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The fighting was getting them nowhere. All they were doing was spinning their wheels and they knew it. Thankfully, Kallichore had her cousin at her side, who agreed with her. The cousins stood on the same ground when it came to the in-fighting, and the senshi in red squeezed Serpentarius' arm in thanks for standing by her.

Kallichore's voice was stern, but calm. "Some aren't ready for another operation yet, which I think is fine. It doesn't mean any one of us is any less willing to fight. But maybe..." Her voice trailed off. She knew she and Serpentarius were some of the members who were not present during Operation Rota, and while they did not have that experience to rely on, Kallichore thought that their opinion mattered just the same. That's what Ares had told her, anyway. For saving her life, Kallichore pledged herself to the cause, but they had to go about it intelligently.

"I agree with you," she said, gesturing to Birhan. "We have to be smarter. Yes, I know that I wasn't there for the previous operation. If I was awake then, I would have been. But why don't we pool our resources and use our collective heads to come up with an operation that suits as many needs and skills as possible?" She knew many wouldn't agree with this, especially Nemesis. Nemesis wanted to move forward as quickly as possible. But without communal agreement, the Court would fall apart before Kallichore and Serpentarius could get their own mission off the ground. If the Court fell apart, Kallichore and her cousin would be left to their own devices again, and without a group, they couldn't make much of a dent in the Negaverse.

Making another wide gesture, Kallichore added one last thing. "What if capture and torture isn't what we need to do at this time? There are no doubt other ways to get what we need."

The Special Forces led by Gunn were the members of the Blood Moon Court who proved right from the start that they had iron stomachs and firm will. It was a strength of character that Ares knew every member would have to rise to achieve. The growth from cadet to mercenary was intended to be a hardening one. Senshi came in naive and ready to learn and then rose up as warriors who would saw through their own flesh just to live another day. Ares knew enough not to lead with this during recruitment, but when Birhan Isat spoke, she had to force herself to keep the frown from her lips. Special Forces was just the beginning -- all of the BMC would have to dirty their hands to see a victory in this war. It could not be rested on their shoulders alone.

It was difficult, but Ares forced herself to remain silent while the others voiced their opinions. Birhan might call her a dictator; it didn’t make it true. The faction needed someone at the top to make the decisions that the rest of the members waffled on. At the end of the day, there needed to be one person who could slash their hand and make the tough calls. That person had always been Ares. Most of the people who now railed against her were cadets that she had personally recruited. Now they betrayed her, openly, in front of the rest of the Court. It felt like a coup, and Ares had no intention of letting that happen.

When Birhan likened her to a leader of the White Moon, Ares narrowed her eyes. “No one complained when we planned this out. We train to kill Negas every day – so why is it shocking when we actually kill Negas?” The Senshi of Smoke squared her shoulders. “If I was a member of the White Moon leadership, I would not be standing here right now. I would either be running away, or praying in a corner for a dead princess to waltz out of the grave to save me. But I won’t do that because we don’t do that. This is not a dictatorship, Birhan. If it was, I wouldn’t stand here and let you disgrace me like this.” The words spat at her hurt, even if Ares wasn’t willing to show it. They were a team, or at least they were supposed to be. Now they felt like strangers.

There was too much going on for Ares to police Nemesis and Vulcan. She was too busy defending herself and fighting the overwhelming urge to start yelling. “Don’t preach the values of this Court to me. I made this Court. None of you – not a single one of you – would be here without my influence and my organization. So don’t talk down to me about our mission and our values. I built those values.” Rage slipped in at the ends of her words. Ares took a deep breath. It was becoming increasingly difficult to mediate her anger.

Gray eyes snapped to Sirius. “Of course we have a plan. Of course it will be different. Of course we will learn from our mistakes. I have simply been cut off from explaining anything to any of you. We need to focus on our next mission. That is what I am trying to say.” Her eyes moved to Sailor Leto. The girl had given an impassioned speech, and it made Ares look at her with increasing interest. Yes, this was an ally. And so it was like that – who was with her, and who was against her. The faction she tried so hard to unite felt like it was crumbling in her hands.

Slowly, Ares pulled her cloak from her shoulders and draped it over the table. “I will not wear a cloak for unity if we are not unified,” she said. “We are the faction that stands by each other while the rest of the White Moon scatters. If you won’t stand with me, then where do any of us stand? Would you see this faction fall apart? Would you?” It was dramatic, but it was better than shoving Birhan or calling Scylla a coward.

It had not been a very good three weeks. No, it had not. It had been three weeks full of tightening her patrol loop to her district of the ******** the docks, ******** Crystal, ******** just ******** everything. She didn't ever want to be further away from home than three minutes sprinting.

If this fooled with her standing among the other ISS members? So be it.

Everyone could talk. Gunn just wanted to listen. Her hands were moving, a constant rustle beneath her crimson cloak. It was string--something to keep her mind occupied so she couldn't fuss over her civilian cousin. Kreszant. He would be okay for the duration of the meeting, wouldn't he? Surely Wolframite didn't remember anything, did he? They had all done so much to him, one name... Surely he would have forgotten it.

She couldn't risk that. Her fingernails picked apart another knot and she gritted her teeth. This was going to be a fun night, wasn't it? All arguments and complaints. And… no solutions. Although Birhan Isat had a point. The Special Forces were made for this, it was the reason for their creation, and she had rankled originally when told those less skilled, more squeamish, would be made to torture others. That was a quick route to accidental death, wasn't it? Which would be a waste of resources and time. Granted, it was best if others could achieve her level of… skill?… but at the same time…

There was no way in hell she wanted Wolframite back here as a prisoner. She would much prefer him as a corpse.

Still, she'd made much of her reputation on silence, and she held it until she saw Ares move to take off her cloak. When the Blood Moon leader did that, Gunn followed suit, silently. Only then did she announce, "I agree with Zinkenite as a target. I would prefer Wolframite to be killed on sight. There is nothing more to learn from him." She had already aired most of her grievances to Ares in the meeting beforehand. Shorter durations on the operation--less time for the Court to drop their guard. It was sensible, wasn't it?

Gunn looped another knot around her fingers, tied it tight and started to pick it apart. It was the one thing betraying her anxiety.

Birhan breathed easier as small comments of agreement and support came from around the room. The disagreement was stronger, of course - god, of course, Birhan herself had joined the BMC to kick a** and make a difference, and everyone else had, too. But it helped to know that she wasn't imagining how Ares was driving them. No consideration for others, no sense of care for her Court, just the next mission.

Birhan had been right. There would never be 'enough' for Ares. Not that they should rest on their laurels, or get all touchy-feely as Nemesis accused Birhan and Scylla of being. But there used to be a balance. Birhan's loyalty to Ares wasn't due to an oath or a brand or the fear of reprisal from people who knew her civilian identity - Birhan's loyalty to Ares was because Ares had cared about Birhan. Or rather, Ares used to. Now Birhan was left wondering if something had changed that, or if Ares had only been pretending all along, to give Birhan what Ares knew would bind her closer.

"I don't think we should do nothing," she stated, calmer now that more opinions were out in the open. "The Negaverse certainly won't be resting - they have the numbers to keep acting even if our former guests are recuperating. However, I think this meeting has proven that we need to strike a balance of our own."

She turned to Ares and dropped her voice. This wasn't meant to be a stage production. Birhan dearly wished it hadn't come to this, that she hadn't had to call Ares out in front of the Court. It was rude, it was disrespectful, it made the ISS look so much weaker... But Ares had proven that she would not listen privately. Ares had proven, with her opening speech to the Court, that she wasn't the same leader who had started the BMC, who cared for the wellbeing of her warriors while directing them to do the most damage. Soft eyes entreated Ares, as Birhan tried to speak privately to her leader. (No doubt the acoustics of this place meant that some parts would be overheard, especially by those on or close to the stage.)

"Ares, please. I am worried - about you and for you. You never used to act this way. The Ares I saw today, in our private meeting and on this stage, talks like her warriors mean nothing to her apart from numbers in a war. That isn't the person I followed into the Blood Moon Court. That isn't the person I know - or thought I knew." Birhan clenched and unclenched her fists uselessly, til she realised she was giving herself away, and shook them out. One hand raked through her bangs and she sighed. "If you want people to follow you with no reservations, they need to feel like you care for them. But recently, you've been... frankly, very callous. You haven't even acknowledged our losses - even Rota earned more than that from you. Instead you are orientated solely on results - and I know results matter, I know they do. But you can't treat these people like cogs in a machine, or automaton soldiers and expect to have the same loyalty you did in the beginning. They have to know that you care. Especially when we are dying for you."

Would Ares listen? Could Ares even understand that this wasn't an attack? Birhan had never been comfortable with being a dissenting voice in the ISS, largely due to her status as a base level senshi and her strength of loyalty to Ares for bringing Birhan in. For her to speak up, both during Rota and now, meant things were very wrong to force Birhan to break her ways. This meeting was proving that Birhan wasn't the only one to feel something was wrong with the BMC at the moment.

Birhan loved this Court, the best family she'd ever had. She loved her leader. She didn't want her second family to fall apart as her first had, but she couldn't remain silent while it was slowly poisoned from within.

Please, oh please, let Ares listen.

Sailor Ares had never been made for diplomacy. She knew plenty about battle and conquest, but when it came to matters of appeasing people and greasing palms, she was a novice. That had always been the realm of Aphrodite, or even Helen herself. Ares just stood in a corner and looked imposing. She would have snapped any neck at the urging of a single look from Nehelenia. When the eyes of her faction gazed upon her, the parallel senshi found herself looking around for who was in charge, only to realize it was her.

Each voice that rose up against her felt like a knife in her back, slowly twisting. The sharpest dagger of all came from a senshi she thought to be something of a protege: Birhan Isat. Ares turned steely eyes to her when the Senshi of Rebirth approached to whisper. Now she wanted privacy? Now she wanted to share a moment? It was too late. Ares leaned in, eyes downcast. She turned her back on the rest of the room and whispered for Birhan's ears only: "You've shown me now what you truly think of me, and you've hung me out to dry before my own people. Don't waste your breath feigning regret with me now." Her eyes rose in a flash, burning on Birhan's own. "You're a weak little girl rising up against a mountain. You'll lead them to their deaths without me, and then there will be no one else's hands to throw that blood on. I am not the one who has changed, sailor. You are. I am who I have always been."

A few quick paces took her back to the center of the small speaking area. "I see that many of you have qualms. Fine. Let's all take some time and write up papers on how you would like to run our next mission. Put it all on paper, all of your ideas. Then give it to Birhan Isat. She'll be planning our next strategical move." One hand raised lightly, a metal cuff glinting in the low light. "Perhaps she will be able to orchestrate our next attack in a way that is more pleasing to the majority. I will assist in any way that I can, of course, and I trust all of you will too -- put all your faith in her." There was a seriousness in Ares' voice. It was unclear if this was sarcasm or honesty.

The Eternal Senshi of Smoke made no move to don her crimson cloak again. "I apologize for the hastiness of this, but I think it would be prudent for her to take over this meeting now in order to set the Blood Moon Court on the right course." With nothing else, Ares picked her way through the crowd and exited abruptly through the back door, leaving the rest of the Court behind her. Something changed in the air; it made her stomach burn.

Shifting to face Ares, the last thing Kallichore had expected was for the Court's leader to outright leave. She looked quite... odd. Not enraged, but certainly not happy. The senshi wasn't sure what to make of it. All Kallichore was trying to do was to solve the immediate problem posed by the discussion. She kept her thoughts and her opinions about the matter of who was in charge to herself and stood beside Serpentarius for the time being. If Birhan was now in charge of the meeting and she wanted suggestions, then perhaps Serpentarius and herself could come up with something and present it to Birhan. It made the most sense. Now that the discussion took a turn, the senshi in red took a seat and crossed her legs.

Whether or not there was turmoil in the Inner Sanctum was their business to solve as far as Kallichore was concerned. She was a lowly Cadet and had no place to question what they were doing, but if Ares trusted Birhan, then so be it. Kallichore went about making a mental list of things to give to Birhan as suggestions - attacking, questioning and then killing some of the top officers as necessary, but only a few at a time. Perhaps finding the corrupted one called Alkaid to find out how the corruption process works, where the opposition holds court... things like that.

Surprisingly, Kallichore found herself a bit anxious to find out how the others would take the pseudo change in leadership. This was her first meeting. Did things happen like this often?

"Ares!" the Black Moon Senshi's decision to forfeit her responsibility instead of facing the questions her followers had to offer was stunning. Scylla felt the knife twist in her gut and clenched her hands to her stomach, as though it were a physical blow. How could the other woman think it responsible to up and leave? Ares was a fighter, she was stubborn, she should then be here, listening, not leaving like an upset child. Oh, how Scylla wished she knew what had been said to Birhan to put that expression on the other senshi's face.

The senshi of smoke did not turn as her (former? Oh, god,) friend called her name, and Scylla took a deep breath, looking around the room. She had called for a change to be made in the plan. Sometimes, the senshi of the Kraken decided, one needed to be more specific in what they wished for. But Ares had left the Senshi of Rebirth in charge, and so it would be. Scylla watched as Nemesis walked away- no surprise. Her words were no surprise either. It was what many would be thinking. A regular senshi, instead of Ares?

The best thing Scylla could do for her Court right now was to heal, and help them to be ready for what would come. Her loyalty, in the end (and as a surprise to her) was to the Court and the people inside it, not only to Ares. "Our Captain has placed you in charge for now, Birhan Isat. I will have my notes done by morning, if you actually need them from me." She thought she'd been pretty clear overall on her opinions.

One eternal had left in a hissy fit and the Court's leader was pouting. All Eternal Sailor Scylla could do was throw her weight behind Birhan- and behind Ares' words, if not her actions. The whole of the Inner Sanctum- minus, unfortunately, the missing Ares- was included in her nod. "I will be at practice tomorrow, at the usual location." She would have to break out a window, but the old house was still the best place for the Court to train. "I would suggest to the Council and to the rest of the Court- Cadets and Mercenaries alike- that this be a first step to getting the Blood Moon back on track." Fight Club had always been popular.

Scylla made it a point to remain until the end of the meeting.

Eyes coolly assessed the crowd and everything in Albali rejected the idea of following anyone other than Ares. She had been recruited by her, trained by her, and then had sworn to follow her through death and damnation if need be, so that they might be victorious. Following her out of the room seemed like the most logical of ideas but at the same time...who would be left to report? Wasn't her job still to keep an eye on things so that there would be a concise record of what was going on?

In other words it was Albali's job to see who was truly loyal and who was not. She felt she was the obvious choice and the one most suited in the end for this kind of work. Surely her friend and her captain would understand that she did not follow out of a desire to follow the new leadership, but to be her eyes when hers were not welcome. So it was that the newest member of the red robe society simply pulled her hood back up over her dark hair and watched silently from inside of its cowl.

In that brief hour she would have killed happily for her Blackberry.