One Sun Rises, Another Sets [Vandenreich Leadership]

The sun was still a distant memory from the night before as this impromptu meeting of the Higher Circle was called to order, a scattering of distant rays over the horizon perhaps the only inclination that it was even close to morning yet. But this development could not wait a moment, though, as the latest news from Africa had arrived first in Alastair's ear only a few minutes prior yet he knew it would be public news by midday. He did not quite know what to make of it all yet, but the report came from someone he had no reason to doubt and had been corroborated to some extent by Vandenreich agents in the field.

The Gotei United was, as of this moment, no more.

The Grandmaster's office had been slightly redesigned to host a gathering like this, Alastair's desk now forming the centrepiece of a larger circular table at which there were five currently empty chairs. Three were equally spaced apart and facing towards the one at the furthest point from the door, behind which the Grandmaster currently stood and pondered. The last was close to the Grandmasters own, but left purposefully vacant. The space for an adviser who was not present. He had considered removing the chair, but that was an admission that she would not return, and Alastair would not compromise on that goal just as Cyrus had before him.

Even though he had been woken recently in response to this news, and rushed here at a breakneck pace that had momentarily left a scorching trail across the night sky, there was no sign of a lack of composure from the Grandmaster as he awaited the arrival of the Directors. His orange gaze was as even as ever, uniform neatly pressed and properly adorned with badges of office and other ceremonial artefacts. If their hand was to be forced then he would face it head-on, as he had every crisis before this one.