"This was... unexpected. Irritating and an embarrassment. Though what is done, is done, I suppose."
[Senator] Robert Griffin nodded at [Station Commander] Tresk in agreement, despite the slight pang in his chest every time he looked toward the center of the room. His eyes followed cracks from one side of it to the next, going all the way up to the glass ceiling and even through the glass itself, though obvious it was a separate fracture. The entire Council Chamber was nearly ready to collapse, even without the chance event of something ramming into it from the outside, or someone on the inside being stupid enough to lean against a wall.
Six of them stood at the top of the staircase near the two large oak doors, watching the recovery process. They were trying to reclaim what they could for now, any person working inside the Chamber wearing a low-profile suit that sealed them from the outside in the event it did collapse. They'd thought of just being done with it and removing the air from the room, but it was still possible to remove the many paintings, monitors, and beautiful tapestries in-tact before allowing this building to be destroyed and rebuilt.
Not to mention, the wood. Robert would have removed it all himself if they'd even thought about abandoning each of the beautiful, hand-carved pieces that remained. The large oak doors alone were worth three times his yearly [Credit] salary, not to mention the podium that was no more. It would take years to replace that beautiful piece with countless life and death trips to the surface of any nearby life-sustaining planet. Finding a tree that wasn't in a death zone was nearly impossible as well, and the ones they cultivated in Domes were protected.
"What of Barillo or the two [Councilmembers] who fell in early? Do we have any confirmation they live?" Robert eventually asked, breaking himself out of his musing and turning to Tresk.
He had joined the remaining leading body of the Sector late, having promised to check on a certain girl who had locked herself in her room.
The [Station Commander] was lording over the entire clean-up process with a murderous look, despite his earlier tone conveying he was only mildly disappointed. His left cheek and eye were still stitching themselves back together, the [System] doing its best to quickly repair what should have been a lasting, if not fatal wound. The round Kellin had shot before disappearing had torn away the left third of the skin on Tresk's face, leaving a grisly sight for everyone to behold whilst they cleaned.
None of the cleaners half-assed their duties today.
"I just finished running all four of those checks earlier, [Senator]. [Senator] Barillo lives, though tracking him would be... an expense I need approval for. [Councilmember] Serras also lives, but unfortunately [Councilmember] Kipper did not make it."
"And the traitorous whelp is dead, yes. Thank you, [Treasurer] Kafre."
Robert felt the pang once again in his chest with Tresk's final words to the report, but did not allow it to show on his face. He'd loved Kellin Finnel like a son, officially giving the young man the last name of the mother Tresk refused to acknowledge. He'd practically raised him once she had mysteriously disappeared when he was twelve as well, and now...
He watched Kafre nod and stepped back, overseeing the reclamation process while never straying too far from the Commander.
"Still, what a mess..." [Senator] Flisk muttered, face still locked on the center of the room, the only section of stone unblemished now that it had returned to normal.
Not a spec of dust or dirt on it, clean as the day it was first installed, and not a crack to be seen. Restored to new.
Robert took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, shaking his head lightly.
"I hope it was worth it, Draro. Your pride has cost us a great man."
"He was a leech," Tresk spat back within moments as a commotion began outside the doors behind them. "A black mark on our-"
"Commander!" a new voice interrupted as someone came bursting into the room, one of the large oak double doors he'd shoved open barely caught in time before impacting the fragile wall as everyone present jumped at the shout. "Reports are coming in from-"
A fist landed into the younger man's abdomen, causing him to double over as his words abruptly halted. Robert winced at the contact as his eyes immediately began to scan the room, nothing seeming out of place. No new cracking or grinding sounds alerted him to the potential further degradation of the room's integrity, either.
[Senator] Flisk held the man up by her left fist and gripped his jaw with her large right hand, forcing him to look up at her as she whisper screamed into the boy's face.
"Lower your tone, you idiot. Do you want this room to collapse onto us?!"
The young man nodded frantically, eyes round and terrified as he looked up into the [Senator's] dark red eyes, her handsome features no doubt terrifying from that close. Slowly, she removed her grip on his jaw and let him down to the floor with care, not for him, but to avoid upsetting the room.
A long way down, as well, with Flisk being on the better side of six feet seven inches tall. She wasn't overly built, but still very athletic despite her societal role. Something the other three [Senators], Robert himself excluded, couldn't say. Her platinum blonde hair gathered near the base of her skull before falling halfway down her back, a small amount draped over her left shoulder like a golden waterfall now that she'd moved so abruptly to reprimand the [Messanger].
Robert broke himself out of his staring, looking again at the young [Messanger]. The boy wasn't even in a suit, the most at risk should his actions have caused the room to implode. He most likely wouldn't die, but he'd be severely disabled for the rest of his life. The rest of those present may have been minimally injured, but nothing worse than a broken rib or bruises.
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The young man was finally released to his knees and he began coughing, Robert noting a splatter of blood hitting the scratched-up stone surface.
"Perhaps we should allow them to work, Tresk. It would seem nothing of note will be happening and if another one of these shows up..." Robert stated, arm waving at the younger man still trying to pick himself up.
Cruel of her, to put so much force behind the punch while wearing any type of protective suit. Nearly everyone in the Empire had some type of reinforcement or even [Strength] increase while wearing them. The boy would have to be checked for lasting injuries.
The large Commander stared back to the center of the room, then at the young [Messanger] and nodded once, turning around and making his way up the remaining few broken steps in between them and the exit. The four [Senators] followed behind, trailed by the young man holding his stomach and Kafre who was assisting him.
Exiting the room put them in a very long and fifteen-foot wide metal hallway, completely different from the interior of the council chamber. The narrow corridor was entirely made of metal and plastics, from the ceiling down to the few seats and lights adorning it. There were no decorations anywhere except the sconces on either side of the doors lining the long room.
Most of the [Councilmembers] were still milling about here, chatting with fervor while looking toward Robert and the other [Senators] while even more began entering from the adjacent doorways. Robert thought that they might have been excited to get a peek at what the inside looked like, but something about the way they stared so intensely made it clear something else was on their minds. Almost all of them were in the nearby area, even, as if waiting for the leadership of Sector Five to exit.
Tresk reached out and grabbed one of his two remaining [Elite Guards] by his collar, glaring down at the man that was supposed to be keeping any from entering the room. Both had seemed excited to see Tresk as well but their expressions quickly morphed into fear. Each one averted their eyes downward, followed by the one not being held up kneeling down, the Commanders scowl no doubt elevated by the parts of his skull still mending.
"You imbeciles allow me to get shot and then let this boy past? What is the point of even having guards if you don't do your job properly?!"
Following the shout, Tresk shoved the guard he'd been holding back into the nearby wall. Robert didn't think it were possible but somehow the one kneeling managed to kneel lower as the one that had just hit fell to a knee as well.
"We apologize, Commander. We thought the news of the Expansion would have been more than important enough to warrant-"
"What did you just say?" Tresk interrupted, voice a hiss through his gritted teeth.
"An Expansion, sir. The Expansion. The [Messanger] informed us of it when we did not allow him to pass. We... well, believed him..." the guard on the left started before his words petered out slowly.
Robert's face paled as a cold sweat began all across his body, disbelief radiating through his mind. Tresk stood still in shock in front of him for at least ten seconds before turning around abruptly and grabbing the still bent over [Messanger], standing him upright and staring down into the young man's eyes.
"Speak. Now. If you lied to these men-"
"No, sir," he replied quickly, shaking his head and gasping for another breath. "I... there are reports... from all over. Multiple portals... all across Sector Five... Other Sector's reporting same..."
When Tresk let go of the man, he placed his hands back on his knees and continued to try and catch his breath. Tresk took a few steps to his left until he was leaned up against the wall he'd shoved his guard into.
Robert's mind was still trying to piece together what he'd just heard as he slumped against a nearby wall as well, everyone in the area likewise sporting faces of disbelief or exuberance. Tresk was the first to break the silence as usual, chuckling from where he himself was leaning.
"Hah... hahaha... Hahaha! It must be a sign. The day that bastard child is no longer has become a holiday," Tresk stated, his chuckle turning into genuine laughter, arms spread out wide as he stepped away from the wall. "And Barillo is alive, leading the charge. Would it but be myself, but he will do. A chance to understand the Hives before they claim the planets, and remove all we can from them."
"Truly..." Robert muttered to himself, looking back at the Oak doors leading to the chamber they'd exited while wondering at the possibilities.
Despite living for over a century, he had yet to experience an Expansion. He knew none here had, in fact, though rumors held the Emperor was alive during the last nearly five hundred years prior.
Tresk turned to the [Senators] after he'd finished laughing, face nearly completely healed and dead serious once again.
"Kafre, find out where Barillo is no matter the cost. I want our fastest support vessels en route the moment you have the location. Get in contact with the other Sectors and lay claim to whichever planet that ends up being. If it turns out to be a Leviathan Planet instead, we'll share it."
The surrounding [Councilmembers] began to clamor once again as the seven of them, guards staying behind, all began shuffling towards the other end of the hall. A temporary Council Chamber was set there and now was the time to start planning.
"Then his seat remains empty for now?" Flisk addressed the Commander, matching his stride as they moved and motioning to the other remaining three [Senators] present.
"We should not fill the void so long as he requires his [Senator] class," Tresk stated. "I cannot be on the support vessel, but one of you must."
Robert paused his movement for a second before continuing, looking up at the two men to his sides. All four of them would be willing to go; the possibilities and rewards were recorded to be numerous whenever there were Expansions. But leaving behind all they had built... and giving Tresk more power in their Sector whilst they were gone...
Regardless of the countless archives stating how bountiful and useful Expansions were, there were always a few that claimed the opposite. They could run into any number of negative events whilst away. Up to ten years of travel, five there and five back, wasn't that large of a loss in the event it went south, but a waste of time wasn't the only possible negative outcome. More than 90% of those that were taken at the beginning would die before any contact was made, and the support ships didn't always make it there in one piece either.
Still, the benefits were alluring to him. Status, unsupervised control.... More than one new Nation had been founded during an expansion, the Empire itself founded just two ago. To be at the helm was a risk, but the rewards could be monumental.
"Discuss it between yourselves," Tresk eventually said as they approached the temporary area they'd set up the council room in.
Robert entered, followed by the other three [Senators] and Kafre. Tresk stopped outside the doors and began pacing the other direction for some reason, but he had duties to attend to.
Starting with finding out just where the hell Barillo had gone.
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Draros waited until the Senate was inside the room before grabbing the [Messanger] boy by the back of his shirt, stopping him from turning and running away.
"Quick heal," he spoke aloud, all in the area hearing and feeling his intent as the young man instantly lost his pained expression, staring up at the Commander with wonder in his eyes. "That was not free, boy. I want you to bring me somewhere."
The young man nodded excitedly.
"Anywhere. Where would you like to go sir?"
Draros smiled down, leading him away from the Council room.
"A young lady should have a father figure, don't you think?"