PARTIZAN 34: Guests, Invited and Otherwise

## Episode Description

After months away, SBBR has finally returned to Oxbridge, only to find it burning. Every day, the city is rocked by its own political revolution, as members of the Organization for the Foundation of the Orion Republic--who seek to reform Stel Orion as a league of independent republics--fight against Principality loyalists in the streets, alleys, and canals of the Stel’s largest city on Partizan. The City of Little and Plenty is scarring over.

But SBBR (and much of Millennium Break) have their own wounds to attend to.

**This week on PARTIZAN: Guests, Invited and Otherwise**

### ///Operation Dossier\\\

#### //Organizations\\

**Organization for the Foundation of the Orion Republic (OFOR):** A group of growing import in Orion territory, who advocate for Orion’s secession from the Divine Principality and re-establishment as a league of democratic, merchant republics. Both OFOR and their opposition, the yet-unnamed Principality loyalist faction, have support across class demographics. Many corporations and independent guilds see OFOR as an opportunity for additional profit, while others believe that leaving the Principality is a risk too great to take.

**The Party of the Wolf:** One of two quickly growing parties inside of Millennium Break, named for their fallen hero, Valence. Though both parties support revolution, the Party of the Wolf advocates for radical, military action across Partizan and (eventually) the Principality in whole. Currently led by Jesset City.

**The Party of the Masque:** The other major party emerging inside of Millennium Break. Headed by Gucci Garantine, the Masques believe that a fast revolution will burn itself out (or be snuffed by the attention of the Principality writ large). They advocate for precision military action as part of a larger, ideological campaign that will bring the masses to their side of the conflict.

//People\\

**Gucci Garantine (she/her):** Defector from Stel Kesh, controller of House Brightline and HORIZON’s efforts on Partizan. Now a powerful member of Millennium Break’s political class, heading the Party of the Masque.

**Jesset City (he/him):** Previously worked for Adamant Arms and Manufacturing, Jesset became full time Oxblood Clan lieutenant and then a major figure in Millennium Break. Expert technician, veteran hollow pilot, and Cipher Certified by Stel Nideo. Utilizes prostheses on his right arm, switching between an affordable myoelectric model with grip hooks and a custom model specifically designed for interfacing with a hollow cockpit. SBBR’s CO for this mission.

**Cas'alear Rizah (cas/cas’, they/them):** Leader of the Swordbreakers, sibling of the Glorious Princept. Cas has brown skin with dark green hair up in a bun, with a few strands hanging down in front of their face (which is framed with similarly colored scales covering cas’ jawline and neck. Broken sword tattoos under their eyes. Reputation as being beautiful and brave by allies, unflinching and unpredictable by foes. Pilots the notorious Ataraxia. Was badly wounded in the defense against Motion and GLORY in Auspice.

**The Witch in Glass (she/her):** A mysterious figure who has recently begun prowling the cursed battlefields of Partizan, supposedly kidnapping, leading away, or otherwise retrieving the wounded and desperate. No one knows where she takes them, but reports always indicate that she arrives after the sound of bells and the appearance of strange distant shape in the sky.

**The Figure in Bismuth (he/them):** The Right Hand of the Witch in Glass. Former school teacher, now a supernaturally gifted ace pilot. Comes bearing gifts.

#### //Divines\\

**The Divine, Arbitrage (It/Its):** It is said that divinity was too long delayed this anteperennial machine, a god of trade. But the truth is, if it wanted to be divine in the twilight era, it simply would’ve negotiated that deal.

#### //Places\\

**Oxbridge:** Most bridges connect land to land, but the enormous Bridge of the Ox connects ocean ports to the docks of largest freshwater lake on the moon. Under the bridge rests Oxbridge, a dense city of canals and crimson light, and the first large scale Principality settlement to come to the moon, nearly 1000 years ago.

Oxbridge is split into three regions: Brightsky West, Underbridge, and Brightsky East. To the East and West, merchants, nobles, and the ever-upwardly mobile live, work, shop and play. But below the bridge’s shadow is an undercity of laborers both local and transient, eking by from job to job, day to day, by the fuel of their effort and the light of the red, phosphorescent “lamps” that give Underbridge its distinct glow, even in daytime.

Connecting it all together are a network of waterways, roads, and secret tunnels. And above it all is the Bridge of the Ox, the symbol of Orion’s commitment to (and mastery of) brute-force ideology.

In recent days, Oxbridge has been home to rolling gunfights and bloody skirmishes between those loyal to the Principality and those advocating for the state’s secession and reformation as a league of merchant republics.

**Deep Dish Steak House:** A loyal bar.

**Anomaly Theta-27:** According to all available public records, a strange gravity well. Absolutely not a farming world.

#### //Things\\

**The Reflecting Pool:** The Witch in Glass’ residence.

## Plot

### Opening Narration

It was well appointed, but not lavish. She never needed much; a humble desk, a good pen, an off angle view of the courtyard, which today was filled with dozens of recent recruits, going through an accelerated basic training regiment. With repairs to the structure complete, she had been offered something more grandiose, even something with an attached waiting area. But she'd turned it down. Yes, the optics were part of it, but more than anything it was a matter of her own attention. Now more than ever, she needed to remain focused on what came next for Millennium Break, just as she had once done for HORIZON.
Which is what those who felt that she was cold or conservative failed to understand. Gucci had years under her belt, operating a successful insurgent force. She knew that victory sometimes took risk. After all, she was walking these halls as a Kesh loyalist, while simultaneously living a second life, as the revolutionary Saint Dawn.
But victory also required patience, and PR. Which is why SBBR need to be reigned in. For now, at least. Flagrant association with the Branched, using stolen Divine parts as weapons, destroying a state cemetary during a funeral -- these are desperate tactics and Millennium Break had moved past desperation. No more flailing now. It was time to dance.

### Ending Narration

And there is a cut. And we see from this small hall where you've all gathered, to the city skyline of Oxbridge. And breaching the clouds above it, is the resurrected body of the Divine Past. A floating city of glass and gold.
And as the camera moves through it, it reveals that it is still in many ways broken. Pipes unfixed. Glass still shattered. But people moving through it. People in strange uniforms, going about their days. Some of them with eyes
dead from the experiences they've had; other's seemingly joyous for the oppotunity to live again. Some marked by crystal, some by glass, some by russian sage. And, as the camera moves further and further up, eventually it
reveals the throne room of the Witch.
Jack, what's it look like?
The throne room is a long rectangle. And the throne itself isn't where we expect to see it. Instead of sitting against the short wall at the end of the room, a tall backed wooden chair has been placed at the very center, as though it's advanced forwards towards the door. On the floor around the throne, arranged in individual vases, are cut flowers, and they make a complete circle, like a summoning sign of red, and blue, and black poppies. On the throne sits a figure. A white blouse, and a black skirt. Silver earrings, a bracelet, a couple of rings. She's fiddling with her nails, but then a great bell tolls, somewhere deep in the city. And she looks up at the sound.
The Witch in Glass wears a mask, like a band over her eyes. And at first it looks to be some kind of intricate fabric. But then we see dark stems, and little green grey leaves, and hundreds of purple blossoms. Curling over the face of Clementine is a living mask of russian sage.
The great landing bell tolls again. A pause. And then, from towers and belfries and spires, all over the glass city, the splash of responding bells sounds, all around.

## Cast

* Austin Walker (GM)
* Jack de Quidt (Kalar Anakalar)
* Keith J Carberry (Phrygian)
* Sylvia Clare (Ver'million Blue)
* Alicia Acampora (Kal'mera Broun)
* Andrew Lee Swan (The Figure in Bismuth)
* Art Martinez-Tebbel (Sovereign Immunity)
* Janine Hawkins (Thisbe)

### Other Appearances

* Gucci Garantine
* The Witch in Glass
* The Divine, Arbitrage
* Clementine Kesh

## New Music

* REDSKY. CENTERPOINT. OVERWINTER., 2:36:58.