Shadows of JiangXi

[Shryke]

Ulrich's arms swayed back and forth, perfectly in sync with the symphony filling his quarters. His eyes were shut, and as the music picked up intensity so did his conducting. For the moment, he was not board the International, staying in high orbit around Jiang Xi. He was in front of a grand orchestra, conducting his favourite masterpiece - Beethoven's symphony number 9. That is, until the chime rang.

And then, back to reality.

"Pause," he said, and the recording oblidged.

He straightened out his uniform and allowed his visitor to enter. As the door opened, a Fedaykin entered the room. He was of Arabic descent, and had a rather featureless face, something highly valuble for a man of his position. His height was average, as was his build. Everything about this man was seemed to suggest he was an ordinary man, but nothing could be further from the truth.

"Commissar, I apologize if I'm interrupting," the Fedaykin said.

Ulrich smiled and said, "of course not. I trust you are here to give me a status update."

"Yes commissar. Our guests have arrived," the man replied

Ulrich's smile widened. "Ah, good! Everything is going as planned. Tell me, how are our," he trailed off, making a gesture with his arms as if thinking hard about what to call the men undergoing survival training. "Our... comrades in arms doing?"

"Only one casualty so far."

"Only one," Ulrich asked, seeming geniunely surprised at the answer. "Maybe there is potential for this group after all. And to think I wanted them to die on this abomination that we call Jiang Xi for being so inept during Scott's escapade." He chuckled to himself. "Excellent."

Ulrich turned away from the man. "See you in an hour."

The Fedaykin placed a hand on his heart and bowed slightly, the same gesture that Ulrich frequently uses, before walking out of the quarters. Indeed, it was this Fedaykin that introduced Ulrich to the humble gesture, but he never did it to his Fedaykin. To do so would undermine his poisition and his very precise command style.

"Play," Ulrich said.

The symphony continued with a deafening volume. He went back to conducting his symphony, as if the distraction of the status update never happened.

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