Post by bluesnailok on Oct 7, 2023 0:56:37 GMT
Another evening at the studio. The sound of audience members rustling and chattering marked the incoming start of the show: Another episode of Behind the Mind with Dr. Bertram Valane. The famous, prime-time TV psychiatrist had not long ago reached for the stars with his hit interview of John Triarch, and now he was lined up to spar with yet another guest of foreign fame.
As staff members rushed about the stations busily like ants behind the curtains, their guest was ushered forth to the curtain to prepare to make their entry. Out on stage awaited, through the black, dimly-lit setting, a faux-therapist’s room layout of furniture arrayed before the masses of audience members. Light set-ups hovered on drones and automated racks overhead, ready to be put into action.
Just then the rumble of chatter was interrupted by the beginning of the show. A jazzy ensemble of musicians started to bounce the musical notes of the iconic interview show’s theme. The brass orchestral was then matched by the booming voice of an announcer,
“Ladies, Gentlemen, and all imbetween… You have waited long enough. Let’s get this show on the road…!” The preparatory voice called out to the applause and cheer of the crowds. The fixtures began to dance their strobes around like searchlights.
“We’ve got one hell of a guest from the savage stars above for you today… But first someone’s eager to meet you all… The Mental Muse, the Therapeutic Thespian, the Gentile Genius… Doctor Betram Valane!” Announced the godly voice from above to the whooping cacophony of the masses. From behind the centre-curtains of the stage emerged the silhouette of the interviewer himself: Dr. Valane. The spindly, well-dressed form of the aging celebrity psychiatrist beamed to his adoring fans behind; squinting desperately with his fragile nocturnal eyes through the floodlights magnified upon him.
“Hello my friends! Hello!” He proudly declared with both hands waving and a sheepish smile on his face to play up his modesty to the love of his spectators, “You’re all too lovely! Too beautiful! Too noble! All of you are so noble!” He chuckled as he waved for the onlookers to calm.
“Thank you… Thank you…” He gestured for peace, “...For coming today, one and all… And, boy, do we have an interview in store for you all today. As you all well know we have entertained many minds on our humble show through the years… Industrialists… Monarchs… Animals… Marxists: The wealthy and magnificent… To the panting beasts of burden… And i’m not referring to the animals!” He chirped with a grin to the haughty laughs of those seated before him.
“...But rarely do we get to look into the mind of a royal to one of the largest colonial empires in the galaxy… To some the Jade Empire is a breath of fresh, pragmatic air… Built on reliable and familiar foundations… To others it is a symbol of amoral imperialism from dimensions beyond our own…” He looked from side to side with an eager smile.
“So please, it is with profound honour that I have the privilege to welcome onto our show the great, the eminent, the serene Countess of the Ruby Canton herself, Princess Mariko Kuribayashi!” The Doctor cheered with a grandiose wave to the curtains to his left.
At that moment a stage hand gave a nod; indicating it was time for Mariko to make her entrance. It was time to make herself plain to the world.
The Princess of the Jade Empire and Countess of the Canton did not fail to make an impression as she entered. Wearing a short cheongsam dress embroidered with a lustrous ocean pattern, hemmed in glittering aquamarine, her skin glowed and her onibi orbs cast strange and flickering shadows.
She walked with a demure but self-assured step, every foot placed carefully, the result of years of court training that came back to her as naturally as riding a bike and worked wonders to hide her nerves. She had lived many years in the shadow of her older brother, and whilst she had been prepared for the rigours of public life she had avoided the tabloid press and popular media, preferring to remain aloof.
She knew that the Jade Empire and the Canton had a reputation in Ancerious, however, and this was her chance to assuage some of the doubts and some of the damage her brother had done to their international standing. Or so she thought.
As she saw the smiling, sharply-tailored old man who had seemed so friendly during their meeting earlier today, she suddenly felt like she was walking into a trap. It was too late to turn back though, so she simply crossed the stage, waved politely to the audience, and took a seat. The fact she did not bow to the Doctor or shake his hand was not lost on many audience members, though how they interpreted that information was down to them.
A raucous roar surged from the crowd's applause the exact moment that Mariko made her appearance onto the stage. Evidently the display of Jade orientalism and exotic royalty was met by prestigious adoration by the onlooking spectators. Even the doctor himself gave a look to the crowd with an expression that wordlessly announced ‘wow’ to both them and the cameras panning between them. Every spotlight in the studio were not concentrated on Mariko and bathing her in a practically binding beam of light.
With a mild, friendly chortle, the Teliran celebrity put out a hand for a welcoming handshake. Recognizing the royal’s intent to sit straight down, the psychiatrist rather smoothly evolved the move into a gesture for her to sit down before he too took back to his chair. As the crowds continued to cheer, the doctor gave a few friendly, welcoming words from across the stretch between their furniture while his microphone was still off.
With the sounds of approval dying down from the onlooking masses, Betram’s microphone picked him up once again as he politely coughed and looked over to the Jade imperial.
“Your royal highness. Firstly, thank you for joining us today. As you know, Natar is not aligned with any side in your war so I'm sure the risks, both political and literal, in coming here were quite tangible.” He noted as he adjusted his unsettled suit and fitted himself into his reclined chair.
“If you don’t mind, though, i’d like to begin by first expressing, I think, on behalf of everyone here and Natar… Our heartfelt condolences for your loss, Princess-” He looked solemnly over to the audience with a nod to confirm their support, “To the death of the Emperor, Mitsuyoshi Kuribayashi, not all too long ago… It mustn’t be any easier to lose a relative for a royal than it is for a commoner. What kind of emotions did you feel at the news of his death at the Xibalba Engagement?”
Mariko had bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement at the condolences muttered across the room, but once Betram had finished speaking she turned a look on him that, had she been able to see her own face, would have instantly reminded her of her father. Whilst stopping short of outright scorn or incredulity, it expressed instead a witheringly unimpressed response. If Betram had asked her if she was an advocate of breathing or sleeping he would scarely have gotten a less enthused reaction.
"He died well, surrounded by enemy dead. As for CONA's shameful behaviour; it will come back to haunt them." was all she said, her words slow and clear. She intentionally avoided mentioning the Army of the Panopticon. Even as she spoke, she knew she could perhaps have couched her response more diplomatically, and that she had let Betram rattle her straight out of the gate.
With a small, sympathetic nod, the Doctor pretended to jot down some notes onto his therapist’s notepad before looking over to his audience. The crowd were deathly silent; entranced by the present climate of solemness brought about by Valane.
“-As for the nativist movement, what are your thoughts on their effort? Surely you hold some level of understanding to the reasons for the grievances of the galactic natives in this war? I understand your people stand in natural opposition, but you can empathize with their position, surely?” He squinted and gestured as if to coax her into a sense of secure divulgence and confidence.
She replied in a softer tone, reasonable and soothing. "There are a myriad of reasons for the native peoples of Ancerious to feel grievances, just as there are reasons for every thinking being to feel grievances. It is only natural that people advocate for themselves as strongly as possible."
It seemed liked she was finished speaking, but just as the silence became uncomfortable and Valane, professional and slick, was about to fill it, she spoke again, this time her tone harder.
"It is a shame, then, that CONA are not advocating for the native peoples of Ancerious."
Valane squinted.
“...I’m sorry. Perhaps I'm misunderstood..” He let out an half-laugh under his breath matched by his confused look, “...It sounds to me like you’re claiming that the CONA is advocating for the Colonials!”
With a smile, he looked to his audience to accompany his comment with an agreeable laugh.
“...Are you suggesting that CONA is a non-native driven movement…?”
Mariko offered an indulgent smile. "They're not advocating for the colonials, no. They're simply advocating for themselves. CONA does not really care about the rights of native populations. It took them less than a week to launch nuclear strikes against civilian targets on a native planet."
She turned her dark eyes to the audience, her smile fading. "CONA incinerated millions of innocent Aedleshaveners in atomic fire, even as the Aedleshaven army was fighting by their side. If they feel it necessary they will sacrifice each and every one of you, make no mistake."
Valane launched a quick-minded retort to the prince with a sharp glance and prodding grin, as if he was poking fun over the subject of war-crimes.
“But surely- Did your own empire not strike a city occupied by civilians in the name of hitting enemy targets? Did Mitsuyoshi not take advantage of his imperial position to usurp his merited superiors just to obliterate a city for pride’s sake? ‘This whole cursed planet is not worth the bones of a single Jade marine’ I believe was the quote in the Natar Terminus that week.”
“One might interpret from those actions and that statement that, if the actions of Kel’thul show CONA has little care for the lives of the natives of this galaxy, neither does Ingen - And by extension, SAGA.”
“It sounds to me like Ingen would be happy sacrificing each and every one of us if it weighed in favour of its strategy also. Do you disagree?”
"Yes," said the princess steadily, aware that Valane was hoping she would match his tone and seem to make light of the whole conversation, "you make an excellent point. Enemy targets. The Jade Empire fired on a city governed by, and garrisoned with, enemies inimicable to sapient life. The Merger and its Cult had worked their way into the very bones of Marchander society, with their death cults and their foul mutilations and corruptions. They were our enemies, and we made no pretense otherwise."
She leaned forwards. "Bombarding a city is what you do to your enemies. Why then did CONA bombard Aedleshaven?"
“-I believe the Union of Worlds took a very different interpretations of events and the actions that prevailed in that moment.” Valane shifted slightly before patting down on the notepad,
“Well- Before we go any further down the rabbithole of the same discussions being had across the galaxy right now, I would like to rein this all back around to the main subject of today: You.”
He looked up and stared Mariko in the eyes,
“Do you have no guilt- No apprehension over the concept of killing non-combatants in the name of your nation? And by non-combatants I mean those who do not raise a weapon in direct threat to you. Do you see no blur between a hostile movement and those that live and survive in its domain?”
"If you don't wish to discuss CONA's betrayal of their allies and the murder of the very people they claimed to be protecting then by all means, we can move on." replied Mariko, an eyebrow gently arched.
"I'm afraid your next question perhaps requires rephrasing. Tell me, Doctor, have you studied the Merger?"
“I presume you’re referring to the cult? Only certain bits and pieces- Like most. They aren’t of any relevance in these parts.” The psychologist chuckled reassuringly both to Mariko and his audience as he crossed his legs.
"You ask if I made no distinction between a hostile movement and those who live and survive in its domain? I do. Like any thinking being, I can recognise that the government of Kel'Thul and its people are not the same. That the people of Natar may not all agree with the Stadtholder.
But the Merger is not a movement. It is a disease."
She paused for a moment, clearly choosing her next words carefully, composing herself.
"When the physical essence of an individual is corrupted, twisted into something other, the mind imprisoned in a gibbering cage, it is not a political movement. It is a fate worse than death. The Merger spreads like a virus, turning good people into mere flesh and meat, subsuming the innocent and guilty alike. They are compelled towards their own destruction not by reason or emotion, but by cruel biology. Soldiers speak of the horrors of war, the brutality inflicted on free men and women who choose to fight for their cause, but the nightmares of modern combat pale in comparison to the godlessness of the Merger. Ask the Pords, or the Minevans. Ask them what they saw at Halak, at Cass, or in the darkest hours of the Deep Harvest."
She shook her head, as if wearied by allowing such heavy words to fall from her lips.
"If you had done your research, Doctor Valane, you would be cursing my name for not atomising every inch of the Tuvian Arm to protect the rest of the galaxy from this unspeakable threat. You would certainly not be trying to draw parallels between our fight with the Merger and CONA's choice to launch nuclear missiles at their own allies."
The doctor shook his head.
“I fear we don’t make the same equations, Princess.” He assessed.
“You think the brutality and mercilessness of your enemy justifies equal mercilessness?” He paused, changing page on his notepad, “The Union of Worlds took a very different view on urban annihilation, did they not?”
"The Canton is not a member of the Union of Worlds." replied Mariko. "It is easy to judge, from safe in your television studio, lightyears away from..."
She paused, as if she had heard something in the distance, tilting her head, then pursed her lips tight. Smoke began billowing from the edge of the stage, mere feet away from herself, Valane and the audience members. It was accompanied by the sound of many voices screaming, distant at first and then suddenly louder as if a threshold had been crossed. Long tentacles began to wind their way out of the smoke, themselves emitting noxious-looking fumes. They began to flail through the audience, hurling figures through the air. One snagged a man, seemingly at random, and pulled him back towards the epicentre, where a foul bulk was half-visible through the gloom. Vaguely dome-like, the tentacles were emanating from its underside, which seemed hollow. Around the dome, countless faces of many different species writhed in agony, some completely greyish-purple like the rest of the abomination, others still retaining their original hues even as the grey rot slowly crept over their tormented visages.
The man snared by the monster screamed desperately as a tentacle wrapped around his neck and tore off his head, placing it almost tenderly onto the dome where the man's screams continued, his eyes bulging and his tongue flapping wildly. The rest of his body was fed to the underbelly of the beast, foul crunching noises and offal falling from the dark space.
Mariko, half obscured by the smoke and horrifying scene in front of her, seemed unaffected, and almost as quickly as it had begun the vision disappeared, leaving behind nothing but faint sparkles in the air. She had been using her limited ability in the Creation school of Idshii magic to produce the nightmarish sight and the victims it had 'taken' from the crowd.
She waited silently as the screams and shrieks subsided from outright terror to a dull roar, her gaze not leaving the doctor as she gauged his reaction. Once she could be heard again, she spoke calmly.
"Our armed forces call those 'skin squids', or more formally Class 3 Cephalophore. They were first sighted several decades ago. The most recent was an incident in the Marchander city of Halak two weeks ago."
“Well. It may not be a member but-” Before Dr. Valane could pursue his interjection, the veritable insanity that began unfolded before his eyes. Quick as a flash, an eldritch horror befitting something from the swamps of Sasona emerged onto the stage and began to reign terror and havoc upon the unprepared audience. By the time that Mariko’s illusion had dissipated, the revelation mattered little.
Everyone from the audience had fled in blind fear out the emergency exits from the studio. Half the staff on-site seemed to have done the same and the actual recordings had cut to intermission the moment the monster reared its ugly head.
One of the few people left in the room seemed to be Dr. Valane himself, who had jumped from his chair. Initially to protect his guest, then to run away the moment the scale of the danger had become apparent. Halfway to one of the stage exits, the doctor slowed as the situation deescalated. He was left to look to the Jade royal. Panting with a hand clutching over where his weak heart resided, the presenter screamed to his guest:
“Are you insane?!”
He marched back towards her with a pointed finger. His warm disposition as a host had been cast aside as he flung a hand wildly towards the empty seats,
“Do you know nothing of decency and tact?!”
For the first time, Mariko's face betrayed a flicker of emotion, the placid mask slipping to reveal the Inner Face beyond. Her lip curled as she rose to her feet - tall for an Ingenious, her horns and glowing orbs adding to her stature, her posture erect.
"You and your audience have been sent fleeing in terror by the mere image of the horrors we face. Do not speak to me of 'decency' and 'tact'! My people face these atrocities every day, and you presume to judge us from your safe, warm studio? "
She spread her arms, the glow from her onibi orbs growing in intensity, shadows and light flickering over her visage which seemed both terrible and beautiful in that instant, promising both protection and destruction.
"We are the light that holds back the darkness."
“It wasn’t a merger monstrosity that just unleashed itself in a studio of people.” Bertram promptly shot back as soon as the royal’s defence finished.
“You’re sounding eerily similar to a certain Capitolite Empress.” The doctor remarked. A grave disposition had overtaken him now as the hubbub of depleted and frustrated staff began to stir who were clearly no longer happy with Mariko’s continued presence and existence.
“If you’re the light in the darkness then no wonder we’ve evolved to see in the dark.”
"No, it was just a shadow of one, and even that was enough to trigger primal fear in you."
She fixed him with an imperious gaze. "You may have evolved to see in the dark, but you are clearly still blind."
“I see we have nothing left to discuss.” Dr. Valane grimly responded. He shook his head like he saw nothing but a lost cause in this matter to pursue any further. Grabbing his belongings from the table beside his seat, he rose back upright.
“If you want some serious mental advice, Princess. I recommend you truly look more into your ability to ‘read a room’. If your goal here was to bring people to your way of thinking: You’ve failed, if your goal here was to make you more popular: You’ve failed. I think you’ll find that learning to approach things tactfully and proportionately, as I suggest, may help you when dealing with people who don’t see things as you do.”
He paused, before gesturing over to the evidence of the chaos she had inflicted onto the audience seats,
“Unless fear, panic and intimidation are your only go-to methods in dealing with those that contradict you.”
Mariko smiled gently. "I seek to tell the truth, Doctor Valane. I have no need of votes."
She stood. "When we are faced with extreme problems, sometimes we are forced to extreme responses. People would not flee your studio if they were not afraid for their lives. You would not cut an interview short if you were not outraged. Canton would not resort to superweapons if...,"
She paused for a moment, looking back at the spot she had conjured the apparition from.
"Well, you already know the end to that sentence. It is simply up to you whether you believe it or not."
She offered him a nod, then turned to leave.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Doctor, and do send us the bill for any upholstery that needs replacing."
As staff members rushed about the stations busily like ants behind the curtains, their guest was ushered forth to the curtain to prepare to make their entry. Out on stage awaited, through the black, dimly-lit setting, a faux-therapist’s room layout of furniture arrayed before the masses of audience members. Light set-ups hovered on drones and automated racks overhead, ready to be put into action.
Just then the rumble of chatter was interrupted by the beginning of the show. A jazzy ensemble of musicians started to bounce the musical notes of the iconic interview show’s theme. The brass orchestral was then matched by the booming voice of an announcer,
“Ladies, Gentlemen, and all imbetween… You have waited long enough. Let’s get this show on the road…!” The preparatory voice called out to the applause and cheer of the crowds. The fixtures began to dance their strobes around like searchlights.
“We’ve got one hell of a guest from the savage stars above for you today… But first someone’s eager to meet you all… The Mental Muse, the Therapeutic Thespian, the Gentile Genius… Doctor Betram Valane!” Announced the godly voice from above to the whooping cacophony of the masses. From behind the centre-curtains of the stage emerged the silhouette of the interviewer himself: Dr. Valane. The spindly, well-dressed form of the aging celebrity psychiatrist beamed to his adoring fans behind; squinting desperately with his fragile nocturnal eyes through the floodlights magnified upon him.
“Hello my friends! Hello!” He proudly declared with both hands waving and a sheepish smile on his face to play up his modesty to the love of his spectators, “You’re all too lovely! Too beautiful! Too noble! All of you are so noble!” He chuckled as he waved for the onlookers to calm.
“Thank you… Thank you…” He gestured for peace, “...For coming today, one and all… And, boy, do we have an interview in store for you all today. As you all well know we have entertained many minds on our humble show through the years… Industrialists… Monarchs… Animals… Marxists: The wealthy and magnificent… To the panting beasts of burden… And i’m not referring to the animals!” He chirped with a grin to the haughty laughs of those seated before him.
“...But rarely do we get to look into the mind of a royal to one of the largest colonial empires in the galaxy… To some the Jade Empire is a breath of fresh, pragmatic air… Built on reliable and familiar foundations… To others it is a symbol of amoral imperialism from dimensions beyond our own…” He looked from side to side with an eager smile.
“So please, it is with profound honour that I have the privilege to welcome onto our show the great, the eminent, the serene Countess of the Ruby Canton herself, Princess Mariko Kuribayashi!” The Doctor cheered with a grandiose wave to the curtains to his left.
At that moment a stage hand gave a nod; indicating it was time for Mariko to make her entrance. It was time to make herself plain to the world.
The Princess of the Jade Empire and Countess of the Canton did not fail to make an impression as she entered. Wearing a short cheongsam dress embroidered with a lustrous ocean pattern, hemmed in glittering aquamarine, her skin glowed and her onibi orbs cast strange and flickering shadows.
She walked with a demure but self-assured step, every foot placed carefully, the result of years of court training that came back to her as naturally as riding a bike and worked wonders to hide her nerves. She had lived many years in the shadow of her older brother, and whilst she had been prepared for the rigours of public life she had avoided the tabloid press and popular media, preferring to remain aloof.
She knew that the Jade Empire and the Canton had a reputation in Ancerious, however, and this was her chance to assuage some of the doubts and some of the damage her brother had done to their international standing. Or so she thought.
As she saw the smiling, sharply-tailored old man who had seemed so friendly during their meeting earlier today, she suddenly felt like she was walking into a trap. It was too late to turn back though, so she simply crossed the stage, waved politely to the audience, and took a seat. The fact she did not bow to the Doctor or shake his hand was not lost on many audience members, though how they interpreted that information was down to them.
A raucous roar surged from the crowd's applause the exact moment that Mariko made her appearance onto the stage. Evidently the display of Jade orientalism and exotic royalty was met by prestigious adoration by the onlooking spectators. Even the doctor himself gave a look to the crowd with an expression that wordlessly announced ‘wow’ to both them and the cameras panning between them. Every spotlight in the studio were not concentrated on Mariko and bathing her in a practically binding beam of light.
With a mild, friendly chortle, the Teliran celebrity put out a hand for a welcoming handshake. Recognizing the royal’s intent to sit straight down, the psychiatrist rather smoothly evolved the move into a gesture for her to sit down before he too took back to his chair. As the crowds continued to cheer, the doctor gave a few friendly, welcoming words from across the stretch between their furniture while his microphone was still off.
With the sounds of approval dying down from the onlooking masses, Betram’s microphone picked him up once again as he politely coughed and looked over to the Jade imperial.
“Your royal highness. Firstly, thank you for joining us today. As you know, Natar is not aligned with any side in your war so I'm sure the risks, both political and literal, in coming here were quite tangible.” He noted as he adjusted his unsettled suit and fitted himself into his reclined chair.
“If you don’t mind, though, i’d like to begin by first expressing, I think, on behalf of everyone here and Natar… Our heartfelt condolences for your loss, Princess-” He looked solemnly over to the audience with a nod to confirm their support, “To the death of the Emperor, Mitsuyoshi Kuribayashi, not all too long ago… It mustn’t be any easier to lose a relative for a royal than it is for a commoner. What kind of emotions did you feel at the news of his death at the Xibalba Engagement?”
Mariko had bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement at the condolences muttered across the room, but once Betram had finished speaking she turned a look on him that, had she been able to see her own face, would have instantly reminded her of her father. Whilst stopping short of outright scorn or incredulity, it expressed instead a witheringly unimpressed response. If Betram had asked her if she was an advocate of breathing or sleeping he would scarely have gotten a less enthused reaction.
"He died well, surrounded by enemy dead. As for CONA's shameful behaviour; it will come back to haunt them." was all she said, her words slow and clear. She intentionally avoided mentioning the Army of the Panopticon. Even as she spoke, she knew she could perhaps have couched her response more diplomatically, and that she had let Betram rattle her straight out of the gate.
With a small, sympathetic nod, the Doctor pretended to jot down some notes onto his therapist’s notepad before looking over to his audience. The crowd were deathly silent; entranced by the present climate of solemness brought about by Valane.
“-As for the nativist movement, what are your thoughts on their effort? Surely you hold some level of understanding to the reasons for the grievances of the galactic natives in this war? I understand your people stand in natural opposition, but you can empathize with their position, surely?” He squinted and gestured as if to coax her into a sense of secure divulgence and confidence.
She replied in a softer tone, reasonable and soothing. "There are a myriad of reasons for the native peoples of Ancerious to feel grievances, just as there are reasons for every thinking being to feel grievances. It is only natural that people advocate for themselves as strongly as possible."
It seemed liked she was finished speaking, but just as the silence became uncomfortable and Valane, professional and slick, was about to fill it, she spoke again, this time her tone harder.
"It is a shame, then, that CONA are not advocating for the native peoples of Ancerious."
Valane squinted.
“...I’m sorry. Perhaps I'm misunderstood..” He let out an half-laugh under his breath matched by his confused look, “...It sounds to me like you’re claiming that the CONA is advocating for the Colonials!”
With a smile, he looked to his audience to accompany his comment with an agreeable laugh.
“...Are you suggesting that CONA is a non-native driven movement…?”
Mariko offered an indulgent smile. "They're not advocating for the colonials, no. They're simply advocating for themselves. CONA does not really care about the rights of native populations. It took them less than a week to launch nuclear strikes against civilian targets on a native planet."
She turned her dark eyes to the audience, her smile fading. "CONA incinerated millions of innocent Aedleshaveners in atomic fire, even as the Aedleshaven army was fighting by their side. If they feel it necessary they will sacrifice each and every one of you, make no mistake."
Valane launched a quick-minded retort to the prince with a sharp glance and prodding grin, as if he was poking fun over the subject of war-crimes.
“But surely- Did your own empire not strike a city occupied by civilians in the name of hitting enemy targets? Did Mitsuyoshi not take advantage of his imperial position to usurp his merited superiors just to obliterate a city for pride’s sake? ‘This whole cursed planet is not worth the bones of a single Jade marine’ I believe was the quote in the Natar Terminus that week.”
“One might interpret from those actions and that statement that, if the actions of Kel’thul show CONA has little care for the lives of the natives of this galaxy, neither does Ingen - And by extension, SAGA.”
“It sounds to me like Ingen would be happy sacrificing each and every one of us if it weighed in favour of its strategy also. Do you disagree?”
"Yes," said the princess steadily, aware that Valane was hoping she would match his tone and seem to make light of the whole conversation, "you make an excellent point. Enemy targets. The Jade Empire fired on a city governed by, and garrisoned with, enemies inimicable to sapient life. The Merger and its Cult had worked their way into the very bones of Marchander society, with their death cults and their foul mutilations and corruptions. They were our enemies, and we made no pretense otherwise."
She leaned forwards. "Bombarding a city is what you do to your enemies. Why then did CONA bombard Aedleshaven?"
“-I believe the Union of Worlds took a very different interpretations of events and the actions that prevailed in that moment.” Valane shifted slightly before patting down on the notepad,
“Well- Before we go any further down the rabbithole of the same discussions being had across the galaxy right now, I would like to rein this all back around to the main subject of today: You.”
He looked up and stared Mariko in the eyes,
“Do you have no guilt- No apprehension over the concept of killing non-combatants in the name of your nation? And by non-combatants I mean those who do not raise a weapon in direct threat to you. Do you see no blur between a hostile movement and those that live and survive in its domain?”
"If you don't wish to discuss CONA's betrayal of their allies and the murder of the very people they claimed to be protecting then by all means, we can move on." replied Mariko, an eyebrow gently arched.
"I'm afraid your next question perhaps requires rephrasing. Tell me, Doctor, have you studied the Merger?"
“I presume you’re referring to the cult? Only certain bits and pieces- Like most. They aren’t of any relevance in these parts.” The psychologist chuckled reassuringly both to Mariko and his audience as he crossed his legs.
"You ask if I made no distinction between a hostile movement and those who live and survive in its domain? I do. Like any thinking being, I can recognise that the government of Kel'Thul and its people are not the same. That the people of Natar may not all agree with the Stadtholder.
But the Merger is not a movement. It is a disease."
She paused for a moment, clearly choosing her next words carefully, composing herself.
"When the physical essence of an individual is corrupted, twisted into something other, the mind imprisoned in a gibbering cage, it is not a political movement. It is a fate worse than death. The Merger spreads like a virus, turning good people into mere flesh and meat, subsuming the innocent and guilty alike. They are compelled towards their own destruction not by reason or emotion, but by cruel biology. Soldiers speak of the horrors of war, the brutality inflicted on free men and women who choose to fight for their cause, but the nightmares of modern combat pale in comparison to the godlessness of the Merger. Ask the Pords, or the Minevans. Ask them what they saw at Halak, at Cass, or in the darkest hours of the Deep Harvest."
She shook her head, as if wearied by allowing such heavy words to fall from her lips.
"If you had done your research, Doctor Valane, you would be cursing my name for not atomising every inch of the Tuvian Arm to protect the rest of the galaxy from this unspeakable threat. You would certainly not be trying to draw parallels between our fight with the Merger and CONA's choice to launch nuclear missiles at their own allies."
The doctor shook his head.
“I fear we don’t make the same equations, Princess.” He assessed.
“You think the brutality and mercilessness of your enemy justifies equal mercilessness?” He paused, changing page on his notepad, “The Union of Worlds took a very different view on urban annihilation, did they not?”
"The Canton is not a member of the Union of Worlds." replied Mariko. "It is easy to judge, from safe in your television studio, lightyears away from..."
She paused, as if she had heard something in the distance, tilting her head, then pursed her lips tight. Smoke began billowing from the edge of the stage, mere feet away from herself, Valane and the audience members. It was accompanied by the sound of many voices screaming, distant at first and then suddenly louder as if a threshold had been crossed. Long tentacles began to wind their way out of the smoke, themselves emitting noxious-looking fumes. They began to flail through the audience, hurling figures through the air. One snagged a man, seemingly at random, and pulled him back towards the epicentre, where a foul bulk was half-visible through the gloom. Vaguely dome-like, the tentacles were emanating from its underside, which seemed hollow. Around the dome, countless faces of many different species writhed in agony, some completely greyish-purple like the rest of the abomination, others still retaining their original hues even as the grey rot slowly crept over their tormented visages.
The man snared by the monster screamed desperately as a tentacle wrapped around his neck and tore off his head, placing it almost tenderly onto the dome where the man's screams continued, his eyes bulging and his tongue flapping wildly. The rest of his body was fed to the underbelly of the beast, foul crunching noises and offal falling from the dark space.
Mariko, half obscured by the smoke and horrifying scene in front of her, seemed unaffected, and almost as quickly as it had begun the vision disappeared, leaving behind nothing but faint sparkles in the air. She had been using her limited ability in the Creation school of Idshii magic to produce the nightmarish sight and the victims it had 'taken' from the crowd.
She waited silently as the screams and shrieks subsided from outright terror to a dull roar, her gaze not leaving the doctor as she gauged his reaction. Once she could be heard again, she spoke calmly.
"Our armed forces call those 'skin squids', or more formally Class 3 Cephalophore. They were first sighted several decades ago. The most recent was an incident in the Marchander city of Halak two weeks ago."
“Well. It may not be a member but-” Before Dr. Valane could pursue his interjection, the veritable insanity that began unfolded before his eyes. Quick as a flash, an eldritch horror befitting something from the swamps of Sasona emerged onto the stage and began to reign terror and havoc upon the unprepared audience. By the time that Mariko’s illusion had dissipated, the revelation mattered little.
Everyone from the audience had fled in blind fear out the emergency exits from the studio. Half the staff on-site seemed to have done the same and the actual recordings had cut to intermission the moment the monster reared its ugly head.
One of the few people left in the room seemed to be Dr. Valane himself, who had jumped from his chair. Initially to protect his guest, then to run away the moment the scale of the danger had become apparent. Halfway to one of the stage exits, the doctor slowed as the situation deescalated. He was left to look to the Jade royal. Panting with a hand clutching over where his weak heart resided, the presenter screamed to his guest:
“Are you insane?!”
He marched back towards her with a pointed finger. His warm disposition as a host had been cast aside as he flung a hand wildly towards the empty seats,
“Do you know nothing of decency and tact?!”
For the first time, Mariko's face betrayed a flicker of emotion, the placid mask slipping to reveal the Inner Face beyond. Her lip curled as she rose to her feet - tall for an Ingenious, her horns and glowing orbs adding to her stature, her posture erect.
"You and your audience have been sent fleeing in terror by the mere image of the horrors we face. Do not speak to me of 'decency' and 'tact'! My people face these atrocities every day, and you presume to judge us from your safe, warm studio? "
She spread her arms, the glow from her onibi orbs growing in intensity, shadows and light flickering over her visage which seemed both terrible and beautiful in that instant, promising both protection and destruction.
"We are the light that holds back the darkness."
“It wasn’t a merger monstrosity that just unleashed itself in a studio of people.” Bertram promptly shot back as soon as the royal’s defence finished.
“You’re sounding eerily similar to a certain Capitolite Empress.” The doctor remarked. A grave disposition had overtaken him now as the hubbub of depleted and frustrated staff began to stir who were clearly no longer happy with Mariko’s continued presence and existence.
“If you’re the light in the darkness then no wonder we’ve evolved to see in the dark.”
"No, it was just a shadow of one, and even that was enough to trigger primal fear in you."
She fixed him with an imperious gaze. "You may have evolved to see in the dark, but you are clearly still blind."
“I see we have nothing left to discuss.” Dr. Valane grimly responded. He shook his head like he saw nothing but a lost cause in this matter to pursue any further. Grabbing his belongings from the table beside his seat, he rose back upright.
“If you want some serious mental advice, Princess. I recommend you truly look more into your ability to ‘read a room’. If your goal here was to bring people to your way of thinking: You’ve failed, if your goal here was to make you more popular: You’ve failed. I think you’ll find that learning to approach things tactfully and proportionately, as I suggest, may help you when dealing with people who don’t see things as you do.”
He paused, before gesturing over to the evidence of the chaos she had inflicted onto the audience seats,
“Unless fear, panic and intimidation are your only go-to methods in dealing with those that contradict you.”
Mariko smiled gently. "I seek to tell the truth, Doctor Valane. I have no need of votes."
She stood. "When we are faced with extreme problems, sometimes we are forced to extreme responses. People would not flee your studio if they were not afraid for their lives. You would not cut an interview short if you were not outraged. Canton would not resort to superweapons if...,"
She paused for a moment, looking back at the spot she had conjured the apparition from.
"Well, you already know the end to that sentence. It is simply up to you whether you believe it or not."
She offered him a nod, then turned to leave.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Doctor, and do send us the bill for any upholstery that needs replacing."