The Assembly Chamber

[Nika]

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NORA REEES BRENNAN, THE TECHNOCRATS

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The hall gradually fell quiet as footsteps echoed through the hallway leading to newly established Assembly Room; automatic doors open, letting in a woman with remarkably long lavender hair and wearing a black business suit with heeled shoes - a choice of attire most unusual for this floor, as most people here wore some sort of Assembly military overalls. Nora fetched herself a microphone and begun her speech on the way to the podium.

"Look at how impeccable her posture is."

The camera followed Brennan as she measured the floorboards, her tone calm but persistent.

"One I must consent with. We all have our ideals and agendas but one fact is undeniable - Dublin is our beating heart, literally and figuratively; let it bleed, let it be lost - and it won't be long before we will be separated and pursue those agendas, or be reduced to nothing more than petty pirates scraping for resources just to last another day. To lose ourselves like this is an affront to The Founders. To lose ourselves like this is an affront to everything we did at present, to hard-won battles fought and yet to be fought."

Woman finally reached the podium, facing the audience, the camera stopping and focusing on her after following Brennan since her entry.

"What must be said here is that, if we stand divided - we fall. Slowly and painfully wither away as Crownies track and hunt us down until no one's left. Redshirts will not make a difference if it is Chartists or Technocrats, if it is Mull or Lisburn. Dublin has to be won over and secured, in a way that no Crownie, no Corsair or generic faceless enemy dares to encroach on it ever again. Fleeing is not an option. Status quo is not an option - workers of Graves can testify to that. These men and women are fortunately with us now, or at least a good portion of these people. And dead tell no tales."

She took a somber pause, crossing the hall again and standing face to face with Thomas, and his crew.

"You'll be no exception, Chartists. All of you, and it will be just a matter of time. Dublin must not fall. Choke on your pride and take a moment to think what will you do to prevent that. We have already set more initiatives in motion, and Mull smuggling fleet is acquiring most necessary supplies wherever they can, the ways they must. Make yourselves useful as well beside the inflammatory speeches on this floor."

Nora passed the microphone to Ewan and blended in with the audience, few sharply dressed people gathering around her on a separate tribune. For a prominent leader to show up without retinue is an affront to these halls.