City of 4,000 Spies
The resort city of Lell lies on the remarkable Lake of Many Colors, where 100,000 fragments merge and re-merge into billions of patterns. One can spend multiple lifetimes watching its fantastic, ever-swirling waves and never (not once) see a representation repeated.
However, no one comes to Lell to watch the Lake. Lell is an international city where guests from a million different sectors are fully welcomed, as long as their cash holds out! It is where one comes to mine the most precious mineral of all — the mineral of information. They say that the resort city of Lell has over 4,000 spies. That’s not counting the taxi drivers, the hotel staff, the Farqat dealers in the casino, the Unie barkeepers, the Antonine fortune-tellers, and the ever-present Koopsie girls, any one of whom will gladly gather whatever information that is requested, for a sizable tip.
“Rarrko, the second son of the Great Nobleman of Sassko, was probably Lell’s most recognizable spy. He was handsome, athletic, and ingenious. He wore flashy high-end fashion and drove a speeder that broke 1.75. He was seldom seen without a bevy of beautiful females and was often described with that old-fashioned word “playboy” (although no one knew what it meant).
He looked the part of a spy. He moved in the nuanced way that spies moved.
If you asked him, “what is your occupation?”, he would smugly smile and say, “I am a spy, of course.” If you would follow up with another question, “who are you spying for?” he would again smirk, “Who ever pays me the most.”
However, he was already wealthy beyond imagination.”
Rona:
“Cadet Squad Leader Rona EN Beelzie reporting as requested, Sir.”
Commander:
“You may stand at ease Cadet Squad Leader.
“I have been reviewing the performance of this epoch’s graduating class. I am pleased to share that Squad CVZ-678 had the overall highest marks, and most importantly, the highest rate of graduation success of any cadet squad.
“Congratulations on your excellent leadership.”
Rona:
“Thank you, Sir. We have worked extremely hard to perform at the level that the Empire Sha Yot expects for its military officers.”
Commander:
“Based on your outstanding performance at the Military Tactics College, I believe you will prove to be an excellent officer for the Empire.”
Rona:
“Thank you, sir. Your commendation means a great deal to me.”
Commander:
“I see that your specialization is intelligence.
“Cadet, you are about to receive your very first military assignment. It is an assignment that is of utmost importance to the Empire. It is an assignment against our most hated enemy, the Kingdom Gje.”
“However, because of some pathetic treaties that some traitors to the Empire foolishly signed, we cannot deal with our hated enemy by direct military action. We must address the matter through clandestine action.
“Do you understand my intent, Cadet?
Rona:
“Yes, Sir I do. My loyalty to the Empire’s new leader is absolute. I will do all that is within my power to fulfill our national ambitions, to destroy our hated enemy, to restore the fallen honor of the Empire Sha Yot.
“I am ready for this assignment.”
Commander:
“Good. Now, Junior Intelligence Officer Rona EN Beelzie, you are due a vacation, a celebration for your hard work, an extended party, two weeks of pure fun, in the beautiful resort city of Lell.”