From Elsweyr With Love (Epilogue)
#96 of Prequel
The End.
"No, you made the right choice," Em said. "Like you've said before, we may be working with Hammerfell someday. I doubt she would yield much useful information without torture anyway."
"And we don't do that... right?"
"Not anymore, more's the pity," Em said and Ra'Jirra shot him a look. "Oh of course not. We're civilized. Mostly."
"So where's Queue?"
"Oh, he was going to be here, but that rifle has caused quite a stir down at the technology lab. They're working on a steel model now."
"Good. I have a feeling that is a lot more important than the decryption gadget would have proved anyway."
"I agree. So, ready for your next assignment?"
Ra'Jirra shook her head. "I need at least a week off. I've got to head to Skingrad."
"Oh. They've already been notified of course."
"Of course. But they haven't talked to me about him yet. They need to know everything."
"Everything?"
"Em, they lost their husband and father. They deserve to know."
"Okay. We offered them a pension, but the wife refused it."
"I'll talk to her. She's probably none to happy with the HMSS right now."
"Do that, Ra'Jirra."
A few hours later and Ra'JIrra had packed for travel and was out of town again, riding Arrow northbound.
*****************************
Number 1 was seething.
"And you haven't even heard from her Number 5?"
"Not since she left Hammerfell. But the device only works at certain precise locations."
"But Ra'Jirra is alive. If she does turn up, turn her down!"
"We may do that."
"What?"
A knock came at the door.
"DAMMIT I'm in a MEETING!"
A figure walked through the door. Not the secretary.
"Number 2?" said Number 1, standing in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the Imperial City."
"Change of plans. I got wind of this Ra'Jirra affair. I hurried back here in all haste."
"Ha! You came for nothing. She's back in Elsweyr. La'Dasha failed."
Number 5 approached the desk on the right. Number 2 on the left.
"I heard that too. We lost quite a lot of assets over this. La'Dasha only one of them. And she was our best field chief. Hammerfell is not happy with us either. It seems they think they were set up and that we killed one of their own men. Is that so?"
"Yes. It was supposed to be a frame up. Ra'Jirra and the other agent for HMSS should have been arrested, but for some reason the local chief of security didn't buy it."
"And, is it true that our prototype rifle was used? And lost?"
"Yes," Number 1 said, stepping back as Number 2 approached uncomfortably close.
"That's an awful lot of assets to use to bring down one khajiit agent, don't you think?"
"I deemed it necessary. I am Number 1. Don't you forget your place, Number 2."
"There are those who believe this may have been a personal vendetta, Number 1. They say you have not been a model of Altmer dispassionate reason on this matter."
"Who says that?! Look, I have reason to hate this particular agent, it's true. But if this had worked as intended, she would be out of the picture and Hammerfell would be at war with Elsweyr!"
"Earlier, you made a mistake I'm afraid. You referred to my colleague here as Number 5."
Number 1 looked at the man known formerly as Number 5.
"Yes? What of it?"
"He is now Number 4."
The man formerly known as Number 1's eyes opened wide. "But..."
"You asked who said these things about you... the answer is, a majority."
Number 4 pressed the button under the desktop. A magical energy field leapt to a spring loaded lever and the door opened instantly. The Altmer formerly known as Number 1 fell through without a sound. Until he hit the bottom. At that point, he began making quite a bit of noise indeed. Enough to rouse some other residents of the place he now occupied.
A glass cover swept over the gaping hole in the floor and the two Altmer watched for a moment. Then Number 1 pushed another button and a tile took it's place, covering the viewing portal.
"A distasteful display. Do me a favor, Number 4. Leave the trap door, but please remove the glass. I've no interest in watching such barbaric scenes."
"I will have it done right away."
Number one sat in the chair, but stood again.
"And pray, get me a smaller chair. This thing would fit a pig."