Coatleque stepped into the Captain's office quietly and closed the door behind her. She was sure to step lightly the entire time, as if everything here was made of delicate porcelain. Turning to face him, she stepped to the side at attention per her usual style. There was obvious tension in the air, and perhaps some fear as well. "You summoned me, Ser?" Jenlyns looked...displeased. His light blonde brows were drawn deeply downward, as the edge of his lips. His eyes however looked wearied. His hands folded in front of him on the desk, and the pile of parchments on both sides of him seemed taller than ever. "Ser Crofte."
"I need your account of events that led to Ser Mcbeef's death. And I need to know everything. What may not even be put into writing." His tone was cold but even. She swallowed hard unsure of where to begin. Her report had been as detailed as she could bear to make it. With every attempt made not to stammer before him, she began to recount that night from the beginning. Jenlyns waved his hand once with a shake of his head. "I have read your report. All of it. What I want are your impressions, Crofte. Because what the entire affair amounted to... could lead La Noscea into war with us. Or at least demand arrests, retributions and executions for the attack on their sovereignty. Without due cause." His eyes bore into the woman, his jaw was set.
Her eye darted around the room in thought as the night replayed in her mind once more. "I can see no other recourse, Ser. I have tried to, but... I cannot deny what Natalie has done. I only assisted her because I had thought I could prevent just that."
"But you didn't."
"No... I did not. And now my shield sister lies dead because of it."
"An explosive was set, and property on a foreign soil was destroyed. By the members of THIS Order." He exhaled sharply, closing his eyes. The displeasure on his face was obvious. "Her death was tragic and needless, Crofte. But the cause of it...she left a potential political disaster on our hands."
She noded slowly in agreement. "Aye, Ser. I had tried to tell her from the start to leave this to the politicians."
"I have yet to hear from Maelstorm accusing us. Whatever Maelstorm you ran into have not reported or identified the lot yet."
She sighed, perhaps in a little relief.
His eyes narrowed as if to extinguish whatever relief he saw surface on her visage. "It is only a matter of time, Crofte. Questions are already being raised about Mcbeef's death. Your report has not made the rounds yet, but when Swift and the Immortal Flames get a hold of it..."
It certainly worked as her brows turned upwards once more. "Aye Ser..."
He shook his head. "You tell me how this should end, Crofte."
Coatleque looked momentarily taken aback at the command. It certainly was not expected.
"I... I do not understand. I thought... was I not summoned to answer for this?"
"You are." The captain's voice remained calm. "But I have seen you grow in your role, Crofte. I have come to see you take initiative. Your intent on trying to stop Mcbeef from committing this fiasco...was a right one. But you failed to execute. So I am asking you now. What do you think your fate is now. It is not your decision. But you are still an officer in this Order. I want to hear your thoughts before I make my decision. Do you see any other way of righting this wrong?"
Her eyes fluttered as she glanced around the room, still unsure of herself. "I... I was complicit... I had thought to do what was honourable and turn myself over... but... I still do not see this as a matter for her Grace's guard... the Flames should be involved. I do have the letter Natalie retrieved from the warehouse before... before..." Her brows furrow in thought again.
"The way I see it, if this does come back to us, we need to have justification, even a hint of it, to answer to Maelstrom's accusations."
"I could not imagine how to address the Maelstrom. Perhaps Master Taeros would know how to smooth things over. You mean to prove the Pirate was also a threat to La Noscea?"
The crease upon his browns visibly deepened at the Monetarists' name.
"Taeros. I knew of Mcbeef's involvement with his agenda. But I had thought it an investigation on her free time and nothing more." His voice lowered. "But he is a civilian. A noble. He has no authority in this matter. When it comes down to it, the responsibility of our actions falls upon the Order."
"Of course, Ser."
"If I then have to seek his aid in rectifying the damage done to our Order..." he closed his hands into a fist. "I will do what must be done." He shot her a hard look. "Do not mistake that for me agreeing with the man's agenda."
"Never, Ser. I have worked with him as required myself, but he has not bought me yet."
After a pause, Jenlyn's expression cooled back to semblance of neutrality. "But aye. Should this come back to us, I need some proof that supports Mcbeef's claim to even look into that warehouse. This pirate. If we can prove that he is a valid threat to us, then we may be able to justify this raid. If an immediate threat to La Noscea as well, they MAY not seek your head on a pike."
She closed her eyes and swallowed again at that thought.
"So my question to you is. IS this Pirate a threat?"
"I aim to find out, Ser. And I will start where Ser Mcbeef left off. Rest assured I do not work with bombs."
"Speaking of bombs." Jenlyns looked more displeased, as if that was possible. "Mergrey. Foolish."
"Agreed, Ser."
"Some of this blame will fall back on the Red Wings."
"Captain Mynheir is already aware."
"I had not called Melkire on it when he brought me Mcbeef's...relations to visit her body. But..." He flicked her a glance. "If they want to clear their name, I suggest you work with Melkire on this as well. If they can also prove that this Pirate is a danger to both sovereignties, then all the better for both our organizations."
"Aye Ser. As chance would have it, I had already intended to. I am scheduled to have drinks with the Sergeant, assuming I had survived this meeting."
"If they were already asking for your head, I would have no choice."
"Understood, Ser."
"As the Spinner would have it, they have not yet identified you."
The Knight looked up and makes some vague hand gesture in reverence to Nymeia at his words.
"I know Mcbeef's involvement with Taeros led her on this foolish quest. Although I would be a fool to to think that he was pulling her strings like a puppet. And as suspect as he may be in these matters, I have yet to have any proof that he intends the Sultanate any ill will. Despite Melkire's thoughts on the matter."
"Aye, Ser. I am in agreement."
"If Taeros is proven treacherous, then it will sully us as well, for Mcbeef allied with him. But I will not condone treachery. That will be a burden we will bear if that is the truth of things. But if Taeros and Mcbeef were right about this pirate, then proving him as a threat, will bode will for the Order, Sultanate, and this political fiasco Mcbeef has left behind. Understood?"
"Aye, Ser."
Jenlyns let out a long exhale, leaning back. "Think of this as a temporary reprieve, Crofte. You are running out of time. This will...come out, I fear."
"It seems my investigations are always on a tight schedule."
"That is our lot in life, Crofte. The scales always must be balanced, and things weigh them daily."
She nodded once more in agreement, looking towards the floor.
"Am I dismissed, Ser?"
"I do not wish to hand you over as the scapegoat, Crofte. Not if there is valid case. So your fate is in your hands." He exhaled. "Dismissed."
She saluted him as best she could under the circumstances before turning and letting herself out just as quietly as she came.
"I need your account of events that led to Ser Mcbeef's death. And I need to know everything. What may not even be put into writing." His tone was cold but even. She swallowed hard unsure of where to begin. Her report had been as detailed as she could bear to make it. With every attempt made not to stammer before him, she began to recount that night from the beginning. Jenlyns waved his hand once with a shake of his head. "I have read your report. All of it. What I want are your impressions, Crofte. Because what the entire affair amounted to... could lead La Noscea into war with us. Or at least demand arrests, retributions and executions for the attack on their sovereignty. Without due cause." His eyes bore into the woman, his jaw was set.
Her eye darted around the room in thought as the night replayed in her mind once more. "I can see no other recourse, Ser. I have tried to, but... I cannot deny what Natalie has done. I only assisted her because I had thought I could prevent just that."
"But you didn't."
"No... I did not. And now my shield sister lies dead because of it."
"An explosive was set, and property on a foreign soil was destroyed. By the members of THIS Order." He exhaled sharply, closing his eyes. The displeasure on his face was obvious. "Her death was tragic and needless, Crofte. But the cause of it...she left a potential political disaster on our hands."
She noded slowly in agreement. "Aye, Ser. I had tried to tell her from the start to leave this to the politicians."
"I have yet to hear from Maelstorm accusing us. Whatever Maelstorm you ran into have not reported or identified the lot yet."
She sighed, perhaps in a little relief.
His eyes narrowed as if to extinguish whatever relief he saw surface on her visage. "It is only a matter of time, Crofte. Questions are already being raised about Mcbeef's death. Your report has not made the rounds yet, but when Swift and the Immortal Flames get a hold of it..."
It certainly worked as her brows turned upwards once more. "Aye Ser..."
He shook his head. "You tell me how this should end, Crofte."
Coatleque looked momentarily taken aback at the command. It certainly was not expected.
"I... I do not understand. I thought... was I not summoned to answer for this?"
"You are." The captain's voice remained calm. "But I have seen you grow in your role, Crofte. I have come to see you take initiative. Your intent on trying to stop Mcbeef from committing this fiasco...was a right one. But you failed to execute. So I am asking you now. What do you think your fate is now. It is not your decision. But you are still an officer in this Order. I want to hear your thoughts before I make my decision. Do you see any other way of righting this wrong?"
Her eyes fluttered as she glanced around the room, still unsure of herself. "I... I was complicit... I had thought to do what was honourable and turn myself over... but... I still do not see this as a matter for her Grace's guard... the Flames should be involved. I do have the letter Natalie retrieved from the warehouse before... before..." Her brows furrow in thought again.
"The way I see it, if this does come back to us, we need to have justification, even a hint of it, to answer to Maelstrom's accusations."
"I could not imagine how to address the Maelstrom. Perhaps Master Taeros would know how to smooth things over. You mean to prove the Pirate was also a threat to La Noscea?"
The crease upon his browns visibly deepened at the Monetarists' name.
"Taeros. I knew of Mcbeef's involvement with his agenda. But I had thought it an investigation on her free time and nothing more." His voice lowered. "But he is a civilian. A noble. He has no authority in this matter. When it comes down to it, the responsibility of our actions falls upon the Order."
"Of course, Ser."
"If I then have to seek his aid in rectifying the damage done to our Order..." he closed his hands into a fist. "I will do what must be done." He shot her a hard look. "Do not mistake that for me agreeing with the man's agenda."
"Never, Ser. I have worked with him as required myself, but he has not bought me yet."
After a pause, Jenlyn's expression cooled back to semblance of neutrality. "But aye. Should this come back to us, I need some proof that supports Mcbeef's claim to even look into that warehouse. This pirate. If we can prove that he is a valid threat to us, then we may be able to justify this raid. If an immediate threat to La Noscea as well, they MAY not seek your head on a pike."
She closed her eyes and swallowed again at that thought.
"So my question to you is. IS this Pirate a threat?"
"I aim to find out, Ser. And I will start where Ser Mcbeef left off. Rest assured I do not work with bombs."
"Speaking of bombs." Jenlyns looked more displeased, as if that was possible. "Mergrey. Foolish."
"Agreed, Ser."
"Some of this blame will fall back on the Red Wings."
"Captain Mynheir is already aware."
"I had not called Melkire on it when he brought me Mcbeef's...relations to visit her body. But..." He flicked her a glance. "If they want to clear their name, I suggest you work with Melkire on this as well. If they can also prove that this Pirate is a danger to both sovereignties, then all the better for both our organizations."
"Aye Ser. As chance would have it, I had already intended to. I am scheduled to have drinks with the Sergeant, assuming I had survived this meeting."
"If they were already asking for your head, I would have no choice."
"Understood, Ser."
"As the Spinner would have it, they have not yet identified you."
The Knight looked up and makes some vague hand gesture in reverence to Nymeia at his words.
"I know Mcbeef's involvement with Taeros led her on this foolish quest. Although I would be a fool to to think that he was pulling her strings like a puppet. And as suspect as he may be in these matters, I have yet to have any proof that he intends the Sultanate any ill will. Despite Melkire's thoughts on the matter."
"Aye, Ser. I am in agreement."
"If Taeros is proven treacherous, then it will sully us as well, for Mcbeef allied with him. But I will not condone treachery. That will be a burden we will bear if that is the truth of things. But if Taeros and Mcbeef were right about this pirate, then proving him as a threat, will bode will for the Order, Sultanate, and this political fiasco Mcbeef has left behind. Understood?"
"Aye, Ser."
Jenlyns let out a long exhale, leaning back. "Think of this as a temporary reprieve, Crofte. You are running out of time. This will...come out, I fear."
"It seems my investigations are always on a tight schedule."
"That is our lot in life, Crofte. The scales always must be balanced, and things weigh them daily."
She nodded once more in agreement, looking towards the floor.
"Am I dismissed, Ser?"
"I do not wish to hand you over as the scapegoat, Crofte. Not if there is valid case. So your fate is in your hands." He exhaled. "Dismissed."
She saluted him as best she could under the circumstances before turning and letting herself out just as quietly as she came.
