War Council (Fort Ansel)

[Cat]

Conference Room

Spring 743 A.G.S., 5:30 p.m.

Discussion of Enclave's short-term and long-term plans

Maximilian Saint-Just sat at the round table, awaiting the other participants. His white uniform of a high-ranking member of the Royal Intelligence was a stark contrast to the black uniforms of the guards and of Commandant Adelaide Gauthier standing by his side. The meeting was to involve high-profile personnel, and the Commandant wasn't among them. All the seats were reserved for the military and civilian leaders far surpassing Ade in rank. Yet the Colonel had insisted on her presence.

Normally, the conference room was open without invitations only to the military: top tiers of the Enclave Defense Authority and the Marshalcy, as well as some prominent individuals. But this time, the Colonel had also invited a special guest from the outside: Baron Fabian Montluc and a few members of his retinue. In case the Baron couldn't arrive himself, the Colonel had insisted on sending at least a representative with the full authority to speak and make decisions on behalf of Montluc Advanced Engineering.

The agenda of the meeting has been sent in advance to all the people who had the permanent clearance to be there, as well as to those who were specifically invited for that occasion. It included:

• A brief report on the current status of the Enclave and its forces.
  
• The problems that the Enclave was facing (specifically, the lack of population necessary for the upkeep of the fleet).
  
• Discussion as to how to address that problem.

Some officers and civilian specialists had already arrived and took their seats. The Colonel was just waiting for the Baron and a few other potential speakers to arrive before commencing the report.