Even from a distance, the regional head of the Societal Threats division was fear inspiring. Those with no interest in the activities of that division instinctively changed direction away from where he was standing, fearful this imposing figure might find something of interest in their activities.
There were the rather numerous but unsubstantiated rumours, passed from one person to another to another; precious little factual information was public. Although the rumours abounded, finding the truth proved elusive. Some believed that knowing, that possessing this information, meant they too would face his wrath, the possessor, a particular link in the chain of knowledge, would disappear – further fuelling and enhancing his murky but increasingly infamous and ominous reputation.
“Maybe the reputation is of his own creation,” M’traliel silently pondered, looking out of the rather smudged glass of a 5th floor window at the sinister official casually strolling on the opposite side of the street. Such methodology – creation of a fictitious legend for propaganda purposes – was not unheard of under Brellian. Strategically placed information could serve good purpose to one who likely believed fear was an acceptable and necessary motivational tool in controlling a population.
M’traliel knew that finding the truth of the matter carried some significant relevance and risk to her life – and to those with whom she associated. The alternative – not having the information – created even greater risk. She had no doubt that at some point, having facts and not rumours might well mean the difference between success and failure, danger to other lives. She would give her life for her colleagues, for her world. Her best friend fell to these dark forces not a month before.
Brellian grew too powerful, too bold. She sensed that Brellian sowed the seeds of his own demise by taking out llhaesa. M’traliel sensed and grasped that llhaesa in death would be even more formidable than when alive, and Brellian would find this out the hard way – if only she could find Jahrae and help her refocus on working to achieve llhaesa’s goals.
Her thoughts turned back to how to proceed. “This must be a time of information acquisition” she thought, moving past the issue of this one individual and into the overall framework of a plan. EREGS members must spend their time acquiring information, the one formidable tool in the otherwise rather sparse toolkit at their disposal.
Patience, observation, interaction, location, the organisational structure of special government forces, their methodology, resources, who each of them are, everything they could learn about the lives of the leaders, what they react to – and what they don’t react to, where they go, what they do, when they return, how many are tasked to this unit, how they co-ordinate their activities, where they get information, how they communicate, whether they are rigidly controlled or can follow their instincts, and as much as they could learn on their departmental history – not to mention history created as they moved forward.
M’traliel hoped that none of this information would be acquired through direct and adverse interaction and experience. Oh, interaction would come all right, but this time, after the lost of their most important and precious member, she fully intended for it to be on her – on their – terms.
What she needed in the moment was to find her friend Jahrae, now lost somewhere in Arrhazon City, having run from the overwhelming pain of llhaesa’s loss. M’traliel needed to search and find Jahrae, but she could not lose sight of their overall goal.
“Yes, this will take much patience, much time, and we only get one chance” M’traliel silently thought as she audibly sighed, leaving the window. She knew that sleep would not come easily, her mind attempting to sort through what she did know and what she needed to know, over and over in an almost endless loop.
When sleep finally came, all of the thoughts that were with her while awake were now busily at work formulating the framework of, and an all too hauntingly plausible scenario in, a dream.
