<strong>Nellens Daga</strong><br/><br/>“Your diligence is commendable, Magistrate.”<br/>Tepin Arisu set down her glass, which was now empty.<br/><br/>“And the General shares your opinion – the law must be seen to. It is the instrument that keeps the rule of the Scarlet Dynasty strong until the Empress' return – or her daughter's ascension.” The politics of House Sesus made it clear which daughter the broad-shouldered offer was referring to.<br/>“Until then, those of us entrusted with keeping the peace need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, like a phalanx.” That feral grin lit up her face again; Tepin Arisu was clearly enjoying this conversation. “You do trust the Legion to cover your back, don't you, Magistrate? You ought to show the same trust in our investigative work. After all, these days there's so much treason in An-Teng to ferret out, there are surely other cases calling for your attention, aren't there? The particulars of these cases don't merit your attention.”<br/><br/>The waiter reappeared, as silent as ever, but Arisu's big hand closed on the neck of the bottle before he could touch it, and she gave him a look strongly reminiscent of a lioness warning a hyena off. She poured herself another drink, filling the glass to the brim, a gesture that deftly displayed arrogance and intemperance in one.