Project SALLI

Chapter Six - Covert Operations

Berach is leaning back in his grand chair, his dark eyes closed and his thin lips pursed into a slim smile. Shadows dance across his sharp features, cast by the small candle held in a short candelabra. He has reason to smile, but only to himself.  

Berach is now the official leader of Finsternis. It had been decided that it would be in the best interest of the people of Finsternis to have as stable a leadership as possible. The tragedy that had hit them a week earlier had left the clan with no rightful ruler, and so one had to be chosen. Not that there were many to choose from. Finsternis is a small clan, and everybody loved the previous leadership. And so Berach had stepped up, volunteered for the job, and no one had denied it from him. 

If anyone had paid attention, Berach's rise to power was nothing short of meteoric. Orphaned at a young age, he was taken in by a paranoid grandmother and raised on the outskirts of society for 10 years, seldom seen.  

When he was 13, his grandmother died, leaving him alone. Despite this he thrived, throwing himself into study and the pursuit of knowledge. Sometimes he could be seen sat on the dunes, just watching the village, watching how people worked.  

By the time he was 16, he was known as a gifted academic, an inventor, and a tactician. Not soon afterwards, in recognition of his talents, he was recruited as an apprentice by the chief advisor of Finsternis. Just four years later, and that job was his. In the space of just 7 years he had gone from being a teenage nobody to the second most important person in the entire clan. It had only taken three murders in one week to get the next promotion. 

Now, he was leader of an entire clan. A small, dishevelled clan maybe, but a clan nevertheless. Unlike the other clans, Finsternis had never really grown from it's original size during the war. Although in a highly defensible position, it's only real food source is the sea, leaving it with little room to grow and no resources to develop. So, as leader, Berach's first command was to pack up the entire village and move to a new location. The only advantage was the defensible position, but that is almost negated by the fact that everybody knew where Finsternis was. Now, Finsternis is further inland, away from all other clans, and surrounded by rich resources. Already loyalty to Berach is growing, and with loyalty comes power. 

A knock on the door snaps Berach's eyes open to the present. He leans forward in his chair, and watches his door creep open, the slit of bright light piercing the darkness inside. Majors Vif and Rusé enter the room and stand to attention for the new commander-in-chief. 

"At ease, soldiers." He had always wanted to say that. The Majors relax a little, but it is still a tad awkward. "I have called you in here to ask your opinions. I think that someone may be working behind my back to ally themselves with another clan. This cannot be tolerated." Berach eyes up both of the majors as he takes a deep breath before his next sentence. "You two are my most trusted servants, but you cannot fight a war with three people. I need to know who else I can trust, starting with those in Finsternis. Consider it a standing assignment." 

Major Vif looks at his female counterpart and wonders if she is reading his thoughts. Berach suspects a betrayal, but doesn't know who. Or does he suspect someone, and just be testing me?... 

Vif looks up at Berach to see cold, dark, empty eyes. There is no depth to them, no thoughts or emotions behind them. The major can't look at them too long, it is like he can feel Berach peering in to him and invading his mind. So Vif turns away, and a new thought forms. If Berach truly does trust me, I could use this to my advantage. I just need to get the timing right... 

"Sir, I have some information now." Berach nods in acknowledgement. 

"Very well Vif, but it can wait as there is another issue at hand. Our previous beloved leader was never totally honest with his people. He held information about an artefact of great power. This artefact cannot be allowed to fall into enemy hands, we must get there first to take advantage of it's power! For too long Finsternis has barely survived on this wasteland. If we are to become as prosperous as we deserve, we must have the advantage!" Although Berach's voice has raised in volume slightly, his face doesn't show any of the excitement he is currently experiencing.