Sending out the Black Waltzes
Apr. 17th, 2014 09:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fallen_stageThe video opens from a high view, a curtain edging on the frame. The room is furnished in dark wood and brightly lit with a number of lamps, shining on a table that's the centerpiece of the room. Upon the table is a map of a labelled continent. By the map is an armored woman with box braids hanging from her helmet, and a large, stately woman with a commanding presence. Evidently the two are in the middle of a conversation.
"We can't spare the main forces, they're busy enough as it is." the taller woman speaks first, "I could detach a squadron from the cavalry to catch up with the kidnappers, but they're too far north already, here." she taps an area labelled "North Gate" with a large blue finger.
The other woman speaks up respectfully. "Perhaps we could detach a small ship? One of the shipping vessals - "
"No, no, we need as many of those in use as we can, they're of upmost priority!" the taller woman raps the map again with a folded fan this time. "What we need is... Kuja!"
From the same corner as the view, Kuja steps forward, bowing and deferent. "Your Highness?"
The queen smiles grimly, but with confidence. "Your weapons don't need rest or restoration. They could easily cut off the kidnappers before they get to Lindblum at the South Gate."
Kuja simpers, smooth as oil. "Oh, Your Majesty, I think we can do better than that! I could set up weapons at multiple points between the crash site and Lindblum, why - " they drift toward the map, "the only way to the South Gate from Gunitas basin without an airship is through here, the Ice Cavern. From there, Dali is the nearest airship port, so it's likely they'll steal a ship there on their way to Lindblum."
"Which would also cripple our supply, however small." the armored woman said.
"Quite right, Major General. Now Kuja, would your weapons be intelligent enough to take the task? I don't need an mindless thing killing the Princess along with her captors."
"Oh no, you needn't worry, Your Majesty. I gave a few gifts to Zorn and Thorn, and the results should be most suitable to your needs. They have the same single-minded purpose but without the indelicacy of their lesser counterparts."
"Good." The queen gave Kuja a short nod. Then, to the Major General: "You're dismissed. Thank you for your intel. Keep it up and who knows what might happen to your career?"
The Major General gives her queen a smile, saluting quickly. "I live to serve Alexandria, Your Majesty!"
As the door closes on her back, the air of the room changes. Kuja is smooth as ever but looks more thoughtful with crossed arms, running a nail along their bottom lip, staring at the map. The queen leans on her powerful arms on the table, but is looking instead at Kuja like one might evaluate the edge of a sword.
"Speaking of those two." she says, respect gone, "Just why is it I must keep them around for the extraction when you're so..." the queen seems to cast about for and reject a number of adjectives, settling on, "conveniently at hand?"
"Because, my dearest Queen Brahne, the ritual requires two people, whose actions must be in perfect time. What better than a set of twins to perform such a challenging role? Besides," Kuja's tone becomes maudlin as they strike a regretful pose, the back of their hand to her forehead, face a perfect image of sorrow, "how could I face my future bride-to-be, knowing it was by my hands that she would know discomfort? Why, I only wish to soothe her fevered worries, and take my place by her side as king."
"Not until I'm gone." Brahne fixed Kuja with a warning glare.
Kuja lowered his affected pose, giving a playful smile instead. "No, but you might become dowager! After a long and illustrious reign, celebrating your empire, of course. Princess Garnet is a charming young lady, but she is still so young, and unfinished as royalty. Without proper support, your daughter might not take advantage of the gains you will make."
"She is not my daughter." Brahne snapped, head lowered to look at the map, eyes hidden under her flowered crown, fanning herself slowly.
".....Be that as it may, she is your heir. I assure you, I will bring her whole and unharmed, ready for her role."
A long pause followed, Queen Brahne deep in her thoughts, Kuja shrewd in their silence. Finally, with a sigh, Queen Brahne straighted, fanning herself a mite more quickly than before. "Right. We don't have the luxury of lingering. I have a war to run. Your payments will be placed in the usual accounts; your shipments so far have been more than satisfactory. Farewell, Kuja."
"Fare thee well, Your Highness."
After the queen swept out of the room, Kuja sneers after her, a quiet "Disgusting" seething out. After making a motion of wiping their hands, they walked around the table, circling a finger around an image of a tree labelled "Cleyra". By chance they look up, and for a moment they're shocked, then guarded, then smiling diplomatically once more. They step away from the map and stretch out a hand, as if the notebook device was a stray bird.
"Well, well, you are a peeping little thing! You better not be sharing state secrets now, but since there is none other from Gaia here, I suppose there's little harm."
[locked]
Date: 2014-04-19 09:52 pm (UTC)[Oof, they can practically smell her hostility. Best to be diplomatic and reveal some of their secrets.]
Yes, they're soulless bodies that can cast magic. With them at the front lines, Alexandria will suffer less casualties and draw less resources from her citizens to supply them.
Perhaps not, but I'm the only one who was capable of it, who refined the production to make the small factories dotting the countryside. They know how to run the machines, to make repairs, but don't know the actual process that goes into them. I'm quite safe.
Although I would suspect you of espionage since you asked for those trade secrets, but I'm sure your intentions were honorable.
[Totally sure, right? Kuja wouldn't care what she did with black mages on her world, or even here on Gaia: but she doesn't know that their goal is to have any war, not to have any particular side winning. Still, competitive jealousy and pecuniary greed are more believable motivations.]
Truthfully, I am hard-pressed to think of improvements. They need neither rest nor food, are implacable in carrying out their orders, are powerful enough for their needs, and don't even have souls. On top of that, they won't last longer than a few months, so a surplus population is no worry, either.
[locked]
Date: 2014-04-19 10:04 pm (UTC)I am only a prisoner of an unjust system, seeking to right wrongs where I find them.
Things that require no inputs and have a limited lifespan are a problem-they wear down far too fast to make effective weapons. Something implacible is also unimaginative, something you seem to be having trouble with. Our elite models last for a hundred and fifty years without recharging, are self-motivating, actively pursue their missions, and have more than just the power needed for a single task.
[And the cost is staggering. One Beta-type Reyvateil would cost astronomical sums.]
I am curious however. How can a soulless creature lacking in Dynamic H-waves create magic?
[locked]
Date: 2014-04-19 10:15 pm (UTC)Was there? I can better understand your concerns, then... Still, while all the products thus far have performed admirably, I will keep an eye on the situation. Worst case scenario, I will terminate them all. They are not individuals: they are barely alive. Monsters have more of a soul than they.
They aren't made to think, they're made to follow orders: they are literally weapons, and the actual soldiers decide how to use their spells. Besides, what use are they after the war is over? Queen Brahne will have conquered this continent within the year if my estimations are correct, and the weapons will have no use after that.
I don't know what a Dynamic H-wave is, but they are literally made to cast magic. Their bodies are even made of magic, which is why they can cast as much black magic as needed without degradation. Having a soul has nothing to do with that. Only lack of imagination, like you said.
[locked]
Date: 2014-04-19 10:22 pm (UTC)Civic engineering is a useful application. Even attack spells can be used to move earth or perform other tasks. And it makes no sense to disarm your conquering army-digesting territory can take more effort than conquereing it.
It has everything to do with magic! It's...
[Oh god, you unleashed the flood waters. There's something about quantums and branes and wave-particle duality in this mess of magi-tech. I don't dare poke it and see what comes out. But Mir just launches into a 15 minute explanation of THE WHOLE OF WAVE THEORY MAGIC AND THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE.
It's completely incomprehensible to someone with even Kuja's background.]
[locked]
Date: 2014-04-19 11:26 pm (UTC)Change, yes; miracles, no. Magic has laws just as any talent or force of nature. Even if they should somehow gain souls, I will simply execute my contingency plan.
True, but there are already engineers and mages and the like among the citizenry. No need to take the work away from trained individuals.
[Kuja is much more educated than most Gaians, but even they don't know about quantum mechanics. Intriguing, but not quite accessible. They might be writing down a few notes in the duck notebook to wiki later.]
Hum. Those might be the laws of your universe, but in mine the two are unrelated. Otherwise any being with a soul would be an expert mage, which simply is not the case.
[locked]
Date: 2014-04-19 11:42 pm (UTC)Hmmm. I shan't debate economics with you. But I do think that you would find purposed for your swords beaten into plowshares were you not so casual about their disposal. Then again, my world requires far more conservation of resources since the Inferia.
Ugh, you understand nothing of what I just said, do you? It's a-
Just forget it. I should have known you were too thick for this.
Re: [locked]
Date: 2014-04-19 11:58 pm (UTC)True, true, but I do have redundant plans, aside from their short livespans. I did think of all this before I sent out a single weapon.
Should they fail, well, I have other plans to return the Princess to her home. She would require delicacy, of course, but with the Queen's upcoming plans, I doubt I'll have to resort to many of them. I might even strike two trick sparrows with a single stone...
In that case, I can see why you would abhor their waste. The Mist Continent, however, does not lack in resources, and I could easily make a million more weapons should the need arise. Who knows what the future will bring?
[Kuja laughs at the last, pleased and smiling.]
Ahh, you've caught me! Yes, I plead ignorance to such subjects, since I've never seen anything like "quantum" or "harmonics waves" until now. Pray, excuse my lack of knowledge on the subject, though my previous point still stands: souls and magic are not connected, on this world.
[locked]
Date: 2014-04-20 01:08 am (UTC)Who knows but the goddesses? And even they may be caught unawares by the daring and foolishness of mortals. Still, with the power you command...I might ask some favors of you. Not without compensation of course. But I want to be free-and you could help me with that.
[locked]
Date: 2014-04-20 03:59 am (UTC)A justified worry, to be sure. I prefer more subtle plans, myself.
[Goddesses? Huh. Kuja is pleased that she acknowledges their power.]
If you're in captivity, then I could help you. Even if I couldn't act directly, I'm sure I could find some sort of solution to your confinement.
[locked]
Date: 2014-04-21 01:31 am (UTC)Hmmm. I asked that Kuja to help me once-I'll forward you the security loop of what happened. Suffice to say, he didn't have much luck getting past my guards via the direct route. I'm persuing an indirect one currently.
[locked] I almost said "under the radar" but that doesn't exist in ff9 OOPS
Date: 2014-04-27 03:30 am (UTC)True, but I'm sure I've accounted for most contingencies. If not, well, I am quite flexible.
[
IN MORE WAYS THAN ONEwait wait, "that" Kuja??]I'm sure I could mana - wait. "That" Kuja?
Re: [locked] I almost said "under the radar" but that doesn't exist in ff9 OOPS
Date: 2014-04-28 02:14 am (UTC)