The destruction of a Divine, the killing of an Elect, and war on a new front: Any one of these could shift the balance of power on a moon like Partizan. So when all three occurred in Obelle, the great Stels began to analyze, strategize, and maneuver immediately. Squadrons were re-deployed, diplomats recalled, artists commissioned, and clergy and commentariat both called to weigh in.
But for Stel Kesh, one matter was more important than any other: The safe and honorable recovery of the body of their lost Elect and the retrieval of enough of their ruined Divine so that they may begin the arduous process of revitalization, a task which required a great deal of knowledge, even more salvaged material, and the gumption to put the two together.
To this end, the newly minted—and still clandestine—Rapid Evening are deployed across the sea, under the orders of erstwhile heiress and novice commander Clementine Kesh (Jack de Quidt). Can Clementine, along with former pirate Exeter Leap (Ketih J. Carberry), religious advisor Sovereign Immunity (Art Tebbel), and AWOL super soldier Ver'Million Blue (Andi Clare), secure acceptable terms with one of her Stel's most ardent foes? Or will negotiations break down under the weight of old enmity and new blood?
This week on PARTIZAN: SHORESIDE RECOVERY - DINNERDATE
///Operation Dossier\\\
//Organizations\\
The Rapid Evening: A small, covert ops squad loyal to Stel Kesh and named for a now ancient unit of spies, saboteurs, and secret agents.
The Curtain: Allegedly, the Curtain is the cryptocratic organization that pulls the levers of power in Stel Kesh. In reality ████████████.
Silversky Salvage and Repair: Salvagers are a dime a dozen, but with chief engineer Sombre Sky in the pit, no one on Partizan is better at putting a machine back together. Dispatched to Obelle along with the Rapid Evening to ensure that the most important parts of Past are retrieved.
//People\\
Clementine Kesh (she/her): Formerly sixth in line to the throne of Stel Kesh and the Principality writ large. Was assigned to "religious leave" in order to remove her from the line of succession and place her in comparative safety on the moon of Partizan. Now leads the Rapid Evening out of ambition and boredom. Dreams of ruling Stel Kesh.
Sovereign Immunity (he/him): Member of the Shepherd's Crook, a sect of Received Asterism famous for placing high ranking members in advisory roles across many Stels (despite the sect's loyalty to Stel Nideo). Imprisoned for the crime of kidnapping of Dahlia years before they would declare themself the Glorious Princept, then reassigned to the Rapid Evening. He is also known as the Farmer and Byron. Dreams of being assigned to Clementine as her official Sovereign Immunity.
Exeter Leap (he/him): A space pirate and one of the few remaining members of the Equiaxed culture in Stel Columnar space. Imprisoned for the aforementioned piracy before being assigned to the Rapid Evening. Dreams of escaping imprisonment.
Ver'Million Blue (she/her): Created as part of an Apostolosian super soldier program, Million is an excellent sharpshooter who went AWOL (violently) and was eventually picked up as a POW by Stel Kesh. Recently deployed to Partizan as part of the Rapid Evening. Dreams of real freedom.
Crysanth Kesh (she/her): Clementine Kesh's mother. Third in line to the throne of Kesh. Would likely be a ranking member of The Curtain, if such an organization existed.
Audacious Opportunity (A.O.) Rooke (he/him): Was a young freelance mercenary operating under Stel Orion charter before being captured by Stel Kesh on an assignment deep behind enemy lines. Now deployed to the Rapid Evening.
Gucci Garantine (she/her): Vassal and political attache to House Brightline of Stel Kesh. She and House Brightline reportedly have ties to the "reformist" (read: terrorist) organization HORIZON. Rivals with Clementine Kesh.
Sombre Sky (she/her): Chief engineer at Silversky Recovery and Restoration, she stays out of politics except for when politicians bring her new gear to play with.
Calendar Longyear (they/them): A young ship captain who has inherited their grandmother's vessel, the final asset of their house's once affluent estate. Eager to make something of themself, they just don't know what.
Cas'alear Rizah (cas/cas', they/them): Leader of the Swordbreakers an elite Apostolosian Hallow unit. See entry in Dossier 01 for more details.
//Places\\
The Verglaz Taiga: Wrapped around the northern latitudes of Partizan, the Verglaz is a beauty to take in, at least from the comfort of the palatial Kesh estates which dot its wooded expanses. From the smaller villages and towns, where feudal tenants huddle for warmth in the snow, whatever aesthetic pleasure the taiga may offer the rich is lost. In the south west, though, a new source of warmth has made its presence known: The burning engine of the Apostolosian war machine, which melts the ice away with artillery barrage and crashed mech, both.
Cruciat: The Jewel of Kesh's holdings on Partizan (and the home of the Stel's Winter Palace) sits on a cross shaped island in the northernmost reaches of the Prophet's Sea
The Winter Palace: Owned and managed by House Kesh, but eternal "home" to the Princept, whether they choose to visit or not. Built for privacy and access, featuring both its own port and trainyard.
Westhaven: Kesh's military might is most centered in this province, which stretches across its westmost ports and up against its border with chief rival, Apostolos. "Westhaven stands so that we may serve dinner in the palace."
The Estatelands: The southeastern taiga, where the climate is most temperate and the tall trees stand closely together, is home to the dozens of noble families who rule Kesh's lands on Partizan. Miles of canopy suddenly broken by vast, cleared and pruned acreage.
//Things\\
"The Old Treaties": A collection of documents referring to now-ancient law that ensures the safe recovery and return of the bodies of Elects and Divines wounded in any civil conflicts across Divinity. Divines and Elects are both honored and respected assets to the state, and these treaties represent the mutually understood belief that the Principality will outlive whatever conflict is occurring.
//Additional Notes\\
The Rapid Evening's Mission Objectives: Primary: Ensure that Silversky Recovery and Restoration can retrieve key parts of the body of Past, as well as the body of Cymbidium, Past's elect. Secondary: Produce actionable intel about who killed Cymbidium. Additionally: Recover anything they've already stolen from Past.
Rules of Engagement: The deployment of chemical, biological, explosive, and/or poisonous weapons is forbidden. Additionally, kill or capture anyone who has accessed the Divine Past's memory.
A transcription is available for this episode here.
A transcription is available for this episode here.