• Nobles of Null is a forum based roleplay site where sci-fi and magic collide. Here, Earth remains fractured and divided despite humanity reaching out to the stars. Worse still, the trans-human slaves of one major power have escaped, only to establish their own Empire, seething with resentment at abuses of the past. Even the discovery of aliens, though medieval in development, has failed to rally these squabbling children of Earth together with its far darker implications. Worse still, is the discovery of the impossible - magic. Practiced by the alien locals, nearly depleted and therefore rare, its reality warping abilities remains abstract and distant to the general populace. All the while, unseen in the darkness of space, forces from without threaten to press in. For those with eyes opened by insight, it is clear that an era is about to end, and that a new age will dawn.

Chapter 2 & 3 Intermission 4: Theban Tactics 2

Ray of Meep

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Coauthored by Ray of Meep (GM), Ikate Keda Studios

???? A.D. 24 hours after Edith Dussault's interrogation

Daheim One

Ulrike sat herself on one of the couches in the bar room. It was a good place to barf one's heart out; the area was pretty secluded, the lighting was soft, and worse comes to worst, there was plenty of alcohol around to drown everything out, if only temporarily. Ulrike chose a cup of tea as her beverage though, and locked up the bar itself, knowing what Joan did only a few hours ago. She waited for a few minutes for Joan to arrive, which she did, still looking hung over.

"Morning Ulrike..." Joan grumbled, walking behind the bar, only to find the bar was locked. "Fuck..." She sighed, turning her head to Ulrike, seeing the serious look on her face, and letting out another groan. "Ah'm in trouble," She muttered, walking back around the bar and flopping onto a couch. "Alright, tell meh ah shouldn't a killed 'er. Dere were no danger, and ah was jus' paranoid."

"If that's what you want to start talking about, then yes..." Ulrike set her cup down, "You absolutley needed to kill her." She slid over her data pad to Joan, showing a woman's antaomy. "Her whole body was practically wired up. The minute she left this ship we would've been compromised. In fact, we're already compromised to a degree, since her transponder sent out the location of the ship right before you brought her in. As we speak, Daheim's undergoing undocking procedures from Castle Services." She looked down and her voice lowered, "If you didn't do the bloody work I would've."

Joan was silent for a long time looking at the datapad. She slowly nodded her head as Ulrike spoke to at least tell her she was listening. Then she frowned, her brow furrowing up. "Why didn't you tell us?" She asked, looking at Ulrike. "I mean, the work got done, sure, but I would have liked to know this woman was going to be dead no matter what I told her," She said, looking a little angry now. "I've been a mess because I thought I killed someone for no reason, Ulrike. My kids picked that up, and they are worried sick about me," She added, leaning back. "What the hell..."

"Hell indeed." Ulrike said. "Eberhard gave me a hard time about it as well. Admittedly it could've been avoided if I was more transparent, but I wanted to give you a hard time now when we can afford to make mistakes."

Joan went rigid when Ulrike mentioned wanted to put them through hell while they could still make mistakes. "What?" She asked, looking at Ulrike. "Ulrike, I am not in a position to turn away a job, and there is a lot I am willing to curb to make sure my kids have the future they deserve," She said, suddenly getting angry. "But I am definately not getting paid enough for some of this," She muttered.

Ulrike raised an eyebrow, "Is the pay not good enough? I figured it was enough to pay for your living expenses, help your children until their adulthood, and then more for retirement." She asked sincerely, "If you need a therapist, I'll gladly bring one on board."

"Nope," Joan said, crossing her arms. "Actually, after the last time I was at the bank, I found out I barely have a century to my name," She said, furrowing her brow. "I accepted the risk of this job thinking I would be better off, you told me I would be better off, and I somehow have less money at the end of the month than I did with the military," She said simply. "I'm stuck now, but I have been fucked since I left that interrogation room, and it doesn't take a genius to know putting my kids through that isn't worth a hundred pounds at the end of the month."

"That's impossible." Ulrike pulled her data pad back and tapped to a transaction log. "Look here," She pointed to several large numbers, "There's quite the some deposited directly into your bank account, some into your children's education fund, some into retirement sav---"

"Fine!" Joan suddenly snapped, standing up quickly. "I'm the dumb one who apparently don't know how money works, forget I said anything," She said, covering her face with her hands. "I'm sorry, you're paying me a lot and I should appreciate that. Is there anything else you want to talk about?" She asked, sounding like she wanted to be anywhere but here right now.

Ulrike quietly jotted a note down, before looking back at Joan rather somberly. "Well... it was mostly about how you felt after what I put you through, but you told me enough already. That was the big one. Then there's your relationship with Juan..."

"Oh fer da love of," Joan groaned, frustration tightening her voice. "What about it? I was upset, I got drunk, I slept in his bed, nothing happened," She said, looking at Ulrike. "How many people know I spent the night at Juan's anyway? Beatrix caugh-" She froze, turning to the door. "That... Bitch!"

Ulrike brought up a hand, "This has nothing to do with Bee, this is just my own observations!" She exclaimed, then spoke in her calmer voice. "It's pretty clear that you two have a thing for each other, not just sexually. Juan treats Jacob almost like his own son."

Joan took a deep breath. "Ah would appreciate it if people would remove themselves from my love life," She said, looking at Ulrike. "They play videogames, and he shows Jacob how to shoot a gun. Sometimes Jacob talks to him about things that he can't talk to me about and I am trying really hard to accept that right now," She said, wiping her face. "I am trying my best, and suddenly because I'm frustrated, haven't been laid in years, and Juan gets along with my son, everyone is expecting wedding bells or something!" She sniffled. "No! Its not like that! He doesn't get a pass just because Jacob likes him!" She almost shouted. "It doesn't matter, cause Jacob liking him doesn't matter when we're out there, I can't let it matter, or else Juan, or Beatrix might die. Okay?!" She asked. "I don't have the luxery of having dad around to show Jacob how to be a man, and I'm not exactly qualified. Jacob picked someone to show him, whether he knows it or not, and I'm trying not to keep Jacob at arms length."

Ulrike simply pushed a box of tissues towards Joan. "I don't have a problem with your relationship with Juan, or lack thereof. I'm just giving you a heads up that no matter what your decision is, I'll support it. You and Juan and Bee, you're my employees to be sure, but you're also my friends. If you are free to express yourself emotionally, that makes me happier, and my job easier."

Joan took a deep breath, wiping her eye with the heel of her hand, ignoring the box. "Decisions I make could get someone killed," Joan said, looking at Ulrike. "I'll be sorted out by mission time. I won't let this affect me," She said, taking another deep breath. "You can count on me to get the job done, but please stop messing with my personal life for a little. I don't even know what's going on in it right now."

"I won't," Ulrike took a sip from her tea, "I just want you to know that I'm here for you. I know you'll do just fine on the job. You always have."

"Good," Joan said, turning and walking out of the bar. In the distance, Ulrike could still hear Joan's Voice. "Beatrix? You convinced me. You're room, five minutes," leading Ulrike to listen inquisitively, then simply smile as she enjoyed the rest of her beverage. She then turned stone-faced as she picked up her data pad and made a call.

"Hello? Yeah, I want Joan Ambrose's financial records. If you dare skip out on even a hundreth of a credit, I'm going to bring seraphim's wrath." Ulrike hung up, then muttered to herself, "Who the hell's fucking with her?"

End.
 
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