Inner Circle
She was late. Again. The corridors and walkways of this vessel, the Spirit of the Forge, were confusing. A wrong turn would add minutes to reaching the desired location. The ship was certainly not designed for swift navigation across decks.
She turned into a narrower corridor and felt relieved when she saw her destination at the end: one of the deck cafeterias repurposed as an operations room for the Imperial Agents.
She had just finished interrogating all the personnel aboard the ship, a task she would need to report on at the upcoming operational meeting with the other Agents. Not her favorite duty, to be honest, but it was part of being a Bào. "And no one can say that I, Gong Meixiu, don't fulfill my duty!" she thought, almost smiling.
Two Celestial Guards stood watch at the door and didn’t react to her arrival—she was expected. She removed her mask and helmet, placed her weapons on the rack, and entered the room.
The tables of the former canteen had been pushed to the edges of the small room. Against the back wall were crates containing various equipment. In the cleared central space, five chairs were arranged in a circle so that every occupant could face the others. That’s how these operational meetings worked: the one speaking stood, while the others, seated, listened. The highest-ranking individual granted permission to speak and signaled the end of the meeting.
When she entered, Pheasant Rank Agent Qin Tengfei was speaking, standing in front of his chair on the right side of the room, facing the other three agents. On the opposite side, from the entrance, sat Zhanying Zhao Shen. Despite the civilian clothes he wore, he was easily recognizable by his completely bald head. To his left, in an elegant red silk dress, sat Crane Agent Yi Xiulan. She was focused on the current discussion and only cast a brief glance at Meixiu, brief but filled with disdain—or so it seemed to her. Her long braided hair fell over her right shoulder, and a few silver strands along with faint wrinkles around her eyes hinted at her age.
Further to the left sat Hsien Peng Huizhong. Despite his average build and physically unremarkable appearance, there was no doubt who the most powerful person in the room was. With every phrase spoken, the others' gazes moved to him, studying his reactions. His posture exuded a certain majesty, even while seated in a wheelchair. His recovery would still take time. Or perhaps he simply enjoyed the newfound comfort. When she entered, he made a brief gesture, indicating she should sit in a vacant chair, right by the entrance.
Throughout this, Pheasant Qin Tengfei remained composed, continuing his speech as if nothing had happened. “Therefore, we must limit the deployment of Aleph troops to situations of real need or rescue missions. Any casualties or injuries caused outside of these circumstances could be legally challenged in the appropriate venues, and further legal proceedings during a crisis are the last things we want. In other words, if there’s a risk, it’s better to leave the Dakinis in the recharging station.” The Pheasant Agent’s extensive legal expertise was proving useful once again. He paused for about ten seconds, and Hsien gestured for him to sit. Then he pointed to her, Bào Gong Meixiu.
She stood up and began reporting to the assembly. “I apologize for the inexcusable delay. The operations took longer than expected. I can summarize that the Spirit of the Forge has been searched in every nook and cranny, and the members of the so-called Task Force Tundra Wolves are no longer on board. From an analysis of the logs, it appears that an unauthorized transport left the ship shortly before our arrival. They departed for Noviji Bangkok. Our contacts there confirmed they made a brief stop for supplies and left without filing a flight plan. After that, we lost their trail.” The other Agents listened intently, except perhaps for Crane Yi. “The ship’s personnel were interrogated. There was some resistance, but we have an efficient medical bay for that. The only person who might have additional information is the doctor who treated Tang Shun, Tahani Marwan, a Celestial Guard. She’s currently on Concilium Prima, working with Bureau Lakshmi. The assignment is official, and if we need to question her, we’ll have to reach her in person on the planet. I doubt she’ll respond willingly to any messages on this matter. Celestial Guards and Bàos are physically and quantronically monitoring the entire vessel. No one leaves or enters without us knowing about it.” So far, her report had gone well. “Joline Sandoval, Operations Manager of Porto Interplànetario, has been transferred for further questioning. Soon, the transport will stop at Huangdi, and the local office will decide whether to interrogate her there or transfer her to Yutang.” A wise person would have stopped there. However, an intrusive thought got the better of her. “I believe this manhunt is too costly in time and resources, diverting efforts from managing this crisis.” She swallowed, realizing those might be her last words.
Silence fell over the already quiet room. Slowly, everyone turned to observe Hsien’s reaction. Crane Yi was visibly suppressing an outburst of anger, one of the reasons why weapons were left outside the room during these meetings.
After about ten seconds, which felt like hours to Bào Gong, Hsien finally spoke. “You see, people like Tang Shun are a necessity: effective, efficient, loyal, dependable. If it were up to me, I’d reward him for what he’s done over the years. Unfortunately, someone is using him and his crew to bypass the constraints and rules that hold the StateEmpire together, as well as to gain advantages for the Party over the Imperial Court. We need to know who the Task Force reports to and make an example of them for anyone considering a similar path of treachery.”
He motioned for Bào Gong to sit and gave the floor to Zhanying Zhao. “After several weeks of attempts and negotiations, we have established the optimal process for contracting mercenary services. I’ve already sent you a summary with general recommendations. I cannot stress this enough: let’s avoid hiring individuals who are too well-known; we risk too much attention from the media.”
Zhanying Zhao sat down without waiting for Hsien’s permission. No one seemed to notice, a sign of more relaxed rituals in a war zone.
Hsien Peng noted something on the CommLog and gave the floor to Crane Yi.
The lady stood up and began speaking immediately. “Hiring mercenaries has become a well-established practice. Unfortunately, the worsening of the crisis has led to an increase in guns-for-hire fees. Although we still receive funding from the Court, we wouldn’t mind some extra income if the opportunity arises. In this regard, I have reports about some servers that we believe might be holding BitCred. Given what was highlighted by the Pheasant Agent earlier, we certainly won’t disturb Aleph’s troops for this site visit.” She turned to Hsien, who nodded slightly. “I also officially announce that until Hsien’s recovery is complete, I will personally take control of operations.” She made a slight bow and sat down, with the usual elegance.
Hsien Peng spoke again. “Not having any other pressing priorities, I believe a site visit is advisable. Crane Yi will update you soon on the necessary actions. The meeting is adjourned. Praise to the Emperor.” Without waiting for a response, he exited the room in his wheelchair.
“His will be done,” the others replied.
Just Like the Old Times
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