Trial of Isolation part 3

With the approval of the elders of The Valley, Lady Vey travels out of the city to deescalate a war...

The ship jetted over the barren war-torn landscape towards the front. Vey went on for hours about her knowledge of the outside world. She was a walking encyclopedia on everything, and she wanted to be sure her companions knew. At first Cherize listened on with curiosity, but as time passed, she began to drift away. She barely slept the night before and it didn't help her focus on the lesson. Dantly acted as the pilot for the flight and inserted a short hm, huh or really? But Vey knew he wasn’t listening. Cherize breathed out, half asleep and groggy,

“You know a lot about this stuff huh, V?” She asked.

“Well to be a Lady of the Valley, we do have to go through extensive social, political, and historical training. Without it, I never would’ve had a chance for this diplomatic mission. Who knows who would’ve gone in our place!

“Plasma infused nuke would be my guess.” Cherize grunted in reply. Vey inhaled through her teeth,

“Well… yes, I suppose.” Vey went silent for a while, looking out the window at the battlefields. Beneath them was a dreamy purple haze. Lights flashed far beneath them, and primitive fighter jets passed, unaware of the stealth ship. Vey began again, “It’s sad, isn’t it? What are they even fighting for?” Cherize yawned, stretching her body out in the cockpit seat. She realized she wasn’t getting any more sleep and opened her eyes all the way and replied,

“They fight for honor - for the gods. They fight for their homes… even if it is misguided, they are fighting for something.” She replied. Vey sighed,

“Yes, I suppose you’re right. It’s a shame we can’t teach them there’s no honor in fighting.” Cherize shrugged, 

“Honor by our standards -” Dantly spoke over them,

“Reaching the landing in five minutes.” He announced. Cherize shook her head, jogging her brain back to full consciousness. She leaned down and collected her supplies off the floor. A small fabric bag with protective sleeves on the outside for her swords. She reached down next to it and grabbed a plain metal plate. It was curved and no bigger than her hand. It latched to the armor on her outer thigh with a metallic clank. 

“Ready for anything.” Cherize said.

“Ready for diplomacy.” Vey corrected. She was vibrating in her seat as she glanced at Cherize and took her hand from across the aisle in the cockpit. They looked at each other and smiled, “Ready for a whole new world.” Cherize smiled and leaned across the small aisle. Vey leaned closer to her and they shared a kiss.

“To a new world, then.” Cherize nodded and leaned away. She took a deep breath in and buckled herself in for the landing. 

“Dropping landing gear.” Dantly said. The transition was seamless as the ship let out a hiss and it relaxed on the ground. The hatch disengaged, opening them to the world. The ramp climbed down, connecting to the soft grassy earth right off the landing pad.

“Welcome to the town of Bownsend!” A voice called from outside.

“Thick posh westerner’s accent… a man of regard… a politician even!” Vey mumbled to herself, trying to apply her knowledge of the outside world. “Interesting welcome. The council must’ve sent a transmission… What was our ‘company’ name?” Without missing a beat Dantly responded,

“Sen-Lent Eye Diplomatic Solutions PFC. SLE for short.”  Vey breathed out and her voice flipped to her solid more official tone,

“Ah… well isn’t that an overly complicated mouthful.” Cherize walked to the ramp and looked down on the welcoming committee. A pale man with a round stomach and stout legs stood at the bottom of the landing ladder. His face was full with a red but mostly graying beard. His big blue marble eyes lit up his entire face. He had a soldier with him that shined a flashlight outside the simulated sunlight of the ship’s interior. Cherize forgot about how far they had moved across the continent. A full five hours forward. The sun was falling low on the wartorn plains. The brittle concrete landing pad was barely visible in the dim light. In the distance Cherize could swear she saw a treeline. They had to have been far into the Bownsend territory or there wouldn’t be trees at all. The round man gave an uneasy chuckle,

“It isn’t really comforting to see a soldier as my first introduction to your company.” Cherize shrugged,

“I’m the only one. I can’t say the same about you.” Behind him were five soldiers - including the one with the flashlight. She was surprised and concerned that she hadn’t seen them sooner. All of them were dressed in malleable weak armor that looked built more to be cheap and flexible rather than protective. Most had rifles, the one with the flashlight in hand had a blade on his back and a pistol on his thigh. He appeared to be the commander. 

“I apologize for my delay, good sir.” Lady Vey’s head poked out of the cockpit. She pushed past Cherize and began walking down the landing ramp. Cherize grunted, rolling her eyes. Here comes the politician. The good Lady of the Valley playing her diplomatic role. She followed her partner down, keeping close to her. Her lightweight boots crunched the dried mud beneath her feet. Cherize dusted off her thighs and leaned against the ship. It was plain and sleek, nothing that anyone would recognize as hyper advanced. 

Vey shook her head then smiled, “Forgive us, but we are ready to begin when you are, sir - uh -”

“Sandsun. Governor Sandsun.” Vey nodded,

“Governor Sandsun, then. Pleasure, governor. I am Lady Veyeni, an official diplomat. And have you contacted your Shill counterpart in preparation for this most important of occasions?” Sandsun chuckled, a loud hearty laugh that echoed into the sky.

“Spoken like a true diplomat. Your company is worth every dal.” Every dal? The council must’ve charged money to make it seem like a legitimate organization.

“Then I presume we will be receiving every dal, and then some.” Vey replied with a wry smile.

“If your services are up to par… we can talk about a bonus in the future. Anyways, no time to sit in the dark. Please, come with me.” Dantly stepped down the ramp and pulled out his slit. He immediately began documenting all interactions. Vey gestured,

“This is my technical assistant, and this is my personal guard. I assure you they will not be of any trouble to you or your people.” Sandsun nodded and turned away, he didn’t seem to care at all. Veyeni opened her gait to catch up to him, walking alongside the governor as they trekked through the open plains. 

“I am not worried in the slightest about them. In fact, I welcome any fresh face you have to offer. Your company may be young, but your presentation shows promise.”

“That being said,” She pressed again, “have you contacted the Shill governor?” Governor Sandsun laughed again,

“Governor Caminala - well - she hasn’t entirely been cooperative. Last message I sent - well she answered with a missile bombardment… right into our trench.” Sandsun shook his head, a strange smirk on his face,

“And you find this funny, governor?” Sandsun looked at Vey. Her face was twisted sour. She couldn’t hide her judgment.

“Funny - well… forgive me diplomat at - uh -”

“Veyeni.”

“Right, diplomat Veyeni. This war has been going on longer than I’ve been governor - hell - longer than I’ve been alive. It’s just how it is, Miss Veyeni.” She cringed. 

Miss? Dare this man call a Lady ‘miss’? She feigned a slight smile,

“Of course, I understand the trouble of casualties. War becoming a numbing exploration… the human experience is… not to be trifled with, but hard not to grow numb to.” The governor nodded, letting out a quiet chuckle. “I will contact the governor myself. Just give me her transmission code and this will be taken care of promptly.”

“I’ll handle the code.” Dantly spoke without looking away from the projection which was shrunk down to fit into his ringed hand for privacy. The governor glanced back at him,

“Fancy device there. Where can I get one?” Dantly glanced up, making eye contact with the governor. He feigned a smile then looked back down to his data transcription.

“That’s a special addition slit, governor. Unfortunately for you, that’s an original.” Cherize added with a smirk to Dantly.

“Don’t worry about my assistant’s equipment.” Vey redirected, “Let’s worry about bringing peace to your people, governor.” The governor noddec and pulled out a PDA. It was a small portable tablet. Much clunkier to manage than a ring around one’s finger. “May I?” Vey asked. He hesitated then passed it to her. She took it, turning it end over end. 

How primitive.

She put the pad to Dantly’s ring.

“Data transfer complete.” He said. Vey smiled and handed the PDA back to the governor.

“Let's make haste arriving in Bownsend. Which reminds me, do you have any neutral ground in consideration for peace talks to commence?”

“Us Bownsend are a proud people, Miss Veyeni. We may not have much, but we are soldiers, we are survivors, and our state’s hall will be more than suitable for any peace talks.” As he said this, their ramshackled city came into view.

“Forgive me, governor, but I must disagree.” He stopped walking and the soldiers planted their feet. Vey continued walking forward.

“Excuse me?” The governor asked. Vey looked over her shoulder at the group,

“Peace talks cannot be one sided, governor. The Shill won’t agree to come here. That you even set up the premise by saying you’re soldiers is concerning and proves my point. In fact, I recommend the warzone itself.”

“Miss Veyeni, I do not think that I -”

“- It’s Lady Veyeni, governor. And I think that the warzone would not only be the ideal place to end this peacefully, but also a place of gravity to remind you and governor Caminala of the weight of your barbaric actions.” 

“Well Lady - you - that’s -well - an interesting point.” Sandsun’s face had turned red, and he looked flustered. “Tell you what: Get Caminala to agree, and I will too.” Vey bowed her head,

“A wise choice indeed, governor.” Vey turned and looked at the city of Bownsend, if city was the word for it. Compared to the Valley, it was a town - maybe a village. But she assumed that compared to the rest of the world, this was indeed a city. Small old buildings, the outer limits of the city dotted with broken down lean-to shacks. The further in, the more skyscrapers dotted the skyline. They were broken and damaged. The roofs of buildings were gone. The sky was hazy with smoke. The air smelled stronger as they got closer. Vey noticed trees dotting around the city outskirts, “Amazing that trees still grow here… all this destruction - the pollutants.” The governor nodded,

“Sadly, they have grown accustomed to our situation. I hope with your arrival, we can have a chance at making things better.” Veyeni nodded,

“Let us hope.” 

Soon they were walking through the city’s crumbing streets. Cherize looked around,

“Not many civilians…” The governor shrugged. The commander spoke up,

“The draft takes its toll. We’re proud to serve.” Cherize nodded in understanding. They arrived at an old, battered building - the city hall. It was covered in charred burns. Smoke curled from the front pillars, and the gold plating that once made the hall beautiful now was a gaudy reminder of what was once thought to be powerful. 

“I’d be glad to give you the grand tour, Lady Veyeni.” The governor said gesturing to the hall,

“That won’t be necessary, governor. But…” Vey looked to Cherize, “I would appreciate it if you gave my guard a tour. I’ll be making a call to governor Caminala, and my escort will fill me in on the details later.” The governor hesitated then nodded,

“A transmission from outside the capital hall… good thinking, miss - Lady.” The governor spoke with slight irritation. He wasn’t used to being turned away from requests. Vey smiled her most fake polite grin and turned towards Dantly,

“Prepare to code the call, Dantly.” He nodded,

“Preparing transmission call… and… connected.” A voice stumbled out from the slit,

“Who is contacting my private line?” It was less a question and more an angry command.

“This is personal assistant Dantvara of the Sen-Lent Eye Diplomatic Solutions PFC. Lady Veyeni, leading diplomat, has requested a hearing with you, governor. Will you accept her request?”

“I’ve never heard of you, and I don’t care who you are. I will burn you to the ground if you contact this number again.” Veyeni laughed and brought her own ring out of her pocket and put it on her finger. She rarely used it, but it seemed like now was the right time.

“Transfer me.” She said. Dantly nodded and the hologram projected outwards in front of her. Veyeni was now face to face with a video of governor Caminala. She was a thin railed child of Oran-Koh with neon purple skin. She had tired green eyes and silver streaks in her brown hair. Her lips were thin, and the wrinkles around her mouth shaped a prominent frown. “Governor, good evening. I know how much of an inconvenience this must be,” Veyeni brought a finger up before she could be cut off, “but I am a lady of my word, and I am determined to bring peace to this land. Governor Sandsun has already not only fronted the bill - in good faith that you would agree to have a mediator such as myself involved in a -” Caminala let out a groan,

“You’re wasting my time, ‘Lady.’ I don’t give a damn about your peace mission, or the money Sandsun has put into this. War is war, and no, I don’t accept peace as an option. If anything, this just shows Sandsun’s weakness.” Vey laughed, indulging the governor. 

“Weakness is… well something I see in Sandsun, but just as much in you. Governor, your weakness bleeds through your fear. Your anger means nothing, but that you’re afraid. So how about we talk about the prospects of an important ceasefire for a meeting at the border of your two struggling cities?” Caminala glared through the screen,

“You contact me? Insult me? Expect me to come to peace talks with some hired goon of a mediator? Who do you think you are?” Vey smiled and bowed her head,

“I’m Lady Veyeni of the SLE Diplomatic Solutions PFC -Yes, I know it's a mouthful - and I expect your respect when I’m only here to do my job and save your dying city-state.”

“What are you saying?” She seethed.

“What I’m saying, governor, is that I know your numbers are dwindling. To remove the formalities, your people are dying. So are the Bownsend. The cost of life cannot be measured in money spent, or arguments won… but it can be measured in your willingness to make peace.” Veyeni brought a hand up to the governor before she could rebuttal, “I already made my money. I already got what I wanted, madam. I could easily turn and leave… let you slaughter one another, then you - or Sandsun - or some general - can sit on the throne of death and decay. Your undead people can bow down to the victor or…'' She shrugged, “...let me help. Let me mediate and allow me to bring aid to your broken nations, and you will not regret it.” 

Dantly gave her a thumbs up from the other side of the camera. He mouthed Amazing! Caminala looked away from the camera, grumbling something to another person off camera. She sighed and looked back at Veyeni,

“Okay Lady Veyeni. What do you need me to do exactly?”

“Cooperation in this peace effort for starters. Sandsun has already agreed that a meeting at either capital is bad faith.”

“He has a brain after all.” Veyeni nodded,

“I was surprised too.” Caminala laughed at her jest. “I think a meeting at the border would be the best of any option available. After an agreed ceasefire from both of you, we bring any and all officials you are interested in having present to a - well - some sort of building in the center, and we talk from said location. Do you know of any viable locations?” Caminala sighed and shrugged,

“Most of the buildings in the zone don’t have roofs - if they’re still buildings at all.” Caminala laughed, “no no… too many toxins in the air. Too many chemicals, too much radiation. Very symbolic of you, but stupid and unrealistic.” Vey nodded,

“If necessary, you can meet in protective suits. I don’t care. Your soldiers do it every day, what prevents you from stepping into their shoes? Other than your own feeling of being above them, of course” Caminala glared. 

“There’s an old stadium - an old arena. It’s been pillaged and left in ruin, but…” A hand swept across the screen and Caminala took papers from the hand. She read them over carefully, “...but it looks to be untouched by most of the destruction of the war. Surprisingly. It’s old, broken down, damaged but toxin free from my reports.” She held up the paperwork. Vey realized that even during the time it took her to convince the governor, somebody was in the background already pushing for the talks to move forward. Caminala spoke with fervor and anger, but in reality, she and her people were just as ready to make peace as Sandsun. Dantly realized this too and a smile crept onto his face. 

They were really doing it. 

“Please, send me the details to this location. I’ll run it by governor Sandsun, and my assistant will get back to you before the evening’s end.” Caminala nodded,

“Well, Lady of the Sen-Lent corp. You leave a strong first impression… Let's hope it sticks. And if you do anything to cross me or benefit that fool Sandsun, well… may Oran-Koh burn you with the heat of a thousand suns.” Her face froze in pixels on the screen and the transmission cut out. Dantly pumped his fist and smiled,

“I can’t believe the way you just barreled right through her!” He gave a sarcastic bow, “Oh good Lady, the stories they’ll tell of the elder who brought peace to the warring nations.” He stuck his tongue out and she reciprocated with a laugh,

“Bluffing is easier than I expected.” She said in a hushed whisper, afraid they’d be overheard. “Maybe I could be a diplomat after all.”

“You can be a lot of things, but a diplomat? With your patience… we’ll see.” He winked and Veyeni laughed harder, and they hugged in excitement.

.

.

.

From the outside, the stadium was as advertised. Veyeni and Cherize looked around the outside of the large coliseum. The haze of the moon barely made it through the fog of war, but there was enough to reflect off the rusting structure. “Low radiation, low toxins… normal oxygen levels… This could work, V.” Cherize was reading off data on her vambrace. It gave off a faint purple light, “The governors have been straight with us. Think they’ll stay that way?” Vey nodded,

“I’m not sure. I think Sandsun is a little too… clueless to try and cross the governess. But Caminala… the way she cursed me with Oran-Koh’s power… that didn’t sit right with me. He is a peaceful god after all. Why would she invoke him in such a way?” Cherize grunted as if to say beats me and continued surveying the stadium in the darkness of the evening. Fortunately, the ceasefire agreement had been made and they were prepping for the beginning of peace talks in the morning. The front was quiet - peaceful even. 

Vey flashed the light of her slit into an opening where the rust had broken down to create a large, jagged hole, “Shall we have a look?” Cherize shrugged and walked into the opening in the wall. The inside was equally barren. The air was thick with dust. Cherize waved it away, waiting for Veyeni to come through with the light. Cherize pondered aloud,

“No signs of life at least… not even any hermits or squatters. You’d think that -”

“With a war so close? They’re probably afraid and can yo- '' Vey stumbled through the hole, Cherize took her arm while she regained her balance. Vey smiled in the dark, pointing the light of the slit up towards the center of the stadium, “My, what sort of sport do you think was played here?” The inside was a circle of concrete bleachers. In the center were 3 metal poles with wiring wrapped around them. Cherize shrugged,

“Only the fiends know.” They walked to the center and looked around the stadium.

“It’s perfect, Cheri.”

“Yes. It is.” They put their arms around each other and stood in silence. Time passed and Veyeni tensed up,

“Do you think this will really work?” Cherize squeezed her tighter,

“With you in charge, there’s no reason it would fail.” Veyeni breathed out and closed her eyes,

“It’s going to be a very busy day.” 

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            The morning air was cold on the first morning of the ceasefire. From the stadium the trio heard the silence ringing through the air. The sun rose, but the light barely broke the morning fog and pollution. Dantly was focused on finalizing a report he had started the night before but fell asleep finishing. Cherize searched for any signs of tampering since they had finalized the set up the night before. She was tired and worn down. She had stayed outside Veyeni’s door the night before, keeping guard through the entire night. Her eyes were alert, but her mind weighed heavy on her shoulders. She knew when it came down to it, if anything went wrong it was all about muscle memory. The strategy, the ability to adapt would come to her, but she didn’t think it would need to. She had no fears or premonitions. Vey had planned before she slept, and with a well-rested smile, she stood by her companions with a calm demeanor and her hands in front of her in a passive position. 

Governor Sandsun arrived first. His small team of generals, priests, and his security team of 5 men stepped out of a large vehicle and walked to the entrance. The priests were dressed in the traditional gown of the Duchess - the fire goddess. He gave a nod to Vey, “Lady Veyeni, I trust that everything has been properly arranged?” Vey smiled,

“Yes, governor. Please go inside. We’ve set up a table in the center of the stadium and removed those barbaric structures. The governor lifted an eyebrow,

“Oh? You’ve set up?”

“We’ve done what we could with what we had available.” She beamed with pride.

“And has Caminala arrived?” Veyeni shook her head,

“I’m sure she will be here promptly.” Sandsun nodded and walked past her, his entourage facing forward, not attempting to acknowledge the trio. Vey held back a grimace of irritation. Cherize leaned close to her,

“Don’t expect appreciation. For all they care, they can keep killing each other. It doesn’t affect the holy men or the generals.” Vey took a breath,

“I suppose you’re right. And see? Priests of the Duchess. It’s not surprising that they’re fighting this war.” Moments later, a caravan of armored vehicles broke through the fog and parked opposite the Bownsend vehicle. Caminala - who was much shorter than Veyeni expected - stepped out of the passenger seat of the middle vehicle followed by 2 squads of 4 soldiers each. They were a mix of humans and children of Koh. She brought her own priest and one single general. She walked to Vey,

“Ah, the good diplomat.” Vey bowed her head,

“I bid you good morning, governor.” She spoke with an even tone, “The Bownsend governor arrived moments ago, are we prepared for peace talks?” Caminala grimaced,

“Peace is not a guaranteed ending, Lady.” She said.

“Well, let us not rule it out on this beautiful morning. Couldn’t you get used to the silence?” She responded, gesturing to the distant battlefield. Empty. Quiet.

“My manor is soundproof.”

“Ah, I see Oran-Koh has blessed you with wealth.” Vey said with a forced smile.

“Oran-Koh has blessed me with wealth, power, and knowledge.” The last word trickled from her mouth as she stared down Vey. She stuck her nose in the air and walked past the trio. Dantly and Cherize shared a look,

Shill aggression is cause for concern, Dantly noted on his slit. He gestured to Cherize who leaned in and read it. She nodded then watched the group walk up into the stadium entrance. She whispered to Dantly,

“The hell did she mean by knowledge?” Dantly shrugged,

“Nothing good.” Vey didn’t hear them,

“We should begin with haste!” She yelled with excitement. The group made their way quickly into the stadium. Vey skirted around Caminala’s team to take her seat at the center of the long rectangular table that sat at the center of the broken-down stadium. The dome held well, but the empty concrete seats lining the stadium left an eerie feeling. Shill soldiers began scanning around the building looking for any problems. Cherize eyed them with irritation.

Dantly and Cherize stood on either side of Veyeni, who sat at the midpoint of the table. She stood from the seat - which she had just taken - with a loud scrape of wood against the concrete, “I bid you welcome to this wonderful morning!” Her hands shook when nobody flinched, all staring blankly at her. “I - well - we are here today in hopes of bringing peace. The Bownsend and Shill people have spent many years at war. At the brink of annihilation, we call today’s meeting in hopes of bringing peace and harmony to your people.” Caminala snorted and her general joined in with a nasal laugh. Veyeni’s eyes shot over to them. Her hands shook even more. They didn’t care. They weren’t taking this seriously. Sandsun deflated in his seat. She felt him losing faith. She pushed on, 

“First I would like to begin with a single question: How did this conflict start?” Sandsun stood from his seat on the other side of the table. Caminala reciprocated, her hands coming to rest on the tabletop as she leaned forward. Even with the long distance of the table between them, she seemed to leave Sandsun leaning back in discomfort,

“If I may,” Sandsun began, “it seems to me that it was a power grab… we can’t be certain, but somebody attempted to take land from the other, and the rest has been a constant push and pull for land and territory. 80 years… all for land.” Caminala laughed. Her skin became a glowing royal purple - Vey knew that children of Oran-Koh had skin that changed colors with their mood, but she wasn’t sure what this darker color meant.

“You old fool. Maybe now we fight for land - the land you took from us - the land we want back by the way! This started over the unlawful execution of a farmer of the Shi-”

“A farmer who encroached on our land, Caminala.” Sandsun corrected. She spat on the hard floor,

“Disgusting Bownsend bastard.” Sandsun slammed his fist on the table,

“The disgust started with your use of chemical warfare on my trenches!” Caminala threw her head back in a fit of laughter,

“Was that before or after you started bombing civilians?”

“The very same thing you did!” Sandsun growled. Dantly elbowed Veyeni, prodding her to do something. She had frozen in place. He motioned to Cherize. Cherize did exactly what she always did - usually with Veyeni’s permission - when a room seemed to be losing control. She unsheathed the sword on her back and stabbed it into the table. The sound of splintering wood sent everyone jumping from their positions. Veyeni blinked and looked around. Soldiers pulled their guns out and aimed them at Cherize.

“Don’t try it.” She warned. She pulled the other blade from her waist and held it horizontally in front of her. Veyeni let out a bellowing laugh, and the focus switched to her. She put her hand on Cherize’s arm, who took it as a sign to back away. She ripped her blade from the table and put it back in its sheath. Veyeni laughed harder,

“Really. Don’t try it!” Vey cackled out.

“What’s so funny, diplomat?” Sandsun glared at her,

“You - you both!” The laughter dissipated leaving only a smile of contempt. She was back in control. She stood from her seat and began to pace the length of the table, “We could sit here for hours talking about escalation. Who started this? Who cares? It doesn’t matter, that much is clear. You’re foolish if you thought that this was ever going to be a rehashing. No.” She shot a glance at Sandsun who looked away, unable to hold eye contact with her. 

“And you were even more foolish if you thought either one of you would come away from this with some sort of upper hand over the other. This is about peace. Now -” She raised a hand to Caminala before she could cut her off. She had a habit of doing that it seemed. “- I see the best-case scenario as one where you come together both in finances and in strength to rebuild, redevelop and come out stronger than ever. You will share the blame, the rebuilding efforts, the land, and the cost of war. I see the worst-case scenario as a complete ceasefire. You will not need to cooperate, you will not need to interact, nor will you need to do anything for each other. But the lines stay drawn as is, and you will be left with nothing, except what you have now… and peace.” Sandsun nodded slowly,

“And who is to stop us from continuing the war?” He asked. Caminala gestured to him,

“I am more than capable of that.” She said. Veyeni turned and pointed to her,

“Oh goodness… no. you. are. not.” She wagged her finger with a sly smile, and nodded, “Dantly. Display, please.” He flipped tabs on the slit and projected a 3D projection model. A side-by-side table with graphs on resources, troop supplies, and civilian casualties. Both governors shifted back and forth, their mouths ran dry, and their voices went silent. “Look at this… all this death. And you. Oh you…” She pointed to the governess, “you are quite the bluffer, but it is indeed just that… isn’t it?” Caminala opened her mouth to speak but merely blurted out a small gasp. Veyeni shook her head,

“Did you think bluffing numbers would bring you victory?” Veyeni pointed at the Shill general, “did you agree to this? To send your dwindling numbers into the field to die and pretend you had fresh troops on the way? Everyone knew you didn’t. Even he knew.” She pointed to Sandsun on the other side of the table. He looked meek and small as he receded into his chair. “Governor, general, esteemed soldiers and the like, your fate was sealed the minute you gambled on this ridiculous lie. You couldn’t move the front but claimed to have more forces.” She shook her head like a disappointed parent, “Dreadful.” She turned on her heel and walked towards the Bownsend side of the table. Sandsun sank lower in his seat, “Governor Sandsun, you old foolish man. Your resources are… rather high, aren’t they? Veyeni gestured to the table. “Interesting.” He gave a faint smile,

“That is what hard work brings you, Lady Veyeni.” She laughed,

“That’s what your city being on top of a rare mineral deposit gets you. Aren’t you lucky? And yet I’ve seen your city, and I’ve seen your people - well, what’s left of them - and I had a chance to look at the logistical capability of your militia on the front so… I just don’t understand - and maybe you can explain this to me as it is only my second day here - how is it that you can’t win this war, even with far more resources? Where is all the money going? Certainly not towards infrastructure.” Sandsun grimaced,

“I don’t see what this has to do with the -

“Oh, everything, governor.” She stared down on him with contempt as she leaned on the table just a foot from his heavily breathing form. “If these resources were available, you could’ve ended the war even sooner and actually ended the suffering… by my technician’s estimate-”

“About 15 years ago, if not sooner.” Dantly mumbled as he continued rushing through data on his slit.

“Interesting…” Caminala said from the other side of the table. 

“It seems no one is without blame - even the more corrupt of us.” Vey glared at Sandsun, “I have the resources to discover these things, governor. Now, I suggest that we begin these talks with everything on the table and with careful consideration of any and all options.” Sandsun nodded. Vey turned to Caminala, “And you will not use this to manipulate things to your advantage.” Caminala’s smile faded,

“Whatever could you possibly mean?” The governor gave an innocent stare. Veyeni walked to her,

“You know exactly what I mean. I see your game, and I see your tricks. So here is what we will do,” Veyeni turned to Cherize. Cherize gave her a reassuring nod, “Everyone out.” Both the governors laughed.

“Surely you must be -”

“Surely you’ll listen.” Veyeni replied, her purple eyes flashed with confidence. 

“Well… what can I say?” Caminala turned to her general, “Take everyone and wait outside.” Sandsun turned to his group and said the same. It became the two of them, Veyeni, Cherize, and Dantly. Veyeni returned to her seat. Caminala glared at her,

“I’m interested in how a private corporation could obtain such personal information, Lady Veyeni.”

“My means are none of your concern.” Vey replied.

“Oh, I beg to differ.” Her eyes shifted to Dantly then back to Vey. Vey sighed and a look of calm crossed her face,

“However long it takes, let us begin.”

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If you made it this far, thanks for reading! This is certainly a much longer story than many others I’ve done, and hopefully it isn’t too daunting. I do think in future I’ll be cutting them down shorter, but for this go around, I was really set on four parts for some reason. Either way, thanks for reading and stay tuned for the final part of The Trial of Isolation!