Everything Looks To Be Fine

"When you are discovered do your best to escape, any time trying to reestablish your cover is time wasted in getting away."-Imperial Guard field manual.

"There has never been a situation that I talked myself into I couldn't talk myself out of, except for all the times I couldn't."-Chronicles of Lorentino

Facing down men with rifles it took everything in Rolando's will to not shift out of there. Nihls was practically screaming for him to do it. He knew differently though, it wasn't possible they had seen through his disguise, this was a test, it had to be. Everything in his Lorentino blood told him to just stand his ground and play his hand.

"What is this shit?" Indignant was the best tack he could take. The men with rifles didn't flinch, but Straber seemed to falter a little bit, either doubt or something else getting into him.

"We need to know who you are, because you aren't Vincent Delorey."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Straber seemed confused as to why Rolando was fighting it. Like he'd just accept he wasn't Delorey and come clean immediately. Rolando almost wanted to smile, he even quieted the screeching Nihls was doing in his ear. The men with rifles relaxed, Straber himself seemed to listen to another voice and then waved them off.

"Sorry about that Delorey we had to be sure."

"Sure of what? That I'm me? What kind of weird bullshit is this?" Rolando knew he had to sell the outrage, when people were testing you, being all too willing to let bygones be bygones means you're not who you say you are.

"No need to be affronted no damage was done."

"You almost had me executed in an office and I'm the one who's being too hung up on it?"

"You want the job or not."

"Its not a question of want, but need, but if you pull this shit on me again Straber we're going to throw down you understand that." Straber nodded, he was cowed by Rolando, it was the power position for him and he felt confident in exercising it. Rolando felt a lot better about the infiltration now.

****

"And Mr. Straber, let the fool think he's won, we need to find out who he's working for." The voice in Straber's ear was one he'd never heard before, but instantly regretted hearing.