Up to Speed

[Reeves]

A brief smile presented itself before he addressed the comment about ranks. "No. The other groups have their own structures and unique designations. I'd considered a revision myself, but I'd only really see that as necessary if you were to decide to integrate your vessel into the Alliance. I don't expect you to be too eager about the prospect of giving up autonomy - perceived or otherwise. I know I wouldn't." He spoke quite casually about that whole affair, hinting at the differences in culture but also the fact that he was prepared to make changes to the entire structure of the Alliance if necessary. Evidently he was comfortable here despite the scale of the room, enough that he leaned back in his chair if only slightly and crossed one leg over the other. This was hardly surprising given that he had attended almost every single LFR assembly session since his first term as Commander.

"As for the chickens, I'm sure they have a creative solution. After all, you've been able to hold a warship and its crew together through exile. I don't think that by comparison getting birds to lay eggs consistently would be the hardest thing to do on the frontier of the old world." The old world, more a mindset now than a defined area. The epicenter of it was the Great Houses. And their respective struggles were in trying to circumvent problems of their own making while competing for power and prosperity. The hypothesized new world was intended to break this cycle and start fresh but that was still by all means a big dream.

For a moment Damien seemed to glance between the food spread out on the trolley and Knight. It was as if he was silently questioning if she really didn't want any of it, he almost seemed surprised. This look also conveyed a mixture of invitation and reassurance. She wasn't going to be judged for enjoying an actual meal as opposed to some artificially preserved slop. And in any case there were far more crucial metrics than might motivate Damien to be judgmental about his peer. "I'll do my best to keep things brief and just give you a running summary. You're already aware of a few things such as our conflict with the Technocracy."

What followed was a series of encapsulated events, confined to the bare minimum needed for Knight to grasp prior circumstances. The fact he never let his words grow heavy with excess explanation convey an implicit trust that Knight was intelligent enough to piece together what she was being given. From things as far flung as the slave revolt which occurred on Malta, Erie's sudden occupation, the mutiny, the new cardamine network based out of Ouray, the loss of Nome due to Kepler, and something that seemed oddly personal for him.

The Abrams incident.

This in turn clarified the Alliance's position on the conflict between the Order and the Technocrats, and placed the group decidedly in the Order's camp. They were simply the better choice for the future the LFR intended. Though something he neglected to detail but was still visible all the same was a change in his own behavior. It was a pleasant contrast to their first meeting that sought to negotiate her new allegiance and perhaps this was the most welcome change.

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On indefinite hiatus because the current state of gameplay sucks - ping me over discord if replies are needed