No Good Deed

[Commissar]

Jana Achen

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"Perhaps." Jana spared a glance at the door. There was still no sign of Freya's activist. "I assure you, neither die Festung or myself have any inclination to revisit the chaos that followed the Volksfront's fall."

Your Volksfront, if I recall. She didn't say it. Did not need to. Jana let the implied threat hang for the space of a breath. Die Festung had survived the Volksfront. Jana would see it through the Widerstand. United, preferably, but fractured if she must.

"As long as you keep it in mind." Alongside everything else, it was a source of wonder that there was any room left in there. Balancing die Festung's needs was difficult enough without dragging the rest of the Bundschuh along with her. Time had left her almost grateful that Noth had wrapped his grasping hands around her position. For all the good it had done him. Klugmann's disappearance had eroded the old warrior's support faster than she could have hoped. People were fickle, and politics was fickler still. Something Freya no doubt knew. Ultimate power had a tendency to become, ultimately, unreliable.

"You cannot blame them for being restless. Both of our movements have suffered under the machinations of the previous administration. We have enough enemies in the Bundestag without making foes of our own as well." There were times Jana envied Rheinland’s puppet-parliament. At least decisions were made and stayed made. "As you say, unity is paramount. I’m grateful for your support in this."

Jana returned her attention to her book.

*

"Sorry! Sorry I'm late!" A weasely young woman sidled into Freya's office, turning side-on to slide through the still-opening door. A terminal glowed on her arm, EMERGENCY still plastered across the top of it. She froze when she saw Jana. For a moment she stood rooted in place, eyes flicking from Freya to Jana and back again like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I, er-" The newcomer flicked a nervous glance behind her. "Are you busy? Should we come back later?"

"That will not be necessary." Jana gave what she hoped was an encouraging smile as she chased through a mental list, matching faces and names. Jana had the sort of memory a blackjack player would have killed for - and very nearly had, a long time ago. Sarah McFarlen. Libertonian. Freya's mechanic. Prefers to go by- "Sparks. The Vorsitzende and I were just finishing."

Jana made no move to stand. She turned another page, watching the door out of the corner of her eye. Another figure lingered in the doorway, dark trench coat hanging from his shoulders like a shroud. If Sparks radiated nervous energy, this man was a black hole. He didn't need to wave for attention. He had a way of drawing her gaze like a leopard in a gazelle enclosure. Jana had worked against the BDM before, and Spark's companion had their air. He had the look of a man that would shoot you in your sleep and the most he'd feel would be the recoil.

All the more reason for a meeting.

"Come in." Jana glanced up from her novel. She did not meet their gaze. "In front of the desk, please."

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May you live in interesting times.
| Sarah McFarlen | Jane Hartman |