Exitus Acta Probat

[Haor Chall]

Exitus Acta Probat

Part 1:
Second Son​

++Kuat Yards private airport, Haor Chall++
++ 14 November 1986++


Walther Kuat was not used to being kept waiting. As CEO of one of the largest corporate bodies in Haor Chall, a position held by his family since the founding of the company in the Guild days, he had been born into a life of privilege and wealth which few could ever dream of. Sat in the back of a limousine on the airport tarmac with the rain drumming heavily on the roof, he looked again at his watch whilst contemplating the business costs of the time spent waiting here. Normally he would never had wasted five minutes like this, let alone the twenty minutes it had been so far, but these were far from normal times.

The airport manager had been profuse in his apologies for the delays, practically grovelling, despite the issue being well outside of his control. The private company jet that Walther was waiting for had been delayed by air traffic control issues crossing over Meterra en-route to Haor Chall. Finally, the small jet touched down on the glistening runway with a huge spray of water and made its way across the airport towards the waiting limousine. After another few minutes the jet came to a stop, its engines still whining, whilst it’s solitary passenger hurriedly disembarked.

The waiting porter opened the car door and the jets passenger stepped into the limousine, sitting down in a seat opposite Walter. He looked across at the pensive face of the new arrival, the familiar hawkish Kuat family features were clearly defined on his young (to Walter) face – albeit with a shock of blond hair which was most definitely not of Kuat linage. An uncharacteristic moment of introspection, about what might have been, occupied his thoughts whilst his guest sat waiting. Ironic that what he had once thought of as his greatest mistake was now his best chance at a worthy legacy…

Walter internally scolded himself for such thoughts, that were just pointless regrets. He broke the uncomfortable silence, after gesturing to the driver to get underway. “It is good to see you again my son. How are things in Saintonge? I trust all is going well?”

A small frown crossed his son’s face, he had not expected small talk. “Yes, all is well, thank you Walter. The Embassy is busy supporting new trade negotiations but it’s all quite routine.”

“Good, good.” Walter said with a thin smile, “I suppose the weather is a bit better there at the moment, I’m afraid the forecast is for rain all week here.”

Another frown twitched across his son’s face, although he replied in a studiously neutral tone. “You didn’t call me back from Saintonge to discuss the weather Walter, why was I summoned here?”

“My boy, you weren’t summoned. Can an old man not wish to see his son?”

“Well,” replied the younger man drily, “the Ambassador made it sound a lot like an order… and I am afterall, only your second son.”

The emphasis on the word second made plain its real meaning: bastard. There was no bitterness obvious in it, but Walter could not help wincing at it. It stung more than the boy’s refusal to call him father. It had been no small scandal back at the time, the state of Kuat was significantly more conservative than the rest of Haor Chall, which was otherwise quite socially liberal. But after the boy’s mother had died during childbirth, he had brought the child into his family and raised him alongside his other children. His wife had never truly forgiven him and, even to this day, Walter was still not sure what had compelled him to display such compassion to his bastard son. Although, as things turned out, it was perhaps to become his saving grace.

“I hope my reasons will become clear in time,” said Walter slowly, for such a sensitive topic could only be raised piece by piece. “I take it you have heard of the latest, ah, political developments in Xi Char?”

His son nodded thoughtfully, as insular as Haor Chall was, the riots and national unrest had made the news in Saintonge and doubtlessly in most of the world. The embassy staff were of course kept informed of events back home as well anyway. “I’ve seen reports of the rioting yes,” he replied, “and we’ve heard the President is considering martial law to deal with the unrest..?”

Walter nodded slowly, “Yes. It is being considered. The problem is more grave than you might think, all of the normal levers of power seem unable to respond effectively and whilst the economic picture looks to be improving the political paralysis seems to only get worse. There seem to be no easy answers to resolving this crisis, only options of increasing extremity.”

Increasing extremity…? Thought his son, surprised that the CEO of Kuat Yards had concerns beyond the economic recovery and puzzled by what that meant. Certainly, Walter had never shown interest in the political goings-on of Haor Chall before. Were things really that bad?

Looking out of the window, he noticed they had passed the turning towards the family residence and were heading towards the city centre. “I’m surprised you have such interest in the political goings-on of Xi Char,” he said, deliberately looking to provoke a reaction from Walter as he still didn’t understand what had brought him back here. “I never saw you as much interested in politics, beyond how it might impact the bottom line of the Yards. You still haven’t said what this has to do with me yet either…”

Walter smiled, “At the end of the day, when you are responsible for an organisation as large as ours everything is politics. And politics is everything. My responsibilities… well… let us say, they go beyond the family business. And whilst your half-brother may be the heir-presumptive of Kuat Yards, I would be very foolish indeed if I did not notice or respect the high esteem you are held in within the diplomatic service. You have got to where you are now by your own hard work and your own intellectual ability, not just simply relying on the Kuat name to progress.” Walter smiled again, though this time more sadly, “Indeed I know you have tried very hard not to make use of your family name. And I respect that, I really do, and that is why you are here now.”

Flattery is not really an answer, thought the younger man as he turned from his father to look again out of the window. He contemplated saying as much, but decided against it – waiting instead for Walter to elaborate further. They had reached the outskirts of the city now, passing by dilapidated looking industrial buildings, with few signs of life around them. An uneasy silence descended in the limousine as it continued to make its way further into the city…