Legacy: Beyond the Veil

The pleasantries of politics

"To serve my blood and secure the future of..." He began, but one look at Aduï told him that he'd better shut his mouth.
"Why did you REALLY join?" She asked impatiently. "I've heard the chant a million times. I'm asking about you, cadet. What drove you to be here today?"
Cai swallowed and looked around, wondering if this was a test. To see if there was some kind of other instructor hiding behind an empty seat, ready to jump out and point an accusing finger the second he said something wrong.

He was pretty sure there wasn't, so he took a deep breath and lifted his chin.
"I wanted to join the academy to provide for my family, ma'am." He responded, and was met with a thoughtful nod.
"That's noble and all, Cai. But why are you in the navy, specifically? Any academy course could've lifted your social standing significantly." She said, sitting forwards a little with her hand supporting her chin.

"You knew in advance that the navy is a pretty exclusive club. Without the right connections, people don't tend to get long-lasting careers in this line of work." She continued, and Cai nodded. He had indeed known that before signing up.

"Then why do you refuse to make such connections?" She asked with a questioning gesture. "I know how hard it is for surface dwellers to gain any kind of status in the SDA. Yet your reputation precedes you nonetheless. I'm not supposed to tell you this, but several fleet commanders have personally asked me about you."

Cai perked his ears at these words and felt a smirk creep onto his face. For a cadet to be a point of interest to a fleet commander? That was something special. For a surface-dweller cadet to gain such fame? That was unheard of.

"By the Oracles Cai, commander-admiral Kyra even considered recruiting you for her flagship, the Ode to Ferocity." Aduï said, highlighting one of the largest vessels in orbit around Sindrion Tertus. There was some disappointment in her voice. After a few seconds, Cai said what the captain had left silent: "But she didn't."

Aduï nodded. "Indeed she did not. She most likely would have gone through with the recruiting if you'd actually shown your face on any of the quarterly celebrations."
Cai stood stunned for a second. No one had told him that a big shot admiral had been keeping an eye out for him on the feasts he always did his best to avoid.

"But... I thought coming to those celebrations wasn't obligatory!" He said, a little louder than he'd intended. His emotions were welling up to the surface again, he only barely managed to suppress them in time.
"It's not." Aduï said with a sigh, shaking her head in disbelief. "But that's only because no other cadet would even consider not attending."

"I went to the first celebration that was hosted after I joined up. It was... disgusting." Cai said hesitantly, vividly remembering that night, back down on Sindrion Tertus
"So many outstanding men and women got hammered simply because they could. And they feasted for so long that some had to forcefully empty their stomach four times, only to get right back to the banquet."
The memories of that celebration still made him feel queasy, he did his best not to remember the most striking scenes.

"They wonder why surface dwellers call us Accies decadent, then go on to hold four such parties each year. Am I really supposed to attend something like that when there's still daily deaths of starvation, down in the labor districts?" He shook his head no and stared Aduï straight in the eyes "I refuse to do that..."

Aduï chuckled and shrugged her shoulders in an exaggerated fashion.
"Don't preach to me about it! You think an old bird like me enjoys such depravity any more than you do?" She asked, tapping with her fingers on her chair's armrest.
"It's called politics, Atreuna. You're smart by trying not to participate, but I'm afraid you have little other choice. People have to meet you in order to know you."
"I thought you said my reputation is well-known?" Cai responded, already dreading the thought of having to attend the next feast.