Senator Victorus Ponpti slammed open the door of his guest chambers within the southern fort, barging into the room. Without taking a moment to look around, he waved his hand, sending out a pulse of psy and shattering the tea table. Unwilling to let that be the end of the matter, he gathered up the splinters of wood and ground them into a fine powder.

"Have you quelled your rage, father?" Shree asked from the side of the room as she studied the collection of wines her father's personal valet had put out. Grabbing a bottle and quickly pouring herself a glass, she moved to sit down on one of the armchairs that used to form a ring around the table.

"It seems that time in the Triad has done you some good," Victorus said, studying his daughter with an appraising look. "It is about time for you to step out of the shadow of the family and create one of your own."

"What is an uncouth outburst when I have watched armies clash."

"…I do apologize for that, Darling." Shree's father said as he visibly regained control over his turbulent emotions. At the words, the young woman's posture eased ever so slightly, her feigned indifference becoming a reality.

"Is becoming the Guardiain such an important step for your political plans? Last I knew, you were attempting to gather the support for an amphibious attack across the Great Lake."

"Much has changed since you left," Victorus sighed, his voice and face darkening. Turning, he motioned to Numork Hellieous to take a seat with them and then motioned to his valet to bring them each a drink. "We all know that the political world is constantly shifting. Houses falling and rising within weeks isn't uncommon… However, the rule of the Founding Families has never been… effectively challenged. But this spring… has proven to be more turbulent than normal, and valid concerns are being raised behind closed doors."

Picking up on the serious tone of her father, Shree gulped, her mouth suddenly dry. Gathering herself, she voiced the words to continue a conversation she didn't know she wanted to be part of… but could not bear to walk away from at the same time. "What has happened to make you so concerned?"

Her father glanced at her, and for the slightest second, pride flashed through his eyes as a smile lifted his lips. Then the emotions were gone, as he was pulled back into reality and the current struggle he was fighting. However, it did not shake the confidence and joy that Shree felt at being acknowledged by her father.

"What hasn't happened?" Victorus muttered to himself more than anyone else before lifting a hand to run through his gray-speckled hair and rubbing the back of his head. "To put it simply… war is coming to Olimpia. Consul Maximilian Hipocant — Panta's successor — is not capable of the deft political maneuvering his position requires. He is a bull perfect for a battlefield but not for the shadowy-cutthroat nature of the Isles. He has lost nearly all control beyond the forts of his legions, and the nobles are riling up again. Except now they fear what a strong legion commander can do to them, so many are hearing the stirrings and mutterings of rebellion."

At his words, Legatus Hellieous spat out a mouthful of wine and started coughing. Shree's reaction wasn't any better. The young woman dropped her wine glass as her hand went limp from sheer shock. The only reason it didn't end up spilling all over the ground was that it only dropped an inch as she had just lifted it off the side table, and that was a close thing. "Are you serious?" She numbly asked, thinking back to the century of war that the last rebellion of the Republic resulted in.

"Utterly," Victorus replied, "Though, to be fair, there are only murmurs right now. But the possibility is there, and it could not have come at a worse time. Olimpia's southern cities's shipping is being harassed by "raiders,'" At the last word Victorus held up his hands making air quotes with a roll of his eyes. "A tale only dunces would believe when they hear that supplies are flowing to the western side of the Funnel, and Imperium legions are moving east. Which, incidentally, is the main reason for my military plans falling apart for the foreseeable future. No one is willing to commit to an offensive when everyone is expecting to be at war with the Imperium again in the next couple of months."

"Is that all," Shree asked, knowing it wasn't by the look on her father's face.

"Hardly." Scoffed the senator. "You are more aware than I am of what is happening in and around the Triad, but Cross isn't doing much better. Its legions are battered, and it has lost all contact with the plains and only receives supplies by boat. The herdsmen are all fleeing south past the Divide, but soon enough, those lands won't be able to support the influx of refugees. Not to mention that I have it on good authority that if Cross does not receive aid soon, it will start reviving the Forgotten Legions. A case not helped by what is transpiring in the Triad."

"What?!" Shree incredulously asked. "Why would the Triad have anything to do with resurrecting the Forgotten Legions? I might not be in Panta's inner circle, but I am not so out of the loop that I could miss any of his plans that are that… monumental."

"Shree, what did I tell you are the three types of opportunities that all politicians should be looking for." Asked her father in a stern voice.

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The young woman was mentally thrown back years until she was a child again, standing in her father's office at attention, answering his questions to see if she had properly learned her lessons. "Self-created, stealable, and opportunistic."

"Which one offers the greatest benefit while posing the greatest risk?"

"Opportunistic, because anyone can step in and influence events outside of your control, twisting circumstances and potentially destroying your plans or even your reputation."

"Why do I bring this up?"

Mind racing at the prompting, Shree thought back on the conversation. Cross was threatening to resurrect the dead legions that once guarded the Northern line. Legions that past senators and city lords had spent centuries chipping away at until only six legions remained on the line, undermining the military — and thus the political — strength of the northern cities. Currently, the leading reason for their threat was the Triad, or so she inferred from her father. The issue was that Legatus Panta had made no effort to resurrect the old legions. He didn't need to, as she had arrived with three Senatorial Guard Legions, which were of far greater use than what the citiz…

"Oh!" Shree exclaimed as a thought blasted through her mind. Turning to her father, she began speaking, but her voice was filled with doubt, "You think the militia will be formed into legions. But how could that happen?"

"How could it not," Numork Hellieous said, his voice somber. Glancing over to the man in confusion, she saw her father do the same and motion for the legatus to continue. "Ehem… The citizens have seen two… Catastrophic battles is not a term that overstates the situation. Both times, the militia was called up, and the second occurrence resulted in devastating losses. They can't go anywhere, and everyone knows there will be more fighting sooner than later, though they don't know with whom. There is also the paranoia about dark elves that needs to be considered and accounted for. The citizens of Southtown will not put their arms back down, and I suspect they will soon be drilling with them to regain their old skills. Panta knows this, which is why he has not tried to force the issue."

"Exactly," Shree's father stated, looking pleased. "Whether it was purposeful or not, what it looks like to the senators is that Panta has his legion, is in practical control of three senatorial legions, and has three more being trained as we speak. His intentions at this point are meaningless. The citizens will have their legions one way or another. Someone here will either make it official, or we can leave the sword for another to pick up and use when they stumble across it."

"So you wanted to be that person," Shree stated.

Her father looked at her for a few seconds, an expression of consideration coming onto his face. Instead of answering, Victorus turned to Numork as he said, "Harptin, ensure we aren't being listened to." A second later, a wave of psy washed over Shree, and she felt the stone under her feet vibrate as waves ran through it.

"There is no one around, Milord." said the old valet from the corner of the room a moment after the energy passed. The legatus, under the intense stare of the older politician he had known most of his life, squirmed in his chair, growing increasingly uncomfortable.

"Numork, in many ways, I think of you as the son I never had," Victorus said, his voice serious, "But if I am to have a frank conversation with you in the room, I must ask you a question while I scrutinize your mind."

A flash of pain twisted Numork's face at the demand, an emotion so raw and blatant that everyone in the room couldn't help but notice, but the senator did not retract his requirement or look away. Finally, the younger man's back straightened, and he started speaking, his voice obviously forced to remain level and natural as he said, "I will answer."

It was only a matter of seconds from the moment Legatus Hellieous spoke to Senator Ponpti, asking his question, but it felt like years had passed for those in the room. "Are you loyal to the Republic until your death?"

A look of shock came onto Legatus Hellieous's face as he gasped out instinctively, "…Of course."

"As I expected." The senator said before he turned to Shree, and he returned to being Victorus rather than the cold and calculating politician. "The fact of the matter is that I was tasked with being the person to create the legions. The founding families, while we are still powerful, are not quite as strong as we like to pretend. As the population of the Republic grows, it is always a struggle to maintain our position and prominence, and in recent decades, we have had more than a few rising stars that could challenge us. Given the instability on all of our borders and within, along with the far more concerning threat of the dark elves, who have already proven able to infiltrate our ranks and few are taking seriously, there is a concern the Republic could fall."

Shree's father let the information settle into their minds, as it was understandable that such shocking news could not be processed easily. "Now." the senator said after a minute, raising his hand to stem their concerns, "This is all just a precaution. This is just one of many possibilities we are pursuing. Over the years, the Founding Families have learned that preparing for the worst case is necessary. As contradicting as it might sound, the north is the perfect place to anchor the Republic. Panta has done a good job in shifting a tenuous peace into a stable ally, and the rebel faction of the Kin will not easily attack the Triad with the forces arrayed against them. With a new city being formed on the west bank of the Rush, it will be easier to sneak supplies and personnel up here that would otherwise be noticed. In short, everything is in place to form a power base right under everyone's noses."

"And Panta being competent ruined all of your goals," Shree stated, feeling a mixture of frustration and satisfaction. A man on par with her father was someone worthy to serve under, but he wasn't the source of her emotions. It was her father… When she first spotted him, in the back of her mind, she thought he had come to admonish or help her. But it turned out to be for a reason that did not involve her at all, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it now.

"Ruined…" Victorus murmured in thought, "No. I would not say ruined. In some ways, this is better, as we now know we have a loyal and competent leader of the north. But it will take some revisal of my…" Head snapping up, a smugly satisfied smile which signaled to Shree that her father had thought of a way forward. "We must take the Kin back to Olimpia for an official visit."

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