xTALONKABALIM

image

     It should have been expected. something about his arrival and his demands

     “I have concerns,” of course. “To start, Omega fights its own wars. Whether or not I can convince them isn’t the problem. Here, the people have each other. They help themselves, hardly ever each other. That alone was hard to change, even on a small scale. The rest of the galaxy hardly crosses some of these people’s minds. It’s like it doesn’t exist.

     “And,” her head bowed in the slightest. She found her secrecy to be bittersweet. Aria was once someone important to her, and now she hid under her very nose. It was what kept her, and anyone under her command, safe.  Whether or not Victus knew of history far more personal, broaching such was questionable. She kept it simple. “Aria… doesn’t know of my position here. I don’t know what she thinks, but seeing as I haven’t had her men appearing on my doorstep I can’t let that change.”

     She straightened again. The Talons, not Omega, knew her. That’s where she got respect. Outside of their organization she was an enigma. A nobody, unrecognizable to the public. She had no name and it was better that way. Too much attention from Aria and her soldiers would draw critical stares. Facelessness to the group’s leader, or even the population believing the last suddenly improved, meant they were all better off. “High Command or not, I have to keep my focus here.

image

  I understand.”He does not sigh, but a note of weariness enters the low rumble of his vocalization.  He had expected this.  That she was willing to give him an audience at all was something – but something wouldn’t secure the alliance he had hoped for.  She was right, though, and as much as it pierced his fierce pride for the Hierarchy and the homeworld, Victus would not deny that Omega and its people were overlooked at best.  Or disdained. Or reviled.

   “I suppose it’d be too much to ask you to take command of a Cabal.  Under normal circumstances, we’d trust you and your people to distribute aid – imunoboosters, medkits, omni-gel, provisions…” A shadow crossed the Primarch’s face, and he darkened. “But these are hardly normal circumstances.  All support is redirected towards official Hierarchy outposts or distributed to our allies.  We don’t have much to spare for regions not under our jurisdiction.  The rest of the Primarchy would have my hide for diverting resources to Omega, particularly since you’re not in immediate danger.” His mandibles clicked, frustrated.

  “And if Aria’s unaware of your dealings, any further inroads I make with you will damage relations between her and the Hierarchy in the near future. I don’t know your position with her but it hardly sounds friendly.  Spirits.  Is it too much to hope to extend a diplomatic invitation to her in conjunction with you and your Talons?”

June  4   ( 8 )   via   /   source   +
HW