This is me

Chapter two

Liam, to everyone's surprise, proved to be efficient in pulling a Political Campaign and Presidential Campaign together. David sat on the couch that had been placed in the centre of the office, Terrell sitting next to him with a cigarette in his mouth, lighting the tip. "I never imagined it would be this complicated to help the construction of a Campaign," David said, shaking his head in decline as Terrell offered him a cigarette, and then Terrell put the cigarette pack in its packet. "So, what is the deal with the Political Campaign?" David asked, and Terrell shrugged lazily, "I am not sure what you mean, sir." David smirked slightly, and then continued, "I mean, how our Political Campaign is doing, we must be making some progress!" Terrell chuckled and shook his head, "From the Political side of things, we're losing our shit over everything. Chad seemed to have made a bigger impact on the Surviving People than we have. If you really don't want Chad to beat you, I suggest we plan a counterattack."

Terrell looked directly into David's eyes, and David, taking the hint, shook his head. "No, it is too early. If we decide to release that video now...well, I don't want to think about the consequences. We need to choose the right moment to counter. In my opinion, if we choose to launch a counterattack immediately, I will look like my father." Terrell let out a sigh, rather exasperated, and said, "Any why is it bad that is a decision your father would have made?" David reached for the low wooden table in front of him, grabbed a glass, and poured whiskey into it. "Aren't you too young to drink alcohol?" Terrell said, and David leaned back on the cushions, taking his first-ever sip of whiskey, and then coughed, the alcohol burning his throat. "I won't tell your boss if you don't tell anyone else," David said between gasps, and Terrell laughed, "You are my boss, sir." David sighed and placed the glass back on the table, "Not yet I'm not."

Terrell slowly nodded, eyebrows raised, and David realized he was still waiting for a response. "I can't be like my father, as much as everyone else wants me to be, anyway. Everyone who truly new my father is dead, well, maybe except for Chad. They used to work together, after all, which is why Chad probably sees me as a threat to his Campaign. However, even Chad didn't know my father's personality. When he wanted to be, he was kind and helpful, but he rarely wanted to do everything. He was cruel to almost everyone except his wife, but the catch is that he was so good at playing the part of a kind Emperor, everyone forgot when he was cruel. He was also highly arrogant, hating people for having an opinion that wasn't his own, and he absolutely hated the Resistance. If anything, to stop this war, we need to negotiate with them. Yes, they have acted like Terrorists and all of that, but instead of playing their game and returning the violence, we need to arrange for peace to be made."

Terrell reached for the table, like David had a few moments ago, and poured himself a glass of whiskey. "You really are quite a unique leader. I've never had the privilege of working for someone who sees the whole picture, and not just what he wants to see." David grinned, reaching for the glass again, and taking another mouthful of whiskey, realizing he actually liked the taste. "So what happens now?" David asked, and Terrell got to his feet, setting the empty glass down on the table and turning to David. "I believe we are now waiting for a few more people to arrive," Terrell informed him, and David got to his feet, an expression of surprise on his face. "Who could be coming to see me?" David asked, and then there was a loud knock on the bronze door. "My God we need that door changed," David said, and Terrell strode over to the door, quickly opening it to reveal Ryder. "Miss Jennifer Silver is here to see you," Ryder said, stepping aside to reveal a beautiful woman.

"Thank you, Ryder, you may resume your patrol," Terrell said, and Ryder nodded, his helmet shifting forwards slightly as he turned to stride away. "This is Jennifer Silver," Terrell said, closing the door as the young woman stepped inside, and she looked around in wonder. David held out his hand, and the woman shook it, a small smile on her face that sent shivers down David's spine. "Miss Silver here is from the Resistance Federation, specifically from the Twelfth Quadrant. She is here for negotiations, and no one in the Resistance Federation knows she is here." David's mouth fell open in surprise, and Jennifer bowed her head in acknowledgment. "I do not believe that this was is achieving anything other than more violence and more death. Your father is dead, therefore I hope we can arrange for peace, instead of continuing to fight," Jennifer said, and something about her voice threw David off guard. "How old are you, again?" David asked, and Terrell stepped forwards, "She has confirmed her age with the Royal Guards. Jennifer Silver is the age of twenty-four." Jennifer smirked and shook her head.