The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

The Players Identified

Naryan fought the impulse to sigh as she glanced down at her chrono. Three hours going on forever since they had touched down and discovered the Lord Commander had vanished. Well, not vanished, exactly; snuck away through some means only known to him to make his way to the command center where he had holed up during the first time waiting for the various world conclaves to do their thing.

Whatever had captured Lash's attention on the other side of the command center door was doing a good job of it. Unfortunately somebody needed to remind him that they had an arch traitor to interrogate, and a battle plan to disseminate to the Silver Legion troops.

From where she was sitting in the visitors' lounge just outside of the command center's main entrance, she looked over at House Lash's master spook, the vampire known as Vulcrum. During her growing up years on the estate, she had seen the lean fellow a number of times. But always from a distance, and usually in Lash's father's company. So the vampire was as good as a stranger to her. But she'd bet good money he knew everything there was to know about her!

In looking over at him in curiosity, Naryan saw he was head to head with Narcist, the two of them working on finally cracking the data vault scanned out of a White Flame commander by none other than the psylord Mordecai. Which made sense; since meeting her, Narcist was definitely the team's intel gatherer.

Beside, beyond, and all around them, of course, were liliths. The night queens, in fact, were taking up most of the rest of the lounge. And that was just the various liliths that were either Embraced by House Lash, or adjuncts, all anxious to reconnect with the big vampire. She didn't even want to consider the ones outside from the queens they had rescued from the slave ring. Those had packed the corridor on the way in, all anxious to meet with her old friend.

The final pair of available seats were occupied by an anxious Iris van Tallert, former head of House Van Tallert. And Colonel Kassidy, the Silver Legion commander in charge of the 1500 or so legionnaires here providing nominal protection for the twenty or so liliths not directly associated with Ingamon Lash.

Without warning the door to the command center slid silently to the side. And, with a laugh, the Ventru lilith Mara gave Lash a forearm shove as they both stepped through.

"That's not true!" she declared, her face almost glowing with happiness, excitement, and satisfaction.

"No?" Lash returned with a broad smile of his own. And, for the briefest of moments, Naryan felt herself being transported all the way back to when the three of them were teenagers together, laughing and enjoying each other's company just like what Lash and Mara were now doing. Despite her impatience and frustration, and a twinge of jealousy, those memories put a smile on her face.

Spotting the full lounge out of the corner of his eye, Lash immediately sobered and turned towards them, forcing Mara to do the same. Only she snuck in a hand squeeze and a playful tousle of his hair before she did so, instantly telling Naryan, and every lilith in the room, what the two had been doing for the last three hours. And while Mara was as much an old friend as Lash was, she felt another pang of jealousy at discovering their recent intimacy.

"Ah, my friends," Lash said, taking a parade rest stance with his hands clasped behind him. "Thank you for your patience. As the situation has unfolded, certain things have moved into a priority status. The highest of those is Anna van Tallert's interrogation. I will now take a few minutes to discuss options with my interrogation team and with those with a vested interest. Vulcrum, Iris van Tallert, Narcist, Mistress Faidh, Captain Naryan, and Colonel Kassidy, please join myself and Mistress Mara in the war room."

As the named individuals stood and moved forward, Lash turned his attention to the remaining lounge occupants.

"My apologies, but for those of you remaining that have additional business or concerns to bring to my attention, I will respectfully ask for a little more patience. After the arch traitor is dealt with, I will be able to meet with any or all of you to address your concerns then. Thank you." And, without waiting for any of the liliths to react, he turned and stepped back into the command center, the doors silently closing behind him.