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Accessing Toledo Archives...
Parsing information..
Subject: Janet...last name unknown.
Retrieving databanks.....succeeded

"This is Doctor Christopher Strauss...conducting routine mental and physical tests for admittance of new recruits in The Order. The stardate is..16th August, 804 After Sirius, and this is in relation to prospective recruit...Janet, last name not supplied.

We first ran the gamut of physical tests. She performed above average under the run drills, and did fairly well on the obstacle course. After that, we ran non-intrusive scans...the bone structure in her body is at least 36% different from a normal human's...indicating extensive damage and multiple fractures at some point in her life. Not all of them were properly set in place after the fracture, hence the deviance. Usually, a deviance of this order means a person cannot function efficiently, but she manages. We cannot figure out how. Also, there was a bullet wound on her lower torso, as well as several old burn marks.

Then came the psych analysis...what I'm about to record is...quite different from the stories we hear usually...I'll leave you to make the call.

Trivial details...date of birth...unknown. Parents...unknown. Her first memories were of the Leeds underground. She lived on handouts, for a long time, being passed along from family to family, for as long as they could support an extra mouth. Why was she not in an Orphanage..? Apparently, the gamut of legalese had tightened around the procedure at that time, making admission into an Orphanage...difficult, at best.

She describes a violent gang culture. Various criminal gangs feuding for territory, drugs, armaments... It took her in at Age 13. She was taken by one of the gangs, named...Winking Rats. She does not remember the why of it.

She was in that gang...no, kept captive in that gang for close to seven years. Her account was...candid. During this time, she was repeatedly gang raped, beat, burned, starved when the gang's going got tough...
somewhere in the middle of her account, she just stopped. I did not feel it fit to continue into her past.

Sometime at Age 20, she escaped the gang when they ran into one of the infrequent police raids on the Underground. While running, she was shot at by the police, suffering the bullet wound I described earlier. What I didn't anticipate was that it would send her into unconsciousness, and then into coma...

It lasted five years.

She woke up in a Government funded hospital, to find everything changed...she enlisted in the Bretonian Armed forces, was found to be acceptable in a fighter. She served in skirmishes during the Nomad war, and then managed to come to us.

Analysis would be...She's gone through a lot. Usually people of this kind are insane or deranged, but she appears composed enough. It is frankly, disturbing. That is my take on the matter, and now the decision...is up to you."

Taweret sighed as she went through the archives. This was not information that anyone needed to know anymore. A few clicks, and the databanks were cleared.

The Order had just suffered a reeling defeat at Toledo, and she would lead them through it as she had led herself through...all of it. Through her strength of mind. Through fortitude and determination.

She put on the mask that made her Taweret, and went back to work. There was a lot to be done.

A report sat on her desk. It was labelled simply.

"From Longstrider"

Taweret nodded to herself, and switched to reading the report.

Threat Analysis: Jeremy Hunter and associated family.

Jeremy Hunter, by past record has had a record of instability and actions which have been detrimental to the Order as a whole. Besides the infamous attempted bombing of Manhattan, he has several incidents of insubordination, indiscipline, among others.

Physical profile shows altered DNA similar to those we've found on corpses of wild pilots. This is due to an unknown reason, but for reasons obvious, this is a major threat. this suggests a previous unhealthy liaison with the nomads.

My belief is that Agent Hunter's loyalties towards the Order are not supreme in his actions. In the hypothetical scenario of a threat to his family, that would take precedence over the Order's motives in the same scenario. His family is also spread across several organisations with noticeable conflict of interests, notably the Liberty Navy. These two factors combined, and you have a fair chance of defection.

Agent's Hunters skills are useful in many areas, but his loyalty is dubious at best. Action against him will terminate our association with his family, and turn the Hunter family into a non-productive asset for The Order.

I rate his threat level as very high. Suggested course of action would be immediate execution of Agent hunter and incarceration of his family within the Order. Ensuring that the lines of communication between the hunter family will complete the removal process.

Longstride out.

Taweret considered this calmly. She considered the summary execution of a fellow agent and his family in the same way as she had once considered taking her own life. There was sufficient reason to, at the time.

She shook her head. This was not the time to go there. Mantear had once praised her ability to compartmentalize anything and everything, and she was right. Her past was in a secluded corner of her mind, to be visited if needed, but not to intrude on anything else.

After half an hour of thought, She nodded and typed out a response.

"Longstride. Your report was accurate, as always, but you understated the importance of the Hunters within our organisation. Together, they represent a great variety of experts in a lot of different fields, and individually, you have found nothing to fault their loyalty with, with the exception of Jeremy Hunter himself. Together, their contribution to the Wedjat's listening network also cannot be discounted. All this would be lost were we to take action.

Continue your surveillance, for the threat is there. Provided actions of an unwarranted nature occur, you are to inform me immediately, and I shall arrange fitting countermeasures.

But until then, just watch. The usefulness of the family outweighs the cons, for now.

Taweret."

She leaned back, and briefly considered why she was conducting such a brutal search of The Order from within. The answer came simply. It had to be done. She had survived because it had to be done, and so it would be done.

With a few clicks, the message was sent. It was directed to an unusual recipient. Most of the Order would not look kindly at her for attempting to parley with Admiral Hale of the Liberty Navy, but that was not a factor that was relevant.

What was relevant however, was the tactical details. With the destruction of the Omicron Minor system, the nomads had a clear line of advance to the Alaska system. the natural geography of the system would provide some respite, as well as the formidable defenses of the Juneau based battlegroup. However, if the unknown ship was brought into the fray, Alaska might not survive the attack, placing Liberty's capital at imminent risk of attack.

Not an acceptable risk. The easiest route of action would be using powerful field charges to destabilize the jump hole and destroy the route. If not, then a mutual defense of the system would have to be arranged.

That was why she had called Admiral Hale. Only time will tell whether Hale's ideologies get the better of him or not, but it was worthy of an attempt.

A short chiming sound. There was a new communication. She opened it up, and while reading could not help smiling ever so slightly.

"The addition of Eriksson Ravenov back into our ranks will be immensely beneficial, Longstride. As far as possible, keep an eye on him, and ensure that his varied skills are put to best use. Taweret out."

She had visitors this time.

Longstride sat in a chair across her table. A holographic board was projected on the table in front of them. A game called Cyvasse, Stones, among other names. The main objective in the game was to use a limited amount of pieces and maneuver them in such a manner so as to exert control over the most territory. Similar to many other games, yet very different. Playing it was as much a matter of knowing the person across as knowing your pieces. It was said that good players of Cyvasse were typically good diplomats and rulers. It was, to put it simply, a matter of fooling the person in front of you.

This game was near to an end, and Taweret ended it decisively. Longstride leaned back and let out a dry chuckle.

"You've become better, Janet."

Taweret dismissed that comment with a wave of her hand.

"I can only beat you about half the time. And try to remember my callsign. That name, I lost long ago."

Longstride shakes his head and grimaces at a memory.

"It's impossible to win all the time. Realise that. And you know how...inappropriate, your callsign is. I am one of the few who got to read your file after all. Why do you keep using it?"

Taweret half-smiles.

"The stakes we're playing for, every battle must be won and you know it. And as for the callsign..."

She gets up and walks to a window, looking out intently at...something, that only she can see.

"It's amusing to most. And when you're laughing at something, somewhere in your mind, consciously or sub-consciously...you devalue the subject of amusement. And under-estimation can be turned into an advantage. Besides...it's good to have a reminder."

She shakes her head slightly as she says this. Longstride gets up and walks over to stand beside her.

"I won't press you on it. So you've sent Bolevara to assassinate D'Souza? That's a risky move."

Taweret half-smiles again.

"It has a few advantages. Either D'Souza ends up dead or Bolevara's loyalties are exposed. Either way, there is no loss from our action. Of course, it'd be preferable if the former Admiral is dead...One Sius Malacos is enough. I won't risk another. His thread will be cut, and maybe in the process we can remove lesser problems."

Longstride shrugs. "It's a dangerous game. They're formidable opponents."

"They are. That's why risks have to be taken. And when Bolevara's done there, I expect he'll go to Liberty and cause a scandal."

Longstride raises an eyebrow.

"It was what I wanted him to do. So I pushed him in the opposite direction. Specifically instructed him not to divulge information to our enemies, the Navy, to stay mum. He's always been a fighter."

"He might do something unnecessarily...rash" Longstride says.

Taweret frowns.

"If he ceases to be of use, I'll put him down. But if he doesn't...I hope that enough will be ready when the final wars come."

The two figures stood there for a long while, contemplating the view outside Lisbon.

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