84 Political Maneuvering

...Steve's PoV...

This is our first real assault since the Freedom Movement took control of the Wolfheart Residence. It took us some time to organize, and the neighboring Families soon made their move to seize the vast territory of the Wolfheart. We tried our best to repel their attacks, but we lacked manpower and organization. But now it isn't the case, we centralized the Freedom Movement here and standardized our army as much as we could.

Of course, there as still differences between soldiers since we don't have the infrastructure nor the knowledge to produce large amounts of proper equipment. We could buy them on the open market, but every Credit is needed for the war effort.

The Freedom Congress is where all the leaders of the most prominent cells get together to take a decision. The building is a repurposed auxiliary building that we used for storage before. Now it has been turned into a large empty room with a massive round table in its center.

"So, does anybody wants to add anything to the debate?" A BirdFolk asks. "This attack would allow us to recover vital territories, and the geography would make our borders more manageable. Not to mention the access to the Bazaar that it would give us."

"I think everyone's convinced; the strategic implications are too great to ignore." A Merman adds.

"I'm with all of you," I speak. "But should we spend more time to review our strategy? According to our intelligence, the enemy has fortified key positions. I fear that we would be channeled into chokepoints full of traps."

"You concern is noted," the BirdFolk nods, "And it's true that we are taking a big risk. But I believe we have the firepower to take down their barriers without much trouble, no?"

I nod, "We do, but the barrier-breaking devices require our men to physically approach the barrier. Our current enemy shouldn't have any anti-teleportation measures, but it doesn't hurt to be careful. They could force us to march right into their traps, and it would cost a lot of lives."

"Fair point." A Dwarf adds, "Then what do you propose? I thought we were supposed to hold on using the flashier Strategic Spells we have, but it looks like we don't have a choice."

"Not necessarily. I have a plan, it's a bit risky, but it would save us a tremendous amount of resources if we pull it off. You Dwarves do have digging equipment, right?"

"Right, but- You can't be serious!" the Dwarf smirks when he understands my plan.

"I am. I propose that we dig under the barrier, knowing our enemies they wouldn't bother securing the underground. We need a small team, I suggest eight people max, and they need to be mobile and fast, yet discreet enough to not alert the enemy." I say. The plan might need some refining, but-

"It's a great idea!" another BirdFolk with brown feathers slams his hand on the table. "Us Eastern Birdfolks have smaller frames than our cousins, so we could fit inside a small tunnel and take out the barriers."

"All right, it seems like a sound idea." The Dwarf adds, "The drilling equipment isn't hard to operate, I think we can teach the men to use it in a few hours. It's a great idea, brother!" he smiles at me and raises a thumb in support for my idea.

"So, is anyone in this Congress against this plan?" a Merman asks. No hands are raised, so it means that the plan has been accepted and will be put into motion. I'm a bit glad that my idea has been approved, but it worries me a bit. The Congress is so eager to prove it's worth and regain territory that it accepted what might as well be something hastily written on a napkin.

I only laid the groundwork and was expecting the others to chime in and refine my vague strategy into something more usable. I wasn't expecting them to accept without even doubting me. I hope they know what they are doing, or we are sending men to their death.

Maybe I worry about nothing, the people in the Congress are mostly ex-Enforcers so they should know a thing or two about warfare.

"Is there anything else to discuss in this Congress?" someone asks, and whispers spreads around the table. The session has been short today, so I hope I can finally put forward my plan to streamline our supply lines and secure equipment and food for the future. For now, we don't have to worry since we have the massive stockpiles we plundered from our Families. But that reserve isn't infinite, so it's better to be prepared.

"For those who want to add something, raise your hand." The BirdFolk with brown feathers declares, and I am about to do so.

But then I realize that nobody is raising his hand.

Being the one who forces the session to go on longer than it should be isn't a good move if I want to keep the support of the other Congress Members. I already saw people who were well-liked who did this, and they were outright ignored in the following sessions.

*I better keep my mouth shut, it would discredit my plan, and I can't risk that. Our logistics are too important to be swept under the rug. And they would accuse me of worrying too much, so I need this campaign to be a success. If my plan succeeds, then they'll be more than willing to listen to whatever I say, and I will be able to plan our future properly.*

But I need to make a compromise for now. I guess it's the minor hurdles of politics...

"All right, then this session is finished!" the BirdFolk slams his hand on the table and amplify the sound with a spell, thus marking the end of the session. Several Congress Members teleport out of the room as soon as the session ends, while others are forming their own small cliques and discussing several matters.

Surveying this place fills me with pride, most of the people here are from different Families, some even used to be mortal enemies. But now? They are mingling with each other, freely exchanging ideas and working for one common goal; installing a new world order, one that is more just and free.

The BirdFolk with brown feathers that proposed to send his men on the infiltration mission approaches me with a cough and takes me out of my thoughts.

"Can I speak to you for a second?" he says with a smile, or at least I think it's a smile. Reading the expression of species with a beak is hard.

"Of course," I nod. He might want to discuss the specifics of the plan. "Where should we go?"

"My office will do." He says, and we walk in silence to his office. What was once a large barrack has been turned into a large office building, which contains a small private room for each Congress Member. It isn't much, but it's enough, and it would leave a bad taste in my mouth if we had large heavily decorated offices similar to the one of the Enforcers.

I enter the bare room, which only contains a desk, two chairs and a couple of decorative plants.

"Please sit down." He says as he sits in the cheap office chair, and I do the same. The furniture creaks a bit under my weight, which is considerable considering my species and my armor, but it should hold.

"So what should we discuss?" I ask to be polite, even if I'm almost sure that I know the subject of the upcoming conversation.

"It's about the upcoming raid," he says, and I suppress a smirk. "I'm going to deploy my best men for that operation. We absolutely need it to succeed."

I raise an eyebrow, This operation is important but it isn't crucial for our survival, so sending the best infiltrators on a hazardous mission like this one seems like a waste. The BirdFolk, who probably sensed my confusion, leans back and sigh.

"Do you know anything about the Freedom Union?" the BirdFolk asks. I shake my head, it sounds like a deformation of the name of our movement, so it can't be a coincidence.

"Then let me explain. You may not know this, but certain Congress Members joined the movement purely out of economic interest. They feigned betraying their Families and joined us. Due to our structure, we can't check who is 'legit' or not, so we can't investigate that problem properly. These people formed a secret cabal called 'The Freedom Union'. Their goals are to slow down our expansion and military operations. They are doing everything they can to steal money and resources while posing as the Freedom Movement to hurt our reputation while lining their pockets."

I jump from my chair, "This is unacceptable! If this is true, then we need to grab those people and make an example out of them!" I roar as I clench my fist. Those greedy bastards would risk our future just to increase the size of their bank account? I'll make them pay! "Do we have any evidence of such actions? If we can get other Congress Members on our side then-"

"Calm down, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but they operate in such secrecy that I don't have any concrete evidence." the BirdFolk explains.

"So you want me to believe you without proof?" I say after taking a few deep breaths, "I don't want to be rude, but it's a bit suspicious, to say the least."

The BirdFolk chuckles, "I get it, I would have doubts if I were in your position. But think about it for a second, why do you think that your idea has been approved so quickly?"

I nod, "yes, I thought this was suspicious too. You think that it's because of this Freedom Union?"

"Almost certainly," the BirdFolk responds. "While interesting, your idea was lacking in tactical planning and was too vague to implement."

"I thought so too..." I say while lowering my head. "So what should we do- I'm sorry, I don't even know your name."

"No worries, the Congress is a big place. My name's Griko, and I think your name's Steve? You have distinguished yourself in recent battles, and your name has been in quite a few mouths."

I scratch the back of my head and smirk, "Nice to meet you. So Mr. Griko, what do you propose we do about this secret society?"

"My plan requires a bit of deception, and I need to have you on board if I want it to succeed. You're known to be quite the principled man, so are you willing to do things that might be morally questionable?"

I take a deep breath; we need to deal with the threat of the Freedom Union. "I don't know... If you want me to harm people, then I'll pass. But if you can provide me with some evidence that these people are from the Freedom Union, then we might be able to work something out."

"Great, that's what I wanted to hear!" the BirdFolk claps his hands.

"But first, I want to ask you something. If this conspiracy is as secret as you make it seem, then how do you even know that they exist?" I ask. His story sounds convincing, but it could also be an elaborate ploy to make me do his bidding. So I have to be careful.

"A good question! In truth, they asked me to join them. Of course, I refused. But learning about the existence of this group makes me fear for the future of the Freedom Movement, so we have to nip this problem in the bud before it becomes too big." Griko answers.

"All right, I'll at least listen to your plan. What do you want to do?" I say. I might as well listen, then I'll decide if I want to follow him or not.

"The immediate approval of your plan may have backfired on the Freedom Union. If we tie it with your previous accomplishment, we can frame it as the entire Congress giving you their approval. The fence sitters will immediately join your side once they see that the wind is blowing in your direction. We just have to nudge them in the right direction." Griko continues.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" I ask. Manipulating the Congress like that doesn't seem possible to me.

"It's simple, it all hinges on us succeeding in the upcoming raid on that Family we have our eyes on. If we succeed, my colleagues and I will prop you up as a sort of 'revolutionary hero' and attribute a ton of achievements of all sorts to you. This propaganda effort will earn you the approval of the whole Congress in no time. It will also stop the Freedom Union from furthering their agenda." The BirdFolk says.

"But why would you give me all that power? Aren't you afraid that I become a tyrant worse than even the Enforcers?" I ask, it all seems a bit too good to be true.

"Fair point, but I believe that one of the founding members of the Movement would not do that, correct? And the Congress will keep you in check, so you don't do whatever you want without oversight." Griko explains.

"Once again, it makes sense. But why me?" I lean back, "There must be better candidates for the job."

Griko sighs and shakes his head, "You don't know the reputation you have in certain circles, particularly with the infantry? Some praise you as a hero for being one of the originators of the movement, and for securing this place for our cause. The Congress Members will be forced to follow you to an extent if they don't want to lose their soldiers."

That's the first time I heard of such a thing. I thought that barely anyone even knew who I was and that I was the one who started this whole operation.

"That's new to me, but I guess it makes sense." I smile, it feels good to be recognized for once. Of course, I didn't start the Freedom Movement for glory, but I won't say no to a place in the history books.

"So that's my plan. Is it acceptable to you?" the BirdFolk takes me out of my thoughts, and I nod.

"I'm in; your plan seems sound and the Freedom Union needs to be dealt with. But you mentioned colleagues earlier, does that mean that other Congress Members also know about your secret operation?" I say.

He nods, "Yes, we are quite a few Congress Members who are aware of the degenerates from the Freedom Union. We wanted to do something against them, but they are good at hiding their tracks and forging evidence, so we weren't able to do anything against them. But now that you're on board, things are going to change for the better."

I feel reassured that I'm helping defend the ideals of the Freedom Movement, but I'm also saddened that there's already traitors to our cause. Why would anyone do that, who would willingly trade the future of their own people for something as meaningless as Credits?

Sometimes I just don't get people.

"Great, I can arrange a meeting with my colleagues in a few hours. I will introduce you to them, and they'll help iron out the details of the upcoming operation. With any luck, we'll avoid any casualties. Please wait in my office until I confirm the details, it won't be long." Griko declares.

"Yeah; let's hope that everything goes well." I nod in approval while Griko disappears in a flash of smoke and feathers.