Part CXX: End of the Line
Date: Kapton 21st, 114 A.U.
“It’s nice to see you again after fifty years,” the dwarf Nezore replied, leaning back on his chair. “I’ve heard many conflicting reports of you as of late. But I didn’t expect you to show up in my closet.”
“Oh, don’t act so surprised,” Astrid complained. “It’s not like we haven’t done this sort of thing before.”
“No,” Nezore said as he opened a can of beer. “But that was back when I was young—back when I could still fight.” He pursed his lips before taking a swig. “Go ahead and sit down. I suppose you didn’t just come here to catch up on old times?”
“Why not?” Astrid asked with a shrug of her shoulders as she sat down, her grey hair brushing against her shoulders. “It’s not like we didn’t have our share of adventures as part of the old Xavier Team.”
“Yeah, before you called our team illegitimate with your new team,” Nexore said as he raised an eyebrow.
“We had already agreed that our Xavier Team wasn’t the right one…” Astrid murmured. “Had we not?”
“Some people did…” Nezore said and he sighed, tapping his beer can. “But let’s be honest now. You didn’t come to talk about our previous accomplishments.”
“No?”
“Oh, come on, Astrid—I know better than that,” Nezore said, smirking. “You don’t think I’ve just happened to miss all the newspapers proclaiming your betrayal of the cause and your theft of the communicator from Governor Iraina?”
“The headlines aren’t that broad,” Astrid said, rolling her eyes.
“No; but I’ve kept myself aware of everything you’ve done,” Nezore said. “I’m not oblivious to what you did.”
“I wasn’t aware that you kept tabs on me…” Astrid murmured.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Nezore asked pointedly. “We had been a team, right?”
“Yes…” Astrid murmured. “But after the Upheaval-”
“You were the one that gave up on us,” Nezore said in a low voice. “And it wasn’t just the Upheaval. Ever since you pursued the government track to become a member of the Council. Jaigran wasn’t the only one to feel left out.”
Astrid averted his gaze, pursing her lips. “Fine,” she said quietly. “So what’s your point?”
“I assume the allegations are true?”
“That I took the communicator? Yes… They’re true.”
“Because you allegedly don’t trust Iraina to lead the Xavier Team?”
“He’d lead them to commit suicide,” Astrid retorted. “I couldn’t risk it.”
“I see.” Nezore paused. “You really believe that?”
Astrid looked at him strangely. “Of—of course I believe that. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I’m sure Jaigran has a noble goal as well,” Nezore mused as he tapped his beer can.
Astrid’s eyes flashed. “Are you comparing me to Jaigran?”
“No—no,” Nezore said, looking up. “Forgive me for suggesting that. But you and I both know that Jaigran wasn’t who he is now. He used to have a heart before he threw his life away. And my point is that we often deceive ourselves to our true intentions.”
“And what do you think my true intention is.”
“You’ve been in places of power for over a century,” Nezore replied. “First as part of the Triumvirate, and then as Governor of Araelia. Don’t get me wrong—I don’t necessarily have any problems with your governing. For the most part, I completely agree with all of your decisions as Governor of Araelia. But you have also become accustomed to power, Astrid. I might even go so far as to say that you have a drive for power.”
“Bu-”
“Let me finish,” Nezore said, standing up as he put down his beer cup, getting up on a stool to make up for his shortness that came with being a dwarf. “After the completion of the Xavier Team, all you’ve done is to pursue power. When some of the rest of us were trying to deal with Jaigran and the Council that had decreed that horrible Massacre of the Sla’ad, you chose to change it by becoming part of the Council. When tensions between you and Jaigran were the fiercest for the third seat on the Triumvirate, you did everything you could to stop him. Don’t get me wrong—Jaigran had become a very amoral vengeful elf—but that wasn’t the sole reason for your actions. You took the power and you made sure to use it. And because of that sate for power, you helped to alienate him. And we all know what Jaigran’s alienation caused.”
“I am not to be blamed for the Great Upheaval,” Astrid seethed.
“Of course not,” Nezore replied. “But you affected it. And it hasn’t been different since the Upheaval. You rightly preserved Araelia and took governorship. But then you kept it. You held your love and desire for power above anything else—including establishing a communication with me. That is why you stopped communicating with me—isn’t it? Because you were accused of being the friend of the dwarves rather than of your own kind in your third election?” Astrid didn’t reply. “And now of course we get to your new Xavier Team! You did the right thing but completely politicized what was necessary to be done! Tell me, Astrid. Tell me that wasn’t a political ploy!”
Astrid averted his gaze as she pursed her lips. “I…” she said. “I only… I needed to do what was right.”
“But you were unwilling to relinquish your power,” Nezore replied softly, but still firmly. “You did many things right, Astrid, but you knew it. Pride has become your downfall. Your pride and lust for power. And that’s why you are now a refugee of the government.”
Astrid closed her eyes. “I…” she said, her voice breaking as her grey hair covered her face. “I… I should have talked more with you, Nezore.”
“You should have.”
“You always knew what to do, especially on the Xavier Team where you were the leader…” she whispered. “I… I don’t know why I stopped communicating with you-”
“-Yes you do.”
“-but I shouldn’t have,” Astrid finished. “I… I shouldn’t have done that. And now… I’m in a mess.”
“That you are,” Nezore replied, and he looked up at her. “So what are you going to do?”
“What am I going to do?”
“Yes,” Nezore said, staring at her in the eyes. “You can’t hide forever, Astrid. You need to make your decision.”
Oldin picked up the newspaper on his way into work. He didn’t have much time to read with the heat of the investigation. But as the head of the FRI he still had to stay on top of the news. He glanced at the headline, and then stared.
“Ex-Governor Astrid Turns Herself into the Authorities.” Oldin pursed his lips, pondering this for a moment—trying to figure out why exactly she would have chosen to do this. He would have to ask Iraina the next time they met. Or even better try to get a chance to visit Astrid when the investigation wasn’t so hectic, although she’d probably be in prison.
Oldin placed the newspaper on his desk. He would need to read the full story later.
Date: Kapton 21st, 114 A.U.
“It’s nice to see you again after fifty years,” the dwarf Nezore replied, leaning back on his chair. “I’ve heard many conflicting reports of you as of late. But I didn’t expect you to show up in my closet.”
“Oh, don’t act so surprised,” Astrid complained. “It’s not like we haven’t done this sort of thing before.”
“No,” Nezore said as he opened a can of beer. “But that was back when I was young—back when I could still fight.” He pursed his lips before taking a swig. “Go ahead and sit down. I suppose you didn’t just come here to catch up on old times?”
“Why not?” Astrid asked with a shrug of her shoulders as she sat down, her grey hair brushing against her shoulders. “It’s not like we didn’t have our share of adventures as part of the old Xavier Team.”
“Yeah, before you called our team illegitimate with your new team,” Nexore said as he raised an eyebrow.
“We had already agreed that our Xavier Team wasn’t the right one…” Astrid murmured. “Had we not?”
“Some people did…” Nezore said and he sighed, tapping his beer can. “But let’s be honest now. You didn’t come to talk about our previous accomplishments.”
“No?”
“Oh, come on, Astrid—I know better than that,” Nezore said, smirking. “You don’t think I’ve just happened to miss all the newspapers proclaiming your betrayal of the cause and your theft of the communicator from Governor Iraina?”
“The headlines aren’t that broad,” Astrid said, rolling her eyes.
“No; but I’ve kept myself aware of everything you’ve done,” Nezore said. “I’m not oblivious to what you did.”
“I wasn’t aware that you kept tabs on me…” Astrid murmured.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Nezore asked pointedly. “We had been a team, right?”
“Yes…” Astrid murmured. “But after the Upheaval-”
“You were the one that gave up on us,” Nezore said in a low voice. “And it wasn’t just the Upheaval. Ever since you pursued the government track to become a member of the Council. Jaigran wasn’t the only one to feel left out.”
Astrid averted his gaze, pursing her lips. “Fine,” she said quietly. “So what’s your point?”
“I assume the allegations are true?”
“That I took the communicator? Yes… They’re true.”
“Because you allegedly don’t trust Iraina to lead the Xavier Team?”
“He’d lead them to commit suicide,” Astrid retorted. “I couldn’t risk it.”
“I see.” Nezore paused. “You really believe that?”
Astrid looked at him strangely. “Of—of course I believe that. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I’m sure Jaigran has a noble goal as well,” Nezore mused as he tapped his beer can.
Astrid’s eyes flashed. “Are you comparing me to Jaigran?”
“No—no,” Nezore said, looking up. “Forgive me for suggesting that. But you and I both know that Jaigran wasn’t who he is now. He used to have a heart before he threw his life away. And my point is that we often deceive ourselves to our true intentions.”
“And what do you think my true intention is.”
“You’ve been in places of power for over a century,” Nezore replied. “First as part of the Triumvirate, and then as Governor of Araelia. Don’t get me wrong—I don’t necessarily have any problems with your governing. For the most part, I completely agree with all of your decisions as Governor of Araelia. But you have also become accustomed to power, Astrid. I might even go so far as to say that you have a drive for power.”
“Bu-”
“Let me finish,” Nezore said, standing up as he put down his beer cup, getting up on a stool to make up for his shortness that came with being a dwarf. “After the completion of the Xavier Team, all you’ve done is to pursue power. When some of the rest of us were trying to deal with Jaigran and the Council that had decreed that horrible Massacre of the Sla’ad, you chose to change it by becoming part of the Council. When tensions between you and Jaigran were the fiercest for the third seat on the Triumvirate, you did everything you could to stop him. Don’t get me wrong—Jaigran had become a very amoral vengeful elf—but that wasn’t the sole reason for your actions. You took the power and you made sure to use it. And because of that sate for power, you helped to alienate him. And we all know what Jaigran’s alienation caused.”
“I am not to be blamed for the Great Upheaval,” Astrid seethed.
“Of course not,” Nezore replied. “But you affected it. And it hasn’t been different since the Upheaval. You rightly preserved Araelia and took governorship. But then you kept it. You held your love and desire for power above anything else—including establishing a communication with me. That is why you stopped communicating with me—isn’t it? Because you were accused of being the friend of the dwarves rather than of your own kind in your third election?” Astrid didn’t reply. “And now of course we get to your new Xavier Team! You did the right thing but completely politicized what was necessary to be done! Tell me, Astrid. Tell me that wasn’t a political ploy!”
Astrid averted his gaze as she pursed her lips. “I…” she said. “I only… I needed to do what was right.”
“But you were unwilling to relinquish your power,” Nezore replied softly, but still firmly. “You did many things right, Astrid, but you knew it. Pride has become your downfall. Your pride and lust for power. And that’s why you are now a refugee of the government.”
Astrid closed her eyes. “I…” she said, her voice breaking as her grey hair covered her face. “I… I should have talked more with you, Nezore.”
“You should have.”
“You always knew what to do, especially on the Xavier Team where you were the leader…” she whispered. “I… I don’t know why I stopped communicating with you-”
“-Yes you do.”
“-but I shouldn’t have,” Astrid finished. “I… I shouldn’t have done that. And now… I’m in a mess.”
“That you are,” Nezore replied, and he looked up at her. “So what are you going to do?”
“What am I going to do?”
“Yes,” Nezore said, staring at her in the eyes. “You can’t hide forever, Astrid. You need to make your decision.”
Oldin picked up the newspaper on his way into work. He didn’t have much time to read with the heat of the investigation. But as the head of the FRI he still had to stay on top of the news. He glanced at the headline, and then stared.
“Ex-Governor Astrid Turns Herself into the Authorities.” Oldin pursed his lips, pondering this for a moment—trying to figure out why exactly she would have chosen to do this. He would have to ask Iraina the next time they met. Or even better try to get a chance to visit Astrid when the investigation wasn’t so hectic, although she’d probably be in prison.
Oldin placed the newspaper on his desk. He would need to read the full story later.
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