The Face of Darkness

Recorder on.

The view is different now. The design is fundamentally similar to the old room, but it is clearly a different one, refitted for the same purpose. There is a subtle set of double red chevrons on one wall - the Kaalakiota logo. Mortis stands at the centre, looking over the screens as usual.

Well, here we are. The information centre of my newest, most expensive, and potentially most deadly asset.

What do you mean your asset?

The new voice belongs to a woman with short brown hair, several metallic plates on her left cheek, and wearing an outfit that seems to be a bastardised variant of a Caldari military commander's uniform, with pieces of metallic armour on the shoulders and arms.

I paid for the equipment on the Embrace, thank you very much.

But I funded the hull. Besides, my dear, you did suggest that I move onto the ship...

She shrugs, then turns.

That's because we're partners. I've saved your scrawny Khanid butt enough times. I don't owe you anything. Now excuse me, I need to check that the damn Navy techs have installed the launchers correctly...

She leaves, and the camera turns to focus on Mortis again, who smiles twistedly.

I suppose she has a point, though I'd never admit that in front of her.

He pauses, looking through a report casually.

A lot has happened since the last report. Organising all the permits for Midnight's Embrace, the annihilation of a hostile POS... and rediscovering some old ships from the Deklein campaign, just gathering dust in Placid. A couple of good warships, the Emerald Onslaught and the Ferret. Both will need some refitting, but I look forward to flying them again. They're in surprisingly good shape, really... kudos to their crews for holding them together in my absence.

I'll need to look at sorting out the mechanics of getting into Curse as well, so that I can meet with some real Cartel representatives, maybe look at doing a little direct work instead of all this freelance stuff. And...

He trails off, evidently trying to avoid a subject. Then he sighs.

I told Kimochi about my condition. Not much, tried to keep it vague, but I had to tell her a few things. And since I haven't had anyone thundering on my door, I guess she kept it to herself. I doubt Yishal would've kept quiet about it if she had found out that I might be a few antimatter rounds short of a salvo.

But she's got a few problems of her own... I wasn't there, but apparently there was a seriously botched operation where we took heavy losses... she's not exactly resigned, but a little bird tells me that she won't be leading many fleets for a while. Whether she resigned of her own accord or some higher authority showed some disapproval, I don't know. Either is possible.

And Kimochi herself...

He frowns.

There's something going on between Kimochi, Kelsy Talan and Vincent Pryce. Definite tension when his name was mentioned in the Skyhook. You don't need Intelligence training to spot the friction. It almost makes me wonder if the Ghost hierarchy is as stable as it seemed from the outside. Even whether I made the right choice in joining them.

I feel like I'm in Midnight's Embrace, in more senses than one. Hopefully I can cast enough light to stumble my way through the suddenly marshy ground.

He continues scrutinising the screens for a moment, then reaches out and switches off the camera.

Recorder off.