Dusk watched her sister dissecting the information placed before her, that keen, analytical edge to Tanya in display in the subtle tension of her shoulders and arms, like a dagger ready to be drawn. That was good; that was the beast they needed to pull this off. Not the Addled Admiral, nor the Crazed Captain, the Mad Minister, nor any of the other appellations that had been affixed to Tanya like disservice medals, but the Last Quartermaster - that was the beast who would shift the balance of power in the Imperium.
"The goal is fairly simple," Dusk stated, topping up her own cup of tea. "We are going to remove the current Minister of Niceties and replace him, if all goes well," she nodded to her squirrel friend, "with Orina." She glanced toward Tanya, adding, "Do you remember how I mentioned I have a grand-niece at court? Mileya, sweet girl, bit of her mother's temper. Once there's an unexpected vacancy at the top of Niceties, I can induce her to advocate for Orina's appointment. She'll undoubtedly anger so many in Amarone by doing so that the Empress will go along with it for the sake of her own amusement."
She sipped at her tea before continuing, "Before we can get there, though, we need to remove Kilaris in such a way that his death doesn't point at either myself nor Orina. Here we have ideas, but nothing concrete. A false flag operation, disguising you as, say, an Alkamarian assassin, might play so well, though that would come back on my outfit for failing to prevent it." She grimaced as she set her cup down. "Perhaps it should be a threat that is more interior, one that Niceties, had they listened to Orina, might well have anticipated and dealt with themselves. Perhaps a rogue, radical vulpine supremacist?"
"The goal is fairly simple," Dusk stated, topping up her own cup of tea. "We are going to remove the current Minister of Niceties and replace him, if all goes well," she nodded to her squirrel friend, "with Orina." She glanced toward Tanya, adding, "Do you remember how I mentioned I have a grand-niece at court? Mileya, sweet girl, bit of her mother's temper. Once there's an unexpected vacancy at the top of Niceties, I can induce her to advocate for Orina's appointment. She'll undoubtedly anger so many in Amarone by doing so that the Empress will go along with it for the sake of her own amusement."
She sipped at her tea before continuing, "Before we can get there, though, we need to remove Kilaris in such a way that his death doesn't point at either myself nor Orina. Here we have ideas, but nothing concrete. A false flag operation, disguising you as, say, an Alkamarian assassin, might play so well, though that would come back on my outfit for failing to prevent it." She grimaced as she set her cup down. "Perhaps it should be a threat that is more interior, one that Niceties, had they listened to Orina, might well have anticipated and dealt with themselves. Perhaps a rogue, radical vulpine supremacist?"
