A schemer or a madman?

[Darius]

22nd of November, 829 AS, Battleship Somerset, Kingdom of Bretonia

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All was quiet on the Somerset. Patrols roam the space above New London, but the constant buzz of moving marines on-board the vessel had now finally died down. In its place, an empty void has filled the halls of the warship, giving way for the very same silence that now haunts Leeds. It was turning into a familiar sight for the people serving in the Armed Forces, as shortages of manpower were not frequent even on the best ships in the Crown's arsenal.

That day's office work for the ambitious Fleet Admiral did not present many issues, with one notable exception -- that the Intelligence Service, led by no other than Director Steiner himself, had delivered a new transmission to brief in on the Kingdom's situation. Being aware of many of the raised aspects, Harold did not believe that the real goal of the message was to inform him about the status of the Realm, but instead to test the Armed Forces' willingness to admit one's inability to fulfill their task.

Past diplomatic events involving the Republic of Liberty and the new Rheinland state, alongside health issues and increasing isolation from the very people he led, had turned the once-determined admiral into a radicalized and highly paranoid person. With the Steiners presenting a questionable past when they were fully in charge of Bretonian affairs, Sommerville initially hesitated to provide any answer to the report brought before him by the Intelligence Service, however he took a different approach to the situation at hand shortly thereafter. He planned to contact Admiral O'Brian, a well-known personality, to inform himself better of any desires that the Director could have.

The decision was not one made out of haste, either. With the two personalities well acquainted to each other from past meetings in the military and diplomatic sectors alike, Sommerville intended to have the former Fleet Admiral offer some clues that would clarify once and for all the interests of Victor in relation to the galactic neighbor and its influence -- one that Harold had no intention to halt, owning to the trust he put into the collaboration with the Naval Forces of Kusari and their Foreign Ministry when they visited Bretonia.

Thus, he hurriedly prepared another transmission, with it aimed at Michelle, whilst his mind was preoccupied with the endless possibilities laying wait in the Service's communique.