04-02-YC121

I delayed leaving for the warzone for a day.  With Sasha now back I wanted to spend a little bit more time with him, and I did not want to upset Mama by having one arrive just to have another leave almost immediately.  I am glad I did stay, not only because Sasha is full of exciting stories from Thebeka, but also because I found out some quite interesting little facts about someone else.

I went Mehatoor to collect a few things before going to the front proper, and stopped by Cafe Marlinea.  They do the most delightful Medovik, and have quite an impressive selection of teas.  It was surprisingly busy.  Directrix Aspenstar was there, in conversation, surprisingly with Nauplius, whom everyone calls a heretic and yet talks to; Commander Kley, who I am sure has her suspicions regarding Aldrith and I, was there with, Samira, I believe her name is.(not the Traitor, of course); the young girl from Captain Elkin's Dinner who was with Commander Adams, ever such a sweet looking little thing; and, of course, inevitably, Commander Adams himself - oddly he was not paying the least attention to his former companion; perhaps there is nothing going there.  I do hope he has not treated her badly then cast her aside, she is far to dainty a thing for that sort of treatment.

He noticed, of course, and wandered over uninvited.  We made idle conversation - during which Commander Kley left, giving me the most awfully suspicious glare as she did so - and then he finally showed his true colours, boasting with sheer arrogance about how he had helped a certain group during the Thebeka Operation.

Electus Matari.

I can only assume they paid him handsomely for his time.  He pretends it was in retaliation for the Empire not having done enough against the Cartel in the area.  Whilst I can appreciate some of his reasoning, it is most certainly not his place to question how PIE or any other of the Empire's Faithful prioritise our enemies.  We are beset by many that seek to destroy us, and we must deal with the most dangerous first.  I despise the Cartel after what they did to me, gifting me their hateful Souvenirs, but they are not the most immediate threat to our way of life, our very existence, our Motherland.  Venegence will come, in time.

I let him drone on a little longer.  I cannot even remember what, if anything, I said in response.

It seems he has chosen a very different path to one I had hoped for.

It is as God Wills.