Commander

Irene leaned back in her chair, resting her head against a half closed fist, feeling - as usual - stiff and uncomfortable in her formal clothing. Her advisors were - as usual - arguing over what was the best step to take moving forward, as their submarine traveled ever closer to its destination. They were on their way to make a political visit to one of the neighboring kingdoms, which was currently in the middle of a civil war. They were to act as a median between the two sides, hoping to help them see eye to eye so that Irene's home kingdom would be able to keep trade lines open with them - they were an essential source of medical resources, which were beginning to run dry because of the war. Frankly, Irene couldn't care less which side one, as long as the trade routes continued to flow - there was no downside to either side as long as this continued.

Her advisors, on the other hand, were very divided. Roughly half of them wished to primarily aid the established lordship, who had already repeatedly sworn to uphold the trade lines and all other agreements that their two kingdoms had already made in the past. The other half wished to aid the rebellion, under whose control new alliances, trades, and agreements could be made. They were less experienced in the running of a kingdom, and it was therefore possible that under rebellion rule, they as outsiders might be able to have increased influence, increasing their own kingdoms benefits and gains.

Doing so, however, was a gamble - but so was siding with the losing team. One way or another, despite how good of a median they acted as, one side was going to be in control at the end of the civil war. And being on the good side of the victor was the truest way for Irene and her kingdom to benefit. If they appeared in anyway as a threat to the side that won, they were likely to be cut off in a number of ways, and while the trade routes may not be closed off entirely, they were likely to be siphoned and choked to the point of near worthlessness.

"Enough," Irene finally stated, firmly and with fire in her voice. The word cut through the fighting of her advisors and their voices died off in an instant, all eyes turning toward her. "There's no point in bickering about who we support when we know little about them," she said flatly. "I advise that rather than make assumptions about people you have never met and what they think and how they feel about us, you observe them once we arrive. See with your own two eyes what kind of people they are. Do not decide which side to support until we have already been there for some time."

"And what if one side decides to attack us the moment we land?" one of the men asked, who was a clear proponent to fight against the rebellion, and the implication clear in his voice of which side he was speaking about.

"Then you will be glad for the weapons that we have brought with us."