"You see the kind of madness we're dealing with," Ashe says, pointedly looking at Nerat even as the first mask takes its normal place.

Ophelia sighs.

There are many things she wishes she could say.  She cannot say them.  She will die, if she does, because the Archons must look loyal, no matter if they are, and these two in particular would not piss on eachother if they saw the other on fire.  They can't be drawn into her...

Really, she's not sure what it is she's doing, not that she's unsure of her actions.

Building a power base, she supposes.  Building a network of - people willing to put in the effort to do something better than this.

These Archons don't trust eachother.  They'll defect, despite the possibilities, in order to preserve their hides from the other.

She needs to solve that.

"Those who seem mad can still have wisdom; I've certainly seen some madness that was wisdom from a certain point of view - and wisdom that was madness in turn.  But aye, I don't think this is wise of the Vendrien Guard.  Not that they don't have a point about Kyros's gratuitously ironclad fist, from the Edicts I've personally observed, and the actions Tunon undertakes - but a rebellion, now?  And only here?  They moved too soon, and far too locally.  The Edicts are too fresh.  Even if everyone died 'heroically', here, and the bards spread it for a thousand miles or more...They couldn't inspire their revolution.

"The wounds are too fresh, the people too beaten by the lasting power supernal.  They're already doomed.  It becomes a matter of convincing them that this is true - that they must fade back, and wait, and see.

"See us making their lives better.  See Kyros, certain in the failure of this rebellion to last, become quiescent.  See the efforts of people to live good lives, and become attached to them.  I have a few ideas that might well work, to convince them on it.

"And perhaps they might strike still - but they'll lose more, if they do, and be more broken up besides.

"They haven't even seen the state of the Tiers they're trying to rouse, have they?  I've memories enough of the Stone Sea...And I know enough of what was happening, there, last I was present -" she looks, despite her iron control of her pose and expression, a bit worn and weary, as she speaks of this, as though the stone still grinds beneath her bones as she contemplates the cataclysmic upheaval she Spoke into being - "to tell them how stupid rebelling now is, from the perspective of the people trying to recover with the very harvest torn out from under them.  To tell them how much - whether or not they are happy under Kyros, how much Ashe's Earthshakers - and certainly not those of Cairn's cultists who remain, they're Beastfolk and they don't give a damn about gardening - are needed to fix things -- let alone the Vellum Citadel, or the Bladegrave.

"I was not personally present for those Edicts, but one does not imagine that the state of other Tiers is better.  Let alone the Bastard City - they're positively pleased Tunon's set up there, by all reports.

"And if their commander can understand that...then maybe this trouble can be resolved with less pain and suffering than any war I can imagine.  I've certainly subverted nominally ill-disposed forces with less actual leverage upon them, though this is hardly the same starting conditions as Lethian's Crossing was.

"If that doesn't work out...

"We'll need to take different steps.  Claim the Spire by force, by hook or by crook.

"But I would be remiss if I did not at least try.

"In the meantime, let's sit down, all of us, and draw up some more sensible policies about how we handle enemy forces and suspected enemy forces, shall we?  You two are going quite to extremes in that, based on my preliminary understanding of what's happening, in ways that are both harmful to our efforts and the Empire as a whole, and I'd much prefer that we stop having that problem.  I have a model here -" because she's needed it every time, she is so tired of reimplementing it - "that's usually simple enough that the average soldier gets it, and doesn't ruinously undermine or under-resource the civil administration - since somebody needs to be around and capable, afterwards, to get the harvest in.  ...While I'm on the subject of conscription, though, wasting conscripts by not giving or expecting from them even a modicum of training before they're thrown directly at the enemy is like using an unsharpened blade to stab someone - you'll cause damage, but it's not the sort you wanted to do.  Even worse when you try to stab someone with only a hilt, as Ashe is correctly noticing the Scarlet Chorus presently fails to avoid in the very broad - conscript-everybody-and-let-the-first-fight-sort-it-out - policy you operate.  It's an intelligence issue, too, that they get to wander around in our camps and leave," and I thought the Archon of Secrets would be better at keeping secrets than that!, she carefully doesn't say.  "Now I suppose it could be an elaborate double-bluff, but...Am I wrong that there aren't spies in that outflow?  Not to a significant level?"

"There are a number of spies in that outflow. Most of them even know they are spies. As for how we organize our Chorus: We have the Right of Privilege, as you well know. If you think you know all the tasks and goals which we devote our warriors to, or all the tasks Kyros has set us, you are much more the fool than you appear. My domain is an art and the Scarlet Chorus both a canvas and a brush."

One of the principal troubles with the Archon of Secrets is that he is clearly insane and probably always at least partially lying, which makes it very difficult to tell which things he says are true.

Ashe starts to retort, probably some complaint about the quality of intelligence supplied to him, but bites it back and says something else instead.

"My soldiers have reported seeing livery of Azure and Haven among the Oathbreakers, and the attire of the Sages. Few from Stalwart, but their Unbroken are still fighting my Disfavored in the ruins of their country. I would speculate that while your logic about the recency of the Edicts is sound, it convinces only most of the defeated. If a quarter harden their hearts and resolve and seek death rather than capitulation - that would suffice to produce the numbers we have faced in Vendrien's Well. And only a third of them traveling to once-Apex, at that."

She is going to hate this posting.  At least Ashe is sensible.

"Perhaps I've spent too much time dealing with the unsheathed knives you flourish, rather than considering the hand that moves them.  My apologies.  I do not often find that things I do not do myself get done.  Regardless, Nerat - while I do agree you paint a fine canvas - unless you've orders from Kyros themself to conceal something you've learned, secrets are meant to stab the enemy with.  Not to allow the enemy to stab your allies with.  We need better intelligence than we have - or better access to it - if we're planning to root out all of this - and if Ashe's supposition is correct, we'll need to.  If all the people standing here are the stubborn ones...Even if they can't win, and the reasonable ones take the option to defect - they'll bleed us for every inch we retake."

She continues:

"...No wonder there have been this many problems.  Determination sparks ingenuity and effort, and you both have left a massive flaw in your coordination to exploit.  Or more accurately, you have none to speak of.  That is stopping, even if I have to handle running every single message myself.  I would really rather not be doing that, but if I must, then I will.  The blatant failure in coordination is positively embarrassing."

Verse is shrinking into herself, and also shrinking back toward the door, like she's trying not to be noticed. It gets more pronounced every time Ophelia criticizes the Archons to their faces.

This is entirely reasonable of her.  Ophelia is acting under the assumption that Kyros is going to kill her anyway.

"Though, perhaps I should handle one small matter, before we start properly.  I have not had overmuch time to sort out some things that might need clarification with my guard, such as it is."  She is careful, as she turns to Verse, to keep Nerat in the corner of her eye, and perhaps pander to Ashe's protective streak whilst not snubbing him.  Taking a step in, towards him, while not quite turning her back directly, ought to do...

"Verse, if you believe you'd be better utilized on guard duty - or information gathering - outside, don't permit me to keep you here against advice," she murmurs, too soft for any but her guard to hear.  "You're meant to keep me safe in ways you can, not ways that are my responsibility as Fatebinder.  I'd say that hardly includes dealing with recalcitrant Archons, though goodness knows you've already performed admirably in that field."  By which she means Cairn.

She gives a faint, tight smile and shakes her head. "Don't mind me, boss." She is not going to explain in front of an angry Nerat.

"My soldiers have been trying to coordinate, but half the time his horde seems to take perverse joy in seeing us take losses! Last fist we tried to cross the Matani, and even with the Chorus losing plenty of their own, they were mocking us behind our backs."

"Maybe if you weren't so precious about every single funeral, it wouldn't be so mockable when you send your people into a trap we already warned you about. We told you the Matani was suspiciously under-guarded, but did you take caution?"

"You warned of no such thing! Your scouts reported that it was 'under-guarded', and if you thought that was suspicious none of you deigned to inform us! You may see this as a game, wagering your disloyal pathetic pawns against the chance of acquiring more, but I take my duty seriously!"

"Gentlemen.  We will get nowhere by relitigating the past, nor sniping at eachothers' motives - so do either of you have ways this problem could be fixed in the future?  I do have my own thoughts, but I would prefer that you be able to find ways to not be at eachothers' throats on your own initiative, and this seems a reasonable trial of that.  What would you have changed?"

"I have attempted to deal with the Scarlet Chorus like an honest ally, and been punished for it repeatedly. I am not sure I would change anything."

"An honest ally who would rather burn down villages than allow them the chance to serve Kyros in the Chorus. If we 'punished' you, it was only by favoring the will of the Overlord over your expectations." You see the stubbornness we've had to deal with?

"I believe I would have devoted less forces to accompanying Disfavored attacks and more to controlling the back-country. Fewer arguments if we were fighting in different places."

"Recruiting future traitors is hardly the Overlord's will. But I will allow that dividing our attentions would perhaps have been wiser. If we planned for that and I accordingly had more scout units within Vendrien's Well rather than rely on those sworn to the Archon of Secrets to accomplish it."

"Creating future traitors is hardly the Overlord's will, either, which burning the Tiers to the ground would do.  Kyros's Peace must have meaning - and it is offered to even oathbreakers, when they have not broken it by wilfully causing the death of a sworn subject.  I have decided cases somewhat upon this general line before; I believe I have a copy of relevant previous decisions in my pack, should they be helpful to consult."

...I suppose that it's hardly my place to say that Kyros wishes to not cause massive destruction, though, given the Edicts laid upon last year's campaigns.  Perhaps there is something I know not about their method, but there has been so much lost in their enaction...

She shakes her head, clearing the recalled shock of the Edict of Stone away.

"To return to the dispute before me - you both have a point, Archons.

"Archon Nerat is correct to take action to preserve what need not be destroyed under Kyros's Law; Archon Ashe is correct that badly communicated intelligence is often worse than no intelligence.

"I have dealt with the latter problem in the past; in resolving it I have favored creating dedicated liaison positions at the middle level - an intelligence liaison from the Scarlet Chorus is attached to a line commander, while a scout group from the Disfavored - one that can keep up with the scouting tempo, and be subtle if at all possible - is attached to at least one gang operating in their area.  That wasn't a transfer; the person in charge of the group these liaisons were liaison to was not given Right of Destruction over them except for universal and unambiguous crimes, such as knowingly and wilfully breaching Kyros's Peace.  Duties assigned under liaison status were generally: In the case of the intelligence liaison, to know and communicate to the line commander the intelligence gathered upon their area of operations, and assist in exploiting it; in the case of the scout liaisons, to aid and aim the gathering of intelligence towards things that can be exploited by the forces available in the area."

Ugh. The Fatebinder is going to get smited if she keeps on nettling the Archons. Fuck it, she'll put herself forward a little.

"I don't think that will work, boss. We have people with that job; you maybe noticed Bitter Quip on our way in, here, and he's meant to talk to the Disfavored captains and provide information they can use in their plans, or request it from the Chorus. The Disfavored have someone in our camp, too - Sorry, General Ashe, I've forgotten his name-"

"Salveros."

"Thank you, sir," she says with slightly gritted teeth.

"Salveros has been in our camp two span now, I think? But most of the horde doesn't trust him, and it seems like he doesn't trust us, either, so very little information ever gets requested or volunteered. I think if someone does officially request it, it gets passed on? But that's about it."

She closes her eyes, pinches the bridge of her nose.

"And that isn't working, as we've seen.  Thank you, Verse, for your insight.

"...Blast it, I'm not sure what will fix that short of taking that duty upon myself.  Trust is hard to build, and easy to lose - and if it's already gone, we don't have the year to rebuild it we'd need, before the Edict takes effect.  Or rather, by the point that it's been restored, we would have created much more pressing problems such as, well, the Edict again.

"Given that that's - improbable - I think it makes more sense to isolate operations by - type, of a sort, and not region.  The Scarlet Chorus is better suited to outawe and overwhelm soft targets, while the Disfavored are best at breaking hard ones - we are agreed on that?  I think we should use that as our guideline, here, and - well, you've already been operating mostly independently.  This is more of the same, albeit possibly with better timing.  On a campaign policy level, sweeping the battlefield with the Chorus, ideally from ambush, and following that with bringing the Disfavored's hammer down upon those that didn't run, surrender, or die, seems - most correct, in that mold.

"I do want to try to achieve some sort of viable field coordination, but that seems like it's something to take up with individual commands on a small trial basis, rather than wasting your time, should I have your leave.

"...There's the question of when an assassination is the best route to take to our objective still in the air, and who would be best suited to accomplish those, but that...I believe is best tabled for now unless there are very promising - and immediately pressing - targets.  Those missions are generally quite unique, in my experience."

"Well, you are here, and you have shown yourself unexpectedly interesting in military planning. I think we should assume your presence at major operations, like the next attempt to cross the Matani. It will certainly aid communication, even if you don't have another trick like you used on Cairn."

"I agree, that would be a good use of the resource that is her presence. Unless you have a counterproposal, Fatebinder Ophelia?"

"I do think that I'd be best utilized on that task at this time; is there anything else that you'd like my attention on?"

"Very good, then. Your initial request wanted the presence of Vendrien Guard at this meeting; what is the current state of your plans for involving them? Obviously this would have to be under a blue flag, but they have not broken honor to that degree as of yet."