7 June 2021
11:32 am
On a Monday
Eskilborg, Prydania
The sound of the clock ticked away slowly, and Louisa Grundt was a bundle of nerves.
How could she not be? She'd had to flee Prydania, her homeland, in a whirlwind of chaos. Her brother hadn't had time to explain much before they left, only that "he couldn't do it anymore," referring to the Syndicalist People's Militia.
He would explain more when they were able to get settled in Saintonge. About how the Militia's abuses were too much, how he needed to get out...but he was always hesitant to speak of specifics.
And now Louisa was back in Prydania. Even knowing the War had been over for close to four years made her return nerve-racking. The memories of the conflict, and the fact that she was related to a Syndicalist. One who turned on them or not...the possibility that her name would be flagged worried her.
Of course her editor assured her it was fine, and it was. She passed through customs in Býkonsviði without issue, the only comment related to her past being a "welcome back" remark from the customs officer.
She didn't have much time to spend in the capital though. The ÖSU had a car waiting for her, set to take her to the new ÖSU HQ in Eskilborg, to the south. And the trip actually calmed her a bit. The road hugged the Ryon River, and Louisa had found the scenery on the way here from Býkonsviði rather pleasant.
Prydania tended to defy the common perception of it in more southern lands come summer, and it did bring to mind a host of pleasant smells and sights she hadn't thought of in years. Yes, the car trip had calmed her.
Now though? Well...she found found herself in a normal conference room about to meet the head of Prydania's intelligence agency. The normalcy and extraordinary of the situation clashed to leave her a bundle of nerves.
She set her phone down and opened her satchel, going over her files again. She’d looked over these to the point of near-memorization to prepare for this interview, but looking over them again allowed her to focus on something else aside from the quiet passage of time. The picture of Max Hveiti she had was out of date. It had to be. He was still wearing a flak jacket and tactical gear, his chestnut hair a mess. This was clearly a picture taken from the Civil War or just after it had ended. Even still though, his blue-grey eyes seemed very bright behind his rimmed glasses. Inquisitive almost.
The rest of the file detailed what was known of him in Saintonge. He was thirty-nine years old, and from Býkonsviði. He came from a prominent family that had been mostly wiped out in the early days of the Syndicalist Republic. He joined the FRE around the early 2000s, but nothing more was known of him until early 2012, when he took command of the ÖSU. He and his brother had been granted ownership of what was left of their family business after the War, a chain of department stores. And Max had willingly given his half to his brother. That was it.
Louisa wasn’t surprised that public information on a spymaster was hard to come by, but it was nonetheless frustrating. Max's brother, Dorri, couldn’t even provide much aside from childhood stories and recollections from the War that weren’t insightful to Max’s activities.
“Max was committed to his job. We met when we could, but I have no idea what he did,” Dorri had said when Louisa had called.
“He’s still committed to his job,” he added. “He’s no stranger, but visits are sparse.”
That, too, didn’t surprise Louisa. People like this, people who held jobs like Max Hveiti held, were not open books. She didn’t know if the job made them like that, or if it attracted closed off people. It hardly mattered. And it meant it was a shock when she was granted this interview. The ÖSU didn’t release a statement. She wasn’t going to talk to some PR specialist or one of Hveiti’s aides. She was going to talk to the ÖSU chief himself.
She looked over her copy of the leaks, her own comments, questions, and observations scribbled in the margins of her copy. A lot of journalists had gone full digital. Everything- from files on their subjects to their notes- were on their phone. Louisa didn’t shun technology, but she didn’t lean on it either. Her phone was far more effective than any tape recorder could be, but she didn’t appreciate having to navigate back and forth through her phone for this or that when she could just have it all spread out in front of her, in paper form. Her observations of her own notes were cut short by the sound of the door opening.
“Madame Grundt,” Max said with a smile, approaching Louisa. She didn’t know what to make of what she was seeing. This was Max Hveiti, but he didn’t look like she suspected. Most FRE personnel of note from the Civil War were seen time and again in military gear, looking a bit worse for wear. Like the picture of Max in her file. They’d all, however, traded the military gear and clothing in for suites. Dity hair and faces were washed.
Max fit that pattern...only he didn’t. His hair was cut nicely, if a bit shaggy, but he neither dressed like a dull bureaucrat or dashing spymaster. Instead he wore a loud green and blue Skandan shirt, khaki slacks, brown loafers, and a brown sports jacket that seemed like it was being worn begrudgingly, like Max himself only wore it because it was expected someone in his position should. Still, his eyes behind the glasses looked just as inquisitive and bright as they seemed in his picture.
Louisa was caught off guard by the manner of dress, but quickly shook her head just a bit.
“Herra Hveiti, thank you for meeting me,” she said pleasantly, standing up to shake his hand. She wasn’t sure if he was dressing like this because that’s just how he dressed, or if it was because he was trying to rattle her. He was in intelligence and espionage after all. She decided she’d make that determination by speaking with him.
“I’m sorry,” she added, “I wasn’t expecting Skandan fashion. You don’t strike me as either a bureaucrat or politician,” she said as they both sat near the head of the table, her finger pressing the “Record” button on her phone.
“Thank you,” Max replied with a pleasant smile, in Santonian.
“Believe me, I take that as a compliment. I wasn't sure if you'd prefer to hold the interview in Prydanian or Santonian.”
“He speaks Santonian well,” Louisa thought to herself. His accent was present, but it was subtle. It didn’t weigh down his words.
"Whichever you are more comfortable in," she replied in Prydanian with a smile. Max chuckled.
"Well this is about speaking to the Santonian people, so Santonian it is," he said with a nod.
"You speak it rather well," Louisa replied, now in Santonian herself.
"Was this a result of espionage work?"
"No," Max replied with a smile as he shook his head.
"My mother and father insisted on a worldly education. My brother and I were nearly fluent in Santonian before the War ever broke out."
"I see," Louisa continued.
“I also want to thank you for agreeing to meet with me for this interview. Direct access to the head of a foreign intelligence agency isn’t something that happens often,” she added.
“I don't really care for what's expected or proper. I care about what needs doing. In this case I felt it necessary to be direct with the Santonian people. So here I am,” Max replied. His tone was casual. As was his posture. He was leaning back comfortably in the chair opposite Louisa.
“You say direct, Mr. Hveiti,” Louisa replied. “I’m not naive, and I would like to think my readers aren’t either. I’m well aware that there’s a limit to what you can speak about. I don’t intend to poke at Prydanian state secrets beyond the confines of what we agreed to regarding this interview.”
“I appreciate that,” Max said with a nod as he reached his hand out to the conference table to absent mindedly tap his finger against it.
“But on this matter I intend to be direct with you, and to be direct with Saintonge.”
“So,” Louisa replied, “the leaks that are out there indicate that the ÖSU was spying in Saintonge from 2005 to 2017. What can you confirm about these leaks, either in support of, or in denial of, their authenticity?”
Max looked at Louisa for a moment, and she was caught by his inquisitive gaze again. It wasn’t hostile by any means. He wasn’t glaring at her. He simply...studied her. Like he was trying to figure her out as he answered the question.
“They’re all authentic. It’s true,” Max replied almost casually.
“We operated in Saintonge from 2005 to 2017. I didn’t come to lead the ÖSU until 2012, but I was aware of earlier activities in Saintonge- and other nations- and authorized their continuation until the end of the Civil War.”
“I wasn’t...I wasn’t expecting that answer,” Louisa replied, a bit taken aback at how casually Max had admitted it.
“What answer were you expecting?” he asked in return, still tapping his finger on the desk.
“I don’t know. Maybe a denial? More likely some sort of political non-answer.”
“I didn’t ask that you come all the way to Eskilborg so I could give you a non-answer,” Max said with a soft chuckle.
“And as you pointed out, I’m not a politician.”
“The leaks are authentic then. It has caused a stir in Saintonge. Some are upset that this has happened, given the aid Saintonge has provided to Prydania.”
“I think that’s a bit of a revisionist attitude, if I’m being perfectly honest,” Max replied. He still seemed causal, relaxed.
“I feel I must press you on that. How so?” Louisa asked.
“Well,” Max began with a shrug, “the fact is that the relationship between our countries as it has existed from 2017 onwards wasn’t a factor in how the FRE and ÖSU went about its business before then. All we could do, before then, was to act in the best interests of our cause and our country. And that included running intelligence gathering operations in Saintonge. A country, I must remind you, that recognized the Syndicalist government. Saintonge has done much to help Prydania since the end of the War, but prior to that things were different.”
Louisa gulped softly. Was he trying to get into her head? She knew basic information on him...he was an intelligence chief though. Surely he knew just as much-probably more- about her. And he'd invoked the Syndicalists- the side her brother fought for before they fled. Was he trying to rattle her? Or was she caught up in her own head? She breathed slowly and gathered herself.
“The Santonian government may have recognized the Syndicalist Republic’s legitimacy," she replied, keeping her cool, "but I don’t believe anyone truly considered themselves a friend of it. Nor did the Santonian government aid them in any way militarily.”
“No, you’re quite right,” Max replied. “And I didn’t bring that up in an attempt to shame anyone. I am merely bringing up facts. The Santonian government did recognize the Syndicalist Republic. And they accepted a large amount of Prydanian refugees fleeing said government. That created a situation where we had to act in Saintonge. So the ÖSU did what it had to do to save the country. If that meant spying on the Syndicalist government within Saintonge’s borders, the ÖSU did it. If that meant protecting Prydanian refugees within Saintonge from the people they fled away from, the ÖSU did it. We were fighting for the future of our homeland. No stone could afford to remain unturned.”
“Some in Saintonge demand answers. You don’t sound remorseful.”
“I hope I can provide answers. I hope that the people of Saintonge will recognize that what we did was a necessary evil, and that we hold no ill-will against them or their country. I am not, however, remorseful. I and the ÖSU did what we believed was necessary to save our country.”
It was Louisa’s turn to study Max. He didn’t seem emotional. He seemed very matter-of-fact. Still casual. The only hint that perhaps emotions were beginning to run hot was the increased tempo of his finger tapping the table. She nodded at his answer and continued.
“So what can you tell me about what the ÖSU did during that twelve year period?”
“What do you want to know?” Max replied calmly.
“As much as you can tell me,” Louisa answered.
“I’ll be happy to answer that. I want to say that everything I am about to say can be confirmed and verified by our own internal documents related to our operations in Saintonge. And if the Santonian government would like to see what we were up to they merely need to ask. The dossier, the files, everything can be shared. And will be if they ask for it.”
“There is a committee meeting to discuss the matter. They may very well arrive at that conclusion.”
“Political grandstanding doesn’t really interest me,” Max replied.
“I don’t care if it’s in my country or yours, I don’t like it. If the Santonian government wants to see what we have, they can ask. We will share it with them, in full. It's not my business to care about how many committees politicians need in order to answer simple "yes" or "no" questions.”
Louisa raised an eyebrow before continuing.
“You weren't kidding when you said you preferred what needed doing to what was expected.”
“In my experience,” Max replied, “it's the best way forward.”
“So to get back to my question,” Louisa continued, “what can the Santonian government expect to read about ÖSU activities in Saintonge if they do ask to see your files?”
Max nodded, pulling his hand from the desk as he rested his arms on his chair’s arm rests.
“The first operations regarding Saintonge began in 2005, as the leaks indicate. The FRE was still an underground movement at that point. Stockpiling weapons, waging an insurgency. The Santonians..." he paused for a moment. Should he tell her about Thomas Lasmartres' communiques with the FRE during the Civil War? No. He wouldn't do that.
"...the Santonians had recognized the Syndicalist Republic but had also aided a number of refugees in fleeing. The FRE wanted to determine to what extent the Santonian government was supporting the Syndicalist Republic and what motives they had for helping refugees. Was it altruism? Or part of another agenda? That's when the ÖSU started to gather intelligence on the Santonian government. We were trying to ascertain Santonian motives."
“Started,” Louisa nodded.
“The leaks themselves seem concerned with the ÖSU spying on the Syndicalist Republic within Saintonge.”
Max nodded.
“Yes, that was the primary activity our Santonian operations entailed as we got going. We had agents in Saintonge who monitored and infiltrated the Syndicalist Republic’s embassy in Saintes.”
“To what end?” Louisa asked.
“A variety of ends,” Max replied.
“First and foremost, basic intel. Was there anything we could learn that would either aid the FRE in the War or weaken the Syndicalist Republic? Beyond that we were engaged in determining whether anything from the Syndicalist embassy could shed light on Santonian motives in Prydania. And finally, to frustrate Syndicalist Republic efforts to hinder the Santonian government’s integration efforts regarding Prydanian refugees.”
“The Syndicalist government attempted to hinder those efforts? Why?” Louisa asked, genuinely curious. So much of this was news to her, but this was especially captivating.
“The Syndicalists didn’t like Santonian efforts to save refugees. So we were able to confirm that the Santonian efforts to save refugees were altruistic, as an aside. Regardless, the Syndicalist regime didn’t like that. If they could hinder attempts on the part of Saintonge to integrate Prydanian refugees it might cause tensions and make Saintonge seem unappealing to potential future refugees. We took steps to neutralize and oppose these efforts once we learnt of them.”
“Why was this an ÖSU aim?”
“Because I think it’s quite cruel to not only force someone to flee their home, but to then continue to torment them when they find safe haven elsewhere,” Max replied bluntly.
“I joined the FRE very early in the War. I know the type of people the Syndicalist regime was made of. It’s why I was willing to do what I did, including gathering intelligence in Saintonge, to try and stop them.”
Louisa looked over Max again. Her brother. Her brother had been a Syndicalist Peoples Militiaman. Part of her wanted to react defensively to what Max had said...but then again her brother had left. He'd fled with her because he couldn't follow the Militia's orders any longer. That proved Max's point, that her brother ultimately arrived at the same conclusion.
She also sensed a tonal shift. Max still wasn’t angry, but his causal attitude had become a straightforward and blunt one.
“So the Syndicalist Republic ran operations designed to frustrate and stunt the Santonian government’s efforts," she reiterated.
“Yes. They did. I’m sure Santonian intelligence was aware of it, but we did what we could to stop it. These people may have fled Prydania, but we felt responsible for them. It’s why we did the other thing we did in Saintonge.”
“What was that?” Louisa asked.
“We created a network to get messages from people in Saintonge to their family and friends in Prydania. And vice versa. It was irregular, and even that took a monumental effort. Both because our agents who could pass along messages had more pressing matters most of the time, and because information in the Syndicalist-controlled parts of Prydania was strictly controlled. We still did what we could though, to help people. Even if it was just to let them know someone they cared about was ok.”
“You paint a rather noble vision of Prydanian operations in Saintonge, Mr. Hveiti.”
“I’m no saint, and neither was anyone else in the FRE,” Max said matter-of-factly.
“As I said, the operations we ran in Saintonge were a necessary evil. We gathered intel on the Santonian government and their intentions. We spied on a government Saintonge recognized, within its borders. Yes, to all of it. We did it because it was necessary to do so, to save our country. We were not saints, Ms. Grundt, but we believed in a better future for our homeland and worked to that goal. We never acted against the Santonian government. Or the Santonian people. We never attempted to compromise Saintonge in any way. We did run operations, however. I’m sorry we had to do it, but we did.”
Louisa let that conviction sink in for a moment. What she knew of the FRE was filtered through Syndicalist propaganda in her younger years. And then her brother's defection had recast everything she knew in new light. Max Hveiti wasn't a soldier, but he was a believer in the FRE's cause. And here he was, in a free Prydania. Something about that conviction was captivating to her.
“You say ‘did,'" she said. "And you mention the dates 2005 to 2017. As do the leaks. Can you confirm that the ÖSU’s operations in Saintonge ceased after the Civil War?”
Max nodded.
“Operations in Saintonge largely ceased after the Kingdom of Prydania took control of the Syndicalist Republic embassy. As I have said, the Santonian government is free to ask for our dossier and files. They will find post-Civil War reading to be dull and brief, however.”
“So,” Lousia replied, “when you say ‘largely ceased,’ you mean that.”
“Yes,” Max replied with a nod.
“Let me make it clear. Saintonge is a friend of Prydania. A close friend. Post-Civil War the ÖSU was tasked with gathering intelligence and running operations to defend Prydania from its enemies. I’d be pretty bad at my job if I wasted resources spying on a friend like Saintonge instead of directing them towards targets that threaten Prydania.”
Louisa instinctively wanted to ask who Max was talking about. Who he had redirected his efforts to after the War. She stopped herself as she began to ask though. She had promised Max she wouldn't prod at sensitive topics outside of the parameters of the interview. She paused for a moment before asking a different question instead.
“You say that Saintonge is a friend of Prydania. So you must understand why this would concern some Santonians?"
“I do, yes, but context is important,” Max replied, nodding, and cracking a small smile.
“It’s why I have been so insistent on being open, and why I granted you this interview. So Santonians can understand the context of what we did, and why. And to understand that these efforts are not ongoing.”
Louisa nodded, noticing the recording app on her phone running. She looked back at Max. “Emotionless” wasn’t the right word, but he never once raised his voice. Even if he was clearly affected by what he was talking about. He just seemed...like an enigma. Even with everything he shared, and everything he promised to share if asked. It was clear he was only divulging this information because he chose to, and that there was more behind those blue-grey eyes.
“Thank you, Monsieur Hveiti,” she said.
“Thank you for agreeing to speak with me.”
“I’m glad you could come, and I’m happy I could be as direct as I could be.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to say on the record before we finish?”
“Just what I said earlier,” Max replied with a shrug.
“That we never worked to hurt Saintonge. The records will corroborate that.”
Louisa nodded and smiled as she turned off the recorder function on her phone, and stood.
“Thank you, again,” she said off the record.
“It’s not every day I find myself in an intelligence service’s headquarters.”
“Well I hope you weren’t too disappointed,” Max replied with a chuckle as he stood, shaking her hand once again.
“I wish I could stay, but I’m afraid I’m needed elsewhere.”
“Of course, Monsieur Hveiti. Thank you again.”
“And thank you, Madame Grundt, safe travels back home,” Max said as he left.
He made his way down the hall, turning a few corners before he pulled his phone from his pants pocket. It was on silent but it had been buzzing throughout the interview. He knew what it was about. His agent, tasked with ascertaining the leaks that made their way to Saintonge, had sent him her findings. He grumbled to himself as he scrolled through a recent message.
“Oh Maríanna…” he said under his breath.
“Look at what you’ve gone and done.”
OOC Note: Posted with the approval of @Kyle
