Firebrand

First, it was the fires.

It late October and three of the offices of the Consolidated Associate Traders of Zenobia were subject to arson. Within the space of a weekend offices on the Rim - Hales Moon, MacLaren's Drift and Caliban were put to the torch. The sign of a Raven was left at each location.

Security cameras on MacLaren's Drift showed a suspect and it was that image that I was handed upon my return to homeworld. To my surprise I recognized him right away. This was the man that was with Jai Raghilda, Zeno Baxton, and Desmond Serenity on the old Zenobia trade station. I showed a photo of them to Ms. Raghida on Gateway station. She had called him "Coop".

Sentry upon his arrest had told his friends to tell Duncan he would be back. Later during interrogation he let slip that Duncan was a member of the 12th Airborne.

I added these facts together and did a quick search of the criminal records database. It seemed that our arsonist was Major Duncan "Coop" Cooperstone of the 12th Airborne. Records indicate that he was associated with the Dust Devils immediately after the war.

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Next, came the nuclear explosion in Londinium.

In response, Zenobia closed her borders. This was no surprise really. If someone sneezes, Zenobia will close her borders. Mine are an insular people.

However, the burning of the Rim world offices by a member of the 12th Airborne coupled with the explosion in the heart of the Core itself and a not-so-subtle shift occurred in our domestic politics. A large portion of the Trade Bloc came asking ... no, they came begging for the Military Wing to protect them.

Concession were made. Deal conducted. Legislation passed.

Some changes were done quite openly, like the change in orbital stations. Other changes were made quietly, behind the scenes. Of course, this was only the start. Things will have to be adjusted in such a way that there is no going back to the fragmented nature characteristic of Zenobian domestic politics up to this point.

Soon the power shift would be complete and Ardra could sell the bones of St. Zenobius on the Cortex for all it would matter. There would no longer be the threat of civil war.

We would have peace in our time.

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Then, they arrested Sentry.

Now this was a puzzle.

The story on the wire was that Sentry Swashbuckler would be tried as a ringleader of those responsible for the bombing of Londinium.

This did not make a lot of sense to me. I arrested Sentry when he was surrounded by his friends. He came quietly. I interrogated Sentry over the period of two days. He accused me of trying to get HIS throat cut when I pressured him on the 12th Airborne. Hardly threatening.

This did not sound like the actions of a ringleader.

There was also a photograph to consider.

It showed Sentry along with a few others in the process of moving crates of obsidian, a highly illegal drug. The sort of thing that would be sold to finance such an operation as the Londinium Incident.

Still, it seemed too neat, too perfect. The photo arrived anonymously and not from a usual source.

The other thing that went in Sentry's favour was that before the picture arrived, before the arrest, he had tried to contact me using diplomatic channels. This also didn't match the profile. It is not what I would expect from someone like Cooperstone, for example.

Perhaps Sentry had gotten himself into something bad. Perhaps he realized something was going to happen.

There was only one way to find out.

Time to visit Sentry.

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[ooc - thanks to Duncan and the anonymous source for the pictures and character backstory.]