Herzsprung breathed in deeply as Nina stood close, simply staring. Savouring every miniscule shift in tension in the room, noticeably less so as the Corsair turned around to instead smash chair and table together. Glasses rolled over, plates and cutlery clacked in protest. Traudel somewhere in the back flinched and gasped. The metaphorical mess had become real. "Don't threaten me with a good time, Nina." Being called disgusting and potentially senile as well as threatened to be slaughtered led to the admiral snickering to herself. "I couldn't have planned a better outcome, for this is the perfect one. I have what i want where i want it. Without me both of you are doomed. As it is in my ... old and disgusting ... hands entirely who finds out what when. Now what i have envisioned for you, my wonderful ticking bomb, is to explode and cause mayhem where i deem it satisfactory."
A gentle pause, allowing the heated situation to simmer down just a tad. "There are some targets my men will not openly engage, yet they are perfectly deserving of such. There are some regions my men will not venture to without proper reason, yet they are of interest to me. There are many things something as ... unique ... as you can be valuable for. Sometimes your presence might be enough, sometimes your guns will have to speak. Whatever some of them may carry you are to keep and use as you see fit, i care not for meaningless trinkets. You'll document them nonetheless."
Traudel had reached the point of complete bewilderement, slowly taking half a step forward. More than that was out of the question, however. "Certain targets might even be within our glorious House we have the honor of existing in. I will not keep my troops from pursuing you, should you run into them. But potential incarceration won't be a long issue to you. Nor the loss of any vessel, as i shall replace or reimburse you in cases like this. You'll be well provided for, as i have no interest in you starving to death or suffering a fuel shortage on any trip." With a lax wave of her left hand Herzsprung added one last point. "And nein, before you ask me ... i have little to no interest in you spying on your Corsair brethren or picking up arms against them. As much as you might dislike the Deterrence, they and the rest remain your people. Besides, i prefer to keep some targets for myself."
''Tss! Not only you are disgusting but you want to use me as you want?! There's no way I help you -to protect- Rheinland. Do it yourself.''
It was the only thing she said before to look at the doors. She wanted to leave, going away of this woman who seemed to enjoy threats. Nina wondered if Herzsprung had a missing brain cell. By the look of her, it could be possible. Still looking at the doors, the corsair boilled again. Holding her anger, she bite her lips. ''Play.By.Her.Rules. Damnit! I will be crazy and leave Rheinland once and for all!''
Nervously Traudel fiddled around with her own hands, eyes darting over to Nina nearing the door. Swallowing once and and losing some color in her face after hearing those words. She opened her mouth, but Herzsprung was faster.
"You are not to protect Rheinland. You are to protect her. What good is your word if you go now? Going harms her. Oh - not by my hand. I see that look, the loss itself would be enough already. Let us ignore the fact you'd be opening the door for a rendezvous with death for a moment, a rather unceremonious end that would be. What separates us from beasts if not our ability to reason? I am no monster, name your conditions and maybe i take them into consideration. Maybe. It is the best you two can hope for. Plain and simple."
The corsair turned on herself facing the old woman. ''My conditions?'' She looked at Traudel and remembered that the woman did not want to leave the military. At least, not now. ''The only conditions I will say is that you keep what happened her for yourself and to allow the pilot more freedom. Of course, I want my freedom as well. There's no way I stay here any longer.''
That were her conditions. They were more reasonable than many others she wanted to say.
"Failing to see the bigger picture here, are we?" Herzsprung leaned back a little. "There is no grounds to negotiate upon, there never has been. It is my call and my call alone whether you leave here in a body bag or not, as walking out of that door without my blessing will get you killed. Not a threat, it is simply a fact. The consequences your combined actions of the past have summoned are what condemns you and her both today - not me and my doing. Freedom? Leaving this place? Ja, that is in my hands and these hands are unlikely to loosen their grip by how you approach this situation." Seeminlgy weary of something, the old hag pushed herself up again. A slow and cumbersome process, clearly not looking like a picture of health.
"Know this. I will act in my own self-interest, for the moment that includes both of your lives not being abruptly ended or significantly altered. I won't keep you on a leash, nor forever on any of my ships. That would defeat the purpose i have in mind for you. The same way as branding your dear Habermeyer here a traitor or worse, it is not what i have envisioned. Yet none of that is a guarantee your value to me is of any particularly high standing and would prevent consequences. I do not mind terribly much whether you die or you live, what i do mind is having opportunities. And they can be acquired from various sources not limited to you two specifically. So what will it be? To be funded, to fire on targets of my choosing from time to time, send me a nice NeuralNet postcard and visit places i wish to be visited by you here and there ... or to act against your very own self-interest? After all, you do want to get out of here and have Habermeyer continue with whatever she does. Nein?"
Traudel appeared utterly defeated, crushed even. A rare sight indeed, voice missing the usual chipper attitude entirely. "This is no choice at all..."
"It is more choice than some of us have ever gotten. Be grateful, Oberleutnant." Herzsprung looked daggers at Traudel, the sudden rush of displeasure gone as quickly as it came. Replaced by the cold and calculated stare of a psychopath. "Now then Nina Rodriguez, Crimson Queen of the Omicrons. Do we have a deal?"
The corsair sighed of displeasure and irritated. ''Bien! Deal. Happy now?'' She said with hate. On the other hand, she kind of have no choice there. If it can permits to Traudel to stay alive, so be it. That's what she had in mind. ''Traudel, I told you to leave the military sooner. Now, look what's going on... I am forced to do the opposite thing as I should do.''
Her hate could be seen by everyone within the room.
A short and low hum coupled with the faintest of nods followed as confirmation. The agonizingly antagonistic admiral was indeed pleased, either by the display of hate or something else. Showing the fakest of smiles ... or merely another sneer. "Ausgezeichnet, very good. I am sure the younger generations here still have plenty catching up to do, Habermeyer will see you out safely Rodriguez. Now that you have time again, you two best use it wisely. It will be her or me directly that contacts you, worry not about the details. They will be explained in due time. Dismissed."
Traudel had stared at Nina for the better part of their exchange, unsure where this whole ordeal was being steered towards. As an 'agreement' was made, she exhaled audibly and sank to her knees. Right hand formed to a fist in frustration, before controlled breathing sets in. "Eins ... zwei ... .... breathe... ... " Herzsprung watched with a distinct lack of empathy, before Traudel managed to get up again to first properly salute in a rather mechanical fashion and then turn towards Nina. Gesturing to the door, her own steps slowing down a little as Nina's emotional state was noticed. Traudel's own expression was that of incredible guilt and regret. Mouthing the words 'Thank you'.
