Fort Etaples remained on duty, not only blocking the access to the lane heading down to Calais, but also dispatching patrols ensuring that no wandering vessels, civilian or not, managed to enter the perimeter that covered the almost the entire asteroid field where Planet Cucq and the station orbiting it were located in.

The streams of lava erupting all over the surface of the planet picked the attention of the very few people who had the pleasure -or misfortune for even fewer- to be assigned to work at the research station. Not even the sudden arrival of a Royal Navy bomber vessel overshadowed the beauty of that wonder of the universe ejecting several million tons of molten material per second from its heavy core.


The Grand Maréchal didn't need to issue any list of people allowed past the perimeter, besides his own self. The guests he would be waiting for would find their way into the station, no matter the amount of patrols dispatched from Fort Etaples.

Silence followed the docking procedure with Calais, and the visitor would not disturb this silence until Xavier had finished his cigarette, standing still in front of him. The cloak remained over l'Ombre, covering his medium height body and wearing a rebreather that one way or another still allowed him to speak neatly.

"I trust the summit was short yet fruitful, Maréchal?"

"Optimal place, indeed. The allocation of our assets in here will not be a brief process, contrary to our first prospection, but I assume your authority would allow the checkpoint at Fort Etaples to allow our transport vessels free passage down the lane to this station."

Not a living soul inside Calais that l'Ombre could sense as they resumed the walk through the silent and dim corridors. Xavier had indeed taken the necessary precautions to make it look like he was being serious about the 'mutually benefitting' deal he intended to propose. For a moment he became curious about the kind of bright minds who were assigned to the short-but-promising variety of research projects that took place there, people who could also become the 'assets' that he mentioned to the Maréchal.

"Just allow me to ask, what outcome do you expect from Penumbra? Even if our material and knowledge may cover your needs, precise details may also avoid delays in deadlines: something we cannot tolerate in times of war, oui?"

"Considering you were familiar with the 'enlightened' term, I had also expected you to know that such wisdom provided by us is what allows our... technological capabilities to reach its full potential. Put it that way, it may sound obvious."

Given the silent and uneventful environment that Xavier induced the place of the meeting into, l'Ombre's senses could easily track several of the Maréchal's gestures, moves and sharp changes in his voice tone. In his previous life, before becoming a carrier of the Nomads' will, he had served under the Maréchal's mandate with iron will, merciless against any hint of rebellion among the Royal Navy's ranks and generally displaying a misanthropic attitude against other active enemies of the Crown. As he did so, his very own nature as human casted doubts behind his true reason of existing, the reason behind the incessant slaughter in the name of the King, or even if that goal to be pursued was actually right or completely wrong.

That until his enlightenment came and allowed him to realize that even the stern persona of the Grand Maréchal still displayed a certain degree of hesitation since their conversation started. 'Is something the matter?' l'Ombre wondered internally before continuing with his reply to Xavier.

"But if you insist in having a detachment of unenlightened individuals in charge of whatever we may provide, we would need to add an additional clause in here: Assure their loyalty to your persona and the cause they are fighting for. That would mean they would ask the least questions possible regarding what they will be flying and using, right? After all, Calais would -officially- retain its status of top security research station, and for that reason no kind of suspicion should be raised among the ranks you command, I believe?"

"It is not only trusting them not to start making questions about what happens here, it is also trusting them not to succumb to the feelings and emotions that the battlefield triggers in most of people: Fury, fear, sorrow... -even joy-. None of us would want to see any casualties in this Verdun wing, oui? But I trust you will of course find the elite among the elite, in every aspect.

L'Ombre would not mind whether Xavier would take it as a the subtle jibe at the 'unenlightened' that he had in mind, or not. There was little in the once known as Anton Villiers behind that rebreather mask, having let the incubi transform his mind into yet another mindnode, replacing personal feelings and emotions with even more connections to the Great Mind, letting it speak through him most of the time.

"Now, while the matter concerning Calais and Verdun wing could be considered almost settled, we still have a pending request should you wish to... improve the capabilities of the Royal Fleet in future. As you may have figured out for a while already, we are pursuing our own quest to reclaim what once belonged to us but now was fenced by governments and groups across Sirius as they stumbled upon it. However, you will be familiar with the mindnode that will explain further this one concern to you."