Spring was slowly coming to an end on the planet, the trees and grass a rich green blanket mixed with the high-rise buildings and spaceports. Only the yellow fields of wheat and other crops, planted in special zones, stood out.
In the Citadel everything was the same - the training of officers continued, only instead of the usual Navy personnel there were more agents of the Security Bureau. A convoy of several agents was just awaiting the arrival of a high-ranking guest from another House.
The guest's arrival was notable - it's not every day a triad of Valkyries in triangle formation navigates the atmosphere of Gallic world, let alone unobstructed. Rheinland masterpiece craft all bearing identifications of Büro Agents - high-ranking Rheinland official was visiting incognito, and the duet of Agents were security taken along for prestige and not actual services.
- - -
Wilcke dismounted her fighter, in a jet black, tight fitting uniform, she'd take her time to take the helmet off and inhale clean fresh air again. Direktor anticipated a welcome party, or at least a guide to take her to the specific meeting point her Gallic colleague had in mind.
The leader of the welcoming delegation, a medium-sized brunette with a thin moustache, took off his black cap in greeting, saying with a slight Gallic accent, "Guten Tag, willkommen in Orleans". His two attendants were dressed in closed, light armour with masks completely hiding their faces. They greeted the new arrivals with silence.
"Let's not waste any time, Director. Please follow me," the mustachioed man addressed the woman, summoning the local transport by successive presses of the wrist interface. The six-person aerocar descended in just over a minute.
The Rheinland delegation, and the welcome party boarded the aerocar confirming her intention with a slight nod. Whether it already had a set course and was automated or not. Neither Direktor really cared, landscapes outside were much more exciting and eyecatching. Like that, the small procession proceeded to their end destination.
The rest of the flight passed in silence until they flew into a tunnel illuminated by lights built into the walls, leading to the inner landing pads of the Citadel, where they left the aerocar and proceeded to the lifts. Entering the access code, the greeters let the Rheinlanders enter first and then entered, selecting one of the highest levels of the building as their destination. With a quiet hum the lift swept upwards.
* * *
In Lusignan's office, in addition to him, was a woman dressed in a white tunic, black trousers and boots. Her blond, apparently curly hair was gathered into a ponytail and covered on top by a cap with a sun emblem on it. She interrupted her report and a second later extinguished the holoprojector, but it was enough to see a drawing of a strange ship that looked like a mixture of Gallia and Hellfire Legion technology, which had never been particularly friendly.
"Ah, Director, please - come in," Antonin invited the rheinland woman to take a seat opposite the woman in the white tunic with a slight smile.
The girl who had been sitting opposite Lusignan stood up and politely greeted the newcomer in a military manner.
It was no doubt Juliette, the intelligence agent whom Wilke had met in a previous joint exercise. Although she changed her image, her face was impossible to unrecognize... Not many people can boast such a rare anomaly as a purple iris, after all. Her clothes were military-style, more like the uniform of a high-ranking officer. It is just right to wear by an admiral, however, there were no insignia other than the characteristic chevron.
Before taking her seat, she smirked slyly at Lusignan, so that only he could see.
Wilcke followed the escort in complete silence and gestured her own guards to remain outside, meetings like this are better held mano a mano. Entering upon invitation, Minna didn't spend much time to gaze at the interiors but almost instantly fixated her pale blue hues on the woman, a woman Direktor of Buro recognised and remembered well: prior to these exercises, Juliette Pascal de Lorraine.
- - -
Direktor sat opposite of Lusignan. She was allegedly less formal than her Gallic colleagues, but her tone still had a given amount of respect.
"Grüße, Antonin, Juliette. Should we get straight to business?"
"We should indeed," Antonin smiled slightly to the women, and then bowed to men that remain still next to door. They left the room and everyone took their place. "I suppose you are already familiar with honourable officer next to me, don't you?"
"That's correct. Juliette represented Gallia in previous joint exercises of Rheinland and Gallia.
Direktor calmly stated, casually focused and fixated on Lusignan; the woman was listening intently to continuation of proceedings of his speech... or was Wilcke expected to take on the initiative?
"But aside from current exercises, I'd have a few more suggestions to make, related to general cooperation between our Houses; partly, we can't afford to ignore the consolidation of power around us in the face of Liberty, Bretonia, Kusari and their Crayter satellites. I'll bring the discussed initiatives to the attention of Rheinland government."
- - -
Brunette crossed her arms and faintly sighed.
Peace, being the distant dream it is, comes inevitably, and goes hand in hand with justice.
Cursed be the war. Heroes never die! @Vitoniz30 @Connor
"I see." replied Lusignan briefly, with seriousness he looked at brunette "I have tried to contact the leadership of the Rheinland Military, but they have not yet responded to my message, however, if you are qualified to speak on their behalf, I propose joint border operations in the Zurich and Cologne systems, allowing our armies to exchange experiences and learn something new."
"We share enemies in these systems: Unioners, Red Hessians, sometimes Maquis and Gallic Brigands. Both our houses consider such as deviant elements to eradicate and they may serve us well as a target practice. Secondly, this is the project of latter matter but attempt to create an engine either of our states could use on native fuel resources might find a reason to continue - as you know we already had such, codename CNO-X."
"Thirdly, and lastly, is to discuss possibility of allowing each other's military access to house territories without authority to enforce law but assist against enemies of ours. Combining our forces, experience and technology may give results that will end in devastating defeat for enemies of Gallic Union and the Rheinland Empire. This, however, is only possible if we agree on forming an alliance of our two house, close enough to be called a Confederation, Federation or other fancy name to show nature of the alliance."
"I am not going to hide under fancy politician talks," smirked Antonin, "After all I am a military officer, not a blue shirt from governmental organisation. So you know the whole plan, stage by stage but yet without details. If you want to discuss anything I'm full ears."
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