"Redecorating Riviera?" Hector smiled "maybe not that, but I have a couple of things in mind, a small expansion plan".
He looked around: the room, although well furnished, was nothing more than a cell converted into a waiting room. "Even though it is our place of seclusion, it is better furnished than some of our second-class cabins". Whatever the intentions of the Marshal, they were in his hands from every point of view: few knew where they were and no one was aware of the precise coordinates. Hidden somewhere inside a fortress whose master had returned to the fore in House politics after spending the previous years within the Enclave forces. All without even being sure of when and what they should have done there.
For a few seconds Hector felt completely overwhelmed. He slumped into one of the chairs in the room and snorted. "Honestly, Cait? I don't know what to expect. I left New Paris with a clear mind, but now it all seems to me without logic."
The captain pulled a pin depicting the SEC crest out of her pocket and began twirling it nervously in his fingers. "If it had been a mere bureaucratic matter, everything would have taken place between our lawyers and the competent authority. Why all this staging, why just the two of us?
He sank further into his chair, aware that his monologue would have no answer. "Well, what can I say, we just have to wait".
The absence in the room of a tool to measure time falsified any ability to interpret how long they had been there: two guards had brought them clean water and clothes, but neither he nor Cait had been able to glean information on how long it would be. length of their wait. They were about to fall asleep when the troop of soldiers who had welcomed them in the square broke their half-sleep. "5 minutes to settle down, it's your turn to meet the Marshal"
Cait smiled as she wait she was Calm as always and didn't let anyone see behind her Pokerface. She Knew that all this Waiting Game was just to make them Uncompfy and Make them lose their Calmness and make mistakes in the Negotiations. Cait herself was using this Tactic often when it came to Negotiations and Dealmakeings.I would love to see that Plan of yours When we are back at Riviera and Talk about the Future of the Resort, I think it is the right time to make some changes here in Gallia.She smirks at himDon't worry Rooms like this are designed to make you Nervous and to bring you out of your Ballance without being too Obvious about their True Nature. It's a Common Tactic when it comes to Important Discussions.She smiles and keeps her Relaxed manner as she was Sure that there were Cameras and maybe even Microphones hidden in this Room to give their Host any Possible Advantage by simply Watching how Cait and Hector Reacted to this Change in their Plan. Cait was also Relaxed as she knew that Steph had Probably Smuggled a Tracker into Caits Clothes and that her Wife would Storm in like the Cavalry of Ancient Times should Cait be in Real Danger. You know what all this Effort shows to me? It shows me that we are more Important than a Simple Meeting between Lawyers could Solve and that whatever the Maréchal haves to Discuss with us Demands a Personal and Direct Conversation. You see that we are here is a sign of the Power of the Maréchal and his Respect for us at the same time.She Smirks and simply waits till the Servant brings them to their Meeting with the Maréchal.
The door to the meeting room opened, letting in three people: a man and two military droids; the man dressed in a simple but elegant white uniform - his hair slicked back and his thick beard neatly styled. His thick dark eyebrows hovered over eyes the colour of wet earth, and he glared at the OS&C representatives and took a seat across from them. The droids, holding their rifles diagonally parallel to their metal chests, took a seat at the single door.
"Welcome," spoke Marechal Antonin de Lusignan. His voice was low, bassy, and more like a church choir singer than a military man and politician in one person. "I hope you have appreciated our hospitality. However, I see no point in wasting time on formalities - we're all busy people, aren't we?"
"Monsieur Balzac, you of all people should be familiar with how xenophobic our nation is, despite the lack of any legal oppression of citizens of other houses," Antonin began from afar, looking compatriot in the eye and seeing little understanding of what he was getting at. "It works both ways - because of our nation's distrust of others, others cannot begin to trust us."
"I wish to change that, and to show others that Gallia has a rich history, culture and tradition worthy, if not admired, of understanding by those who were not born and brought up here." slowly, like a cat sneaking up on an unsuspecting mouse, Lusignan continued. "Though such an initiative has not met with ardent support among the members of the government, it has, at the same time, met with virtually no obstacles."
"Although Gallia has its own tourism hegemon in the form of Bouvet Space Entertainment, they are Gauls for the most part, and are hardly familiar with the way the people of Sirius think." the final touches of the first act were overlaid on the picture of what one of the most influential people in the latest Gallia was about to offer them. "That is why you are here - to get an offer that will benefit both me, as one interested in spreading Gallia culture, and you, as people of business interested in expanding the 'grounds'."
He leaned back in his chair before finally asking the question directly, "Are you willing to work with me to promote Gallia culture and values for Sirius, getting the opportunity to expand your business in Gallia in return?"
