Parle Aboard Med Force One

[Madvillain]

Buonocore's silence lingered in the air, his posture deliberate and heavy with authority. As he sat there, he had an almost birdlike intensity: like a hawk perched on a branch, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His eyes remained locked on Cesar, and a faint, smirk flickered at the corner of his mouth: a raptor ready to make its move.

"Cesar" he spoke up, "you’ve grown into a hombre of many words. Some could call it wisdom, others might call it weariness. But I’ll admit, you've grown."
He inclined his head slightly, a gesture that was equal parts respect and expectation. "I take it you will return to me my seat in the Council of Elders, si? Muy bien. You know just as well as I do that I deserve it. It is mine by right of Corsair law: once an Elder, always an Elder."

Buonocore leaned forward slightly, his voice lowered as if the following was meant just for Cesar, and not for Holiday. "And on that note, as for that hombre Eumolpus Alvarez, we will need to have him locked up or executed. Either will do, I care little about the details. I am certain we can find grounds for it somehow. His role as acting Pontifex Maximus is a title he should never have held, and I have no intention of allowing any of his cronies to get the wrong idea or stand in my way. You know how these things go"

He shifted his gaze momentarily towards Holiday, then back to Cesar and continued in a lighter tone of voice: " I shall resume residence at Villa Sephardi, It is a fine place, rich with the history of our people. I’ve heard it’s overgrown, covered in muck and neglect." His lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval. "No, we cannot let the grand history of that place be overshadowed by our mere disagreement. It will be restored to its former glory, as it should be."

He straightened, his tone shifting ever so slightly to one of restrained gratitude. "Gracias, Gutierrez. I should have known that in the end, your loyalty to me would prove as steadfast as mine to you."

Then, turning his attention to Doc Holiday, he offered a nod of acknowledgment. "Señor Doc," he said with genuine respect, "once again, you have shown yourself to be a valuable ally to the empire. Miguel Sephardi’s judgment of you was sound: he was rarely wrong about men of your caliber."

Buonocore’s voice grew sharp again as he continued. "There is a situation in Omicron Theta. I take it you are quite troubled with it, si? Now, the Brotherhood has several ways to address it. Do you wish us to kill all the usurpers and clear the way for your people to retake control? Or might you seek a different approach? Perhaps there is something else with which we can repay your kindness. Now is the time to ask, compañero."

He rose from his seat, his posture commanding and deliberate. "But we must be swift," he added, his voice laced with urgency. "The situation with the Penitence demands my attention. I must leave for it soon. There is no time to waste."

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