Volume 2 - Sector Royale
Chapter 150: The Founders of Aleyros (Part 1)
“Let’s just cut to the chase,” says Ryze, also known as ‘Darek Ramirez’ and for being one of the six paragons from Racafi. Sitting between two of his colleagues, Ryze is a tall, broad-shouldered man with tan skin. His neatly styled dark, expresso-colored hair and piercing hazel eyes pair well with his well-groomed beard. Known for wearing a leather jacket and a silver pendant around his neck, Ryze has decided to ditch the sunglasses for the day.
“Iasa is a kingdom that’s only continuing to fall. You may have once been among the strongest, but you no longer have the power, people, or resources to keep up with the new world. However, if you hand over your nation to our care, we’ll gladly lend you a hand.”
“Hmph,” grunts General Marcus Tailor, a barrel-chested man with thick sideburns. Dressed in a military uniform with gold and blue trim and a white shirt like the other generals, General Tailor is the head of staff and communications for Iasa. The second-most senior general, the faces of entitlement and arrogance have manifested after over a decade of service.
“Shove it, Darek. We’re not handing over shit after what Stryde did to us two years ago.”
Ryze leans forward on the table, bringing his rough, calloused hands together. “I admire your bravery, speaking as freely as you are when you’re in no position to do so, Marcus.”
For the past hour, the five generals of Iasa and the three paragons from Racafi have been seated on opposite ends of a smooth marble table in the presence of the mute queen and her hands. Tending to multiple topics, this is the third time in two weeks that a meeting like this has been held inside Divine’s palace, and Racafi’s patience is running thin.
“Let me make this clear,” says Ryze. “We are no longer negotiating. Either you hand over your shards, and Racafi forgets about you for a while…”
“Stryde. Not Racafi,” says General Tailor.
Ryze, ignoring the seasoned general, says, “Or we take them and the rest of this country by force.”
“For you to take this country, you’ll have to get through us,” says General Ryan Lacina, an intense woman with short-cropped auburn hair who is the commander-in-chief of Iasa’s army. “I don’t think I need to remind you of your failure at sea to General Kane.”
Ryze scoffs, flashing a grin at the generals before resting his eyes on Kane. “You call that a failure? I think the more suitable way to refer to that choice is as… an act of mercy.”
Kane’s eyes start to glow with a golden tint, “Remind yourself which soil you stand on.”
Ryze’s eyes spark with white and dark blue, “It’d almost be an honor to make it your gravesite.”
“Gentlemen,” says Luminara, her commanding voice echoing off the walls.
Another member of the paragons with the operator name ‘Luminara’, Rhea Aldama is tall for a woman with a slender, athletic build. Wearing a charcoal grey suit that exudes sophistication and intellect, Luminara has determined orange eyes, fair-toned skin, and golden brown hair. Her eloquence is often reserved only for moments when she finds it necessary to speak up.
“Bloodshed and violence are never the answer. Ryze, as we were advised earlier, establishing a diplomatic solution is our main priority. And besides, even as a man with your skills, you would not easily be able to handle all eight adversaries in the room with us.”
“You don’t speak for me,” hisses Ryze.
“Listen to her,” says General Lacina. “You three are powerful. Fighting a battle you can’t win would be a waste of your skills.”
Ryze’s gaze narrows, “Believe me, I know when to pick a fight. Just make sure you’re not confusing your own justifications with mine.”
While General Lacina smirks at Ryze’s arrogant response, General Ivy Fields, the woman beside her, leans slightly forward and adjusts her glasses. The head of iris research and technological development, General Fields is the eldest among the military generals. As proof of that, she is seated in the middle of the five at the table. With bags under her eyes from years of tirelessly working toward her inventions, General Fields has devoted her entire life to protecting and progressing Iasa. Not attempting to hide the streaks of silver in her long black hair, General Fields is proud of how far she’s come and is comfortable with who she is as she nears the age of forty.
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“Mrs. Aldama,” says General Fields, clearing her throat. “I appreciate your level-headedness. I also believe a diplomatic solution is in both of our best interests. If you don't mind, I would like to ask you a question: Would you rather have full possession of the shards as they are now or cooperate with my research team to see what else we can learn about them? While humankind has grown familiar with the fundamentals of iris, we both know there is far more to the shards than what meets the eye.”
“Are you actually attempting to bargain with the only chip you have?” asks Ryze, amused. “You should be–”
Luminara raises her hand in front of Ryze’s face, and he stops talking, furious with her.
“If this is General Fields’ offer, the shards alone aren’t the only valuable resources that Iasa currently possess,” says Luminara, locking eyes with General Fields. “The information they’ve learned with their research must be considered.”
Ryze scoffs, “Seriously? The old woman is obviously bluffing!”
“And if she’s not?” proposes Luminara, looking at Ryze.
“Then we’ll also retrieve whatever she’s learned from her lab or whatever. Or if we need to, from her directly,” says Ryze, his tone asserting that he’s not joking.
Luminara shakes her head and faces the Iasa generals again, “It’d be pointless. She’s not the kind to talk. And as I said earlier, we’re trying to do things diplomatically here. General Fields here is one of the main reasons why certain individuals in Racafi are still interested in Iasa.”
“Okay. You’re saying we should just lie down and accept this offer? Work with the hag instead of just taking her out?”
“Seriously… Ryze, if you just stop and consider what she’s saying for a second, this is a lot more complicated than you think,” says Roger Wade, the third and final attendant of the paragons.
The youngest of the three, Roger is only in his early 20s. His salt-pepper hair is combed back, and well-defined brows frame his steely blue eyes. Sporting a short beard to compliment his deep, resonating voice to appear older than he is, Roger often wears attire similar to Rhea's. Today, he is wearing an unbuttoned black tailored suit and tie and a silver watch on his left wrist.
And Roger’s operator name is ‘Talen’.
“General Fields is clever. She knows how to navigate national disputes, and she’s been doing it much longer than any of us have. We’d be fools not to consider the knowledge only she possesses from her years of research that she’s purposefully not documented or told anybody else.”
“There are people in this world that can extract anything from the mind, even things people don’t know about themselves,” says Ryze. “The black market could easily fix this problem.”
“And who do you think controls the black market more? If the black market had to pick a side in this war, who would they choose to help? Us or them?” asks Talen.
Ryze clicks his tongue and glances toward the sheltered Queen Divine, only a white silhouette of her and her throne visible through the black curtains.
“It’s been nearly two weeks, and we’ve made progress in every meeting. But there’s been hardly enough to acknowledge that fact,” says Ryze, eyeing Kane and then General Lacina. “And like they said, picking a fight is probably not for the best at this point in time.”
“I agree,” says Kane, transferring his gaze to Talen. “Especially since I know I can beat one of you by myself.”
Talen’s eyes are locked against Kane’s in a fierce staredown while Ryze says, “That was two years ago. I doubt the same result would repeat if you fought again.”
Activating orasi, Kane says, “I don’t.”
“General Kane, Talen. Please take a breath,” says General Jasmine Rousso, the head of national security and strategy.
The shortest and youngest of the five generals, General Rousso has only recently replaced General Ryker. With polished grey eyes and chestnut brown hair that falls in loose waves just past her shoulders, General Rousso has proven incredibly capable, having quickly climbed the military ranks after establishing herself as a top prospect out of the trials.
“General Kane, we all understand your feelings of contempt, but let’s remain civil here,” says General Rousso with a soft smile. “I believe we’ve discussed all we can for today and that our guests have a lot to think about.”
Luminara smiles and starts getting up, “Thanks again for your hospitality.”
“Hold on, we’re not done,” says Ryze, grabbing Luminara by the arm.
Two sudden blasts of solar energy laser out of Luminara’s eyes at Ryze’s hand. As Ryze gets burned, he quickly lets go and curses under his breath. While Luminara sees herself out, Talen’s chair rolls back along the floor.
“We’ll consider your offer,” says Talen, meeting each of the generals' gazes. He stares at Kane much longer than the others before also seeing himself out.
Clutching his injured hand, Ryze’s eyes spark as he faces the generals, “You won’t be able to stall forever.”
Flashing a shrewd glance toward the Queen, Ryze follows Talen out of the room.
Sitting atop her throne, Queen Divine’s mouth curls ever so marginally into a smile as she watches the paragons and generals leave the meeting room.
***