Party To Treason 2: Valdragon's Coup

[Kennifer]

"I discarded a Loyalist operation and passed along one of each, make of that what you will."

[Florien]

No, you may not have Pop Tarts. Those are a Protectorate good. You may have the patriotic alternative, JamPack's Toastables.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

Thank you for finally giving us some valuable input, Ms. Banks. Frankenstein claims to have started with al Loyalist Operations while Banks claims to have a Coup and a Loyalist operation passed down to Lucky. So it seems pretty likely the cat, as cute and cuddly as he is, might be one of the harbingers of doom. Have a sense he might not be so trustworthy. I'm willing to give Frankenstein and Banks the benefit of the doubt here. But still yet, are we just going to go down the list and just keep voting nay to everyone forever? Like I'm inclined not to vote for the cat ever again. But we really need to make some kind of choice eventually. And I'll admit, why I chose Fionn. It was because when you Frankenstein chose me as Liaison and how Blixbo and Fionn were the ones to vote against me. Despite that, I put my faith in Blixbo and it worked out. I was thinking doing the same thing for Fionn would yield better results. But you are correct. There is risk in putting an unknown in the position. If we get the mole in, it's game over. But tell me. If not Fionn, who else can be trusted? Who else is the better option?

[wingedcatgirl]

Lucky preens regally, almost as if he's saying "I know you just said you weren't gonna vote for me ever again, but hear me out - what if you did anyway?"

[Kennifer]

"Stop being so cute, cat."

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

Your cuteness will not work on me, cat! GWC boasts before inhaling his cigar and blowing the smoke right into Lucky's face.

[Florien]

The Election:

---

Lt. Mac Cumhaill (NW) Nominated by Cpt. Columbo (SH), Five to confirm.

Aye:

• Cpt. Columbo (SH)
  
• Maj. Harrier (SR)
  
• Lt. Mac Cumhaill (NW)
  

Nay:

• Cpt. Frankenstein (MoL) (NI)
  
• Cat. Lucky (AL)
  
• Acting Cpt. Banks (GA)
  
• Cpt. Wario (GE)
  
• Cpt. Beck (XC, PS)
  

Rejected

[wingedcatgirl]

Lucky shakes his head and coughs at the smoke, then hisses at George.

[Florien]

Well, we need either a vote to reject, or Captain Beck to offer support of this nomination to achieve the five votes necessary. I will remind you Chief Political Officer Liwari is an omnipresent threat. They may seem small, ridiculous, weirdly obsessed with movies, and perhaps even stupid, but I assure you, they are none of those things. Well, they are the first three, but they're not stupid, and they're every bit as violent and brutal as Sendri. Quite possibly worse. They're also fanatically loyal, so I'm sure you can see where that'll land you if Liwari ever finds out what's going on here.

Valdragon suddenly twitches on the monitor, before slamming his fist down on the desk. The camera shakes.

The only reason you are not dead is because thus far, I have carefully hidden our actions from Liwari, at great personal cost. So, get your act together. I have sacrificed much for you, what would it hurt for you to sacrifice a little for me? Or perhaps you're not as committed to the cause as I thought. Perhaps you all want to run to Sendri and beg for forgiveness for your transgressions, in the hopes that you will be absolved, and that Sendri's famously unlimited mercy and patience will be permitted to fall upon such worthless worms as you? Is that what you want?

Do you wish to be a pathetic bootlicker like Captain Lanthanide, weak and flashy, too obsessed with creating drama to realize exactly how close to death she stood? But even now Liwari monitors us. You may think I am cruel. Indeed, I am. Captain Walson's death proved my capability to use cruelty to prove a point about what happens to those who betray me... but you cannot comprehend the horrors Liwari will inflict upon you if they catch you.

The Colonel pulls out a remote control.

This is why what you are about to see is as much an act of mercy as it is a reminder of the power I hold over you and motivation to do as I say.

And he presses the button.

Cpt. Sony and Cpt. Microsoft's Corporate Dissolution

Footage from a Protectorate Financial News Program plays, talking about how Sony and Microsoft have been acquired by Null Development. All their IPs have been merged with Null Development. Two of the oldest tech corporations in the known universe have been effectively shut down, merged into a substudio of a subordinate company that ultimately traces back to the Alliance.

Then the footage cuts to the Captain Sony and Captain Microsoft you knew, Sony chained to a bedframe in a dirty cell and Microsoft chained similarly to a wall. Both are clearly badly beaten, and have probably been extensively tortured. A soldier comes into the cell, pulls out a gun, and shoots Sony through the head, and turns and does the same to Microsoft. You get to watch as their bodies are unchained, picked up by soldiers, removed from the cell, loaded into wheelbarrows, and pushed through the facility's hallways. Eventually, the bodies reach a room with a large chute. The soldiers hoist them over the railing, and the camera turns to watch them slide down towards a grinder.

You wait for there to be a twist, some horrific turn to make the scene worse, like one of them being still alive. No twist comes, as the bodies simply get crushed up and pulled through. That's the last you see of them as the video ends.

Valdragon reappears on the screen, looking and sounding, if possible, even more dangerous than before.

This is my mercy. If Liwari had found them, their deaths would have been far worse, and ours would surely have followed. This is why I urge you forward, this is why we must exercise the utmost caution while still maintaining that forward momentum. Imagine my cruelest moments. Imagine the worst thing I could do to you. Imagine that thing happening every day for the rest of your life. That is only a tiny fraction of the suffering Liwari inflicts on those who they suspect to be traitors. If they know us to be traitors, it'll be far worse even than that.

[Whistle]

Chef Beck suddenly drops from the ceiling and lands on the floor with a blond bounce. Without thinking he makes a groan of pain that sounds like NAY and raises his hand.

[TenOfSwords13]

yeah, that's fair. i get Columbo's reasoning, and i also see why it fell completely flat.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

GWC growls at all the "Nay" votes he's gotten.

Worthless bunch of pleebs. Don't listen to the one man who's responsible for the sole Coup operation being passed. No, he knows nothing. Let's just try and screw us all over even more. I'm on to some of you as it is already, but I think most of you are nothing but incompetent fools who don't even care in the dire situation we're all in. Why do I always get the idiots?

GWC takes a heavy swig from his wine bottle, to sober himself over his hurt ego and his bafflement of the others.

[Florien]

Alright, it's rejected. Captain Columbo, keep an eye on your drug use, I don't want you completely inebriated, you're clearly approaching there. It's "Plebs". Anyway, this was an appointed aide, so one step down the list before the appointment... Next is Lt. Mac Cumhaill of New Waterford. Congratulations, don't disappoint me.

So, Mac Cumhaill, who are you going to nominate? Choose wisely.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

Right.... sorry, sir, GWC says sheepishly before putting away the wine. Hoping he's sober enough to move on.

[noodlesnook]

Fionn glances at all the faces around him. Muttering, chewing the end of his thumb, thinking, thinking...
"Who is my choice? Not hard to say," he says at last, "I nominate Ms. Banks. She has demonstrated all the qualities a Liaison should have. Strategic thinking. Cunning. Loyalty."
He turns to Juniper and nods.

[Florien]

Alright. The election begins again.

---

Lt. Mac Cumhaill (NW) Nominates Acting Cpt. Banks (GA). Five to confirm.

Aye

• Lt. Mac Cumhaill (NW)
  
• Acting Cpt. Banks (GA)
  

Nay

• Maj. Harrier (SR)
  
• Cat. Lucky (AL)
  
• Cpt. Frankenstein (MoL) (NI)
  

[TenOfSwords13]

nay! nay, nay, nay! miss Banks is in a very controversial position right now, in direct contradiction with the cat! any number of simple mistakes could have occured, but at least one of Banks or Lucky are guaranteed to be traitors to our cause! what the heckin' frick are you thinking?

[Kennifer]

"I am somewhat surprised by the nomination, but will accept it. As for the deal with myself and the cat, as cute as he is he's the one who chose the Loyalist edict when I'd passed along one of each. Consider that a continuation of our little experiment when everyone agreed to let me nominate him."

[wingedcatgirl]

Lucky looks away from Juniper and preens haughtily. ... Yeah, that's a no from him, you don't need to project on that one.

[Florien]

By the way, remember that if you vote down three candidates in a row, the topmost operation gets activated, but provides no power to my Aide. Even if it's not otherwise desirable, we do have to do something.

[PointMaid]

Victoria sighs.

...I was hoping to hear what other people said before making a decision.

I understand what was just said. Still, at the moment, I'm going to vote NO. I'm still wary of MacCumhaill, and I'm not entirely convinced Banks isn't in on it with the kitten. I'm willing to try once more. I will reconsider if I'm given a good reason to, though - I would like to hear anything Miss Banks or perhaps Mac Cumhaill have to say for themselves. Perhaps I have been too hasty... possibly

[Kennifer]

"I believe I have explained what happened with the cat when I was the Aide already."

[TenOfSwords13]

and what the frickin' heck do you have to prove that you're not lying? i admit, you're not exactly the worst choice, since you're not trying to go under the radar and probably not a mole, but still you're under suspicion because there's a 50/50 on you being a liar! at least!

[Kennifer]

"A statement that could likely apply to anyone here. Less likely Blixbo, unless Victoria over there lied about the results of the break-in."

[PointMaid]

I will grudgingly agree it's less likely you're the Mole in my opinion. We may have slightly more leeway in that instance. Speaking of break-ins. I will consider changing my vote, Banks, if you explain this to my satisfaction. Why diid you not immediately - or ever, even - reveal what you found out about Sony and Microsoft? At that point, they had not yet even disappeared, much less been executed and not replaced.