Infiltrating the annexation - stage I - planning.

[Lanakov]

Isabelle Montlaville de Chanteloup looked at her watch. She was doing it a lot, these days. Though clearly antiquated devices, there was something to the mechanical passing of the time that utterly fascinated her. Time had always been her life. But these days, it felt like there was never any time. That there would be no time, or maybe that the time had come.

Tic, toc, went the watch.

Beep beep, went the automatic doors as they swooshed open, and the enseigne de vaisseau Belmond made her entrance. Chanteloup nodded curtly at her.

"Belmond. About bloody time. Come, it appears we need to talk." She stared at her aide-de-camp, who took the lead and walked them to the Téméraire's conference room. Above the door to the room stood, in bright white letters, the ship's motto. Thus I strike. Ainsi je frappe.
The aide stood by the door. Chanteloup marched inside, not waiting to be motioned in, and went to sit at the far end of the oval table. She beckoned Belmond to do the same, and stared once again at her aide, who bolted out of sight.

"So, Belmond. It appears I have a problem that you can solve. Let's hear how" she said in a tone that was not especially harsh but certainly not warm, either.

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Feedback, insults, marriage proposals and declarations of fealty

If everyone was a bit more like Lanakov, the entire world would be more positive. Including pregnancy tests.