A Wolf in the Windworks

[Dreyfus]

♅ Time Stamp ♅
Company: ???| Thoughts: ???| Mood: ???

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♅ It was interesting, at least to Dreyfus, the detail one would put into the work of their legacy. The need to be remembered by those around you and those who would come after you had become nothing but dust and bones in the ground always astounded him. Being the heir of his family he knew the pressure of expectations all too well.

His family expected much from him, his father expected much given the memory Dreyfus represented. Approaching the ornate doors of the Dornkirk Windworks, Dreyfus flashed his credentials to the men guarding the front doors, and with a nod, he was let through. The sounds of the inner workings of a factory filled his ears as he passed through the threshold, the sound of metal being worked on permeated the air, the smell of metal and other ingredients for different parts wafted through his nose as well.

A woman with a clipboard approached him. "What can we do for you today Sir?" she flashed a warm, yet professional smile as her eyes dance up and down Dreyfus in his entirety. "I wish to speak to the one in charge. I'm looking into the incident that happened with the Prince of Kalzasi last season. A follow up if you will." he answered, showing his reconciliator credentials to the woman before being escorted towards the more business side of the factory.

Dreyfus was impressed with how advanced the factory was, but he supposed that the new money generations always had something to prove, and old money simply wanted nothing to do with those they considered upstarts. No matter the case, Dreyfus didnt really care for whether someone was of New money or Old, it made no difference to him. Fixing his hair into a slick-backed ponytail, he allowed the long tail mane of his to drape over his shoulder as he was brought in front of a large office door, instructed to wait for the one in charge to come and meet him. ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Stefan Dornkirk]

Stefan Dornkirk was working away in his office, he had no appointments for the morning and as such he was free to do the job as he prefered it; working on the designs for airships.

He was currently going over the building reports for his newest model, a Stealth Class ship of his own design, a prototype being built in the Windworks at that very moment. He hoped, with his father's approval, to show it off to the ZADC command core, marketed as scouting and infiltration vessels. Note flowed in his easy hand over the plans, making small changes or adjustments, approving budget changes, choosing aesthetic details.

A knock came at his door, to which he grunted, not unkindly. His manservant entered with a somewhat confused look on his face.

"Sir, it appears a member of the Order of Reconciliators has arrived for a follow-up of the," The slim man cleared his throat delicately, "incident, that occurred at the Windworks during the tour you gave to the Kalzasian diplomatic envoy."

The man behind the desk was only half listening trying to write out a detailed diagram of an interior space until the words filtered through his working mind to his processing brain. Then he sat up sharply and looked at his assistant.

"A Reconciliator is here?"

"Indeed, Sir, he is in the main office foyer as we speak."

Murmuring a string of things Dienerin chose politely not to hear he rose and let the man assist him in donning his coat and checking him for ink smudges. When he was deemed appropriate he looked longingly back at the schematics on his desk before shuffling them into a near pile and sliding them into a drawer.

"Show him in, Dienerin, and thank you." He sounded resigned but not overly upset. Dealing with the Order was never pleasant, even when one had done nothing wrong. Dienerin gave a short bow, which was not required but the man liked to keep to formalities even when they were not at the manor house, and backed himself from the room.

Around a minute later the man could be heard leading their guest through the main office area, where the clerks and under clerks did their work and through to Stefan's private office. There was another knock, which he called out 'Come in' to, and then Dienerin was holding the door open for none other than Dreyfus Monteliyet.

"Oh." Stefan blinked, the only concession he gave to his surprise before standing from his desk and gesturing to one of the two leather chairs arrayed before his desk. "Please, come in, have a seat." Then to the assistant, "Dienerin, please have someone send up a tea service."

It was too early for lunch but some refreshment should be offered, it was the polite thing to do. Turning back to the man who seemed like he filled more of the office than his body might account for he sat back down and said,

"What can the Windworks do for you today?"

[Dreyfus]

♅ Time Stamp ♅
Company: ???| Thoughts: ???| Mood: ???

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♅ After waiting for a few moments, Dreyfus was brought into the main office of the one in charge. To his surprise, it was Stefan, the elder Dornkirk. He didn't show it on his face, Dreyfus being able to keep his professional calm in the situation. Stefan invited him to take a seat and ordered for the manservant to fetch them tea.

For a moment Dreyfus' eyes drifted past the new money noble to the awards and plaques that decorated the wall behind Stefan's desk. His eyes then looked to the many portraits around the room, some depicting family others pivotal moments in the Windworks career. "I'm sure you are aware why I've come to see you. Given the circumstances of the political climate, the order is covering their bases, trying to learn all they can about the kalzasian delegation and the prince."

His eyes fell onto the Hier of the Dornkirk house and soon Dreyfus took the seat that he had been offered. "I wish to know how things happened, how the events of that day unfolded. The Prince of Kalzasi is an anomaly I wish to figure out, and any instance of his power and abilities must be carefully explored if the worse comes." he noted, knowing full well that this one could be just as jaded and cautious as his younger brother.

Dreyfus knew all too well he would have to tread carefully with them, Brenner has shown him that much. "Take your time, I need you to think carefully back to that day or anything you may have heard of it. Did you notice anything out of the ordinary that day?" ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Stefan Dornkirk]

Stefan stood facing the side of the room but turned enough to be able to watch the reconciliator while the man spoke. A small frown creased his lips, not from any particular thing, only the distastefulness of the subject in general. Having hosted the delegation at the Windworks had been a mark of pride from him personally, having one of his workers what he considered attacked within that visit had taken any warm feelings associated with the honor right out.

"A detailed report was sent to the Order, of which I assume you've received a copy. The unfortunate man who suffered the attack was sent to be inspected within the hour of coming in contact with magic." If there was something in his voice that said he thought the Reconciliators themselves should be subject to daily inspection against the corruption of their curse it was slight.

"I am not sure what else I can offer you, Mr. Monteliyet but I am at your service until my next meeting." The meeting wasn't until afternoon and it was still quite early, just past nine of the morning by the clock ticking away comfortingly on the mantle to one side of the office. It got quite cold there in the winter so the large fireplace was a must if he wanted to get any work done without his ink freezing over.

He too sat when Dreyfus did. Having written the report himself he was truly not sure what else he could offer but he would oblige.

"As I said in my report, the delegation arrived without issue, we ushered them into the rotunda from which you can see one of the working floors where a yacht was being created. We would not have allowed them to observe the creation of a military ship, of course. Inexplicably one of my workers, a man trained for heights who was working on the mainmast fell. We have multiple redundancies, including a net below the ship if all else fails. When we later investigated the incident we found that both the harness that was to secure the man and the pulley system that would have kept him from falling more than a few feet at a time had been tampered with. One can not imagine the worker himself would have put his life in such danger, which leaves only an outside party. Anyone who had access was questioned but nothing was discovered by that route. We have tightened security since, only authorized personnel is allowed onto the working floors. We no longer hold tours for schools and the like."

At this point, a serving maid entered with a tea tray containing two porcelain cups, the tea service, and a plate of assorted cakes. Stefan waved her to leave it on an empty space on his desk and waited until she left. There was no need to frighten the staff with such topics.

"Please, help yourself." He waved perfunctorily to the refreshments and then continued his report,

"The creature, prince," He corrected himself with barely contained contempt, "Felt that, as he had a license to allow him the use of his disgusting powers it was his right to use them on my worker. He was unaware of my safety precautions but certainly was aware of the feelings of the state on such intervention. The worker was caught, and held, in midair, while he panicked. The prince flew out and plucked him from where he was held and brought him to the ground. The worker was, understandable in a state between shock and panic. As I said, we removed him into the custody of the Order immediately.

The prince and his envoy were chastised and escorted to our main sitting room where we discussed the Windworks and a bit about my family until they could be asked to leave without losing face for Zaichaer." He ended there, meeting Monteliyet's eyes and waiting, hands clasped on his desk.

[Dreyfus]

♅ Time Stamp ♅
Company: ???| Thoughts: ???| Mood: ???

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♅ Yes everything Stefan said was in the report, Dreyfus knew that, but people had a tendency to change their stories after so long. He could also see how the subject made the elder Dornkirk uncomfortable. Oddly enough the way Stefan reacted was different in how every other citizen of Zaichaer shirked in the face of the arcane. Midway through his retelling of the events the tea he called for had arrived.

Dreyfus gave a quaint smile to the woman who served him the cup, the aroma of the herbal tea tickling his nose as they both allowed the silence to fill the room. Once she was dismissed, Stefan continued. It was interesting that the man could retell the events so vividly, clearly after it happening so long ago.

"Interesting." he said, taking a sip of the tea before setting the cup down and standing. He didn't speak at first but began to move to the window, leaning against it as he looked out of it, and then turned his gaze onto the man. "So you say that there was evidence of tampering with your safety precautions, and you didn't pursue other avenues of who the culprits were? I find it hard to believe that with your influence a more in-depth investigation as to who could have done it wasnt explored."

His musing brought on even more questions that didn't look good to the wolf. "Even more so it begs the question of whether it was done purposely to force the prince to use his magic, but that Is neither here nor there at the moment." he pondered. Coming back to his seat he took another sip of his tea before setting it down again. His eyes fixed on Stefan as he now had a new line of thought he wanted to investigate.

"Let us say that someone in this factory was responsible for that accident, for potentially causing an international incident, how would you respond to that? Would the Dornkirks public reprimand the individual or would they celebrate them? I ask you this as you are the heir to the Dornkirk household and making a name by secretly forcing a foreign dignitary to breach our laws would win you clout in certain circles." he prodded, trying to gauge Stefan's response.

His eyes scrutinized everything the elder Dornkirk did as it would determine how the rest of this would go, the intensity of wolf filling his eyes as he stared down the heir. ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Stefan Dornkirk]

Stefan kept himself from stiffening in offense at the implication of his neglect, his pride was deeply tied into the care he took at his work and with his workers.

"Of course we looked into the tampering, extensively. Every single worker was questioned about the incident. When the trail led outside my jurisdiction as manager of the Windworks I contacted the police and sent them my reports." He ran one finger over the carved edge of his desk before him, a subconscious gesture reminiscent of one brushing away dust.

"Unlike some, I keep myself inside the legal jurisdiction granted me by the State." He met the other man's eyes, letting the suggestion of inappropriate, possibly even illegal, behavior by the Reconcilator lay itself out in the air between them like a roadmap.

The next set of questions did put a tightening into Stefan's back, his hands, his face had been firm and stoic from the start but something in his eyes grew hard and sharp, like flint.

"Did you come here to play imagination games, Mr. Monteliyet?" The slight emphasis on the title was petty, but it felt good.

"If such a scenario were to occur I, and any member of my family, would turn the information over to the State and cooperate with them in whatever ways they chose to handle the situation. Unlike those tied to the old-world powers, who imagine their names are great and their influence of higher import than the law and loyalty to it, Dornkirks Hail Zaichaer." The last two words were a salute as well as the end of the sentence even if Stefan didn't have a drink at that moment.

"If you are here, as stated, to follow up on the investigation of the violation of my family's business by the renegade prince of Kalzasi, then, by all means, proceed." He took a slow breath and went on, utterly calm, brimming with anger,

"If, instead, you are here in an attempt to cast doubt on the loyalty of My family, well, Mr. Monteliyet, I would suggest you turn your inquisitive eyes closer to home."

[Dreyfus]

♅ Time Stamp ♅
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♅ There really wasn't much that could get under Dreyfus' skin, but the inclination of his family and questioning their loyalty was something he couldn't stand. His facial features soured a bit, his eyes narrowing like a parent would in annoyance, though he fought back the snarl that wanted to rest on his lips."Is it really a violation that he used magic to save the life of an employee. Did you not take into account he has no clue how our city works, this was after all his first diplomatic visit. I would agree he should have used his magic, but I would hardly call saving someone's life, someone who works to make sure your pockets are full of coin a violation." he defended, though the next sentences from Stefan caused Dreyfus to ignite.

"Your loyalty to the state is the least of my concerns...it's your competence I'm questioning, or rather lack thereof." he affirmed, making it very clear in his tone. "Those higher on the food chain are nervous that this incident was planned and don't wish to have it lead to an international incident. It's the reason I'm here and why your factory hasn't been shut down for investigation, yet." he added, crossing his leg over the other.

His eyes locked directly onto Stefan when he said the next part. "But allow me to make something clear. My family is one of the oldest, if not most loyal families in Zaichaer. We come from impeccable pedigree, roots that trace back to the Gelerian Imperium. If it wasn't for my family doing what others cant, dealing with those that lurk in the shadows, you and the rest of the citizens wouldn't be safe. Nor would any of you get your hands dirty as we have." he said standing up, palms planting themselves on the wooden desk as he leaned in close.

"Dont you ever question my loyalty like that again. If it wasn't for my family the Windworks would have been ruined." he paused for a moment to let that sink in. Pulling away from the desk he continued, eyes as sharp as blades digging into the Dornkirk before him."My father caught wind of a group wanting to make some money on the black market. They planned to steal plans for military airships built within this very factory and doing what we do best we found them and thwarted their attempted heist before it could even begin. That's what we do, we investigate, hunt, capture, and eliminate any and all threats to civil society."

Taking a moment, he realized he had already said more than she should have, doubting whether or not the elder Dornkirk would even believe his words, and part of him hoping he didn't. With a sigh he looked around the room, not wanting to look him in the eyes for the moment. "Forgive that outburst, we Monteliyets don't like our loyalty to be questioned, we've sacrificed far too much for the state for those who have to get to know us questioning our motives."

Picking up the cup of tea he took of sip from it, realizing it had begun to go cold, which was a shame as it was good quality tea. Taking another sip he looked back to Stefan. "As I stated before there were whispers that this was planned given the magnitude of Talon and what he was. All angles and possibilities had to be explored and thoroughly assessed, and that includes an inside job and the implication that you or someone within your family was involved. If you take offense then that is something that can't be helped, an accusation of possible treason isn't something one takes well. But you have to see the rationality in it as well. If it were anyone else they too would be under the same scrutiny as you are."

"I must ask if it's possible to see where the incident happened. Your report was thoroughly detailed but in this line of work seeing is believing and I cant truly call this case closed until then." ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Stefan Dornkirk]

Stefan noted the subtle change of expression on the Reconcillator's face with suppressed satisfaction. They were more alike than either of them realized in their fierce protectiveness of the honor of their families and throwing some of the insult he'd been served back in the blond man's face fed a savage need that lurked, hungry, somewhere deep inside the scion of House Dornkirk.

The words that came from the man in response were nearly enough to break the mask of calm, orderly Manager he had been wearing since Dreyfus had entered his office. Through gritted teeth and an only moderately controlled tone he said,

"It is a violation of the laws of our city. Of course the Prince," The word was spoken with undisguised contempt, "Knew the laws, had been informed of them by our ambassadors before his arrival and then re-briefed on the subject by the State appointed escort." It did not seem worth mentioning that Brenner had been that escort and thus Stefan knew personally that the group as a whole, and the prince, in particular, had been informed of the laws of the city.

"He was informed again, less formally, by myself upon entering the Windworks." It had been a part of the conversation rather than any kind of warning, but the words had been said, "He was well aware. More than. It was a direct violation of both the law and the rules which he agreed to abide by when he was invited to tour our facility. Only his diplomatic immunity saved him from a trial that would have, I can only assume, based on having read the minutes of every trial of an unlawful witch in the last five years, led to his execution."

Stefan's eyes were burning, a hazel heat coming off his direct gaze. He did not mention that one of those trials had been for Dreyfus' own aunt, the renegade Childs, but left the implication hanging clearly for the other man to grasp. Trying in vain to contain his response to the last, more subtle jibe at his family he said,
"My family takes great pains to see to the lives and livelihoods of all those who we employ. Which is more than could be said for those that send their loyal retainers into intentional danger and pretend they had no connection when they fail."

The same could be said of any of the major information-gathering families, but it still disgusted Stefan. Spy work was dangerous, and by its nature secretive. If the puppet masters revealed their connection to every dead or captured operative their businesses would die quickly. These facts did nothing to dampen how he felt.

The next words from the man had Stefan out of his chair, the tension in strong his body a threat even if no thought of violence entered his mind. Physical altercations were not things that existed in his mind when he was acting as Manager of the Windworks, but it often happened that he forgot how he might come across to a person who did not know him well.

"Sir," He started, managing to make the honorific an insult, "You are entirely out of your jurisdiction. The running of a business is not within the preview of the Order. If you are not, as you say you are not, questioning the loyalty of my family then you have no business here whatsoever." His use of language became more sophisticated the angrier he became, defaulting back to the merciless training he'd received from before he'd left the cradle. A smile actually crossed his lips, cruel in a way it was possible he'd never expressed before at the mention of shutting down the Windworks.

"If you imagine those 'higher on the food chain'," The common phrase rolled off his tongue filled with implications as to how Dreyfus might have been raised and what sort of barn it might have happened in, "that you refer to are higher than those who order the commission of ships that this factory provides, I believe you will find yourself sorely mistaken."

The orders were often sent by the highest-ranking Acquisition General herself, and Stefan knew that some of the designs passed by the desk of the Grand Mashel himself. Even if the factory was seized by the State the making of the ships, Stefan's own new designs, were secrets kept close enough that even the famed Monteliyet's would have no copies.

He calmed somewhat as Dreyfus spoke of the qualities of the Monteliyet's, nodding along almost as if he agreed, or at least expected such comments, for he had heard them from members of the old families more times than he could count. He waited, politely, until the little speech was done before catching their eyes on each other once again.

"Mr. Monteliyet, I think you will find that the implication that your family knows how to 'get their hands dirty' when no single member has seen an honest day's toil since," He paused and then continued in an imitation of the man's exact phrasing "before the fall of the Gelerian Imperium will not impress me."

They were both standing now, facing each other across the worn and polished wood of his drafting desk. It took a long, silent moment before Stefan responded to the threat. When he did it was quietly, enough so that Dreyfus might have struggled to hear the words had they not been so close to one another.

"Or what?" He let it hang, briefly before continuing in the same quiet precisely enunciated tone, "Your threats are as banal and toothless as your protection. Do you imagine none have ever tried to ruin this family before? You have, in this very conversation, stated the contempt of the old families quite plainly. The Dornkirks are hated by their so-called betters for rising to serve the new needs of the State in ways they could not, for daring to reach above our station. We are looked on in malicious envy by the commons who wish to rip off pieces of our success to turn a quick profit. There are plots, endless plots, to break us. We are used to it by now. I was raised in it."

The last sentence sounded resigned, tired, as though he knew his life would be nothing if not an endless struggle to keep the place his father, and to a lesser extent, himself, had fought and bled for. The apology came just at this moment, when he was, briefly, vulnerable and it settled in him. Sighing he stepped back from his own desk, letting the distance between their conflict draw it apart. It took a long moment, but eventually, he straightened his coat and said,

"I also did not intend to allow this to grow... heated. If what you say is true for a family who has severed the State since before the Imperium fell, how much more sensitive must a new family be?"

Settling himself back into his chair he ignored the refreshments, ran a hand through his hair to set aright what might have become disarrayed he let himself come back down into his role as Manager.

"I suspected the same. The only way all of my precautions against accidents could have been superseded was by intention. I can see no other conclusion. I did everything within my power inside these walls to find out why, and how. I did find significant information but it is not my right to pursue the culprits. I turned all my information over to the State Police, as is my duty. I gave all relevant information on the illegal use of magic into the hands of the Order. You can imagine how I felt, and why I reacted so inappropriately to having you come into my domain and suggesting that I put the life, and soul of one of the men loyal to me in danger."

When asked to be shown the place of the incident he waved a hand,
"You've seen it already, it was in the grand foyer you entered by. The rotunda offers an excellent view of one of the working floors but there is never any secret or new work done there, only pleasure yachts and private commissions are built where anyone who walks in might observe them. Of course, you can investigate it further if you so wish. Having visual aids to envision an action has helped me in many of my designs."

Standing again he led the Reconcilliator from his office and back through the halls he'd been taken down when he arrived until they stood in the foyer again.

"Here. They entered through the visitor doors, I was waiting outside to greet them and led them in." He vaguely mimed the entrance, "Then the pidge lord stood here," He pointed to a section of the marble railing that overlooked the working dock, currently there was no ship being built there. "We spoke for a short time, the delegates asking questions. My brother and I answered diplomatically but without giving any information not readily available to the public. Then..." He trailed off, his eyes growing distant as he relived what had, for him, been a traumatic incident.

"Then the worker fell and that monster befouled my factory." He finished, coming back into himself and frowning in anger not directed at Dreyfus this time.

[Dreyfus]

♅ Time Stamp ♅
Company: ???| Thoughts: ???| Mood: ???

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♅ Seeing as the heated tension between them had settled, both men seeing that they had stepped out of character in some way, they moved on. The silence was almost palpable, but Dreyfus couldn't help but respect the elder Dornkirk for his honesty.

Following him, Dreyfus was led back to the entrance where guests were allowed, overlooking the working floor of the factory. Hearing Stefan go through the event made Dreyfus look for anything out of the ordinary. "Was there anyone acting suspiciously that day, someone you hadn't seen before? I ask this because if it was indeed intentional, and you are 100% certain your workers are innocent, then it could mean one of your many enemies as you say set this up." he mused taking a step closer to the balcony.

Straining his eyes he looked to where Stefan had pointed out where the employee had fallen. He couldn't get a good look from where he was currently, but he knew that it was a possibility that this could have been a frame job. "Tell me, did you hire any new employees before the pidge lord visited? Anyone eager to start work during the delegations? You do have those records still on file I hope." he inquired looking around the area for anything that may have been missed.

For a moment he allowed the silence to set in, given Stefan a chance to formulate answers to his inquiry. Then he decided to address something the elder Dornkirk has asked earlier. "You asked earlier how much more sensitive a new family be, it's not that you are new, it that you are unknown." he began, his eyes still scanning the area as he looked for clues, but his tone direct as if he was looking Stefan in his eyes.

"By unknown, I don't mean that we don't know your name, but we know nothing about you or your past. Primarily it's your parents that given the older families pause. Call it an old habit from Gelerian, but what we know of them is only speculation." he added, picking up a piece of fabric with his hands and looking it over. It appeared to have been torn from something.

It wasnt much but it was something. coming back to stand in front of Stefan his eyes finally settled on the man."Though I believe that to get to know someone is to experience them at their most vulnerable moment, to see them behind the mask they wear for society. We both shared a vulnerable side of ourselves today." he smiled at that last sentence.

Turning he leaned on the marble balcony and overlooked the working floor. "To be honest you and I are more alike than I first realized. We are both heirs to our family name, both fiercely protective of our honor and loyalty to the state. I honestly never thought I'd meet someone who I would sympathize with." realizing he was getting off task he brought the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"Earlier you said you had suspicion that it was an inside job, does anyone come to mind?" ♅

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Stefan Dornkirk]

Stefan shook his head, weary but not really annoyed at the questions, they were the same ones he himself had asked as soon as the ambassador's group had left the Windworks.

"No one unusual was seen, or if they were, the ones who saw them are keeping their silence. I have not ruled out the possibility that someone working in the factory either caused the accident or allowed others to do so. It seems unlikely anyone could have accessed all the different safety precautions without help unless the Prince or one of his own people orchestrated the incident themselves with magic. I conducted interviews with all personnel who had access to this dock myself, put all the information into a docket, and sent it to the State Police. I have been in contact with them and fully cooperating as they call in the workers, a few at a time, and question them. I am paying the salaries of my men for the days they spend in questioning, of course. The guilty should be punished, by hanging if my opinion counts for anything, but the innocent don't deserve to lose the ability to feed their families for the crime of cooperating with the Police."

He ran a hand over his eyes and sighed, cracks of exhaustion forming in his mask.

"Whether one of the employees was involved does not rule out the enemies of my family nor the enemies of the State." He meant the Kalzasi prince and his party, for he saw them as enemies. "It seems beyond belief that the prince would have realized what was going on and react that quickly without warning. Perhaps he is just used to people being in unsafe working conditions in his slave city.

"As for new employees, we take on new hires all the time. Our business is in the process of an expansion." Mostly due to the ramping up of State commissions to either refit the fleet or create more ships in preparation for what was beginning to look like the inevitable conflict. He did not mention the new orders coming in, as even that was considered a State secret. It struck the older man then that between himself and Dreyfus there might not be that many State Secrets left unknown. Some, surely, but if they were to each lay bare the knowledge provided by their work a clear picture of the intentions and future of Zaichaer wouldn't be difficult to discern. The thought frightened him somehow, as if the thin line of a few men were not enough to protect everything he held dear.

"We keep detailed records, though they are unlikely to make note of who was more eager than another. No one abruptly quit after the incident. I can have copies delivered to you."

He raised a brow a fraction as the tall blond walked back close speaking of vulnerability. Anger was a type of vulnerability, Stefan supposed, volatility could be exploited. He did not smile, it was unlikely the man had ever seen him smile, but he did not break the eye contact until Dreyfus did either. There was no way for Stefan to respond to the unexpected turn in conversation, he would need time, and space to consider the words that made, initially, no sense to him.

Oh, they were perfectly sensible sentences, but the truth of them bothered him enough that he would take the time, later, when he was alone, to consider them. He blinked out of where his mind was trying to understand what, exactly, was happening as they began to speak of the investigation again.

"If I had any suspicions as to who might have been behind the incident I would have turned the culprits over to the Police immediately. I meant that I can't imagine this situation coming about without concentrated foreplanning and execution."