Spotlight [Alastair/Calliope]

Changes in personnel, in particular the appointment of a new Director, were the kind of appointments that Alastair made sure to keep on top of. He had some small amount of rapport with the previous head of the Albedochiffren, though more in her capacity as the mother of Miss Inanna than professionally, but her replacement was a relative unknown. Ms Schwarzmann had certainly risen rapidly through the ranks, though that was likely a testament to her prior experience in other similar outfits. What files he could read on the matter, he had done so well before the invitation to a meeting landed on his desk. To be invited to such a thing was rather surprising in itself, though he was still coming to terms with his own rising renown within the organisation.

He met her at the door, offering a curt nod in response to her polite smile. His features did not shift into the same though, with a rigid formality to his every movement that better fit his position as a soldier than an Administrator. Orange eyes did soften, just a shade, at the effort she put into pronouncing his name. It was a little thing, one that many hardly would have noticed, but he did genuinely appreciate the gesture. Settling into the chair, he sat comfortably but not so leisurely to the point that he could be considered rude. Rather, if anything, he was trying to convince her that he was at ease.

"A pleasure to meet you in turn, Director Schwarzmann. Though I was fortunate enough to avoid major injury in my engagement, the same cannot be said for many of my comrades and I am thankful for the Albedochiffren's efforts in that regard." Avoiding injury was one way to describe the power of the Feuersouverän, but Alastair did not exactly deem it necessary to dive into the details of his abilities. "I expect there will be more battles in the near future, though, as we are far from out of the fire."

Alastair watched Calliope closely as she spoke, his attention clearly focused on her though he tried to be as polite as possible. Informality just did not come naturally to him, even for the sake of making a good first impression. He had never assumed that she had picked him out at random, though. There was a reason that he in particular was here, and his position was only a portion of that equation.

"Respectfully, Director, it was an ambush on a scale entirely unprecedented since the end of the war. If we had known that an attack was coming then countless Vandenreich lives could have been saved, but I would not place the fault for that on anyone but myself. Every Soldat that took an assignment at the hole knew the risks and the potential that a disaster such as this could befall them, I consider myself grateful that we have so many brave personnel that are willing to take such risks to protect others. I would not wish to belittle that dedication by suggesting that only fighters capable enough to fend off Vasto Lorde-grade opponents should be deployed to the field. But..."

He drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair, mulling over the issue at hand as she presented options to him. It was not a problem that could be fixed with a few technical developments or additional manpower, as much as he wanted to suggest more of both. The truth of the matter was that they were simply outmatched, and they needed to close that gap today because tomorrow was fast approaching.

"More than anything else, we need as great of an understanding of the situation as we can get. The data we will only get from going right into this abyss you speak of. So, as I am in the position to advise you on what direction to take, it would be figuring out how to make that work both logistically and technologically. I have spoken with the Grandmaster about leading such a venture, and he and I are in agreement that the sooner we can do so then the better."

As he seemed to have piqued her interest, Alastair could not help but feel like Calliope was leading him along to an eventual conclusion with her questions. He knew what he had signed up for, though, and made the effort to follow her along on this journey. It was not an unfamiliar road, in truth, but perhaps walking it aloud might elucidate him to details that he had missed. Two brains were often better than one, after all.

"Inside and out, though I believe that more came externally initially. It is my understanding that many of those Vasto Lorde that ventured into the hole after the attack have remained there for some time too, but their motivations for doing so are not so easily divined."

The second question she asked posed a more pertinent problem than he would have liked to have to outline, as there really was no good way to spin it. Alastair paused for a moment, wondering perhaps if she intended to test his ability to be tactful, before deciding to stick to his guns and speak the hard truth. She was a Director, her clearance at this time did exceed his own, but she would have to make peace with his directness soon enough.

"Individually? Perhaps one. As part of a combined taskforce, I would consider half a dozen of our most capable personnel up to the task. But, given the concentration of such threats and the likelihood of isolating any of them, any direct confrontation at this stage would be undesirable. I have no desire to lean on the Gotei United for support, but, in a contest of strength alone, the Vandenreich is sorely outgunned. We will have to find our edge another way, and that is why I believe we need to take the risk for the potential information we could gain."

Was he reassured that she agreed with his sentiments or quietly disappointed that she did not chastise him for painting the situation with such bleak strokes? It was hard for Alastair to decide himself, but he would not have changed his answer even after knowing her stance. To believe fervently in one's own judgement was a core tenet of his belief, or else one could find one's world quickly pulled down by the ideals of another. Perhaps that made him quite overbearing when it came to matters of conviction, but if that bothered him then the Quincy gave no outward sign.

"We will be thankful to have any experienced personnel in the field, Director, so I will welcome your direct oversight with open arms. If there is anything that the Sternritter can do to support you, I will endeavour to offer my personal aid."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, than Calliope was calling in that favour he had offered so innocently. Admittedly, she was likely about to do so anyway, given the leading nature of her tone alluding to the fact that this whole meeting might well have been a precursor to this one matter in particular. Alastair was quite taken aback by the proposal, his eyebrows rising an inch or so as he gave what was, to himself, a rather emotive response.

"You would wish for me to take this role? I have no qualms with my image being used for promotional purposes, nor with public speaking, but I am not an ideal mouthpiece. I will speak my own truth on the position the Vandenreich finds itself in, knowing that is a double-edged sword, and I have every intention of remaining on those aforementioned frontlines until this conflict is resolved so my availability will not be comprehensive. If you think that you can make those constraints work to your advantage then I will gladly put myself at your disposal."

“So be it, then. The Vandenreich will always have my heart, of that I know with certainty.”

Calliope’s satisfaction with his answer was the least surprising outcome. She had manoeuvred him into this position quite intentionally, and his temperament was hardly a secret, so she would have no reason to refuse his modest requirements. For how long that would last, though, was dependent on circumstances beyond either of their control right now. But the time would come eventually where he was no longer an unimportant but impassioned soldier, and his every word would be studied and scrutinised for even the slightest indication of what he was thinking. Then, when that crown hung heavy atop his head, he would likely need to learn from Calliope’s shrewd nature far more than he wanted to. Another sacrifice for his ideal future, he supposed.

“If you believe a new uniform is required then I can provide my measurements whenever they are needed. I trust you will keep me informed of any further developments, which is a service I will reciprocate in kind.”

Alastair had watched several monuments be unveiled during the past few years, this would not be the first for an incident that he had been a direct survivor of. That guilt stuck with him now just as it had then, the nagging voice that asked why he had not done more to save the fallen, but he could not change the past. Instead, he was being given the chance to shape the future so he would grasp that opportunity with both hands. There was no outward sign of this internal struggle, though, as that stoic mask remained firmly in place.

“It has been a pleasure to meet you in person, Director, but I would not wish to take up more of your time. I imagine we will be seeing more of each other in the weeks to come, after all.”