Stories tagged “Tertius”

  • Mimicry is only half of the work.

    The ambassador slumped onto the couch, and the vase used to hit him miraculously did not break. Reiko sighed relief and began carefully undressing him, taking care to avoid the trickle of blood stemming from the ambassador’s ear. Reiko then donne...

  • Hindsight twenty-twenty.

    “Impossible! Unprescedented! Irresponsible! Is General Prettana to blame for this? Or Counselor Vassi? Or am I to face the consequences?” A collective wince. The silent screens flicked between various broadcasts of the violence on Tertius, ...

  • A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

    The yelling, the whining! “Coot! You never shut up!” Coot really did not shut up, even at Vanco’s remark. “Because I’m thinking out loud, because I can’t walk, and because I want a way out!” Vanco should have r...

  • Profession of the Recently Unemployed

    Astonishment. Jaden Kapur’s mouth hung open even after four hours of proceedings. From the Ambassador’s accusation of his incompetence, to the removal of the body, to his swift unemployment, Jaden’s mouth hung open. The air was thin a...

  • The Fact of the Matter

    “Jones? Jones, is that you?” Gustav Jones started with surprise at hearing his own name. He turned to face the general direction of the voice, though he could make out very little in the dark. Stupor still held him silent. “Jones, if ...

  • Knowledge is Power

    Two days had passed, and the stagnation reflected in Con Gregor’s eyes. “Frankly, I am at a loss.” He had lost the intensity of emotion that had stifled the advisors previously; now they were stifled by his surrender. One of the advis...

  • The Ultimate Goal

    Sweat beaded on Ulric Jemsen’s forehead and trickled past his eyes. He wiped it away with a dirty hand, yielding only more discomfort. Rand’s question hung as heavy in the air as it had five minutes ago. “Well, Jemsem, what do we do n...

  • Rain Check

    He had pleaded exhaustion, promised to return to the topic in the morning, and excused himself. Gustav Jones had almost blurted out in relief that he had been wondering the very same thing as the Ambassador, and had held himself back by the narrowest m...

  • Taking Words From His Mouth

    The ambassadors were seated in the lecture hall – the closest semblance to a senatorial meeting house that could be found. The veil of action had disintegrated, and most, if not all, were coming to the shared, but still unspoken, realization that...

  • Crazy Is As Crazy Does

    Although Rand Maeli had shown signs of shock first, it was Ulric who eventually broke down. Rand, having recovered several hours later, took it upon himself to assume Jemsen’s post as the leader of this tiny part of the Tertian revolution, while his ...

  • Patience is a Virtue

    He idled in his empty room. The void that Coot left behind offered a quiet that beat drums in Vanco’s head, pounding far worse than the blabbermouth ever had. His only consolation lay in the waxing amelioration from the guards. They had passed hi...

  • Out in the Open

    Ambassador Ponan had made his way to the podium, and thundered over the speaker through the din. “The problem that no one has bothered to voice, and I’m sure is instrumental to both the decision we make together, as well as the personal dec...

  • Union Out, Coalition In

    Ambassador Ponan allowed for arguments to thrive, but himself stayed quiet. Had he continue to speak, his proposition would have been neglected, while his character was ravaged. His cessation allowed others to take the brunt of any harsh words. When th...

  • Banking On the Other Case

    The ship was too bulky and was left in orbit. The captain descended in an exploratory lander, with Horman Cambo along. The hatch opened and their air rushed out into the thin atmosphere. Horman, somewhat incredulous to the situation and thus unaware of...

  • Killing the Spider

    Captain’s Log, Ship’s Day 8251 We did it. We finally did it. We killed Tertius. We busted into the cafeteria at about 0300 hours, using various pieces of pipes and paneling as makeshift shields and weapons. Tertius was a fair bit surprised,...