Agnes eyes squinted at the remark. "Glory? No. Duty." Her hand rose to face and the skin on the finger tip receded as it touched her cheek. "This wasn't about glory. It was about survival of our people. Aland. Exeter. New London." The hand dropped to the side and returned to its natural form. "I did the part Bretonia needed. That's what I am. A monster at its service. What are you after, Elizabeth?"
"Peace", she retorted with utmost confidence. "The war is over, Dagon. We have no need of... monsters any more." She scanned her timidly. "You are obsolete. You pushed a fellow member of the Admiralty down to the floor over criticism. You would resolve everything with your... sharp claws and teeth. But what we need is talk. Thanks to you, Exeter is a powder keg about to blow: civilians, ours and Zoners, about to have at one another, and all that stands in between is my ability to mend what wounds you opened. A bleeding genocide, for God's sake! We may have suffered one, but does that mean we should commit another!?"
The smirk came to her face. "That's high and mighty coming from a bigot who just pocketed 50 million credits at the expense of the people and under excuse." The smirk gave way to a smile. "Exeter.." She walked towards the window again, taking in the vista. "A planet conquered in less than two weeks. Two hundred casualties on our side. Over thirty thousand Corsairs and Zoners killed or arrested. The politicians, your ilk, used ten times that time to reach an accord with the zoners. In that time, we lost three hundred thousand back at home. And in the end, it was they that unleashed me when their so called efforts were an absolute failure. They were the ones hard-pressed by time. So yes. This monster has a leash. I don't bark. Ever. I only bite on command."
Omega-49 System, HMS-Hellbound - 826 A.S.
Captain Richard Alby did a once over his uniform before knocking at the door. The command to enter was heard and the door opened, effortlessly. Admiral Kaze Dagon was reviewing the Snowdown operation. Silently, he saluted and placed the latest updated data-pads on the edge of her table and stood in attention.
"Yes, Captain?"
She asked, without diverting her attention from the holographic display.
"I saw the latest numbers for Snowdown, Admiral. I am confirming if they are correct."
"Not the usual standard?"
He nodded.
"The current military doctrine places a one to four or one to three ratio of soldier/civilian when conquering settlements."
Dagon pulled up the system overview.
"I am not aiming to conquer it. I am aiming to keep it."
Several faction numbers appeared over the system.
"The numbers you saw are the necessary ones to be able to deny any and all attempts of dislodging us. Dug in, and in this number, they will have to obliterate the planet for months. And that's something they are unable to. Understood?"
Alby nodded, now understanding the reasoning.
"Dismissed."
Turning back, her eyes targeted Elizabeth."And as for the current situation, si vis pacem para bellum. You lost the Stirling, in one of the most stupidest military maneuvers I have ever seen. With it, the hold you had over the system and over its people. Even the respect of your men was lost in that debacle. No, darling. The powder keg is on you."
She thought to present a witty retort such as "Unlike yours, my men did not fight civilians", but it came back to her mind that she was here for business, not arguing. And people like this -- those unready to admit their mistakes and change their doctrine until it has cost many lives, or even after it has -- were the exact thing she vowed to fight against. People like Dagon. "Oh, I do have doubts, Dagon! I already have them, without all the criticism. Every time I see the number of casualties updated, I doubt myself. Is it strength to stay on the same course? Or foolishness?"
And how quick the song changed, she thought. "No comeback on the bigotry accusation? Even the one where I called you incompetent?" The smile faded. "Changing the demeanor and flow of conversation does not save you, Elizabeth. It only makes you lose face faster."
"You have already taught me a lesson: I will not bother arguing with the likes of you", she said serenely, reconciled with the circumstances. "With the likes of you, might makes right. When I have it, I will use it. Now I do not. I congratulate you on incapacitating my entire guard. No one has managed before. How did you do it?"
Raising an eyebrow, she just waved her hands. "You assume. You are always assuming. And as I was taught, assumptions are the mother of all f*** ups." Putting the data-pad in her pocket, she removed what seemed to be a small lipstick. "Thus my only conclusion is that you don't want to learn."
"It is an assumption based on evidence", she remembered all the works on analytical philosophy that she had sold her body in order to have enough time to read. "Last time I said something that contradicted your opinion, you stuck me to the floor. If you want to have a discussion, then I must have guarantees that it will only be led with words and not with claws and teeth."
Jumping the distance, she took hold of Elizabeth nape with one hand and rose the lipstick like container. "See? You never learn. To make assumptions based on anything is a mistake." Placing the container at her neck, Elizabeth felt a slight prick. "As you assumed I was Dagon." The hand holding her neck pushed her away, freeing her.
The creature's choice of action was no surprise to Elizabeth. It was, such as any other animal, a master of body language. With it, it had no difficulty asserting dominance. However, she was confident that the creature would be easy to deal with if she could employ her own weapon: the English language. If only she had enough muscle protecting her.
"I cannot work like this! I request permission to call a military unit in. Otherwise I will not debate with you, whoever you are."
![[Image: 396AUfe.png]](https://i.imgur.com/396AUfe.png)