“Well, Junazee seems to be settling in,” Lucine said as she weighed the report in her hands. The newly minted Quaestor of Galeres had jumped in with both feet in undertaking the task of getting her new House under control, and thus far it seemed like things were going well.
She placed the report into the bin to be filed, before looking at the mountainous stacks of datapads and flimsiplasts that remained on her desk. She sighed and picked up another datapad. One task was done, but there were so many more to do.
Her sigh caught the attention of the Proconsul, who looked up from his own stack of reports. “You know, you could delegate some of that,” he said.
“Oh, you mean like when I delegated the task of hiring a Rollmaster?”
The Chiss suppressed a minuscule smile. “My dear, you are constantly going on about Strong’s many talents. I simply put them to good use for the clan.”
The Shadow Lady shifted in her seat so that she could see Rhylance around the stack of reports and shot him a glare. “There is the fact that being Rollmaster would force him to spend the bulk of his time away from the Citadel. I am certain that did not figure into the equation at all.”
“The thought never even crossed my mind,” Rhylace replied mildly, though they both knew that he was lying. In truth, it had been the primary reason why he had selected Strong.
Lucine bit back a retort. She could not deny that Strong was doing an excellent job so far, but she did not have to like it. But at least it was one less thing she had to worry about.
She rose from her seat and went to the window, which had been opened to allow in some fresh air and sunlight. Below, evidence of a variety of construction projects could be seen throughout Estle City. It seemed that something was being built on almost every street.
Kordath’s solution to the unrest had been to raid Collective ships in search of food and vital supplies. It had worked well in the short term, but would not be sustainable in the long run. And so Lucine had focused on creating jobs for the populace. After all, an employed civilian had less time to plan riots.
But all of the construction projects required money to pay for supplies and labor. Stimulating trade was a necessary next step, which was why it was so important for the trade deal with the Severian Principate to succeed. Delegates from the Severian Principate would arrive in a few days, and the trade talks would begin in earnest.
And what better way to start the talks than with a gala? It would be the perfect way to display the clan’s wealth and power. And what’s more, with all of the Arconans gathered together, she could accomplish some of her other long term goals, killing two birds with one stone.
The Sith allowed herself a small smile as she flipped through her mental to-do list. It seemed that things were well in hand. The invitations and proper apparel had been sent out. The CItadel had been scrubbed until it gleamed, and all of the rooms had been aired to get the Ryn-smell out. All of the necessary preparations had been made. So far, everything was going according to plan.
Trade talks with the Severian Principate are about to start! The Shadow Lady is throwing a grand gala to welcome the delegates, and the whole clan is invited. But is this just a party, or is there something else going on?
That’s right, darlings, we have a clan event going on! Until Midnight Strikes is a short event that will go on until February 18!
The event will feature seven competitions for your entertainment pleasure.
It’s Just a Party. Right? Is the gala just a fun party, or is there something nefarious going on? Or, is your character going to take matters into their own hands? Here’s a chance for you fiction writers to strut your stuff!
A Night at the Gala: Your character has their fancy duds, and they are ready to party! What does that look like? Here’s a chance for all you artsy folks to show us!
Gaming Until Midnight: What’s an event without a cluster race? Go forth and game all the games!
Fighting in our Own Backyard: What if you could design an Arconan-themed ACC venue? What would it look like?
Building an Uneasy Peace A quick html5 game that lets you help out with some of the construction projects going on around Estle City!
A Message from the Shadow Lady: Cryptograms? Cryptograms! Use the keyword to decipher the message!
Wordsearching Until Midnight: How quickly can you find all the words?
Each competition will be worth points toward the overall event, with the top three placements winning bragging rights and a mention in the next clan fiction. So go forth and do the thing! But remember, the party ends at Midnight on February 18!
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