Free from the Crypt [Bauher, Alastair]

Alastair did not quite know what to expect when the request for a meeting came through from Ehefra’s father. He had been kept appraised of Ehefra’s condition after her deployment in China, and she appeared to have been on the road to recovery, but perhaps there was more that needed to be said. Or perhaps Bauher did not take too kindly to his daughter’s willingness to thrust herself into the lion’s maw.

The location of this meeting was quite different to the last time, though. That would become all too apparent as those doors opened into that vast, empty office. Floor-to-ceiling windows casting a view of the surrounding city, as the Grandmaster watched on from behind his desk.

“Mr Kleinmund, it has been some time. Please, sit if you would like.”

An uncharacteristic look of confusion flashed across Alastair’s face as Bauher produced the letter and set it down before him. There was nothing he had tasked Ehefra with that was so urgent that she would need to send him an update whilst still in recovery; and if there was then he did not expect she would breach protocol by passing it on via a civilian, so his eyebrows rose as he slid it over to him and Bauher continued to talk cryptically. He appreciated her dedication to her job, though, it was an admirable attitude for his administrators to possess.

With a single decisive motion, he ran two fingers along the top of the envelope and cut it open. Pulling the letter free and beginning to read, his expression soon returned to one of blank formality. Once he had read it though once, he set it back down with a slight nod. This was unexpected.

“I will not pretend that I am pleased to read this, she could have waited until being discharged from hospital.”

He paused, wondering if there was more to this than met the eye. It could have been a cry for help, or a coded message. But he could not say that he was close enough to Ehefra that this rash decision felt out of place, so was it worth muddying the water?

“Ms Ehefra was working on several research projects that her departure will certainly impact. She will be required to hand in all her devices containing sensitive data and affirm that any and all information she currently possesses has been safely disposed of. This will include sensitive media collected by her spirit weapon. I will assign several case workers to handle this matter, though oversight will fall to her Director in lieu of a direct replacement to her position.”

“I can count on one hand the staff that have been as dependable as your daughter in these past few years, so I will confess that I had high hopes for her future, but it is her life. I will not compel her to stay out of obligation.”

There was a spark of understanding behind those orange eyes as Bauher spoke about his wife's passing. Alastair had not known, but it did do a lot to explain this sudden turn of events.

"We are all flames, trying to keep burning, and sometimes the rain is unavoidable." There was no satisfaction in his metaphor, a dry emptiness was all that remained. "But the only disappointment I feel is that she did not trust me or the Vandenreich enough to share that she was struggling. It is a personal matter, I understand that, but we have some of the finest psychological minds on staff here specifically to help with the battles that we cannot see. The mental health of my staff is of great import, as it is expected for them to perform at their best when they are in the field."

He looked at the business card for a moment before he picked it up, the relationship between Bauher and Arlette was something that he did know and yet there was still a pause. At this moment he regretted not being a little more forceful with her when he had asked if she would join the Vandenreich, but she was not a lost cause. Not yet.

"I wish you both all the best on your travels, and I hope that it provides Ms Ehefra with some relief. There will always be a place for her here, and do not hesitate to let me know personally if there is more that the Vandenreich can do for your family."

If it was weariness that Bauher was looking for then he would see nothing of the sort upon Alastair's immaculate features. His body seemed as fresh as ever, unblemished by the countless battles he had fought in the Vandenreich's name, yet the Grandmaster offered a curt nod in response to his wisdom all the same. A show of respect, perhaps, before he reached across the table to accept the offered shake.

"If you are in Karakura then perhaps we will meet sooner rather than later, but I wish you well all the same." It was remiss of him to speak of his intentions, but Bauher was hardly a man of ill repute. Not that Alastair expected anything ill might befall him in Japan of all places, even if malign forces had cause or intent. "I will see that the appropriate parties are informed of this development. I imagine some of them will be in touch before your departure, and afterwards to conduct exit reviews." He broke from the handshake, leaving the man to depart on his own terms.

"Thank you for taking the time to deliver this personally, Mr Kleinmund."