She sighed. "Your job will be part of this all too, Raven. Look, I don't think I need to spell out where the current situation leads to. Not after the assassination and the additional pressure raised during the Summit. I.." She took a sip of wine, putting her glass down and staring at her piano before closing her eyes. "I.. I just can't stop it.. I've got one last idea. Discussed only with Irelei so far. If-..if it's too much for either of you, I'm not going to be angry if you leave now.."
Even though Ayakashi, unlike Sapphire Raven, did not conceal her face behind a mask, her own face served her as one. She watched Sanae Miyasu in silence during the woman's moment of uncertainty -- about the present situation and the one yet to come, and the expression on her face gave nothing away of her thoughts.
Though her arms remained folded across her chest, she momentarily raised one black-gloved palm in a slow circular gesture, wordlessly prompting the current Prime Minister of Kusari to elaborate further.
Sanae briefly glimpsed over at them, deciding not to face them as she spoke. "Liberty is threatening economic sanctions that would destabilize the entire sector.. all with a month deadline. An investigation against Samura's involvement with the original Osaka's demise and the bombing of Roppongi carries more destructive potential than even the war itself.. and Liberty knows. They know it's nearly impossible and that the answer to these sanctions will be war. Irelei and I.. the idea is to decapitate those responsible within Samura. Extraditing them to Liberty is not an option. It's all about playing the various groups within Samura out against each other. It's just temporarily postponing the conflict, Liberty is too eager to fully prevent it at this point unless someone cleans up their Senate.. so it's all about buying Kusari time now. " She turned her face towards them, uneasiness and the horrifying implications of this plan blowing up being painted all over face. "It's risking everything to give us the time to ensure Liberty cannot breach into New Tokyo.. I cannot risk the lives of billions.. not again. A-.. And no mat-..no matter how it goes.. I'll likely..." She just stops. Reaching for the glass but as she noticed her hand trembles, she just leaves the glass on the table instead.
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Revenant let out a quiet hum, her posture easing just enough to appear less rigid, more present, she tapped the cane in thought.
"Liberty postures. Samura rots from within. And somehow, it always falls to you to hold the line while they play their games. You’re trying to solve a system designed to fail gracefully at the expense of people, politicians, and regular people to be used as pawns for the capital..."
A momentary pause to make a statement;
"Treat it as what it is. A delay. You are not ending the conflict, you are shaping the conditions of it. It is inevitable now."
She shook her head slightly, dismissive.
"But right now? None of that matters. You cannot carry billions if you cannot steady yourself first... Breathe. Slow. You’re still here. That means we still have room to move. You don't get to decide the ending before it's written... Obtain some time. And with time, comes variable. Come variables, comes opportunities. Stabilize yourself, and then we can decide what can be actually influenced... and what isn't worth breaking yourself over."
She took a small and collective sip, her face still mostly masked, her hand slipped over to hers palm in soft encouragement for a brief moment, her tone softened.
"And you’re very good at finding those when you’re not drowning in worst-case outcomes. Remember, the corporates, the other opposing groups, they all thrive on chaos. They want you to be reactive, afraid, cornered... Predictable. Pushing you to believe you are out of options... Let us not give them that, hm?"
Her palm withdrew away as she composed herself, posture tightening into quiet, practiced elegance.
Sanae locked her eyes on Raven, listening as she tried to compose herself. She suddenly realized how embarrassing this was, she hadn't felt so vulnerable in nearly a decade. Raven's gesture took her by surprise, causing her to flinch but then smile.. she briefly looked at Aya, which made her just embarrassed again. "I...I'm an idiot." She quickly reaches for the glass, a sip and then a sigh. "Of course you're right.. I am still here. And I got means to steer this mess where I want it to.. still, getting to rip out parts of Samura for the sake of stalling Liberty is dangerous. Far more dangerous than they are, if you ask me.. is this really a good idea? Hm, no risk, no reward. Perhaps I can tie this into my overall idea anyway.." Her fear seemed washed away as she started to make up scenarios in her mind, oddly smiling whilst it.
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A faint smirk touched her lips—brief, restrained, but unmistakably amused.
"No, dear Sanae... You are not an idiot."
A small pause, just enough to let it settle.
"You are just Human."
The smirk faded as quickly as it came, her expression settling back into calm, measured neutrality. Shiftly shifting in her seat, she refined her composure once more.
"As for Samura, you are correct to be cautious. Cutting into them directly will provoke a response. They will not fracture quietly. If you intend to proceed, it cannot appear as your hand guiding it, perhaps. Pressure should come from elsewhere something they already distrust. The Blood Dragons are a... convenient option in that regard. Should you seek a more concealed approach to their schemes."
She let that linger for a moment before continuing, humming in thought as her head tilted, her lip mildly puckering.
"Perhaps you could force Samura to offer up something expendable. A controlled loss. Enough to satisfy Liberty’s scrutiny without truly weakening their core. They will inevitably retaliate, of course. They always do. But mayhaps this retaliation can be guided. And perhaps it could ease some of Liberty's ease... But perhaps, these things are merely but a convenient excuse, while their eyes snap to the Jump Drive project."
A brief pause, then a slight softening of tone.
"Ultimately, the decision is yours. You understand Kusari’s internal currents far better than I do."
A small, almost dismissive motion of her hand, shrugging. The politics of Kusari was beyond her, she was only invested in researching. And getting out alive.
"I deal in patterns. Science. The unusual. The alien. You deal in people."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, thoughtful.
"If needed, I can consult Leviathan for some insight regarding this... situation. He has quite the expertise for planning and strategy. But I suspect you already have an idea in mind. "
Sanae leaned back in her chair, smiling faintly. As she listened to Raven's thoughts, she felt relieved. It turned out to be a good idea to invite them after all.
"The Blood Dragons aren't an option, that would only serve the Kazu Clan and end up with them demanding even more bloodshed. No-no-no. I'll approach Samura, blackmail them to actually give up some of the involved people. I have an idea or two on how to be.. very convincing. Crazy as it sounds but the Hogosha might be the key to solve this problem, come to think of it."
She shifted around a little, there was some uneasiness with Ayakashi still around - despite all the trust she had for her.
"Samura will benefit from it too, they can prepare for the inevitable economic fallout a little. I don't need his advice, it's sweet of you to offer it though. Speaking of him and you though, I want you to quit your current assignment. It's too risky with the sweeps the.." She glances at Aya. ".. the KOI will conduct over the next weeks. They're already monitoring you over being a new hire and I'd rather we both avoid the guaranteed issues to surface once they figure out you're using a false identity."
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She nodded along, idly acknowledging her words and her introspection of the situation.
"As long as you’ve steadied yourself, Sanae. That is what matters. Remain in control... Mmm. Truthfully, it was never my place to dictate Kusari's resolutions. I have a lot of work as is... but I suppose I am glad to act as a board to echo off of."
A brief pause, to sip on the wine glass.
"As for my assignment... I find it unlikely they will uncover my origins. My identity is… not entirely false. Though, your concern is not unfounded. Still… I am reluctant to withdraw right away, despite the grave risks."
She set the glass down carefully, fingers lingering for just a moment longer than necessary, her tone became slightly more rigid.
"Sanae. The jump drive equation must be solved. If it is not, the consequences will extend far beyond these conflicts. Hyperspace instability is not theoretical. Left unresolved, it will not remain contained to failed devices. It will propagate. Degrade. Eventually... it risks compromising hyperspace integrity itself. Fracturing apart... And everything else follows. A chaos far worse than the powers that man can portray. I have to try. I just cannot ignore that trajectory."
Then, quieter, more resolved statement of desire:
"Two more days. I will not leave a single question unresolved, I will do whatever I can to get as much finished within this timespan... Then I will step back.
Ayakashi watched their lengthy exchange in silence, and the expression on her face suggested she was turning at least some of their words over in her mind. When the discussion reached the topic of the jump drive, however, she gave a slight shake of her head. "In the context of the current political and security situation in Kusari, I would not recommend anything that could paint Sanae-san as a high-ranking traitor to national interests. The jump drive data leak was a serious disaster, and it would be unwise to stoke those embers now. In an emotionally charged climate like this, almost anything can be justified in the name of internal security, however unthinkable it might have seemed just a few months ago."
With a brief gesture of her hand toward Sanae, she continued, "In any case, I would advise you to present yourself as a constructive political authority within Kusari and perhaps even gently distancing yourself from the ultra-conservatives on certain issues. A civilian or independent investigation could serve as a gesture of goodwill toward that portion of the population that has had its fill of the incidents surrounding Samura, and who might otherwise find themselves seeking support from radicals such as the Blood Dragons."
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