Cine del Imperio: Furia y Ladron

[Madvillain]

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||Villa Sephardi, Planet Crete - Some Time Ago||

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In the dimly lit drawing room of the Brotherhood's compound, Villa Sephardi, two Elders sat with glasses of rum. The faint crackle of the hearth echoed through the room. Cesar Gutierrez remained in the shadows, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames. Buonocore, ever the fiery soul, paced back and forth, weighed down by a heavy monologue, one that seemed to pass by the quieter Elder.

"It is critical, Cesar... a duty to our people, for the soul of Crete," Buonocore exclaimed, flinging his hands through the air with dramatic flair. "Nova Magerit's cisterns nearly run dry, Heraklion's fields are nothing but ash... it is a powder keg, just waiting for a spark." Buonocore stopped, his hands trembling in the air. "The weather’s the least of it, muchacho. The people are worn thin. And those Zon... pesky Phoenix Zoners in Theta, those cabrones Black Sails," he paused, as if recalling an old wound. "Sure, conflict might feed the coffers, but after the Penitence, the people are restless. They want to see results!"

Cesar had remained silent, his face unreadable, eyes still locked on the hearth. His response was quiet, almost indifferent: "So?"

"So?.....Sohooooo?!," Buonocore growled, a fire in his voice. "We must ignite the spirit of the Corsair people again! We’ll give them pride, honor! Duty would follow, but first, we must rekindle their flame!" Cesar narrowed his eyes, his voice sharp. "You're speaking of brainwashing them again, Juanez?"

Buonocore shot a look over his shoulder, his grin almost wicked. "No, no. Not brainwashing, Cesar! Educating them!! And entertaining them! We’ll craft a work of Corsair culture, something that will stir the hearts of our young warriors. A masterpiece to be shown in every fighting class. Mandatory!" Cesar leaned back, his fingers squeezing the armrest. "This is about Ladron, isn't it? Will you finally let it go? He's gone, Juanez. Alberto made sure of it. The hombre is gone, and the Empire has had enough of him, and what about Alberto? Aren't you worried he might go loco on your camera crew?"

Buonocore's eyes flared. "The people still want Ladron! They demand him! I DEMAND HIM!! He is one of our greatest war heroes. You can’t just tear down a few statues and pretend it never happened, Cesar. If we cannot give them the real Ladron, we’ll make him. A search party, A body double, old footage...whatever it takes, WE MUST GIVE THE PEOPLE LADRON!"

Cesar shook his head, frustrated. "And how, Juanez, do you plan to pull that off? With those old cameras you found in the attic? They're nothing but junk. Nobody even knows how they work" But Buonocore waved him off, his passion undeterred. "No, Cesar! It has to be on film. Film! It has power, quality, a certain authenticity. We’d have Crete’s finest artisans working on it! This... this would be a cultural masterpiece! And for the grand finale: we’d show you destroying the Kassel just as I told you to do!"

Cesar’s expression hardened. "I didn’t destroy it, Juanez. Machete and I merely scratched it. Stop twisting the facts. Details matter. They are what gives value." Buonocore smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "No, no, Cesar. Scarcity is what gives value. We make it rare, unique. And the people will give it value because they will WANT it! We have to twist the facts, bend them to our will. It isn’t up for debate. It is imperative!"

Cesar exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "And Nina Rodriguez, Juanez? She wouldn't want to... be part of your little film. You cannot order another Elder around, even if she's a chica guapa... How did you plan to handle that?" Buonocore grunted darkly. "Why must you always belittle my efforts, Cesar? Simple. We'll put a wig on that one from the Magreb Battlegroup. What’s her name? Her nombre de guerra's La Chancla? She’s got similar.... assets, si?'' "And the cameras?" Cesar asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"We'll assign our best scientist to work with what we've got," Buonocore replied, his excitement unshaken. "First, we'll put together a trailer, get the momentum going. Once that's done, we could send some agents to... Bretonia, perhaps? They’ve got the tech, the savvy. If the Gaians won’t lend a hand, maybe we’ll have to... convince a few other ‘guest workers’ to join us."

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