on cue, the gentle whirr of a passing craft is heard. Rainer was definitely not prone to hyperbolic tendencies.
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“ – to search for thee. When one stops to consider that the Valkyries have been given the all clear to put their highly-polished boots on the streets of major population centres, they can see that Blackwing is a bloody genius. It would be folly to attempt anything when there are patrols everywhere by day. Also, the Aerospecialists, Bridge Lieutenants, and Aerial Captains have become paranoid about rebellious souls hijacking their shiny white and gold craft from under their large pointy noses.”
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Valerie giggled a little, d relaxed. “We art nocturnal, General, and only come out to play in the dark.”
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“I am serious, Valerie. Blackwing is not interested in playing thy games. He has posted his own men at the Docks. The Skögul Marines would consume an entire cell of bomb throwing rebels in the morning to break their collective fasts and probably come back for seconds.”
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“Aerial Valkyries do not scare me. My calendar tells me that I have a cultist clergyman to murder next month. Malum will be raging after this attack, where he is hiding – he never seems to go out in public; probably scared of bombs.”
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“Very funny. We shalt meet again soon.”
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