Log Title: Secret Luck
Characters: Baroness and Major Bludd
Location: Major Bludd's Office - Luck, California
Date: 5-18-2023
TP: I Am A Rock TP
Summary: Bludd and Baroness have a meeting.
As logged by Baroness
- LOG BEGINS
Major Bludd's Office[]
A wide desk of dark wood stands ten feet from the door, facing it, with a black leather swivel chair behind it. Within easy reach of the desk is a small bookcase filled with binders and folders. A few grey file cabinets stand at the back of the room and to either side of a window which looks out onto the courtyard of the Command Sector below. A door connects this office with that of the command staff secretarial pool.
When the office is occupied, the desk is usually taken up by a laptop computer and a smattering of papers, binders, folders, and writing implements.
Major Bludd sits behind his desk, idly flipping through something on his phone. His feet, clad in brown loafers, rest on the desk as he leans back in his chair. At this time of evening the office is empty but for a lone security man outside the office door.
A Night Raven lands at the Luck Airport, a single person disembarks, and the Night Raven is back in the air only moments later. The person who disembarked, is met by a Limo, and taken to an office park, and shown into a particular office.
Anastasia steps towards Bludd's office, and nods to the Security man. "He is still here, I assume?"
The security officer, a burly-looking fellow in a flawless black suit and shades, straightens to attention and salutes. "Yes, Ma'am." He holds the salute for a moment longer, then turns to open the door for her.
Major Sebastian Bludd
At the opening of the door, Bludd puts his feet on the floor and sits up. He smiles at Anastasia and motions toward himself, setting the phone aside.
Anastasia smiles at Sebastian, and she steps towards the desk. She tilts her head just a little, looking at Sebastian closely, "I see the easy life suits you."
The security man shuts the door behind Anastasia, resuming his watch on the other side. Bludd has had a comfortable chair brought in, probably the same one he provided for the Commander some weeks back, for her visit, and he gestures to it. "I dunno about 'easy', he replies. "Civilian, surely. But this place keeps me busy, have no fear. What brings you by?"
Baroness Anastasia DeCobray
Anastasia sits down in the chair and makes it her own. She reaches into a hidden pocket, and brings out a small device, she presses a button on it, and suddenly any cameras, listening or recording devices no longer work. She then says, "I have some work for you. I am not sure which, yet, I want to proceed with, but I have a couple things I'd like to go over with you and see what you can come up with."
Bludd, true to form, ignores both the computer and the mobile phone on his desk and instead reaches into his back pocket and produces a small black paperback notebook and a pen. "I'm all ears," he says.
Anastasia says simply, "Sudan. It is in turmoil, at the moment. Civil War breaking out, going on ceasefire, but just waiting for a spark." She smiles, Second, Trucial Abysmia. For the myriad of reasons we have been interested in it in the past." She than leans back in the seat, crosses her legs, "Do you think Cobra could take over either of these countries, like we did with Cobra Unity and Frusenland?"
He scribbles briefly in the notebook, then tilts his head, tapping the pen against his jaw as he thinks. "Have to do a little research," he says after a moment. "I'm less familiar with Sudan than with Francophone African nations." He frowns. "I'm not terribly familiar with TA either, beyond what work Cobra's already done there. The current Sheikh views Cobra favorably if I remember right." He looks up. "If there's political leverage to be had, I reckon that's a bit more your department, m'dear. If military assets need to be boosted, moved, or eliminated, I'm yer man. Lemme check with some of my people in Cote d'Ivoire and Grenoble as well. There're some transplants who have some experience in Sudan. They might have some insights."
Anastasia nods, "With TA, it is more of, I, personally am tired of being dictated to, by the Sheikh. I am not sure I could talk the Commander into an Invasion of TA, but I like to have options."
Bludd scribbles some more. "I wasn't aware there was anybody could push -you- around, Ana." He smirks faintly, but his expression quickly reverts to a mildly sympathetic one. "What's he want that you don't like?"
"More money. More freedom to do what he wants. And complaints that we are not sending him enough Oil to export." Anastasia says simply, "I tire of his whining."
"Well, I'll see if I can turn up some way to quiet his complaints," Bludd says. "Do you have another you'd like in his place, or you just want a message sent?"
Anastasia shrugs, "For now, I suppose, a Message. Replacing him would mean breaking in a new Sheikh." She sighs, "And his country is really not worth invading. Perhaps for potential invasion targets, you might have a better idea for another Potential Target? Perhaps concentrate on Africa?" She shrugs, "Just thinking out loud, really... but I would like options when it comes to where to commit troops to. I want another relatively easy conquest."
"Plenty of strife in Africa," Bludd muses. "As long as we're talking military-on-military activity here. I'm not interested in designing operations that target civilians and innocents."
"I'd rather the civilians saw us liberators, rather than conquerors. Too much rebellion in Cobra Unity for my taste." Anastasia says simply, "So, Military on Military is all I am looking for."
Bludd nods, seeming satisfied with that. He jots down a few more notes, then looks up at her with a smile. "Anything else?"
A soft shaking of her head is given, "Other than a wish that, for now, these plans stay between us." Anastasia smiles sadly, "With all the factions inside Cobra, I'd rather none of them get wind of my plans." She wants no one else taking credit for work she is paying to have done.
"My lips are sealed, m'dear." Bludd closes the little notebook and wraps his fingers around it. "I'll be in touch next week with some info. I can have someone courier it to you on Cobra Island from here, to be certain it's not overheard by anybody."
"And miss a chance to come see you in person?" Anastasia asks softly, "Why would I not want to come see my oldest friend. Not to mention, it gets me off the Island for a few hours, and with Interrogator trying to kill Inquisitor... and his feud with Mindbender, a mini-vacation is always welcome."
Bludd chuckles. "Alright. You just wanna schedule another little meeting next week then? Can't blame you for wanting to keep your distance from all of that. Maybe I can even arrange a little tour of the place. If you like."
Anastasia nods, "Just send me a message when everything is ready, and I'll stop by when our schedules match up." Anastasia says. She stands up, and smiles at Bludd, "It really is good to see you looking relaxed. You deserve a little peace."
Bludd also stands. "Good to see you too, Ana." He gestures to the office they're in. "It's different to what I've been used to, but I'm getting to like it. Starting to feel less like this life is -too domestic- for me."
"If I catch you in an apron, I will kidnap you, throw you in the middle of a hot zone, and wait for you to get back to base, before laughing at you." Anastasia says with a real smile.
Bludd bursts out laughing. "Apron?! No worries about that, love. It's just a bit odd having a -commute-. Granted I commute via Extensive Enterprise car and jet but it's still a commute."
Anastasia nods, ever so slightly, "Traveling in style now a days, Sebastian. Sure beats a Stinger in the Desert... Although your current travel arrangements sure do not have enough weapons for my taste."
"I'm hoping nobody will try to mug me whilst I'm on a private jet," Bludd quips, his left eyebrow and cheek twitching in what would be a wink. "I like what you've done with your hair," he adds in a seeming non-sequitur. "'S different, but it suits you. Course there's not much you could do that'd make you look -bad-, in my humble opinion." He grins.
Anastasia actually blushes, just a little at that, "Oh.... I thought it was time for a change. And I'm told it makes me look ten years younger." She shrugs her shoulders, slightly, "So, that means I am only 60, instead of 70."
"Age is but a number, love." Bludd walks around the end of the desk to stand beside her, adding quietly, "You're beautiful no matter which number you pick."
Anastasia smiles at Bludd, and says softly, "You are ever the gentleman and poet, Sebastian. Kimber's a lucky woman." She pats him on the shoulder, and then says, "My ride will be here in 20 minutes, so I should get back to the airport." She picks up the device she used to kill any monitoring devices, and flips it off, slipping it back into the hidden pocket. She smiles at Sebastian, and says, "Thank you for your assistance."
Bludd ducks his head in the slightest of bows at her compliment, smiling. He reaches out to give her elbow a gentle squeeze and nods. "My pleasure. Have a safe trip back."
Anastasia smiles once more at Sebastian, "Enjoy your trip home. Say hello to Kimber for me." With that, she slips out of the Office, and heads back to her limo.
- LOG ENDS